Motor Racing P. Hoare Has Good Win At Dunedin

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29739, 5 February 1962, Page 6

Motor Racing P. Hoare Has Good Win At Dunedin

(From Oar Oum Reporter)

DUNEDIN. Feb. 4. The Christchurch racing motorist, P. Hoare. won an incident-packet: Dunedin Festi .1 road race in his 3-iitre Ferrari yesterday and finished more than a lap ahead of the second man, J. Palmer (Hamilton), who drove a 1.5-litre Lotus. Third place was taken by the Dunedin sports car Irfver, B. Cottle (1216 c.c. Iola), and the Aucklander. R. Eade (250 F Maserati), was fourth, a lap behind Palmer.

Ram fell periodically and made the 14-mile “round-the-houses" circuit as slippery as a skating rink The conditions were the undoing of one of New Zealand's foremost drivers. J Mansel of Auckland, who made a late appearance in the race and crashed in his CooperMaserati after completing six laps Mansel was admitted to the Dunedin Hospital with head and other injuries and today was on the seriously ill list, although his condition was reported to be improving

Early in ;.ie race, the Cooper of the Auckland driver. W Thomasen. and the Maserati of the young Bulls driver, C Amon, became locked together on the approach to one of the corners The Maserati struck a lamppost and both cars were extensively damaged Thomasen suffered minor injuries for which he was treated at the Dunedin Hospital and Amon “scaped unscathed Stanton Unhurt The Christchurch driver. M Stanton, had a fortunate escape when a wheel hub on his Stanton Corvette collapsed near the treacherous hairpin bend at the Glen Stanton, who was lying fourth at the time, managed to hold the car and was unhurt

Eighteen cars faced the starter At the end of the first lap. Amon was followed by Palmer and Hoare, with Stanton, Thomasen and the Wellington driver, A. Shelly (1960 cc Cooper), and Cottle next

Palmer, then Hoare, managed to slip past Amon in the second lap. Hoare passed Palmer at the end of the fourth, and they began to clear away from the rest. Hoare In Collision Hoare was about to lap the last man, the Christchurch driver. B. Blackburn, but when Blackburn braked his 4CLT Maserati for one of the bends, Hoare ran into the back of him to buckle the air-intake of the Ferrari. The appearance of the car was marred, but it kept going at undiminished pace and Hoare drew steadily -from Palmer.

Hoare began to lap consistently in about Imin 32sec and on the thirteenth lap. Hoare and Palmer lapped the fifth man Cottle. In the fifteenth, Stanton went out of the race and Shelly was forced to retire with brake and clutch trouble. Mansel, who had flown from Auckland on Friday and who had worked desperately to prepare his Cooper-Maserati for the race, then drove slowly round the circuit and sought permission from race officials to join the race. He had no opportunity to practise and as he started miles behind the field and with no chance of finishing in a major place, the rain began to fall once more. The Auckland driver began to turn in laps of about Imin 32sec. As he turned into the main straight to start his sixth lap. he corrected two incipient slides as the car accelerated away and then disappeared from view up the

hill by the Southern Cemetery. Suddenly the roar of the Cooper-Maserati's engine died and almost simultaneously there was a thumping sound which could be clearly heard a quarter of a mile away. Mansel had lost control of the car and it slid across the road before the gaze of hundreds of spectators lining the fence of the cemetery, to strike a lamp post and break in half just behind the driver’s cockpit Mansel was flung on to the road and one half of the car catapulted over the bank. Hoare completed the 50 4mile journey in 48mm 35.8 sec and also made fastest lap in Imin 29sec. His victory virtually assured him of New Zealand's premier motor racing award, the Association of New Zealand Car Clubs' Road Racing Gold Star, for the win brought his points total to 28 only two less than that of the leader, B. McLaren McLaren, who is now racing in Australia, will not be contesting the final round, the Waimate ”50'' on Saturday and a fourth place in that event would be sufficient to give Hoare the three points he requires to win the award this season. Results were:—

P M. Hoare (Ferrari), ttinin 35.8 sec. 1; J. Palmer (Lotus) 2 B. J Cottle (Lola Climax) W R Eade (Maserati) 4. R. Rutherford (Zephyr) 6. R. J. Flowers (Gemini F. J.) 6. Spotts Car Race.—B. Cottle (Dunedin) Lola Climax. 23mln 21.6 sec 1

Up to 1300 c.c.—B Cottle 1, C. S. Judd (Buckler 90) 3. Class 1301 c.c. to 2000 C.C.—P. D. Lackle IMG) 1. T. Dunning (MG.) 2. 2001 c.c. and over.—l. D. Young (Cooper Bristol) 1. J. Riley (Monza Ferrari) 3.

Festival Motor-cycle Classic <16.2 miles).—P Pawson (Mt. Maunganui. 350 c.c. Norton). 21 mln 22.45ec, 1; R Robinsoi (Australia. 350 c.c. Norton). 21 min 315 sec, 2; W. G. Molloy (Huntly. Matchless. 496 c.c). 22mm 18£sec. 3; D Burns (Christchurch. Manx Norton), 4; N. Landrebe (Dunedin. B.S.A. 348). 5: D King (Cromwell. Manx Norton). 6; V. Rush (Christchurch. A.J.S. 7R). 7.