6-8-48 14-9-48 CAR RACE MAY BE HELD HERE NEXT YEAR Racing cars being built in various centres of the Dominion will compete in a major road race to be held in Canterbury early next year if negotiations between the Canterbury Car Club and the Transport Department and local bodies are concluded successfully. Run on the lines of similar events conducted • in England and on the Continent, the event will be for cars suitable competition only.; Although a circuit has not been! decided on vet. officials of the organising body expect that the race will! be over a route of between 70 and 100 miles. It is proposed to hold it late in February or early ih March, about the time of the Royal visit. The race will be a preliminary to. a larger enterprise planned for 1950,, • Canterbury's centenary, and will be run as a benefit for the Papanui sub-committee of the Christchurch Returned Services' Association. 20-8-48 Car Club to Hold Race In Waimairi County After refusing an application by the Pioneer Amateur Sports Club tol hold a motor-car road race in the Harewood area early next year, the Waimairi County Council gave permission for the race to be held in another riding of the county. "The race is a preliminary to the Empire Games, and will be introduced into the games as a new feature. if it proves successful" said the chairman (Mr W. W. Laing). Mr A. Wilkinson said that Hare. wood ratepayers had offered some objections. It was decided to grant the club the use of Yaldhurst Road, Russley Road. Coringa Street, and Avonhead; Road for the race. BIG CAR RACE WILL BE HELD IN WAIMAIRI ..Racing and sporting car drivers from all parts of New Zealand will be in Christchurch next February for the biggest motor-car race ever to be held in the Dominion. Organised by the Canterbury Car Club, the event will be staged on a circuit of! from three to three miles and a half in the Waimairi County on Febru-! ary 26. The distance of the race has not! been decided on yet by the club, but! it is expected that it wih be between; 70 and 100 miles. The waimairi, County Council has given approval for the use parts of Burnside,! Russley, Coringa, Avonhead, Waimairi, and Grahams Roads. Entry forms being prepared now will be sent throughout New Zealand, and a large number of competitors is expected juaging by thei north Island motorists in reports or the arrangements made up to date. Only motorists who are registered as racing drivers with the New Zealand Association of Car Clubs will be permitted to take part in the event, while restrictions will be placed on the types ot motor-cars: nich owners will be able to enter. Probably entries will be restricted to properly designed sports cars and cars built for racing only. A number of racing cars is being built in New Zealand at the present time in preparation for this race and others that will follow. Proceeds from the race will be donated to the Papanui Sub-branch of the Christchurch Returned Ser- Vices Association. 25-9-48 CAR ROAD RACE Sir,-I wish to protest against the , route proposed for the road race to • be held by the Canterbury Car Cius i on February 26 next. We have by- ¡laws prohibiting the use of noisy and i residents of Russley, dangerous vehicles on our road Gra- Burnside, ham's. Waimairi, Avonhead, and Coringa roads are to be subjected, without their prior consent, to the cacophonous din of roaring auto-engines. The powers that be are continually preaching road safety; and in fact restrict the private motorist to a maximum of 40 m.p.h. Are they then prepared to allow this organised orgy of speeding in a residential area? I would therefore request that the minority who wish to endanger not only their own lives and property but also those of others should take themselves to a more suitable spot. such as the perimeter of Harewood air-field, and there practise • their homicidal activities.— Yours, etc.. APTERYA. September 25, 1948. [Mr W. W. Laing (chairman of the Waimairi County Council. which granted the permit for the race) had no comment to make when this letter was referred to him.] 23-9-48 -11-48 ROAD RACE FOR CARS AGREEMENT TO CHANGE OF ROUTE The drivers to take part in the road race to be held by the Canterbury Car Club on February 26 would be hand picked. and members of the Papanu: Fielurned Services' Association would pickat the route every 6ü yards, said Cr. W. W. Laing. chairman of the Walmairi County Council, at a meeting of i the council last evening. Mr Laing's remarks were made when a recommendation from the works committee that the club be offered an alternative route to the one first chosen. was before the council. The commitiee reported that there had been some objection by residents in the district. Cr. Laing said that the club had agreed to use another route-Russiey. | Burnside. Graham's, Waimairi. Avon- head. and Coringa roads. The laps would be just more than three miles each. and the total distance 70 to 100 miles. The race. which would be the forerunner of a big centennial race in 1950, would be very well conducted. 20-8-48 CAR ROAD RACE PROPOSED COURSE IN WAIMAIRI COUNTY "Motor racing may not be too good in a thickly-populated area," said Mr A. Wilkinson, reporting last evening to a meeting of the Waimairi County Council on a proposal by the Canterbury Car Club to hold a New Zealand championship car road race in the Harewood area early next year. Roads included in the club's proposed course were Harewood. Waimak, Sawyer's Arms. and Harmans roads. Mr Wilkinson said he had interviewed residents living in the Harewood area, and there were some objections to the proposed course.. The chairman thr w. W. Laing) said there was a suitable course for holding the race in his riding of the county, and he would not object to the race being held there. The club authorities had explained that the race would be properly controlled in association with the Transport Department, and streets used would be closed to ordinary traffic for three hours during the race. There would be no "mug drivers" competing. Mr Laing suggested an alternative course along Yaldhurst, Russley, Coringa, and Avonhead roads. On Mr H. Kitson's motion, the council decided to leave it to the chairman and the county clerk (Mir H. A. Fergusun) to arrange with the club for a suitable course for its race. NZ. SPORTSMAN, NOVEMBER HmoItous Car Race Planned Organised by the Canterbury Car Club, the biggest motor car rac land will drow racing and sporting , drivers from all parts of the on Februory 26. The event will be run on a circuit of from three miles to three miles and a half. Several racing cars are being built in various parts of the country specially for this race. The distance has yet to be decided, but it is expected to be between 70 and 100 miles. The Waimairi County louncil has authorised the use of certain roads for the event. Only motorists registered as racing drivers with the New Zealand Association of car clubs will be permitted to take part, and restrictions will be placed on the types of cars owners will be able to enter. It is considered likely that entries will be restricted to properly designed sports cars and vehicles built solely for racing. The interest shown in the project by motorists in the North Island indicates that a large entry can be expected. One of the most spectacular events ever held for motor cars in the South Island was the South Island hill climbing championship at Halswell in March, 1947, for which there were 31 entries. The course included a bend which called for a high order of skill for negotiation at speed. A standing start on macadam gave the cars a good take off, and the shingle flew in all directions as the spinning wheels bit into the less stable surface a chain or two from the start. Sporting cars predominated in this event, but a feature which provided considerable interest was the entry of several late mode! standard saloons, including one -946 type triven by J. Tutton, wnich, on its trial run, showed great promise, holding the road well on the bends on account of its weight. Another car which excited more than usual interest was an old English racing type driven by J. O. F. Hamilton. This car had previously been raced on the famous Brooklands track in England. It quickly became apparent that speed with gear changes was going to mean a lot, for fumbling changes on the bends and for the steeper clinches meant precious seconds Jost. The grade in the steepest part of the course was one in six and a half, and in no part was it less than one in ten. This grade made the going tough for the 850 c.c. cars, which found it on the average too tough for third gear and - a little too easy for second. SPECTATORS THRILLED Spectators did not have to wait for thrills until the actual timed tests, for on the downward trip from a test run a big modern saloon came down a little fast, slithered madiy round the worst bend on the course, and teetered dangerously to a broadside-on position across the track. A cloud of dust obscured everything for a moment, and when it cleared everyone fully expected to see that the big car had capsized down the grassy bank. It was still right side up, however, and the driver coolly meshed his gears and drove off. The fastest time of the day for the course of seven-tenths of a mile was recorded by 0. J. Hawkins, who hurled his light racing car up the steep grade and round the bends in 41fsec. He won both the 1,500-c.c. and open classes. His car excited a great deal of interest, bęing a very unorthodox type with an unusually wide wheel-track in front. It had no gear box, the ratios being obtained by chains and sprockets, with a dog clutch system. It showed remarkable acceleration, and handled beaztifully. Previously, Hawkins had established a Dominion record of 20sec for a quarter of a mile from a standing start with this car. The times at the hill-climbing championship varied from 88gsec for the slowest of the 850 c.c. cars to the figure established by Hawkins. One or two drivers found their cars turning crazily into the bank as their churning rear wheels flung gravel and grass in all directions on the worst bend, but at no stage during the timed tests was there any indication of cars being out of control. Few went above 55 miles an nour, even on the straignt, Ior, no matter how good was their acceleration, the drivers, particularly of the bigger cars, were chary of using their brakes on the shingle surface, preferring to rely on their gears. Hawkins, however, averaged 60 miles an hour. It was undoubtedly the greater manœuvrability of his smaller car Tution and N. E: Arehibald open class. The big saloon of Tutton few up the steep grade after the ena, but valuable time had been lost in slowing up for the curve and 'negotiating it. for Februarv ce ever held in New Zea- Dominion to Christchurch THREE-WHEELED CAR Apart from Hawkins, one of the outstanding performers of the meeting was M. Stanton, who drove a three - wheelea, front - wheel - drive motor car without bodywork or engine covering of any description. In this strange looking car, secret which was jocularly christened a weapon" by many spectators, he put up a spectacular performance, winning the 1,100 and 2,000 c.c. classes, and being placed third in the 1,500c.c. class. Stanton was able to control his queer-looking vehicle very well on the curves. The fact that he was seated practically over the single rear wheel seemed to help with the elimination of skid, and the powertul little engine hurled the light vehicle up the steepest grade with amazing speed. All the drivers displayed skill in handling, with Hawkins easily the most outstanding. Another who earned praise in this respect was R. O. Symonds, who drove an old model car with dual rear wheels. He did not attain great speed, but his driving ability obviated the necessity for much easing on the big bend. Mrs. J. Tutton, the only woman driver to compete, earned a deserved ovation when she completed the course in 48żsec, to take third place in the 2,000-c.c. class. She was driving an ordinary saloon, and her coolness and handling left nothing to be desired. C. A. C. Ransley was another driver whose_handling earned him high praise. F. Sharman, who filled fourth place in the open section, was in the same category. It is anticipated that many of those who took part in this spectacular meeting will be facing the starter for the big race at Waimairi in February. players please