Charlie Collier's red Matchless was fitted with a 998 cc (90 x 78.4mm) 0.h.v. JAP engine. It had no auxiliary exhaust ports and its two-foot long exhaust pipes had empty silencer shells at their ends. Its two cylinders were fed from an Amac carburetter via aT-junction manifold. In contrast to the Indian, final drive was by belt. Hutchinson 26 x2! in tyres were used, front and rear, and a standard Matchless sprung fork was fitted.
Both machines used magneto ignition and ran on petrol for these races.
The riders' dress differed as much as their machines. De Rosier wore tight-fitting brown leathers and a helmet of a type similar to that used in modern cycle track-racing. Collier on the other hand wore riding breeches, a white pullover and a leather flying-helmet.
At the start, Harry Collier wheeled his brother's machine down past the Fork, to where the bridge crossed the River Wey. Sydney Garrett, a well-known Brooklands' rider of the time who was acting as host to Jake while he was in this country, did likewise with the Indian. Jake and Charlie walked down chatting from the paddock.
The procedure with all three match races was to have a rolling start across the line at the Fork, abreast of the official track car. Standing in the back of this, Ebbie Ebblewhite, armed with a red flag, acted as the starter.
In this first two-lap race both machines were over the starting line together, with Charlie just a shade ahead. He appeared to be pulling a lower gear than Jake, for, climbing the Members' Banking, he had started to establish a few lengths lead. By the middle of the Railway Straight they were almost level again. Charlie, however, had a one-and-a-half lengths lead on passing the Fork.
It was clear that the Indian had speed in hand, for whereas Charlie was lying flat along his tank, Jake only needed to adopt a semi�crouch to keep up with him.
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