THOUGHTS ON RUAPUNA

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31018, 25 March 1966, Page 11

THOUGHTS ON RUAPUNA

IB V

A. J. P.

'J'HE opening of the Ruapuna Park circuit, only a few minutes from Christchurch by car, was a major landmark in the history of Canterbury motor sport. Many successful meetings have now been held on this circuit, and its establishment has brought a great increase in interest in motor racing. Since racing started at Ruapuna there have been many worth-while improvements. Spectator facilities have been brought up to a good standard, a campaign by the organisers, the Canterbury Car Club, has resulted in cars being well turned out, and now the standard of car numbers has been vastly improved. Now the circuit has reached such a high level in many respects it is perhaps time the organisers gave serious consideration to considerably reducing the number of handicap races held.

Programmes have been greatly enlivened by the policy of holding a feature race at each meeting, but the handicap races still make up most of the programme. In the early days of the

circuit handicap races were necessary because of the disparity in the performance of the cars. There is still some disparity and there always will be, but 1 feel there are better ways of dealing with the present situation than by handicapping. Handicap race s are rarely satisfying for competitors, who tend to feel inevitably, that their handicap has not been correct. Such races are much more difficult for the public to follow, and must lead to

additional complication in the organising of races. Why not, then, have mainly scratch races, with, if it is absolutely essential, one or perhaps two handicap races for the slower cars. At the last Ruapuna meeting, at the request of the drivers, a five-lap scratch race for the 20 fastest cars was held. As it was late in the day only 12 cars started, and although positions did not change greatly during the race, the event was amongst the best held that day.

Scratch races could be held in three or even four classes, perhaps up to 1000 c.c., to 2000 c.c., to 3000 c.c. and over 3000 c.c. This would give the drivers of smaller cars a chance to be in the money, and also give the faster cars a better chance to battle together. In the handicap system the slower drivers go around well out in front for most of the race, sometimes for all the race. Meanwhile the faster cars have to contend with more traffic, and obviously the driver with the faster and usually more expensive car has to take more risks if he is not to finish well down the field.

At last week’s Ruapuna the scratch races were probably the most exciting. There is no reason why this should not continue to be true. Let us, then, have scratch races divided into classes, each class carrying equal prize money. Let us, too, have full 20car fields for every race. Surely this can be arranged. There is no spectator interest in five cars racing at 100yard intervals.

1 would also like to see the introduction of some sort of programme, not just a list of names and numbers, but also a list of events. Spectators would then know what they were going to see, and interest would almost certainly be increased.