SPEEDWAY RACING Record Crowd Sees T. Hall Break Record

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30420, 20 April 1964, Page 13

SPEEDWAY RACING Record Crowd Sees T. Hall Break Record

A four-lap speedcar record was established by the South Island champion, T. Hall, in his immaculate Holden-powered midget racer during a special attempt on the lap, four-lap, and six-lap times at the Templeton Speedway yesterday afternoon. Barely a lap after he had set the record he broke an axle, and had considerable difficulty in preventing a serious speed wobble from developing as his speed diminished.

Had Hall been able to continue he would undoubtedly have broken the six-lap record by a considerable margin. His time of 85sec for the four laps clipped 2.565ec from the old record, which he set earlier in the season. He also twice equalled the lap record of 20.1 sec before his car broke down. A crowd of more than 8000 attended the meeting, which was the twentieth and last of the season. This was 1000 more than the previous highest gate at Templeton. The track was in reasonable condition, but several large holes appeared before the programme was over. In spite of the bumpy bends, the popular Rakaia threequarter midget-car driver, R. Mead, decldea to make a special attempt on the lap, four-lap. and six-lap records and set new times for four laps and six laps with 84.8 sec and Imin ST.lsec respectively. His fastest lap time was 20>6sec. R. Burt, the South Island three-quarter midget champion, showed good form in the El Dorado feature race after Mead had withdrawn while leading with motor troubles and set a new lap record of 19.9 sec. He won the event, but his brother, S Burt, took the El Dorado Trophy, decided on points over the season

The North Island stock rod champion, A. Hart (Palmerston North), who was to have raced the South Island champion; H. Pierson, tn a champion of champions New Zealand stock rod duo, was forced to withdraw when the suspension of his 1962

Mark 11 Zephyr was damaged at the beginning of Its journev to Christchurch. D. Camcron sportingly lent Hart his Ford VS stock rod and a four-lap demonstration race was won by Pierson. In place of the two-car battle, the Canterbury stock car championship was staged and this resulted in a surprise win for R. Coburn over the defending champion, R. McPhail. Coburn showed brilliant control of his pre-war machine to win both his heat and the final tn commanding style. The programme was the longest ever staged at Templeton, embracing almost 30 events and finishing in a failing light shortly after 6 p.m. Nevertheless. the fare offered was of such a high standard that few of the crowd left before the fini. l h. Motor-cycles Results were: Templeton Solo Handicap (4 laps).—T. Mauger (160vds) 1. R Meyers (20yds) 2. I. Miller (90yds) 3. Time, 85.3. Halswell Solo Handicap (4 laps).—R. Wright (60yds) 1, M. Burt (150yds) 2, I. Begbie 3. Time, 90.0. Rangiora Solo Handicap (4 laps).—A. Brown (120yds) 1. A. Nesbitt (80yds) 2, R. Mullally (90yds) 3. Time, 90.2. Fastest Four Solo Feature Race for Midget Car Drivers (3 laps).—R. Burt 1, S. Christenson 2, K. Mead 3. Time, 75.8. Fast Four Solo Scratch (4 laps).—B. Le Grosse 1. S. Burt 2. Time, 87.3. Cashmere Solo Handicap (4 laps).—T. Mauger (106yds) 1, B. Lc Grosse <9oyds) 2. A. Nesbitt (50yds) 3. Time. 87.8. Ellesmere Solo Handicap <4 laps).—A. Brown (I3oyds) 1, R. Wright (100yds) 2. P. Brandon (30yds) 3. Time, 91.7. Kaiapoi Solo Handicap (4 laps).—M. Burt (140yds) 1. S.

Burt <lMyds) 3, R. Mullally (50 yds) 3. Time, 90.7. Woolston Solo Handicap (4 lap*).—R. Wright (80yds) 1. B Le Grosse (100yds) 2. R. Meyers (30yds) 3. Time. 90 0 Midget Cart Christchurch Three-quarter Midget Car Handicap.—First division (4 laps): R. Mead (100yds) 1. N. Duff (80yds) 2. R. Burt (100yds) 3. Time. 89.3. Port Hills Three-quarter Midget Car Handicap.—Second division: L. Whitcombe (go) 1. C. Peters (100yds) 2. Time. 04.5. Leeston Three-quarter Midget Car Handicap—First division (4 laps): R. Mead (120yds) 1. R Burt (120yds) 2. J. Morris < 70yds) 3. Time. 90.3. Papanui Three-quarter Midget Car Handicap.—Second division <4 laps): J. McKttterlck (OOvds) 1, G. Raymond (80yds) 3. L. Whitcombe (go) 3. Time. 93.1. Three-quarter Midget Car Race For Motor cycle Riders <4 laps).—R. Mullally 1. M Burt 2, T. Mauger 3. Time, 93.4. Canterbury Speedcar Handicap (4 laps).—J. Morris (40yds) 1. M. Sloane (140yds) 2. T. Hall (180yds) 3. Time, 95.4. Templeton Speedcar Handicap (6 laps).—M. Sloan (140yds) 1. R. Clark (go) 2. M. Benbow (70yds) 3. Time, 2:25.4.

Russell Thomas Speedcar Handicap (4 laps).—R. Clark (go) 1. R. McPhail (SOvds) 2. J. Tiekink (50yds) 3. Time. 93 4. El Dorado Three-quarter Midget Car Handicap <4 laps).—R Burt (150yds) 1, S. Burt (140yds) 2. J. Morris (100yds) 3. Time, 2:14.7. Fastest lap: R. Burt, 19.9 (a record). Final points for El Dorado trophy: S. Burt. 28 points. 1; R. Burt. 19. 2: C. Peters. 10. 3. Stock Car* New Zealand Stock Rod Duo.— H. Pierson (Christchurch) 1, A. Hart (Palmerston North) 2. Time. 1:47. Drayton-Jones Stock Rod Handicap.—First heat (4 laps): P. Annan (30yds) 1. H. Pierson (140yds) 2. A. Davies (80vds) 3. Time, 1.43.1. Second heat <4 laps): A McNabb (20yds) 1. B Thompson (40yds) 2, N. Hawkins (40yds) 3. Time. 1 42. Final <0 laps): Pierson <l3oyds) 1. D Camcron (100yds) 2. P. Annan (70yds) 3. Time. 2:20.7. Canterbury Stock Car Championship.—First heat (4 laps); R. Coburn 1. B. Phillip* 2, R McPhail 3. Time, 1:53. Second heat (4 laps): J. Annan 1, A. Wright 2, B. Whitcombe 3. Time, 1:47.2. Final (6 lap*): R. Coburn 1, R. McPhail 2. A. Wright 3. Time, 2:41.5. Butchers’ Picnic Survival Race.—A. Welbeloved.