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ROAD RACE. 33333 ниннн AMARA 44444 TO-DAY, FEBRUARY 26th TO-DAY, FEBRUARY 26th TO-DAY, FEBRUARY 26th TO-DAY. FEBRUARY 26th MEMBERS with Members' Windscreen Stickers, are advised that THEY MUST USE SYMES ROAD GAIR • TO ENTER MEMBERS' ENCLOSURE. 7762 ROAD RACE AT WIGRAM DRAWS LARGE CROWD An hour and a half before the starting time of the 105-mile New Zealand road-racing championship at the R.N.Z.A.F. Station, Wigram, this afternoon. the iwo-mile bitumen circuit around the perimeter was lined five or six deep with spectators. Shortly before midday streams of motor-cars and cyclists began pouring through the three entrances to the station, raising thick clouds of dust on the gravel back roads. The scene before the start resembled that on American and Continental racing circuits. low-slung cars being drawn up in front of the pits which were staffed by white-coated mechanics and co-drivers. St John Ambulance Brigade men. who arrived in two buses. were dispersed around the course. and. at hand in case of emergency. were several ambulances and break-down buses. The Wigram fire-fighting unit stood by in case of fire following a crash. Twenty-two cars were accepted for the race. the first of its kind to be held in New Zealand. Following the time trials last evening. starting positions were allocated on a grid drawn up on the starting line. The large black Invicta driven by F. B. Bennett. of Christchurch. was given the inside position in the front row, and towards the outside of the track were H. Green's Wolseles Special. R. F. Chistie's M.G.. and M. Proctor's Riley. Behind these were alternating rows of three and four cars. MOTOR CAR RACING N.Z. CHAMPIONSHIP EVENT Competitors in the New Zealand Championship_road race to be held at the R.N.Z.A.F. Station, Wigram, today were timed over a lap of the course last evening to decide their starting positions in the race. The cars had a fiying start for their timed lap and the best time over the 2.1mile course was Imin 53.4sec. A strong southeriy and occasional showers of rain made conditions unpleasant for the drivers and the hundreds of spectators. The light • aling by • the time the last cars had been timed. The course is a wide strip of runway with a long straight, ending in a fairly sharp bend, on one side. Drivers had to siow down to take this bend when about halfway along the straight. The cars will be started to-day in parallel rows, alternately four and three abreast. F. B. Bennett's Invicta. which put up the fastest time for lap last evening, will start on the inside of the first row of four. and the three cars with the next best times will be placed in order in the same ToW. Perhaps the best performances last evening were those of H. Green and Christie. Green, driving wolseley special, with a handicap of two recorded 1min 53.6sex. Christie's Taps, M.G. (three laps) went round in 1min 56.8sec. Five of the competitors were not timed last evening, and they will start at the back of the field. P. M. Hoare's Singer Special boiled when it had entered its timed lap, and did not complete the course. J. G. Low, driving a V8 Bentley Special, had tyre trouble, and also had to pull out. The other three did not start. Following are the times, the figures in parenthesis after each driver indicating the number of laps handicap:— B. Bennett (Invicta; SCT). Imin 53.4sec; H. 2), Imin 53.6sec; B. E. Christie PM.G.; Green (Wolseley 3), 1min 56.8sec; M. Proctor (Riley; 5), 2min .5sec; F. A. H. Sharman ‹ M.G.; 5), 2min 1.15sec; C. Ransley ‹Riley; 2), 2min 2.6sec; Mrs_S. Lupp (M.G.; 2min 5.2sec; R. B. Shand (M.G.; 3). 2min 8sec; H. R. Logan Logan Special; 5). 2min 8.3sec: D. S. Wild (M.G.: 5), 2min 9.6sec; J. Tutton (M.G.; 3), 2min 11.9sec; G. J. Parker (M.G.; 3) 2min 12.1sec; H. J. McLean (M.G.; 5). _2min 15.25sec; V. Sher- Fatt (M.G.: 2min R. Hutcheon (Ford 52• Special; scr). 505. 2min 17.5sec: D. S. Drewery (M.G. Special; 5). 