Modern Motoring

Auckland Star, Volume LII, Issue 57, 8 March 1921, Page 8

Modern Motoring

(BY TORQUE)

NEW ZEAJLAND MOTOR CUP. The initial race for the above cup brought eeven cars to the starting poet. The positions at the start were balloted for and the marbles drawn resulted ac followß, No. 1 being the position nearest the -water: — Driver. liar. Position. 11. Nattrues Cadillac. No. 1 X Coldwell Premier No. 2 B Emery Kssex No. 3 H. Carlrou Cadillac No. 4 W Miller Lancia No. 5 C. Ah Ohee Hudson No. 6 L. Adams Hudson No. 7 Punctually at 12.10 p.m. the racers were ordered to line up near the barrier. The previous final minutes had been spent by the drivers and mechanics having an anxious laet look at their engines and an inspection of all details to sco that everything -was safe lor the trip. The terrific roar of the throbbing engines without silencers drowned even the roar of the surf, and there were many eijms of high tension amonjj the drivers, -who were anxious to get away. At 12.15 p.m. sharp they were moved to the chalked starting line, and as quickly ac possible so as to prevent the cars sinking in the sand, the starter. Mr. J. Gillett, dropped the fateful flag. A good start resulted, with exception of Emery on the Essex, who got left at the post for a few seconds. The Wellington Cadillac was the first to move and immediately went to the front closely followed by Adams (Hudson), Ah Chee (Hudson). Miller (Lancia), with the bunch following close behind. Emery soon made up his 10.-is and after about a mile had gone was well up with some of the others. The cars were now doing , well over 60 miles per hour and the mechanics were ; anxiously coaxing the engines to still 'greater speeds.' About one and a-holf miles out the positions "were Nattrass, Adams, Ah Chee, Miller. Carlvon, Emery, Cald-well. Prom this point Miller gradually overhauled Ah Chee. but at a (tout 'seven miles out Miller had to withdraw lowing to a valve spring breaking. In i the meantime Emery on the Ks.tex was gradually improving his position until about 17 miles out he was fourth and still maintaining v 'high speed when he had the misfortune to blow out a. pfnee of'the cylinder below the water jackot. This now left only five competitors, the I positions being Nattrass, Adams. Ah Chee, Carlyon. Cald well. This position was unaltered and the race now became a procession to the finien. Xattrass nn the Cadillac came in fully a mile ahe;itl of Lcn Adams on the rTud'f.n. who wart abou\ the same distance ahead of Clem Ah Chee on another Hudson, then Carl yon on the Cadillac. The Premier chased home the field some time later misfiring badly. The winner's speedometer had hovered about 68 mile* per hour practically right through, but on two good patches of beach had rcached_ 93 milee per hour for a few seconds. Thie means that the N»>w Zealand Motor Cnp goes to Wellington for the next twelve months. The winner was loudly cheered and congratulated on hie brilliant victory, especially as he only arrived at the beach at noon the day before the race, having- driven the car overland from Wellington. Len Adams, the hope of the Hudson team, put up a brilliant performance and pushed hie cur over the finishing line at a terrific speed. Both Clem Ah Chee (Hudson) and E. Carlson (Cadillac) deserve warm praise as their cars had stock tourinjr bodies i fitted, only the mudguards beinp tiken j off. The sympathy of motorists was oxI tended to Ciildwell (Premier), Emery (Erwex), Miller (lAncia). Sheer hard luck had spoilt their enances of even a I place. To thrash over 74 miles per hour ! out of the little Essex for over 15 miles whieli Emery did was in itself a jfreat performance,- and what put him out of the race is no discredit to tho*ar. W. B. Miller on the Lancia deserved a better fate. His congenial smile is still cm, but his hard luck after all his preparations was enough to break many a man up. A few hours before the race, his Chandler Which had been doing exceptionally well in the trials, had to be withdrawn owing to a slight defect which could not be repaired at the beach in the short time without -workshop facilities. This left him with onlr the Lancia for the race, and a broken valve spring- is one of those .mall defects'that occur when least expected. STOCK CAR RACE. This race, which was a handicap event, brought out six starters, their handicaps being as follows: — K. A. Mllden (Swift) 3m r>s A. MuTiimoll ("Wilton) 2m ir« H. Butcher (Essex) 45, J. Mlngins (Essex) 45s E. Johnson (Hudsonl 12r W. Ah Chee (Hudson! scratch Only three ears really finished in the race, E. Johnson (Hudson) being first, VV. Ah Chee (Hudson) second, H. Milden, on the Swift, being third. Two of the other cars had trouble, due to the vacuum tanks failing to operate at full throttle, the two winners being fitted pressure feed to ensure a supply of benzine. The Wilton met with trouble in the race, which stopped him completely. Racing along «ear the water at nearly 00 miles per hour, a wave logger than the others came on the beach ahead of the swerve at the high speed was impossible; there waa nothing elee to "do but keep straight on with the result that the ealt water deluge drowned his ignition wires and short-circuited the pluge. TAXI RACE. This race evoked keen enthusiasm, especially amongst "the taxi drivers and the trade- S. Ramsay came overland from Whakatane two days before the event, and although he had hie first epin on the beach only an hour before the race, he came home khe winner, with E. C. Johnston (Hudson) fairly close up, second, and J. Heyworth, r on the Essex, a close third. In fact the finish of this race was one of the beet of the day. The winner's speed meter touched 67 miles per nour on the trip, his actual speed when crossing- the line bein" 64 miles pc: hour. SPRINT RACE AND ACCELERATION TEST. The aprint race resulted in the three leaders in the -cup finishing in the same order in this race, as follows:—H. NatI trass (Cadillac), L. Adams (Hudson). C. JAh Chee (Hudson) toeing third. This J race should have been a most spectacular I affair itotn the public's point of view, but the cup had told its tale on several of the entered cars, so that the result became almost a foregone conclusion. "Hie acceleration test was won by C. Ah Chee (Hudson), Cadraan (Bafck) second, E. Johnston (Hudson) third. The wnmer, from a standing start, covered Jb» 2G»*«rds in 18 3-Se.

