MOTOR-RACING 12,000 Watch 1.5 Litre Race At Ruapuna

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30914, 22 November 1965, Page 18

MOTOR-RACING 12,000 Watch 1.5 Litre Race At Ruapuna

The Wanganui driver, G. Lawrence, driving a Brabham, own the feature 1.5 litre national gold star championship race at Ruapuna Park yesterday. The race was of 30 laps (27.9 miles), and Lawrence’s time 23 minutes 46.1 seconds.

The Palmerston North driver, W. Caldwell (Brabham) was second, about 200 yards back, and last season’s New Zealand and Australian 1.5 litre champion, R. Levi s, of Putaruru (Brabham) was third. The race was exciting from start to finish, the lead was always in doubt. It was run in perfect weather and watched by a record crowd of nearly 12,000. When the flag fell, Caldwell took the lead, and following him were D. Hollier (Taihape, Lotus), K. Sager (Auckland, Brabham), G. Lawrence, R. Levis, A. Rhodes (Christchurch, Lotus) P. Gillum (Christchurch, Cooper), C. Ngan (Lower Hutt, Valour Ford) and A Shaw (Christchurch, Lotus) Ngan twice spun at the hairpin and dropped back, and by the third Caldwell was well out in front with Sager, Lawrence and Levis fighting a furious battle behind him.

After his second spin Ngan did not resume, and on the fourth Lawrence moved up to second, ahead of Levis and Sager. Then on the sixth Levis took Lawrence, and a battle royal continued behind Caldwell, who was still well ahead. The general standard of driving was excellent. By the tenth lap Levis was only 3.Bsec behind Caldwell, and was in turn pressed hard by Lawrence, who has rarely driven so fast and well. Shaw had long been lapped, and further behind Hollier and Gillum were having a furious tussle for fifth.

Lawrence was reaching 115 before braking at the end of the main straight, and was fastest at this point. Caldwell and Levis had moved well out, and Sager was nibbling at Lawrence’s heels, while Hollier and Gillum continued to dice.

By the fourteenth Levis had reduced the gap to Caldwell to two seconds, and was obviously putting on the presure.

had pulled away from Sager and the first three cars were well ahead of the rest of the field. On the eighteenth Levis took the lead from Caldwell, with Lawrence still holding third, and now it was Caldwell’s turn to harrass Levis. He did this to good effect, regaining the lead on the twenty-second while a mix-up at the hairpin dropped Levis to third. Now Lawrence started pushing. His speed increased, and he was clocked at 123 m.p.h. before braking for the hairpin at the end of the main straight.

Driving in a most polished fashion, he took the lead on the twenty-fifth ahead of the stillbattling Caldwell and Levis. The pace became even hotter coming out of the esses Caldwell slid wide and travelled about 100 yards on the grass before rejoining the circuit, stll in second. Lap markers at the esses again went flying in all directions as one of the leaders slid wide.

Levis had fitted older-pattern tyres to his front wheels, and the change was to cost him dear. For now when he tried to push as hard as he could, the car started to understeer badly, taking Rothman’s curve with wheels often locked hard over. Several times he nearly “lost the lot” on this curve, but always remained master. And so they finished, after giving the best display of single-seater racing seen in Canterbury for a long time.

As well as the feature race the programme included many

events for sports and saloons, and these cars too provided some excellent racing. At this meeting nearly all the fields were large.

The first sports scratch race was an easy victory for G. Smith’s Healey Corvette, and the first real interest came In 'he scratch race of saloons This was won by the immacu’ate Lotus Cortina of R. Rutherford. which was uno.iicially timed at an extremely fast 54.25ec and was driven very well and rapidly throughout the day. A. Batchelor's Anglia won the next after a brief tussle with G. Baker’s similar car, and then the crowd rushed to the fences at the thunderous roar of the Stanton Corvette, absent from racing since last season and now driven by G. Mardon. Mardon won every event he took part in during the day. and drove smoothly, sensibly and well. He and the Corvette should be well worth watching He won the scratch race ahead of E. Norris's 120 EN Special, which offered a valiant challenge. In the saloon scratch race J. Mullins (Mini Cooper S) never put a wheel wrong to hold off the R. Rutherford Lotus Cortina. It was obvious, however, there was little in it between the two cars.

