NO ENGLISH, BUT DRIVES WELL

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30947, 31 December 1965, Page 14

NO ENGLISH, BUT DRIVES WELL

The Japanese national midget racing car champion, Hideyuki (Happy) Hirano, will race against the leading South Island drivers on the Templeton cinder circuit on Monday evening under contract to the Christchurch Speedway Association. Hirano, who cannot speak English, will drive an Austra-lian-built VB-60 powered midget, similar to the car owned and driven by M. Sloan, of Christchurch.

One of his greatest ambitions while he is in Christchurch is to break midget car records.

The president of the Speedway Association (Mr R. Lang) said that a match race series against the top three South Island drivers would probably be arranged but the main feature would be the eight-lap scratch race open to all drivers. In this, Hirano would face a varied field of 10 to 12 midgets and if he drew a poor grid position it would tax his skill to the utmost

Hirano has been racing at Western Springs Stadium, Auckland, for the last three

meeting nights and has proved himself the equal of the best drivers in New Zealand. He has also shown considerable ability in a motor-cycle engined three-quarter midget, borrowed from an Auckland driver, and in his last appearance in Auckland this Saturday he will be featured in a three-quarter match race series as well as in his normal midget events. For the last three seasons Hirano has been racing in Australia with considerable success. He has won great

respect as a very neat and tidy driver on the Europeantype, quarter-mile circuits, in spite of the fact that the Japanese midget racing car specifications are considerably different. Because of the difference in specifications, Hirano has been forced to leave his Japanesebuilt car, constructed for racing on half-mile circuits, at home. But he has quickly adapted himself to the tighter tracks and in his immaculate VB-60 car he is regarded by many as a potential world champion.

Hirano will return to Australia soon.

Monday night’s racing will give many of the South Island drivers their first experience of international competition. Sloan is one who is particularly anxious to watch his new

car against top-class opposition but he may yet be denied the opportunity. He has just returned to work after suffering a fractured skull in a serious crash three weeks ago and has not yet obtained a certificate of fitness.

However, even if he is not able to race, there is a good chance that his car will be driven by another leading lo cal driver.

The South Island champion T. Hall, is a certain starter in his independently suspended Holden-powered car. Othei leading drivers include E Murray, R. Clive and M. Ben bow.