Bettenhausen Unbeaten Tn Speedcar Series

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32199, 19 January 1970, Page 13

Bettenhausen Unbeaten Tn Speedcar Series

The leading American speed* car driver, M. Bettenhausen (Offenhauser), effortlessly won the international midget car series before • crowd of almost 10,000 at the Templeton Speedway on Saturday night. Fresh from hie victory in the world 30-1 ap championship at Western Springs a week previously Bettenhausen made good use of favourable grid positions to win all three four-lap scratch races. He also won the two handicap events he started in with his fellow-countryman and eight times world champion, R. Tatter sail (Offenhauser), to maintain an unbeaten record on the Bight. Tattersail claimed a second and a third in the international series, but his form was somewhat below that which should of a driver who l » e American championship. He finished the threerace series on a rather unfortunate note when he rammed tne Christchurch driver, E. Murcorner and deprived him of a certain second place. The American recovered like « flash and crossed the finishing line in second place. However he was immediately disqualified from all placings and fined S 5 » s ..?S‘ ons b y th « referee <Mr B. McKeown). This elevated R. Mead, who probably made a greater Impression than any other Christchurch driver on the night, to second, and B T Hall, the South Island champion, to third. In cold statistics. Bettenhauhen scored nine points in the three-race series, HaU and Tattersail scored three each. Mead two. and Murray one. This did not reflect an entirely true picture of proceedings, although nobody could doubt Bettenhausen’s superiority. Apart from the first heat when he split Bettenhausen and Tattersail with a splendid drive. Hall was well below his best form and never looked like repeating the magnificent win be

!fS e Y ed . oreT tb » two American. last season. th? u^X,t pp , e “t? t 0 handl « bSt tr ack condition, best, and generally posed the i to the visitors, Mm , k h. c » m . plet s y deserted He did A™* , last **«’• u not finish either race after being Involved in collisI?" 8 ot ■ his own making. ° nl >! p ? ln, ‘ came in the second heat when he finished a creditable third behind Betlenhausen and Tattersail. The final heat undoubtedly provided him with his finest Bettenhausen held the lead, Murray held off repeated challenges from lattiI att i? rs i l -L the Ame rican finally hit him on the last corner. Had Tattersall not attempted to force his way past, Murray would have been certain of second place in the race and second-equal over all with Tattersall in the series. The surprise performer of the night was undoubtedly Mead. He was in second place behind Bettenhausen in the first heat when he was involved in a tangle with Tattersall and Murray. The race was stopped, and for the rerun Mead was 6 laced at the rear of the field, e snatched third place shortly after the start, and was only caught on the last lap by Tatter sail. He missed the second heat, but in the third was rewarded with second place after Tattersall had been disqualified. Then towards the end of the evening he scored another second place behind Bettenhausen in the Paparua Speedcar Feature of 10 laps when Tattersall spun off on the last corner while holding second place. Murray, who chased Mead all the way, could not get past and had to be content with third. Times were well down on those recorded last season, all cars having difficulty getting power to the track. "I had

iN <rf , a ,u P er specbrought all the way specially for B ett enbausen eaid Sn'hUfi?: wl£” Results were:— - . MIDGET CARS Series. —First heat (4 laps): M. Bettenhausen (U.S.A.) 1 R T Trail (U h s i A t i hU s rCl, 2 2 ’ *’ TattersaH rhnrnh! K (ChHStbpK ch L/,’. time ' Second neat. Bettenhausen 1, R. Tat(U.S.A.) 2. E. Murray 82 2 3 .’ *’ 1 • 2 w_?2 llr A Bettenhausen I. Mead 2 Hall 3. Time, 82. nJiiQ Points: Bettenhausen 9, Murray i Tattersa!l 3. Mead 2, ’ e XP , V ,n -Midget Car Handlr?«>is»’, ,ap J > ’Z?’ Bettenhausen (160 yd 1. E. Franicevic (60) 2 Roxburgh (50yd) 3. Time: i.srT » p . e . ed< i ar Feature (i » W*).— ll . Bettenhausen (240 yd 1, R. Mead (60yd) 2. E. Mu.-rav (140 yd 3. Time: 3:28.8. Warm-up Speedcar Handicap (six laps).—F. Murray (140 yd 1, R. Mead (60yd) 2, J McKlttertek (50yd) 3. Time: 2:4.2. Three-quarter Midget Racing Cars.—John Morris Challenge Scratch Race (six laps): D Jones 1, R. Burt 2, A. Palmer 3. Time: 2:11. Scratch race for S.I. championship points (eight laps): D. Jones 1 R. Burt 2. M. Chandler 3. Time: 3:20.5. Pro gress points: Jones 21. Burt 13 D. Richens 10. STOCK RODS Supermodifled Stock Rods.— Opening handicap (six laps). R. Dunn (30yd) 1. W. Rushbridge (100 yd 2, D. Smith (130 yd 3. Time: 2:16.2. Stan Wheatley scratch race for S.I. championship points (eight laps): D. Smith I D. Cameron 2, W. Rushbridge 3. Time: 2.49.2. Progress point: P. Annan 19, Cameron 18,

. , MOTOR-CYCLES Solo Motor-cycle Handicap Events (four laps).—First race: Wright (150 yd 1, R. Clarkson (60yu) 2, D. Rankin (60yd) 3. Time: 86.8. Second race: G. Ray (90yd) 1, A. Brown (140 yd 2. B. Kiernan (go) 3. Time: 87.1. Third race: B. Kiernan (20yd) I, R. Hall (20yd) 2, G. Jemmett (70yd) 3. Time: 00.0. Fourth race (A grade): A. Brown (50yd) 1, R. Wright (50yd) 2. T. Black (30yd) 3. Time: 82.8. Fifth race: A. Brown (150 yd I, G. Rav (100 yd 2, K. Young (10yd) 3. Timo: 89.5. Sixth race: I Crozier (70yd) 1, G. Jemmett (20yd) 2, G. Ray (70yd) 3. Time: 89.2. Novice Solo Events (four laps). —Opening handicap: S. Foster (30yd) 1, M. Every (40yd) 2, D. Sincock (30yd) 3. Time: 89.2. Second handicap (three laps). D. Sincock (30yd) 1, S. Foster (50yd) 2, D. Eade (go) 3. Time: 68.0, Solo Scratch Race (four laps). —R. Wright 1 A. Brown 2, T. Black 3. Time: 80.0. Side-cars Scratch Race (four laps).—W. Philp and D. Wylie 1. L. Dwight senior and S. Unwin 2, I. Begbie and G. Freeman 3 Time: 88.9. Handicap race (foul laps): Dwight senior and Unwin (100 yd 1, Philp and Wylie (150 yd 2, Begbie and Freeman (90yd) 3. Time: 95.0