Australian Robert Coombes (racing name “Bobby Blake”) was the New South Wales Individual (motorcycle) Speedway Champion in 1931. A great solo rider, Coombes was a star at the Olympia Motor Speedway in Maroubra, near Sydney, NSW. The track, opened in 1925 before a crowd of 70,000, was an imposing one-mile, ultra-high-banked concrete oval – and it was ill-fated. With both cars and two wheelers touring the facility at lap averages of 100mph, it exacted a serious toll of drivers and was soon labeled a “killer track” by the media. Coombes was the last to die there. Ironically, it was on June 14, 1936, and the track had already closed. Coombes had just stopped by for a practice run...
Todays Vintage Snap comes from Coastal 181 "Reading for Racers"... you can check-out all their photos and Books for Sale here... coastal181.com
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