2min 19.5sec; H. Hedges (M.G.; 3), 2min 26sec. 282-49 28-249 28-2-49 CAR ROAD RACE HUGE CROWD AT WIGRAM WIN FOR WELLINGTON DRIVER The success of the first New Zealand car road racing championship, which. attracted huge crowd to the R.N.Z.A.F. station. Wigram, on makes it likely that the event will be Sail be held annt" ally. From the spectacular start, with 22 cars roaring down the straight to the first bend, to the finish 95 minutes later, the contest was full of thrills and excitement. The race was over 105 miles- 50 laps-on a tricky course with one 5bend, and it was a severe test both for drivers and their cars. In the straight speeds of up to 100 miles an hour were! reached, but it was the cornering, with fast gear changing and flashing accelerathat captured the interest of crowd Officials of the Canterbury Car Club, which organised the race, estimated attendance at between 20,000 and 30,000.; Many of the spectators, they said, did not! the admission charge. The race was free from serious misnap. and there was high praise for the general standard of driving. Even among the cars which from the outset were obviously not destined to win, there was keen competition, and the public was not slow to show its appreciation of the race and the careful organisation which made it the suc- M. Proctor, the winner, drove a clever and well-judged race. His 1098 c.c. Riley, although leading the field, was always so handled that there was never any doubt about its ability to take the comers the speeds Proctor maintained. His win was extremely popular. His car has won at Brooklands. winner's time was equal to average speed of 65.67 miles an hour for the full distance. The fastest car aged just over 72 miles an hour for one The big four-seater Invicta, driven convincingly by. F. B Bennett, Christ- 1 church, was a good second. It tras the ' biggest car in and because of! size needed careful the race, handling on the bends. Another Rilev. driven by C. of Christchurch. and looked Hooked throughout the race as if it was certain to finish well up in the plac- Ransley drove extremely well, making up much ground by skilful handling of the corners. The only woman driver in the race, Mrs Subil Lupp, of Dunedin, was fifth in both handicap and championship events, deserved her success. She handled the little car brilliantly. and when she finished! was given a cheering reception from crowd. Duel at the Corners The most spectacular feature of a thrilling race was the duel for lap after lap i between R. J. Roycroft, in the tiny blue Austin. and H. Green in the red Wolseley Special. Down the straights they raced wheel to wheel, and at the corners they jockeyed for position, first one and then the other taking the lead. It was brilliant ariving by both men, and the crowd showed its appreciation. Both cars down the main straight seemed the fastest in! the race. Green spreadeagled the field over the Arst five laps, and his cornering made his car the centre of public attention. He held his lead until he had to come into through the fits this stop he drove even faster to make up the leeway. Particularly spectacular was the cornering of Green and Roycroft at the sweepi ing bend coming into the main straight. Several times Roycroft left the track momentarily and ran along the grass. One Mishap one mishap occurred during the day. 0. the V.G. driven well hy G. J. Parker. Christchurch. was rounding the back in the twenty-first lap, going really fast. when it left the track. struck the balec hay on the side and turned over severa! times before coming to rest upside down and badly damaged in a ditch. The driver was thrown ciear, and escaped with scratches and very severe shaking. He was extremely lucky. The springs were torn the car and much structural damage done. Spectators gasped several other times curing the race. driven beautifully round the Tomers ar corners H. Hedges, Invercargill, seemed several times to be • heading for and finally biew tyre on bend. handled with consummate skill on the benas, and its performance was a feature of the race the attention Christchurch we werech dew the crowd were M.G. driven well F. Christie, which also was spectacularly fast on the bends, and the M.G. handled cleverly by 1'. A. H. Sharman. Because of the war and import restrictions, the average age of the cars in the race was much more than 10 years. Some were nearly 20 years old, and thei performances they put up were a tribute! to those had had tuned them for the! race, to those who drove them, and to their designers. Some were straight-out racing. cars, and others sports CarS which normaliy are driven as ordinary vehicles. The azum to me comer The only hazard apart from corners was one small ditch near the control tower which sent several of the lighter caTS jumping, ail four wheeis of the ground! as they passed it Mechanical failures were fewer: than had been expected in view of the hist speeds, and tyre troubies come tenth spite of the gruelling amines rubber. screeching brakes and screaming The huge crowd of spectators was able. to follow the race closely. The loudspeaker commentaries throughout: the race an indication sap respective posttions, and interest heightened towards tre end when the five leading cars had only laps to go. Most interest was not a few always shown in the leaders, however. The duel between