Motor Racing GEBBIE’S PASS HILL CLIMB

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29177, 11 April 1960, Page 17

Motor Racing GEBBIE’S PASS HILL CLIMB

Outstanding Time By H. J. Heasley Some surprising times by sports cars and outstanding performances by two saloon car drivers, H. J. Heasley (Humber 80) and F. E. Sprague (Ford Zephyr), were features of the Canterbury Car Club’s hill climb at Gebbie's Pass on Saturday. A fault in the electronic timing equipment delayed the start by more than an hour, and some drivers had only one run. In the racing car section, the time of 2min O.lOeec set up R. S. Rutherford in his RA-Zephyr, was excellent, beating several much more powerful cars. Rutherford’s skilful driving played the largest part in his success. The young Timaru driver, D. G. Young, took his Jaguar C-type through the timed section in 2min o.oBsec for fastest time of the day and an easy win in the sports car section. In second place was a Triumph T.R. 2 driven by L. Witte, arid his achievement in recording 2min 7.2lse<*—faster than A. F. Moffatt’s powerful TojeiroJaguar, a T.R. 3 and a Jaguar XK 120—was outstanding. The Triumph is only a four-cylinder car and develops much less power than the Jaguars, but by skilful preparation and equally skilful driving, Witte caused one of the biggest surprises of the day. Another example of a small capacity car beating more powerful opposition occurred in the saloon car section, where H. J. Heasley’s 1390 c.c. Humber 80 achieved what seemed the impossible. Heasley’s fastest time was a staggering 2min 7.62sec—which is also faster than the time of the 170-mile-an-hour TojeiroJaguar and was bettered by only three of the racing cars present at the meeting. Heasley is the present New Zealand saloon car champion, and his performance on Saturday is regarded as one of his finest

Behind the Humber came F. E. Sprague’s Ford Zephyr (2min B.77sec), a Jaguar 3.4-litre (2min 29.675ec), and surprisingly enough, a potent Morris Minor recorded 2min 29.76eec and beat a Rover 90 (2min 35J0sec), Results were:—

Racing Cars.—R. S. Rutherford (RA Zephyr), 2mln o.l6sec, 1; W. R. Baker (Cooper-Norton), 2min 3.4Bsec, 2; D. H. Rutherford (Lycoming), 2min 4.495ec, 3; B. E. Briggs (Mercury Special), 2min 12.245ec, 4; M. C. Hornsby (Allard), 2min 35.575ec, 5; D. Monty (Singer .Special), 2min 41.475ec, 6.

Sports Cars.—D. G. Young (Jaguar C-Type), 2min o.oBsec, 1; L. Witte (T.R. 2). 2min 7.2lsec, 2; A. F. Moffatt (Tojeiro-Jaguar), 2min 7.975ec, 3; B. T. Whyte (T.R. 3), 2min 15.055ec, 4; D. Herridge (M.G.), 2min lO.Olsec, 5; B. D. Gardner (Jaguar XKI2O), 2min 29.165ec, 6. Saloon Cars.—H. J. Heasley (Humber 80), 2min 7.625ec, 1; F. E. Sprague (Zephyr), 2min 8.77 sec, 2; R. H. Stewart (Jaguar 3.4), 2min 29.67*ec, 8; D. Craw (Morris Minor), 2min 29.7«eec, 4; B. D. Pidgeon (Rover 90), 2min 3SJosec, 5; B. G. Kinzett (Hillman), 2min 36.245ec, 8.