MONTE CARLO RALLY

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28801, 23 January 1959, Page 10

MONTE CARLO RALLY

129 Cars Finish Mountain Trial (N.Z Pres* Association— Cotwngtiu (Rec. 9 p.m.) MONTE CARLO, Jan. 22. The Australians, Edgar Perkins and Gregory Cusack, were not among the 129 Monte Carlo raUy cars which had completed , last night’s 187-mile naountotn rood trial when officials closed the control at Monte Carlo at ctewn today. The Australians. who had crossed the world to take parked fancied themselves to be in a* the finish after a successful drive from Lisbon. The New Zealanders. Gerald McMillan and his wife. Alma, successfully completed the "elimination” leg of the rally, however McMillan, who set out last of the 188 starters in the mountain trial, was one of the last to return. He said: “We went out for -a nice little drive. I think we probably lost a mark or two here and there, though the course was dead easy.” MeMHfan gaid he had done virtually all the driving. His wife looked a trifle pale after her .long four days’ drive from Athens The weary drivers who survived the long Journey to Monte Carlo and the mountain test will rest today But they will be in suspense until tomorrow to know hpw they have fared. Apart from the Australians.' only two of the top-ranking world rally drivers seemed to have ios’ their chance of victory—the Dublin driver. Cecil Vard. and Maurice Gatsonides. of Holland. Most competitors agreed tha: the conditions last night were easy, and that the main trouble was not to get to the various controls too soon. There was no snow on the course and very little ice—a far cry from last year’s weather, which took a heavy toll