FORD RACE. This race was an easy victory for R. Kdwarde on hie Ford, no doubt due to the fact that he had fitted very light pistons and taken great care with the | shape of tyre he raced on, to suit sand j conditions. All care in this race started . off the same mark; in fact, the stock car | race was the only handicap , event of the day. J. F. Lambert got second place, a long way behind the winner, with J. K. ! Stewart third. NOTES ON THE RACES. After spending three days on tl>e beach towards the end one was enabled to get first-hand information of how things were going. One fact stood ont prominently amongst the competitors, and ' that was the fraternal spirit displayed \ by everyone. During the final daye quite | a crowd of drivers and mechanics were ' camping there, and the utmoet good feel- j ing prevailed. All were only too willing to help another "stable " who had had hard luck in his trials or had a breakage on the engines. The one feeling seemed :' to be to forget your own chances and help your opponents to get to the poet i in good running order. A sporting go I was keenly looked for, and all the racing ! men seemed exrcptionally keen on having ; all cars ready to face the starter for the j gruelling race. j During the trials on Friday one of the racers had to stop, and the tide was j coming in fast. The car gradually sunk I in the sand, so that when the engine was started again they could not get i out. The mechanic ran back to the camp a mile and a-half for assistance, which was readily forthcoming. Two of the Hudson racers were starto<l up, and loaded with men, and set off to the rearm-. In the meantime another carl doing its trials had come down the beach ] with four moil aboard. The plight of j the racer was thru critical, the tide j having ri»'ii so that the car was in water I up to the ailes. All hands set to work ! ami lifted the wheels separately, and ' put a board on a piece of driftwood under each wheel, and the car was soon out on hard sand again. The sight of thow two racers loaded with men travelling! to the rescue at high speed showed the willingness of everyone to help a competitor in distress. None of the officials e\rr expected that such a crowd of cars would arrive. The j approach to the bench —a matter of about■ two chains —is all soft sand, which pre- \ eluded the possibility of parking the care | on the beach, but next year some money will have to be spent on the road, so that the cars can be parked on the beach, wliore there is enough room to park all the cars in New Zealand. The congestion of cars on the road to the summit of the hill certainly was; amazing, und it is no exaggeration to I say that the number of cars that had congregated was well on towards 1800, possibly more. Even if the lunt lond of metal was laid at Huapui in the morning i there was enough dust to satisfy the ' worst road hog. "Torque" must confess to having seen a white cow in a pad- i dock on the way up, but that cow was a I nice khnki coloured cow on the way ' home. The dust was so bad that at times it was impossible to see past the I radiator. IT IS RUMOURED— Ah Cheo! Whizz, didn't they go! That the Muriwai races were a huge success. liven the dust rose to the occasion ! Tlmt tlie trial spin of the Wellington (adillar caused consternation on Friday afternoon. That the special Ford racer oroKc its Cardan shaft and couldn't start. That the 38 Daimler broke a dumb iron on the way out, and was consequently scratched. It went over the bank on the hill on the way home. That repairing a puncture on the road must have been lovely. That it was lucky that the Board of Trade were not controlling soap and water when the mofnrists arrived home. That one owner of a dilapidated car at the races excused its appearance by stating tbnt he was building the cup winner next year with an aviation engine. That the 100-guinea cup has cost the competitors well over £1000. That excitement was caused when a car appeared to be on fire up the beach, but it was only Old Sol smiling on the Wolaeley's polished bonnet. That a great public secret ie out. 'Torque's" identity became known to all the racing drivers. That a salesman of a local firm sold six cars in Helcneville last week. The banks wish he would move on. That a number of private races are expected to result from Saturday's events.