MOTOR RACING Young Breaks Lyttelton Hill Climb Record

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30065, 25 February 1963, Page 15

MOTOR RACING Young Breaks Lyttelton Hill Climb Record

D. Young (Cooper) of Timaru put up fastest time of the day at the Canterbury Car Club’s hill climb at Lyttelton on Saturday. In the process he broke the record for the course.

Young’s time, in his beautifully prepared 1500 c.c. Ford-engined Formula Junior car, was 41.725ec. The previous record, held by R. Rutherford 1260 M Zephyr) of Christchurch, was 42.19. Rutherford put up second fastest time on Saturday with a best run in 42.245ec, just outside his own record. Once again he drove the 260 M Zephyr.

Third fastest time of the daiy went to the Ashburton driver, A. F. Moffatt (Lotus 15) with 43.065ec.

The day dawned overcast and cloudy, but by the time practice started shortly after 11 a.m. the sun had come out and for the most part the day remained hot and sunny. The 43 competing cars all made accident-free runs, although several drivers spun or made different errors at various parts of the course during the day. Young clipped an earth bank at the top of the course with the left rear wheel of his Cooper but did no damage. After the racing cars the next fastest times went to the saloons, with the Timaru driver. E. Sprague (Zepbyr Mark III), taking fastest time in this class on the first of his three clean runs. D. Craw (Hillman) of Christchurch was dose behind Sprague’s 48.01 with 48.91. He made two runs.

Third fastest in the saloon cair class was the Chevrolet coupe of A. Milligan, of Ohristohuiroh. He recorded a best time of 50.225ec.

The fastest sports car over the course was T. Alison’s Austin-Healey, with 49.175ec. N. Shackel’s M.G.A. was second with 52.985ec and M. Lee (TR3) filled third place with 53.435ec.

It was hoped there would be time for each car to make three timed runs in addition to the unttmed practice climb, but quarter of an hour before the. meeting was scheduled to end, the photo-

electric cell stopping the timing gear at the top of the climb started to give trouble because of sunlight reflected into it off the ears. Even when I. Fethig placed his Wolseley almost alongside the cell at the end of a run it failed to trip the gear, and it was decided to bring the climbs to an end. In any event, there would not have been sufficient time for more than the 12 fastest cars to make a run. A moderate crowd lined the course throughout the day. Other best times were: B. Sharp (Austin Healey) 56.70, E. Norris (Cooper Vincent) 53.92. P. Norris (Morris Minor) 75.90, T. Wilkie (Zephyr) 58.59, R. Evans (TR3) 55.80, V. Wulff (MG) 62.26, W. Hensley (Anglia) 75.71, B. Lee (Ford V 8) 60.08, N. Stuart (V 8 special) 43.57, Mrs R. Stewart (VW) 77.73, C. Collins (MGA) 53.97, J. Milligan (Standard) 74.08. B. Wing (MG) 61.12, R. Stephenson (MG) 58.43, H. Baker (MG) 56.24. N. Overton (MG) 71.98 W. Collins (A4O) 69.70, P. Gillum (Chevrolet) 50.83, A. Wilson (Morris Minor) 73.28, R. Silvester (Chevrolet) 52.42, D. Monty (A4O) - 53.20, R. Carr (Herald) 67.13, R. Rutherford (Zephyr) 50.77, W. Judson (Prefect) 76.17, R. Williams (Chevrolet) 70.04, A. Robb (MG) 62.11, I. Pethig (Wolseley) 51.42, A. Hyde (Ford Special) 58.63, J. Saville (V 8 Special) 56.60, M. Moore (Holden) 53.94, G. Browne (Anglia) 71.67, P. Wilson (MG) 57.16, D. Stanton (A4O) 63.03.