4-6-57 4-6-57 G. PALMER IN SOUTH ROMPS BRIDGE H HOME UNDRED DaVING the race of his life in his 2-litre Cooper- Bristol, white-haired George Palmer, of Hamil- Levick dropped out with a But neXt time round ton, had a well-deserved win in the Motor Racing panctured tyre, and Cald- Club's Southbridge Hundred yesterday afternoon. well moved up to fourth place. He held it only Conceding starts up to 16min 45sec, he moved to momentarily, for he was the front after sixteen of the twenty-four laps, and forced to retire. thereafter was untroubled to win comfortably from a There after the positions dia front-marker, Bob Blackburn, of Christchurch, who not change, and Quirk and Mardrove his little sports Mistral. don, both well back in the field, Palmer completed the distance A NcBeath, of Otaki, was (came up to take fourth and fifth in 88min 45sec. He also regis- in third place in his Mark 9 places. tered the fastest lap his four- Cooper until the car over teenth-in 2min 48sec. turned at a tricky fast bend Holland Wins Third place went to Welling- just short of the Southton's John McMillan with the ex- bridge township. He escaped Parnell Ferrari Super Squalo. with a shaking. A. G. (Mick) Holland, riding McMillan was the back-marker his 500 cc. Norton, dictated his and gave away stars up to Quirk never looked comfort- i own terms and won the twelve 23min. able in his late model Maserati. lap motorcycle race with ease. He spun up several times on the His time, 35min 36sec, was good. He never looked a winner bend leading out of the pit No doubt, if he had been pressed and was more than a lap straight, giving the large crowd be could have gone faster. back when Palmer crossed Another Christchurch the finishing line. valuable minutes and all chance there plenty of thrills, but losins Tom McClears, came second or stake Of the twenty starters, only more fair share of the money. the ender werent e the end. Southbridge, finished third on al Gavin Quirk, of No Impression G45 Matchless. completed twenty- The forty-two mile sports car A laps to take fourth place two laps race drew only a gmall entry, with his 250F Maserati. McMillan did not settle down but became a terrific duel be local speedway rider, Geoft Mar-fas quickly as he might have tween the Xt 140 Jaguars of pleted twenty-one laps in fack having com-done with the big Ferrari and 1 E. W. Pinckney, of Glenavy, and perhaps treated some of the a. D. Cantwell, of Christchurch, Brewer's R.A. Vanguard. corners with over-caution. › the XK 120 Jaguar of Ray Archithe latter stages he was motor- bald, , of Christchurch, and the Fast Circuit ing but even then he little Cooper-Climax of lan Mc could make quickly little impression onl Kellar (Ashburton). Paimer in his perfectly-tuned True to pre-race forecasts, the Cooper-Bristol. circuit proved excep The cars set off one after Good Judgment tionally fast. High lap averages another - with twenty-three were out of the question, now-minutes separating the first from Archibald, who started fromi ever, as the swept metal surface the last_and it was not until the back mark, drove a magnifiat the corners leading in and out about half the distance had been cently-judged race to take of the longest straight cut up covered that the held really est lap in 3min 2 4 5sec, but he action of began to sort itself out. By then, could reach nothing better than spinning wheels, and was soon there had been eleven place. Cantwell, deeply rutted. started, 50sec ahead of him, and Drivers had to brake down to a snail's pace to negotiate them. leading. At 8. He held on to the lead Were last hod sea 2d estat This probably cut ten miles an until he passed the fifteenth lap, tively.. bour off the average speeds of He was followed by Paimer, in fact, Palmer who had also covered fifteen Cantwell drove his Jaguar averaged seventy-eightlaps, McBeath (14), Hoare (13), to the limit and for some miles an hour to win. R. Levick (13), laps was tailed by Pinkney. Over exuberance resulting in Cooper, McMillan (12), and Cala- But Pinkney could not hold spinning-up metalled well (12), in a 2.9 litre Alfa on and his brakes appar corners, and over-shooting into Romeo. ently became useless in the escape roads, as well as latter stages. brottle driving on the long straights causing over-taxing of Quick Changes engines, put paid to most of the favourites' chances. Although the situation less confused than it had been Forced to Retire earlier, changes came quickly in the remaining laps. seventeenth Palmer looked a potential winner until Ron Roycroft, of Glen Murray, was in front, followed by Black- McMillan, a lap back, Bugatti-Jaguar after ten laps. his Levick, and Caldwell. Pat Hoare's 4CLT Maserati has seldom gone better than it did yesterday. He was up in fourth place when mechanical failure forced nim out after thirteen laps. He dropped further and further back, and McKellar and Archibald moved up relentlessiy, but they could not bridge the gap to Cantwell In the following results, which are provisional, all drivers are from Christchurch unless otherwise stated: Southbridge 100 G. Palmer, Ham- 88min 0 4 5sec 1; R. J. 20sec, 2; J. McMillan, Welington (Terrari), 92min 42sec, 3; G. Quirs, Te Awamutu (Maserati), 95min 58sec 4; G. Mardon (R.A. Van- Ruard, zara, Samin sosec (20 laps), Sports Car Handicap (42 miles) S