Templeton records fall to visiting driver

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32788, 13 December 1971, Page 14

Templeton records fall to visiting driver

New Zealand's leading Inter* national midget car driver, B. Butterworth (Offenhauser), left no doubt why he is held in such great esteem overseas after shattering the one*lap and eight-lap records for his class at the Templeton Speed* way on Saturday night. In his last outing of the evening he led the field home in the Wynns Challenge Trophy event in 2min 37.25ec to slice I.Bsec off the record jointly held by E. Murray and R. T. Hall. On the way to victory he twice beat the lap record of 19;2sec, held by Hall, finally leaving it at 19sec. This was a tremenddus performance on an unfamiliar track. And yet the dard-haired former Aucklander, who now lives permanently in Australia, achieved this level with such nonchalant ease that it will be surprising indeed if the records do not trumble again before he leaves Christchurch. Butterworth has agreed to stay on next Saturday and pit his skill against the visting American driver, G. Petterson, in what promises to be a spirited j clash. Petterson is the CaliI fornian supermodified rod champion and was runner-up in ,the last Californian midget car i championship. A superb showman as well as >a brilliant driver, Butterworth claimed to be behaving himself on Saturday night but he still i managed to give some indicaItion of the reasons for his nicki names, “Buttercrunch” and “Bad ■Boy Barry.’* He was tailing the South Island champion, J. McKitterick (VB-60), in the Rothmans eight-lap feature race when he decided to give the Christchurch driver a playful nudge in the rear. Black-flagged This left McKitterick spinning helplessly in the middle of the track and Butterworth with no ' challenger and the chequered flag in sight. However, in spite of this sustantial contribution ' towards brightening up the proceedings, Butterworth was given the black flag by the Speedway Control Board steward (Mr R. O. Lang) and excluded from all placings. Victory was given instead to ’ McKitterick, who had recovered magnificently from the spin, ; after wasting a second or two waving his fist in the air, and finished second. Butterworth’s ‘ action also cost him the lap record for he completed his last lap in 19.1 sec. However, he made sure of this in the Wynns ; Challenge Trpphy event.

In this event, M. Burt (Holden) drove one of the finest races of his career to hold off Butterworth for seven laps. With Butterworth right on his tail, he raced around the track faster than he had done before and although overtaken on the last lap he finished only a split second behind his rival in a time which would have also broken the old record. Butterworth was clearly driving well within

himself throughout the race, but this could not detract from a fine effort on Burt’s part. The night was also notable for the first appearance of the season of the former New Zealand champion, E. A. Murray. He had earlier announced his retirement. Surprisingly missing from the fray was the multiple - South Island champion, R. T. i Hall. Wright wins The former New Zealand test rider, R. Wright, showed that ; his fine win in the flying four motor-cycle scratch event the ’ previous Saturday had been no isolated effort with a string of outstanding rides. This time he won both the main scratch races, leaving the reigning New Zealand champion, F. Shuter, and G. Stapleton to fight out the minor placings. In the super six scratch race Wright won easily in 82sec, the fastest time of the night. However, the main interest in this race was in the tremendous struggle between. Shuter and Stapleton. These two constantely changed positions before Stapleton pulled off the pole-line on the final bend to beat his rival by inches. The flying four was not quite such a spectacle. Wright again led all the way, this time with ' Stapleton constantly challenging. ' However, Wright left no gaps 1 and Stapleton again had to be 1 content with second place. Shuter was third. ■ The New Zealand super modified rod champion, P. Annan, lowered his 10-lap track record : once again, this time by half a second. His record for the distance now stands at 3min 25.25ec. Annan later won the South Island championship points race in commanding fashion. W. Philp and B. Mulqueen, the South Island side-car champions ( last season, made their first competitive appearance of the season but their activities were restricted by having to race behind the field. The feature scratch race was won by L. ' Dwight sen., and S. Unwin in the good time of 85.2 sec. Results were: MOTOR-CYCLES Novice solo events (4 laps).— First, handicap: R. Dunley (10yd) 1, G. Morgan (go) 2, B. Doidge (10yd> 3. Time: 90.5. Second handicap: J. Smallbon (20yd) 1, G. Morgan (go) 2, Time: 92.6. Solo B grade handicap events (4 laps).—First race: G. Stewart (40yd) 1, G. Jemmett (50yd) 2, L. Russell (10yd) 3. Time: 86.0. Second race: R. Dunley (30yd) 1, M. Johns (go) 2, W. Irvine (40yd) 3. Time: 89.0. Third race: D. Sin- , cock (70yd) 1, L. Ross (50yd) 2, G. Rhodes (20yd) 3. Time: 87.0. 1 Fourth race: Rhodes (20yd) 1, 1 Ross (50yd) 2, M. Brown (go) 3. i Time: 90.2. Fifth race: P. Few- J ings (10yd) 1, G. Rhodes (20yd) , 2, B. Turner (30yd) 3. Time: 89.6. 1 Sixth race: Sincock (70yd) 1, « Turner (40yd) 2, Russell (20yd) 3. . Time: 87.0. ’

