Fires Delay Programme At Ruapuna Car Races

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30630, 22 December 1964, Page 7

Fires Delay Programme At Ruapuna Car Races

The motor racing at Ruapuna Park on Sunday attracted a good crowd, although it was possibly not quite as large as that attracted by previous meetings. The programme ran late throughout the day, being delayed on three occasions by grass fires which had to be dealt with quickly because of the very dry conditions.

The first fire started after the hot exhaust of a car had rested on some straw, and calls over the loudspeakers for assistance soon had many persons with sacks on the ; scene, and the flames were quickly extinguished. Later in the day two other fires started and were similarly dealt with, but the causes of these are not known. During the day patrons were asked several times to exercise care with cigarette butts. There was one accident during the day, when P. Yock rolled his Mini Cooper S badly during practice, the car being extensively damaged. The driver, who was wearing a safety belt, was unharmed. There were a few minor incidents in practice, but apart form Yock’s accident, nothing serious. The first few races were scratch events, which helped decide the handicaps for later contests. Each event was of three laps, the first, for sports cars, being won after a good drive by R. Rutherford (260 M Zephyr). One of Rutherford’s laps was timed at 54.35ec, a very fast time.

The second event, for big saloons, was won by D. Algie (Chevrolet coupe) after J. I Mullins (Cortina Climax) had built up a very good lead in the first lap, but then retired with gearbox trouble. Home-built Car Particularly notable in the sports events both early in the day and throughout, was the performance of B. Walker's Mirage, a very shapely sports car built by the owner, who also made much of the engine, including the head, himself. The car proved itself a real credit to its constructor, who also proved himself nt mean hand at the wheel. Before the third race Father Christmas toured the perimeter of the circuit in a vintage Bentley, throwing sweets to the children. After scratch events for the small saloons, racing cars and sports cars, the handicap events started. In the saloon scratch event W. Collins went very rapidly and neatly in his Anglia to win, while in the first handicap event for racing cars there was a “phenomenal avoidance” when W. Darrell spun the ACE 111 coming out of Rothmans in front of three other fast-moving cars. Some very neat driving averted a bad accident. In this race the faster cars were rather too heavily handicapped, but M. Stanton (Stanton Corvette), D. Young in the Cooper, Walker in the Mirage, and R. Rutherford staged a tussle at the rear of the field which stole the

thunder from the head of the pack.

It was Young who eventually took the flag after a polished drive.

Led All The Way

The next event, for big saloons, was led from start to finish by R. S. Harris (Morris 1100) who kept handily ahead of the pack all the way. The well-prepared Hutchinson Motors Cortina G.T., driven by D. Hayward, moved slowly but surely through the field to finish fifth.

P. M. Stewart (MG Midget) led the next event all the way, in spite of some spirited driving by E. R. Henshaw (Volkswagen) from the back mark to a creditable fourth.

Then the sports cars were out, and P. M. Stewart again won after a clean drive, D. Silcock going very well in the Jaguar XKI2O and finishing second. P. Tutton spun the MGA on the hairpin and lost ground.

W. Collins in the Anglia gave a very good performance in the next event for saloons, finishing second after starting at the back. His brother, C. Collins, in a Minor, held the lead very firmly until he spun two laps from the end. The racing cars came out again and C. H. Berryman in the Ford Special took the flag after the five laps. R. Rutherford dropped out with suspension trouble when going very well and D. Young spun at Rothmans. Walker in the Mirage and Stanton in the Corvette again staged a spirited battle which kept the crowd on its toes. K. Laney in the Holden led the next saloon event all the way, but a feature was the manner in which the Hutchinson Motor’s Cortina sliced steadily through the pack to take second place after a good tussle with R. Silvester’s rapid Chevrolet coupe. This race was amongst the closest of the day, and the field was well bunched most of the time. E. R. Latta went well in a Mk II Zephyr and D. J. Ward held second for four laps in the Chevrolet coupe.

E. R. Henshaw (Volkswagen) won the next saloon event after a good drive, and V. R. Blackburn (Cortina) took a well deserved second place. C. A. C. Ransley. who had been driving neatly in the Riley, executed a vast spin in the next event, and finished well down. D. Silcock drove the Jaguar very fast and well to win, after starting about half way down the field.

W. Rout (Anglia) led the last event all the way. although it looked at one stage as if W. Collins might catch him. However, the Anglia spun out on the hairpin and thus lost any chance of making the front. C. Collins staged a good tussle with W. Hensley’s Anglia, but eventually got the better of him and came second. Results were:—

Sports Cars, Scratch (five laps).—R. Rutherford <26OM Zephyr) 1, B. Walker (Mirage) 2, M. Stanton (Stanton Corvette) 3.

Large Saloons, scratch.—D. Algie (Chevrolet Coupe) 1. P. C. Gillum (Chevrolet coupe) 2, D. S. Hayward (Cortina G.T.) 3. Small Saloons, Scratch.—E. R. Henshaw (Volkswagen) 1. R. H. Barrar (Volkswagen) 2, N. Steenhart (Morris Mini) 3.

Sports Cars, Scratch.—M. Me

Elrea (Bugatti Ford) 1, G. Smith: (Morgan) 2, D. Silcock (Jaguar* XKI2O) 3. Small Saloon, Scratch.—W. i Collins (Anglia) 1, N. Wilcoi (Anglia) 2, N. L. Doyle (Anglia I G.T.) 3. Racing, Handicap.—D. G. : Young (Cooper) 1, R. Rutherford 2, P. E. Leversedge (Ford V 8 Special) 3. Large Saloons. Handicap.—R. S. Harris (Morris 1100) 1, E. R. Latta (Zephyr) 2, B. R. Blackburn (Cortina) 3. Small Saloons. Handicap.—A. Bennett (Triumph Herald) 1. K. Rout (Morris 1000) 2, G. Pye (Austin) 3. Sports, Handicap.—P. M. Stewart (M.G. Midget) 1, D. Silcock 2, V. R. Morrison (Jowett Jupiter) 3. Small Saloon, Handicap.—W. Hensley (Anglia) 1, W. Collins (Anglia) 2, N. Wilson 3. Racing, Handicap.—C. H. Ber ryman (Ford Special) 1, B Walker (Mirage) 2, M. F. Stan ton (Stanton Corvette) 3. Large Saloons, Handicap.—.l. K. Laney (Holden) 1, D. S. Hayward (Cortina G.T.) 2, R. Silves ter (Chevrolet coupe) 3. Small Saloon, Handicap.—E. R. Henshaw 1, V. R. Blackburn (Cortina) 2. K. Rout (Morris 1000) 3. Sports Handicap.—D. Silcock 1. R. McElrea 2, K. Jackson (Daimler SP 250) 3. Small Saloon Handicap.—W. Rout (Anglia) 1, W. Hensley (Anglia) 2, C. Collins (Morris Minor) 3.