Cantwell (XK140 Jaguar) Ashöur 33min 57 3-5sec, 1; E. O. Mckellar, ton 34min 6sec, 2; B. J. N. Archibald Coo erchibaid (xK120 Jaguar), 34mir: 8 45sec, 3: D. A. Edmiston Dunedia (Morgan), 34min 45 3-5sec, R. J. BlacK- Open Motorcycle Race. up • to 500 c.c. (51 miles)-A. Holland (499 C.C. 35mlt Basec, M Cleary (350 B.SA. G.S.). Matchess 4-EseC, s. Burt (500 Ander- 54 sec, 4. Car Racing G. Palmer Drives Well To Win Southbridge 100 Starting off in his Cooper Bristol 16min 30sec after the ieader, George Palmer. of Hamiton, drove brilliantly to win the Southbridge 100mile race on a difficult and hazardous course yesterday. The long course of 24 laps, which is considered one of the fastest in New Zealand. took a heavy toll of cars. and by the twentieth lap there were only about six cars left in the race. For most the race Palmer gradually gained overtook Blackburn in the fifteenth lap. J. MeMillan, who was driving a 3}-litre Super Squalo Ferrari, formerly owned by Reg. Parnell, was lying about three laps back. Blackburn, off 4min 45sec, soon established a substantial lead and held to it grimly for half of the race. He was followed by Palmer, R. Roycroft (Bugatti-Jaguar'" Neil (Cooper McBeath ‹ Соорег Climax), wark 91, and Levick (Cooper Mark 9), with McMillan slowly gaining ground a few laps further back. Up to the tenth lap Royeroft was quickly catching the leaders, with several consistently fast laps. and he was unfortunate to have to withdraw when in third place. McMillan, the last man away, 23 behind leading сат, drove coolly and almost unobtrusively, relying tremenJous fast bursts straights. but often losing ground in the bends. In the fourteenth lap he moved into fourth behind McBeath. with Palmer and Blackburn about three laps ahead. McMillan took over third place McBeath, the fifteenth lap, skidded in shingle on Taumutu road and overturned. An ambulance rushed to the scene. but the driver was uninjured. With four laps to go Palmer led by about three-quarters of a lap from Blackburn, with McMillan about lap and half back, and Quirk lving in fourth place. At this stage about 12 of the 20 starters had been forced to withdraw. The position remained almost unchanged for the rest of the race. and Palmer finished clear winner a lap ahead of Blackburn. Fastest Lap In the fifteenth lap, when Palmer went into the lead, he recorded nis fastest lap in 2min 48sec. In spite of the difficult course. with its sharp bends and long and fast straight stretches, there were serious accidents. Apart from McBeath's mishap, the only other accident was when J. Mansel, of Auckland, had to make a hurried departure trom his car When it caught fire on the shingle straight. Throughout the race the need for stricter control of spectators stas emphasised when cars turning from the main road into the first bend leadina to the shingle stretch often =kidried. Bales of har were placed on this corner, and about 50 spectators standing immediately behind the bales had to scatter when Quirk skidded into the bales. Even after this incident some of the spectators remained fairly close to the bales. Good Effort Blackburn's performance the main race was particularly mendable, as he had driven his Mistral into sixti place in the 42-mile sports car race. In this event he held the lead tor the first three laps and was beaten by F. D. Cantwell, who drove very skilfully of 2min 10sec, McKellar, DA. Edmiston, and Biggs. saloon car race over 25 miles was won by B. R. Blackburn, in an Anglia He led throughout the race, winning from J. Mullins (Volkswagen) D. Ransley (Skoda). McCleary from start to finish in first motor-cycle for machines up to 350 c.c. and cessfully held off a challenge by R. Newbrook. The race for motor-cycles up to 500 c.c. was won by A. Holland on a Norton Manx. McCleary had gine trouble for most of the lace! lost early lead, finishing about a lap behind Holland, with : Burt third. In the following results, which are subject to confirmation, drivers are from Christchurch, unless otherwise stated:- Saloon Car Handicap (24 miles).- Blackburn (Ford Angila). 26 min 4sec. 1; J. Mullins (Volkswagen), Ransley Skoda), 27min 38 2-5sec. 3; H. Heas- Rangiora Consul), 28min (Ford Ranch Waggon), 28min 50 i-5sec, 5; Langley, Winton (2.4 Jaguar). 29min 8sec. 6. Southbridge 100.-G. Palmer, Hamilton (Cooper Bristol), sec, I: R. J. Blackburn (Mistral), 92 min 20sec, 2; J. McMillan, (Ferrari), 92min 42sec, Quirk, Awamutu (Maserati), 95 min 58sec (21 laps), 4; G. Mardon | (R.A.), 93min 50sec (20 laps), 5. Sports Car Handicap (42 miles).-F. D. Cantwell (X.K. 140 Jaguar), 33min 57 3-5sec. 1; I. E. O. McKellar, Ashburton (Cooper Climax), 34min 6sec, 2; R. J. N. Archibald (X.K. 120 Jaguar). 84-5sec, A. Edmiston, Dunedin (Morgan), 34min 45 3-5sec, 4: Biggs, 36min 40sec, 5: R. J. Blackburn (Mistral). 36mın asec, " to Open Motor-cycle Race, c.c. (51 miles).—A. Holland (499 c.c. 36sec. Machary 0 Burt So aches 37min 52 4-5sec, G45), 38min 13 3-5sec. 3: R. Anderson, Nelson (500 B.S.A. G.S.), 38min 54sec. 4. Motor-cycle Race, up to 350 c.c. (34. miles)-T. McCleary 1350 B.S.A. G.S.). 25min 7sec, R. Newbrook. Mangaroa (350 A.J.S. 7Rl, 26min 1 1-5 sec. 2: Benke. Ashburton (350 Norton Manx). 26min 39 4-5sec. 3; J Hubbard, Springston (350 B.S.A.), 27 min 9sec. 4; J. Thompson 1350 B.S.A. G.S.). 27min 30sec. 5: M. Haley: