Motor Racing Clash Of Dates For Use Of Levin Course

Press, Volume C, Issue 29651, 23 October 1961, Page 3

Motor Racing Clash Of Dates For Use Of Levin Course

(New Zealand Press Association,'

AUCKLAND. Oct. 22. The president of the NewZealand International Grand Prix Organisation (Mr W. H. Knox), commenting on the clash of dates of the Levin races and the Levin motor racing fixture, said: "It is common knowledge that the Levin motor racing club has a fixed date, January 13, 1962, for its international motor race meeting. This date cannot be varied. "I am confident that the

many thousand of motor mein* supporters wifi not be denied the privilege of seeing the leading world drivers in action at Levin. “The Levin motor racing club will race on January 13. 1962.” Mr Knox said that negotiations appeared to have reached an interesting stage and the final result would soon be made public. An earlier message from Levin said the Levin motor racing circuit will not be available for an international meeting on January 13. The circuit is on the same grounds as the track and faciiibies of the Levin Racing Club, which intends to hold a two-day race meeting on January 13 and 17 after failure of negotiations to obtain aXeccMive dates. In a statement, the club said the New Zeeland Racing Conference allocated the January dates “mistakenly assuming that the Levin facilities had already been let to the motor racing circuit” “Officials of the club considered a farcical situation had developed in that the club would not only have to ask Its members to trawl to Awapuni to use their membership privileges, but would also be asked to vacate its own racecourse, pay a substantial rent to the Manawatu club, and race in opposition to the motor meeting.” the statement said. A member of the committee of Levin Motor Racing Circuit, Ltd. (Mr R. W. Frost), said the circuit had contracted “in the sum of several thousands of pounds” for the appearance o( Brabham, Mrs John Surtees and Royal Salvador! and had paid an “earnest” of £2OO to the governing body in Paris. At the previous international meeting at Levin in January, there was a crowd of about 20.000. With Moss and Brabham as draw-cards there could well have been an attendance of 30,000 next January, he said.