Pit Stops

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30453, 29 May 1964, Page 9

Pit Stops

Bruce McLaren is fitting an Oldsmobile V 8 engine in his Cooper Zerex sports car for the Canadian sports car race at Mosport on June 6. ¥ ¥ ¥ The Honda formula one car failed to appear at Monaco, and it is now said it may be seen at Spa on June 14. A Honda sports car has been entered in the Nurburgring 500 kilometre race in September. It will be the Honda S6OO, with a 630 c.e. twin o.h.c. engine, four carburettors and a five-speed gearbox. ¥ ¥ ¥

The 1800-mile Acropolis rally in Greece recently was won by T. Trana in a Volvo, with J. P. Ogier (Citroen) second and Pat Moss-Carlsson (Saab) third. Saab won the team . prize and the works Rover entry of three cars all finished in the top 10. Only 19 of the 72 starters finished. Mrs Moss-Carlsson won the Ladies’ Award. ¥ ¥ ¥

About 5000 saw some close racing on a 1.1-mile “round the houses” circuit at Matamata last weekend. The main race, a 10-lap event, was fought between A. Buchanan and W. Thomasen, Thomasen winning with the Cooper, Buchanan being second with the Brabham and J. Boyd third in the New Zealand-made Valour. K. Grant gained a second and a first with the Triumph Spitfire in the sports events, and there were some closely-fought saloon events.

The Rover Company and the Owen organisation have issued a joint statement saying the RoverBRM turbine car will not run at Le Mans this year, as it is fedt there is not sufficient time to prepare it and the power unit for the race. More testing is needed if the standard of reliability reached last year is to be maintained. ¥ ¥ ¥

Works Mini Coopers took first and second places in the “Motor” three-hour race for small saloons at Mallory Park, England. The winning car was driven by J. Rhodes and 'W. Banks. A priv-ately-entered Mini Cooper was third. ¥ ¥ ¥

A new Austrian driver, Jochen Rindt, has made a very strong impression in England by his excellent performances in formula two races. At Crystal Palace he took the lead on the fifteenth lap with his Brab-ham-Cosworth and eventually won from Graham Hill, A. Rees, P. Arundell and D. Hulme. The day before, at Mallory Park, he had come third after setting fastest practice time and then driving most of the race without a clutch. He was beaten by Jim Clark and P. Arundell. ¥ ¥ ¥

Jim Clark beat the previous Indianapolis track record by more than seven miles an hour when he qualified his Lotus Ford. His 159.377 miles an hour was 7.53 m.p.h. better than the previous record, and he set a record four-lap average of 158.838 m.p.h. D. Gurney qualified the other Lotus at more than 154 m.p.h.