Spectacular Smash In Speedcar Race

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31305, 27 February 1967, Page 6

Spectacular Smash In Speedcar Race

A spectacular smash involving A. Coles and G .Roxburgh introduced a note of high drama into the opening four-lap speedcar handicap race at the Templeton Speedway on Saturday night. As Coles slid his powerful VB- - racer into the prison bend for the third time one of his rear wheels came off and the car spun wildly and stopped in the middle of the track. Roxburgh, who was close behind in his Zephyr-powered midget, was unable to avoid the crippled VB-60 and hurtled into it at high speed. The impact nearly tore two other wheels off Coles’s car and severely damaged the front. It had to be removed from the track by breakdown truck. Roxburgh’s car was also damaged but not to the same extent. Neither driver was hurt. Although the race had almost ended, it was stopped because of the dangerous position of the two broken cars. The South Island champion, R. T. Hall, was leading in his Taubmans Special. However, the rerun was won by M. Sloan, who was returning to racing in his Model B 4 Midget. Hall did not have a particularly happy time. In the main eight-lap scratch race for South Island championship points he punctured a front tyre on the opening lap while third and was out of the race. This was a great disappointment for him and his supporters for he had spent many hours extensively modifying the car in the two previous weeks. “I thought the steering had gone. I was fighting to keep it away from the fence coming down the straight,” Hall said afterwards. The race was won in impressive fashion by E. Murray in his Zephyr-powered midget. He finished well clear of the second map, R. Clive, who now has a comfortable lead of 10 points over Hall in the South Island championship series. Murray and Clive also took the two main placings in the Rothmans feature race of six laps.

Motor trouble on the penultimate lap robbed R. Burt of certain victory in the three-quarter midget car eight-lap scratch race. He had out-classed the rest of the field with outstand-

ing driving when his motor began to miss badly. First N .Chandler went past, then D. Jones and then W. Douglas. However, Chandler’s glory was short-lived. Less than 100 yards from the chequered flag, his motor cut out. He leaped from the cockpit and pushed the car to the finishing line but was Sassed by Jones, Douglas and urt, his motor barely firing. Jones was later put back from first to second for driving with two wheels on the grass and maximum championship points were awarded to Douglas. J. Annan made no race of the stock rod feature event, leading for almost the entire distance. His brother, P. Annan, was second after a sterling tussle with W. Rushbridge. In an earlier stock rod handicap B. Savage provided patrons with a few anxious moments when he lost control of his Ford V 8 coupe and smashed into the safety fence on the pit straight. A hole about 10ft wide was punched in the fence but steel cables surrounding the track prevented the car entering the spectator area. Only a week previously, Savage smashed through the pit gates after losing control of his car. The English League rider, H. Cole, won the only scratch motor-cycle event on the programme with ease. His time of 89sec was well below his best. Results were: MOTOR-CYCLES Solo Handicap Events (four l a .p S ).—First event: T. Black (130 yd 1 A. Nesbitt (30yd) 2, R. McKinlay (30yd) 3. Time, 94.8, Second event: H. Cole (160 yd 1, C. Glasson (40yd) 2, W. Moulin (130 yd 3. Time, 97.7. Third event: A. Brown (130 yd 1, T. Black (130 yd 2, A. Nesbitt (30yd) 3. Time, 91.7. Fourth event: A. Brown (130 yd 1 A. Nesbitt (30yd) 2, C. Glasson (30 yd) 3. Time, 92.0. Solo Scratch Race (four laps). —H. Cole 1, W. Moulin 2. Time, 89.0. Sidecars (three laps).—W. Philp (rider) and B. Savage (passenger), 40yd, 1. No time.

MIDGET CARS Three-quarter Midget Racing Car Events.—Opening handicap (four laps): B. Palmer (80yd) 1, M. Chandler (60yd) 2 R. Burt (160 yd 3. Time, 94.6. Second

handicap (six laps): G. Roxburgh (160 yd 1, S. Unwin (60 yd) 2. B. Palmer (100 yd 3. Time, 2:19.8, Scratch race for 51.1. championship points (eight laps): W. Douglas 1, D. Jones 2, R. Burt 3. Time, 2:3.9. Progress points: D. Harper 32, D. Richens 24, R. Burt 13, D. Jones 13. Speedcars.—Opening handicap (four laps): M. Sloan (130 yd 1, N. Hawkins (130 yd 2, T. Hall (160 yd 3. Time, 89.2. Rothman’s feature scratch race (six laps): E. Murray 1, R. Clive 2, T. Hall 3. Time, 2:6.7. Scratch race for 5.1. championship points (eight laps): E. Murray 1, R. Clive 2 N. Hawkins 3. Time, 3:34. Progress points: R. Clive 37, R. T. Hall 27, N. Hawkins 11. STOCK RODS Stock Rod Events.—Opening handicap (four laps): P. Annan (140 yd 1, B. Moore (60yd) 2, W. Rusbridge (140 yd 3. Time, 1:40,2. Second handicap (six laps): J. Annan (170 yd 1 P. Annan (180 yd and N. Quirk (70yd) 2 equal. Time, 2:21.4. Scratch race for S.I. championship points (eight laps): J. Annan 1, P. Annan 2, W. Rusbridge 3. Time, 2:56.2. Progress points: J. Annan 34, D. Cameron 29, W. Rusbridge 23 P. Annan