Otematata Entry Wins Gold Star Rally

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30711, 29 March 1965, Page 17

Otematata Entry Wins Gold Star Rally

Provisional results of the Rallies and Trials Enthusiasts’ Club Castrol gold star championship car rally held during the week-end place the Otematata entry of J. Waller (Jaguar 2.4) first. Waller is a member of the North Otago Car Club.

Second place in the provisional results goes to J. Butts of Christchurch (Volkswagen), third to B. Andrews (Sunbeam Talbot) of Christchurch, fourth to J. Owen (Hillman Minx) of Christchurch and fifth to R. Taylor (Morris 1100) of Wellington. There were 32 entrants in the 400-mile 16hour event, and all but two finished the course. Seven entrants came from the North Island. Competitors agreed the event had been a good test of drivers, navigators and timekeepers, and had maintained a high level of interest throughout. It is the first gold star event to be organised by R.A.T.E.C. 66 Check Points There were 66 check points throughout the event, but most cars failed to find several of them. Many checks were missed in the map-reading section, which probably caused the greatest loss of points to cars. The event started from Ric-

carton at 7 p.m. on Saturday evening, the cars leaving at two-minute intervals. The first section was sufficiently testing to cause some entrants heavy points losses. It was to set the theme for an event which demanded high crew alertness throughout. In the first of the six sections, the cars travelled to Methven through Islington, West Melton, Charing Cross, Darfield and the Rakaia Gorge. The second section took the cars on to Arundel, and the third, the map-reading section, traced a circuitous course in the Geraldine and Windwhistle areas. The fourth took a course close to the Main South road, to a breakfast break at Ashburton. After an easy touring section to Rakaia, another mapreading section brought the field of dirty cars and tired crews back to Christchurch, through Burnside, Dunsandel, Burnham and Prebbleton. Most of the event was on shingle roads of generally good surface, and there was also a substantial mileage on clay and grass tracks. Because of the recent heavy rain these tracks were particularly slippery and this, combined with periods of steady drizzle and rain during the latter part of the event, emphasised the need for driving skill.