17-2-49 212-49 Road Race Permit Reported Declined " Stai-Sut " Repcrter WELLINGTON. This Day. Although no official announcement had been made early this afternoon, it is understood that the Government has declined the application of the Papanui Returned Services' Association to hold a 100-mile motor-car road race in the Waimairi County: When questioned on the matter, the Leader of the Opposition (Mr S. representative for G. Folatadie for Fendaiton. said Fendalton. that he had not heard the decision of the Government yet. but he had been approached by the promoters of the race to see if difficulties which had been mentioned earlier could be overcome. Apparently. Mr Holland said. there was no statutory authority for the The view of the roads to be closed. police had been that a grave responsibility would be entailed if any acci. dent occurred. He had approached the Government to ascertain if there were any means of surmounting the difficulties in the way of holding the race. 18-2-49 100 MILES ROAD RACE Fastest Cars and Finest See New Zealand's Drivers in Action. Saturday, Feb. 25th CIRCUIT : Starting Point Russley Rosd -then via Coringa Road, Avonhead Road, Waimairi Road, Grahams Road, Burnside Road. Circuit closes for Spectators al 1.15 p.t. Spectators are particularly asked to be in their allotted Lateareas prior cannot be admitted. • to the closing of the circuit at 115. 4og Persons travelling the comers event are urgently requested NOT to use Burnside Road Alternative routes are Russley Read, Hawthornden Road, Withells Road, and Woolridge Road. PRIVATE PROPERTY Property owners in the circuit area by their co-operation have made it possible to held this race. Spectators are therefore asked to respect these properties — particularis fences. 18-2-49 18-2-49 DOMINION ROAD RACE CONTEST Wigram Aerodrome To Be Used MR FRASER GIVES AUTHORITY From Our Own Reporter WELLINGTON, February 17. Wigram aerodrome will be available as a course for the New Zealand road race championships on February 26. The previous proposal to hold the championships on roads in the Waimari county has been banned by the police on the ground that there is no legal authority to close public roads for such an event. Authority for the use of Wigram was given to-day by the Prime Minister! (Mr Fraser) after he and the Minister of Defence : (Mr F. Jones) had conferred with the chairman of the Association of New Zealand Car Clubs (Mr P. M. Hoare) and the president of the Papanui Returned Services Association (Mr C. Mciver). Disappointment that the negotiations for the use of the originally proposed circuit had failed was expressed this evening by Mr Hoare. It was discovered only at the last moment that the legal difficulties could not be overcome. he said. He added that his organisation would make use of the asphalt runways and the permanent track at Wigram to form a road circuit. He expressed appreciation of the Government's assistance in providing an alternative circuit for the championships. BIG CAR RACE WILL BE HELD AT WIGRAM The 100-mile New Zealand road racing een racing championship which was to have been held at Russley on February 26 will now be staged at Wigram aerodrome. The police banned the use of roads in the Waimairi county on the grounds that there is no legal autority to close public roads for such an event. Authority for the use of Wigram air station was given by the Prime Minister (Mr Fraser) after he and the Minister of Defence (the Hon F. Jones) had met the chairman of the Association dishs (Mr P. i. Hoare and the prest New dent of the Papanui sub-committee of the Christchurch Returned Services Association (Mr C. McIver) in Wellington yesterday. The Papanui sub-committee will benefit financially from the race. Disappointment that the negotiations fôr the use of the circuit originally proposed had failed was expressed by Mr Hoare last night. At the last moment it had been discovered that legal difficulties could not be overcome, he sal club, The Canterbury the organisation responsible for conducting the race, would make use of the asphalt runwavs and the permanent track at Wigram to form a circuit. Quarter-mile standing start championships had been held on the aerodrome last year, he added. Officials of the club said this morning that the race would be held on Februarv 26 as scheduled without alteration tO arrangements lawn do oner tnan the change 01 The circuit, which would be laid out at Wigram. would be sealed for its total distance and little diffculty would be experienced in making arrangements for spectators. Wigram Road Race Will be Biggest Ever • Held in N.2. No scratchings have been received from local or visiting drivers for the 105-mile New Zealand championship road race, which will be held at wigram aerodrome on Saturday afternoon, said Mr H. G. Bandy, an omcial of the Canterbury Car Club, which will conduct the event, the first to be held in the Dominion. The race will be the biggest contest ever held in New Zealand. Twenty-one entrants, from places as far apart as Invercargill and Auckland, will face the starter. The race would start at 2.30 p.m., said Mr Bandy, and be run over a circuit of 2.1 miles. There was one iong straight. but the rest of the circuit comprised short straights. with fast curves, and two sharp bends which would mean heavy braking. The track was part of the bitumen . runway which ran round the perimeter of the aerodrome. was ideal as a road-type circuit. said Mr Bandy, and presented all the hazards of driving on a bitumen road surface. • Facilities for spectators were exrellent. Arrangements were being made for a nublic-address systom to keep the public informed of the progress of the race, The chairman of the Association of New Zealand Car Clubs (Mr P.M. Hoare) said the association was grateful to the Prime Minister (Mr Fraser) for allowing the race to be run at Wigram. Although the association was disappointed losing the Russley road circuit, Wigram was considered satisfactory for racing, and superior to Russley from the spectators' point of view. With the change of venue, the length of the race will be similar, although the number of laps will be increased from thirty to fifty. A number of inquiries regarding the race have been received by the race organiser from intending patrons all over the South Island. Spectators will be coming from as far afield as Nelson and Invercargill in the South Island, and a contingent from Auckland is expected to arrive in a chartered Dakota. More than one hundred and fifty members of the Papanui sub-committee of the Christchurch Returned Services Association will act as marshals. The Papanui sub-committee will benefit from the proceeds of the race. which was to have been held in the • Waimairi county. T'he president of the sub-committee (MI C. G. McIver) will be chief marshal 21-2-49 RETURNED SERVICES CAP RACE CAR RACE CAR RACE CAR RACE CAR 100 MEILE RACE CAP 100 MILE RACE CAR RACE CAR RACE CAR ROAD RACE RACE CAR ROAD RACE RACE CAR RACE CAR RACE CAR RACE CAR Now Being Held RACE CAR RACE CAR RACE CAR RACE CAR RACE CAR WIGRAM RACE CAR WIGRAM RACE CAR RACE CAR RACE CAR AERODROME RACE 1 CAR AERODROME RACE CAR RACE CAR RACE CAR RACE CAR (NOT RUSSLEY) RACE CAR RACE CAR RACE CAR NEXT SATURDAY RACE CAR NEXT SATURDAY RACE CAR FACE CAR RACE CAR AT 2.30 P.M. RACE CAR RACE CAR RACE CAR RACE CAR All Helpers of the Papanut RACE CAR R.S.A. to Assemble at club RACE CAR Rooms as Advised. RACE CAR RACE CAR RACE C5158X