Solo A grade handicap events

t (4 laps).—First race; F. Shuter i (80yd) 1, R. Wright (80yd > 2, L. Ross (go) 3. Time: 84.0. Second s race: S. Foster (30yd) 1, T. Black i (60yd) 2, G. Stapleton (80yd) 3. ■ Time: 85.0. Third race: Black 1, R. Heardman 2, E. Bryan 3. i Time: 85.8. Fourth race: Wright (80yd) 1, S. Foster (30yd) 2, R. 1 McKinlay (10yd) 3. Time: 84.6. Solo scratch events (4 laps).— A grade: R. Heardman 1, B. Valentine 2, E. Bryan 3. Time: 85.2. Super six: R. Wright 1, G. ; Stapleton 2, F. Shuter 3. Time: 82.0. Flying four: Wright 1, Stapleton 2, Shuter 3. Time: 82.5. Side-car events (4 laps).—Opening handicap: L. Dwight jun. and G. Pullen (100 yd 1, N. Hill and B. Lynch (60yd) 2, L. Dwight sen. and S. Unwin (140 yd 3. Time: 90.0. Rex Russell Wrecking Company scratch: Dwight sen. and Unwin 1, Dwight jun. and Pullen 2, B. Kiernan and Lynch 3. Time: 85.2. MIDGET CARS Midget racing cars.—lnvitation scratch (8 laps): B. Butterworth 1 1, J. McKitterick 2, R. Clive 3. ‘ Time: 2:40.3. Open handicap (8 . laps): Butterworth (200 yd 1, L. ! Millar (go) 2, McKitterick (100 yd • 3. Time: 2:44.8. Rothmans fea- I ture scratch (8 laps): McKitterick 1. M. Burt 2. G. Roxburgh • Time: 2:46.6. Wynn’s Challenge ; Trophy (8 laps): Butterworth 1, | Burt 2, McKitterick 3. Time: . 2:37.2 (record). Three-quarter midget racing | cars.—Opening handicap (6 laps): ; K. Stephens (90yd) 1, A'. Palmer ■ (90yd) 2, D. Jones (100 yd 3. Time: < 2:5. Crowes Garage feature (6 : laps): D. Harper 1, D. Jones 2, ; R. Burt 3. Time: 2:7. John Morris Car Sales challenge scratch (6 r laps): A. Palmer 1, Burt 2, Jones . 3. Time: 2:5.2. SUPER MODIFIED Super modified rod events.— Opening handicap (8 laps): M. ' Allan (go) 1, B. Tulett (go) 2, H. Pierson (100 yd 3. Time: 2:52.6. Ferry Road Service Station ture (10 laps): P. Annan 1, Tulett 2, Pierson 3. Time: 3:52.2 (record). South Island championship points race (10 laps): Annan 1, H. Pierson 2, J. Grimwood 3. Time: 3:26.8.