Noddy was wise enough to do this, though even at the reduced speed at
which he went around the bank, his rear wheels skidded rather
alarmingly.

But Jerry was not idle during this time. As he found his car
responding to the increase of gasolene and the advanced spark, he
shoved the levers still further over. The auto shot forward,
distancing the yellow car immediately in front of it, passing one with
an aluminum body and closely approaching a purple auto which was
behind Noddy.

Suddenly a loud explosion sounded back of the motor boys.

"There goes a tire!" exclaimed Bob.

"Hope it isn't one of yours," said Tom.

"If it was you'd be sliding along the track on your face instead of
sitting here," responded Bob. "No, it's one on the aluminum car. She's
out of the race," he added as he gave a quick glance back. A few
minutes later there was another noise-- a crashing sound-- and the
motor boys, by a quick glance, saw that the rearmost car in the race
had, by injudicious steering, been sent through a frail fence which
surrounded the track. The radiator was broken and, though no one was
hurt the car was put out of business. That left but four cars--
Noddy's green one, the yellow, the red one of the motor boys', and a
purple affair. They were speeding along in that order, and, a few
seconds later something went wrong with one of the cylinders of the
purple machine, leaving but three contestants. Then the yellow car