Pit Stops

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30632, 24 December 1964, Page 9

Pit Stops

A car which particularly impressed at Ruapuna Park last week-end was the Mirage sports car built and driven by B. Walker. The body is of monocoque design, being fabricated in rivetted sheet alloy, and a light tubular frame at the rear carries the engine, which itself carries the rear suspension. The front suspension is by unequal length wishbones to modified Hillman hubs, and steering is rack and pinion. The five-speed Hewland gearbox drives through doughnut universals, and disc brakes are fitted all round.

The engine is the most remarkable part of the car. The block, crankshaft and connecting rods are from a Cortina engine, but the rest has been made by Mr Walker and his helper, M. Burrows. The aluminium alloy cylinder head was cast locally, and has twin overhead camshafts. The camshafts, made by the builders, are driven by chains. Special pistions were cast locally, and Weber carburettors are used. Lubrication is by the dry sump method. The car performs very jvell indeed, and there is still development to be done. It is a credit to its builders, and deserves every success.

Bookings received so far indicate that the coming New Zealand G.P. at Pukekohe will be a very successful meeting. Commenting on the increase in interest this year, the manager of the Grand Prix organisation, Mr R. Frost, said it was probably caused by the Tasman championship last year bringing some very close racing, and many persons later realised that they had missed some very spectacular motor sport.

The New Zealand Racing Drivers’ Club will hold its annual meeting and drivers’ reunion on Sunday, January 24, the day after the Lady Wigram race meeting. The function will start at 10 a.m. in the social room of Archibald’s Service department, Antigua street. Activities qf the club will be reported on, and officers elected.

The New Zealand Racing Drivers Club’s national driver awards for 1963-64 were presented after the Renwick meeting at Blenheim in November. The president (Mr L E. O. McKellar) made presentations to J. Palmer, for the racing section, B. Porter and J. Riley for the sports-racing section, and K. Grant for the saloon section.

M.G. Car Club trophy winners this year are: Sir Charles Norwood Trophy for club championship rally, J. Sangster; Peter Lockie Memorial Trophy for best all round performance in speed and racing, G. Alexander; Wheeler Cup for best all round performance in an M.G., R. Munns; Hampton Cup for best all round performance by member, G. Owen; P. Stevens Navigation Trophy, B. Hunter; Hillclimb trophy, R. Munns; and Goon Run trophy, K. E. MuscroftTaylor.

At the half-yearly meeting of the Canterbury inter-club Lupp Cup competition committee it was resolved that in all future Lupp Cup rallies at night the first competitor must finish by midnight, and that the odometer check must be at 10 miles on the mapping car’s speedometer.