During th* first sports car handicap, the markers at the esses were hurdled skywards several times as excessive verve caused competitors difficulty, and G. Smith's Healey Corvette, which seems better each meeting, was again victorious. The big saloon handicap which came next was one of the day’s outstanding races, and R. Silvester’s Chevrolet Corvette coupe and the Rutherford Lotus Cortina had a fine tussle, with the Lotus Cortina emerging first. When the small saloons raced next, the Fiat-Ford of E. Johnson rolled at Rothmans, blit without Injury to the driver or notable damage to the car. which raced again later in the day. Mardon, in the Stanton Corvette, won the next event after an excellent drive up through the field, seizing the lead from W. Darrell . (ACE III) within vards of the flag. The handicapping was excellent. N. Doyle’s Anglia Corvette had a good win in one of the saloon handicaps, coming from sixth to beat D. Baker’s Chevrolet .coupe at the flag Generally the Anglia Corvette went better yesterday than it has so far.

Mardon won another sports handicap in fine style, and the last race of the day was a flying-start five-lapper for the 1.5 litre cars. Lawrence took the lead at the. fall of the flag and held it throughout in spite of repeated strong challenges from Levis. The two cars finished the race almost wheel-to-wheel. Again there was a repeat of the Hollier-Gillum battle, until Hollier had his throttle stick open and Gillum nipped past It was a fine finish to an excellent day's racing. Results Sports, scratch: G. Smith (Healev Corvette) 1. D. Silcock (Jaguar) 2. T. Crowe (M.G.) 3 Saloon, scratch: R. Rutherford (Lotus Cortina) 1, R Silvester (Chevrolet Corvette coupe) 2. E. Latta (Zephyr) 3. Saloon scratch: T. Batchelor (Anglia) 1, P. Thompson (Austin) 2. L Blakemore (Anglia) 3. Specials, scratch: G. Mardon (Stanton Corvette) 1. E. Norris (120 EN Special) 2. D Evans (Lotus Spl.) 3. Saloons, scratch: J. Mullins (Mini S) 1. R. Rutherford 2. N Dovle (Anglia Corvette) 3.

Sports, handicap: G. Smith 1. D Silcock 2. L. Brownlie i Daimler SP2SO) 3 Saloons: R Rurtherford 1, R Silvester 2. M. Elwood (Anglia) 3 Saloons: F Turner Jun. (Austin Mini) 1. A Caithness (Anglia) 2. D. Gilbert (Morris Cooper) 3. Specials: G. Mardon 1. W. Darrell (ACE III) 2. E. Norris 3. Saloons: T. Batchelor 1. P Brixton (Anglia GT) 2. N. Doyle (Anglia Cor vette) 3.

Main race, 1.5 litre championship, 30 laps: G. Lawrence (Wanganui, Brabham) 1. W. Caldwell (Palmerston North. Brabham) 2, R. Levis (Putaruru. Brabham) 3, K. Sager (Auckland. Brabham) 4. Sports, handicap: B. Conroy (Morgan) 1, G. Smith 2. 1 Brownlie 3. Saloons: N. Doyle 1. D. Baker (Chevrolet coupe) 2. R. McPhail (Chevrolet coupe) 3. Saloons: K. Rout (Morris) 1. P. Thompson (Austin) 2. F. Turner jun. 3. Sports: G. Mardon 1, G. McKerrow (Elin) 2. W. Darrell 3. Flying Farewell. 1.5 litre cars: G. Lawrence 1, R. Levis 2. K Sager 3. P. Gillum 4.