Tense Moment For Speedway Patrons

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30420, 20 April 1964, Page 1

Tense Moment For Speedway Patrons

Spectators packed into the south bend of the Templeton Speedway Stadium narrowly escaped serious injury during yesterday’s meeting when a stock car crashed at speed out of control through the safety fence and careered 30ft along the bottom of the embankment. , ' ' . ■ .

The car, driven by E. Saywell in the second heat of the Canterbury stock car championship, was lying well back in the field as it entered the south bend and headed straight for the safety. fence. Steel cables up to an inch thick, wire netting, arid the solid lower wooden barrier failed to stop the car, but they did swing it along the bottom of the embankment, and it missed' the nearest spectators by a few feet. Had the car continued on its original course and shot straight up the embankment, many would have been injured. Saywell, firmly strapped into his car, which was protected by massive iron piping, was not hurt, and the car was undamaged. Twenty feet of the safety fence was demolished, and . the meeting was held up for a short period while it was repaired.

One of Many This crash was only one of many during the afternoon. Realising that it was the final meeting of the season, most drivers risked all in their efforts to gain major honours. By the end of the meeting, several cars had been wrecked, and more than 80ft of safety fence had been demolished, all without serious injury.

L. Devine and C. Peters had already crashed at speed into the safety fence on the north bend in their threequarter midget cars. Devine was not hurt and his car was undamaged, but Peters punched a 10ft hole in the fence, smashed the front suspension of his tiny racer and gave himself such a shaking that he was unable to move for some minutes. Saywell then smashed on to the lower part of the embankment, and soon afterwards N. Hawkins lost control as he entered the front straight, swinging the nose of his car through the safety fence.

Ten Crashes It was decided to run the Butchers’ Picnic stock car survival race until all but one car had been and J. Annan and A. Welbeloved battled for the major honour after all others of the field of 12 had crashed. Annan wae finally disqualified for driving on the grass, and the win went to Welbeloved.

This event accounted for several new holes in the safety fence and the destruction of several cars. Saywell again went into the fence only 20ft away from his first excursion from the track. He was accompanied on this occasion by B. • Whitcombe’s vehicle. One of the most spectacular accidents in this event occurred when E. Mora’s car was

rolled on its side and sandwiched between two other cars.. The roof was flattened almost to the level of the steering wheel, but miraculously the bulky figure of Mora emerged unscathed.