MURIWAI RACES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 56, 7 March 1932, Page 14

MURIWAI RACES.

FAST CARS COMPETE. STUTZ AGAIN CHAMPION. As ever, Mr. D. C. B. Sutherland's Stutz ran away from everything on Muriwai Beach last Saturday, but although it won the beach championship, it was giving away too much time in the handicap events. The breaking of a connecting rod put Mr. B. Shorter's Essex out of the meeting during the championship race, and the Mercer was forced to retire in Ihe same race, but Mr. H. J. Butcher's Riley, Mr. C. Edwards' Bugatti and Mr. J. Lord's super-charged Austin showed some keen racing. In five races Mr. Geo. Smith won places, two firsts and two seconds in the Riley and one second in his Ford. Results were: — Opening Handicap,—G. Smith (Kiley), 20s, 1; Cooper (Bugatti), fls, 2; Ryan (Alta Austin), 100s, 3. With Cooper at the wheel, the Bugatti went well, but the Riley had 15s start and stayed In front to the end. Time, 10.15 2-5.

Touring and Closed Car Handicap.—C. Bedford (Durant), 15s, 1; G. Smith (Ford), 30s, 2; G. Campbell (Austin), 110s, S. It was a close finish between the Ford and the Durant. After a good race the two cars changed places in the last lap, and the Durant went on to win by a length. Time. 7.3. Ladies' Handicap (two miles straight).— Mrs. G. Smith (Ford), 15s, 1; Mrs. J. Shorter (Essex Sedan), 10s, 2. Only two of the three starters finished, Mrs. G. Campbell's Austin withdrawing. Time, 2.15 3-5. Australasian Beach Championship, 10 laps. D. C. B. Sutherland (Stutz), 1; G. Smith (Riley), 2; T. Cooper (Bugatti), 3. Six cars got nway from an easy rolling start and the Essex led the field at the first turn. Shorter cornered beautifully, and led the way up the beach for the first dash. His machine was firing splendidly, and for four laps he had a handy lead over the Stutz, which by then had run into second place. G. Smith, driving a Brooklands model Riley, ■was lying in third position and was chasing the Stutz hard. In the fifth lap Shorter's car, which looked a winner, broke a connecting rod and wrecked about £300 worth of motor. Shorter had to withdraw. The race resolved itself into a duel between the Stutz, which now had the lead, and the Riley, which was gradually overhauling the other. The two cars raced in this position for the remainder of the lap with the Bugatti In third place. Smith was cornering much better than Sutherland, for the reason that his car was lower set, and although he made up distance on the bends, he could not catch the fast moving yellow Stutz, which won by a couple of hundred yards. The Mercer also blew up its engine and -was not able to start again. Time, 19.42. Light Car Handicap (three laps).—G. Smith (Riley), scr, 1; B. Seabrook (Austin), 60s, 2; M. G. Hollinrake (M.G. Midget), 355, 3. From scratch George Smith, in the Riley, jumped up into second place in the second lap, but it took him the remainder of the race to catch J. Lord, who had started off ss. The M.G. Midget, which was making its first appearance on the beach, did not come up to expectations, being a long way behind the Austin. Time, Cm. Motor Cycle Race (two laps).—A. West (Norton), 15s, 1; M. Aickin (Douglas), 20s, 2; R. Snow (Norton), 20s, 3. A post entry from Rotorua. A. West, popped up on a Norton as winner of the open motor cycle event. Given 15s start ho held his position throughout the race, though M. Aickin, close behind, pressed him in the last lap. The fastest machine in the race was C. Goldberg's, but from scratch he had no chance of catching the leaders, though he finished in fourth place. Time, 3.47. New Zealand Beach Handicap (10 laps). R. Grierson (Austin). 110s, 1; T. Cooper (Bugatti), 70s, 2; D. C. B. Sutherland (Stutz), scr, 3; G. Smith (Riley), 100s, 4. The Bugatli was awarded first place by the judge, but R. Grierson, driving the Austin supercharged cur, lodged a protest, claiming that he had come in nearly a lap ahead of the rest of the field. The protest was upheld.- Sutherland (Stutz) and Smith (Riley) fought a great duel, but the Stutz took the seaward Ride in the last lap, and Smith -was penned between the other car and the crowd which had surged on to the course. He was therefore forced to slow down and allow the Stutz to get ahead of him. The Bugatti's time, the only one taken, -was 20.11 2-5. Motor Cyclo Race, Open (two laps).—F. Llndesay (Rudge), Bs, 1; R. Bull (Broadway Special), Bs. 2; N. Forder (Norton), 20s, 3. After leading from the beginning of the race Bull was unlucky to be caught by Ijindesay just before they crossed the finishing line. Forder, in third place, was three seconds behind. Time, 3.54. Motutara Handicap (5 laps).—T. Cooper (Bugatti), 355, 1; G. Smith (Riley), 50s, 2; D. C. B. Sutherland (Stutz), scr, 3. Time, 10.4 3-5. Again in the Motutara Handicap the Stutz, though the fastest car in the race, was giving away too much time. The Bugatti jumped into first place early in the contest, passing the Riley which, however, hung close behind it for the remainder of the distance. Time, 10.4 3-5. Farewell Handicap (3 laps).—R. E. Hemus (Alta-Austin), 120s. 1; A. J. Roycroft (Chevrolet), 120s. 2: B. Costello (Vauxhall), 120s, 3. Of the three cars which started off the ]20s mark, the little Alta-Austin proved easily the fastest. All three, however, had far too much start for the faster cars and finished well ahead of the Bugatti, Riley and Stutz. Time, 7.11 4-5.