MOTORCAR RACING

Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25739, 26 February 1949, Page 8

MOTORCAR 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 flying start for their timed lap and the best time over the 2.1mile course was Imin 53.45ec. A strong southerly wind and occasional showers of rain made conditions unpleasant for the drivers and the hundreds of spectators. The light was failing 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 slow 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 a 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 row. Perhaps the best performances last evening were those of H. Green and R. F. Christie. Green, driving a Wolseley Special, with a handicap of two laps, recorded Imin 53.65ec. Christie’s M.G. (three laps) went round in Imin 56.8 sec. 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 tfined lap, and did not complete the course. J. G. Low. driving a V 8 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:— F. B. Bennett (Invicta; scr), Imin 53.45ec; H. Green (Wolseley Special; 2) Imin 53.65ec; R. F. Christie (MjG.; 3) Imin 56.8 sec; M. Proctor (Riley; 5), 2min .ssec; F. A. H. Sharman (M.G.; 5), 2min I.lssec; C. A. C. Ransley (Riley; 2), 2min 2.6 sec; Mrs S. Lupp (M.G.; 3), 2min s.2sec; R. B. Shand (M.G.; 3), 2min Bsec; H. R. Logan (Logan Special; 5), 2min B.3sec; D. S. Wild (M.G.; 5), 2min 9.6 sec; J. Tutton (M.G.; 3), 2min 11.9 sec; G. J. Parker (M.G.; 3), 2min 12.1 sec; H. J. McLean (M.G.; 5), 2min 15.255ec; A. V. Sherratt (M.G.; 5), 2min 16.9 sec; R. Hutcheon (Ford Special; scr), 2min 17.5 sec; D. S. Drewery (M.G. Special; 5), 2min 19.5 sec; H. Hedges (M.G.; 3), 2min 26sec.