Rovcroft's little Austin and the red Wolseley Special, several times had thousands cheering, and there was one famous clash at one corner when the wheels of the. IWo cars touched. Safety precautions. for tne race were excelent. At no time was the crowd near the track, and the arrangements worked well. Much interest was taken in the wort the pits. and the speed with which cars were handled when they pulled in for adjustment. The following are the official results: Championship M. Protor (Wellington), Riley - not hour • Bennete christchurch), Invictat 36min Semin 22sec. C. Ransley (Christchurch), - Riley. hour 36min 36sec; H. Green (Christchurch), Wolseley I hour 4300 Mrs (Dunedin), M.G 5. Austin, 8. R. H. Logan (Nelson), Logan Special, R. Christie (Christchurch), M.G., Handicap R. Roycroft (Auckland), Austin,: 1. M. Proctor (Wellington), Riley, 2. H. Logan Nelkon), Logan Special, Mrs S. Lupp Dunedin C. Ransley (Christchurch), R. Christie were sent E1 a lap Lap leaders were paid Proc following were the leaders: M. 23 laps, H. Green 1l laps, F. Bennett laps. R. Roycroit 6 laps.. All the placings and times; are y official until confirmed by the club: The others starters were: K. N. Christchurch (F.N.), R. Hutcheon, chfi (Ford Special). M, • 3120E church Lean, Christchurch Christchurchi (Singer (M.G.), 'Speciall s. ЄГУ. Christchurch (M.G.), ฿. Spaz Christchurch H. - Sharma (M.G,), Ran Christchurch. (M.G.t, =4. Sherratt, Christchu ота Invercargill (MC Hedges. D. 9. Wild, Christchurch (M.G.)3 Christchurch (Va Bentley Spem Low. R. F. Christie, Christchurch. J. Christchurch. (M.G.). ¡Ferguson, Pasta, christhuch (MG) Fire Brigade Driver's Success (Special to the "Sports Post") A Wellington fire brigade driver, M. Proctor. wen the first New Zealand road racing championship at Wigram aerodrome, near Christchurch, the other day in a Riley racing car which he picked up for song in a used car saleroom in the North Island several years ago. Before it reached this country this 9-horse-power car had had its lair share of successes in motor racing, in England. among its achievements being a first in the famous 100 mile twoday contest Brooklands in 1932. driven by a Mrs. Wisdom. Between 25.000 and 30.000 people packed arcund the two-mile bitumen perimeter of the airfield. which formed rhe racing track, were provided with enough thrills for many a day by the 22 contestants. Over 105 miles. the race was.a severe test of drivers and cars, and in the main both emerged from the trial with honours. Several cars pulled out after having covered most of the course. and there was one smash in which G. J. Parker, of Christchurch, was thrown clear of his MI.G. on a bend before it turned over several times, to come to rest upside down in an open ditch. Credit must go to the winner. F. B Bennett, of Christchurch. who was second in a 4500-C.c. Invicta, and the popular experienced woman who filled fifth place in an M.G.. driver from Dunedin, Mrs Sympor the course. 50 laps. without completir the pits. Several drivers who a call at pulled in for brief periods showed signs of strain. but after the race these three. irs. Lupo in particular looked as if her were good for another 100 miles. Proctor covered the disiance in lhr 35min 56sec. averaging 65.67 miles an: hour for the journey. At times sceed must hate been in the region of 100 miles an hour; like all the drivers, he had to go down to a comparatively the tricky which to led into into the straight which passed the pits and finishing line. His driving was unspectacuiar. planned with extreme care He is well among North Island sporting motorists, and so is his veteran car. Shivers ran ter as ma backs during the. afternoon as R Reycroft, of Auckland, in the midget supercharged Austin and H. Green, of Christehurch, in a Wolseley Special clashed in the straights and on bends. On the day the Austin, which has been credited with speeds in excess of 100 miles an hour, was the faster Green engine trouble with his petrol pump soon after start and had to pamp by hand. He had been doing this when the top came off the pump. His 14-horse-power motor could attain its peak but it did rocket him becalise of this, rocket him up the straight 109 miles an hour on one occasion. Both Green and Roycroft showed highest skill the corners and brought gasps from the crowd as they jockeyed for positions approaching bends at high speeds. In his low-stung Austin. Roycroft Soon captured the admiration of the and he was the centre of interest for most of the race When be pulled into the pits tor tyre changes his staff had only to hit his car to blocks, whereas most of the others had to be jacked up