Smashing opening at Woodford Glen

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33712, 9 December 1974, Page 17

Smashing opening at Woodford Glen

Woodford Glon, tho first liconsod stock-car track in tho South Island, opanod with a bang on Saturday night . . . and a crash, and numerous smashes, but that was as the promoters intended.

The facilities are impressive, considering the track was begun only three months ago, and there was a reasonably good turnout of lockl drivers. The fields are certain to get better as the season progresses. But although the announcer kept assuring the reasonably large crowd that the racing was exciting, it wasn’t. L. Leonard, the Timaru driver who has done se well in saloons on road-racing tracks, drove very well, but that didn't seem to be enough. He had a few misfortunes and did not manage a place. The time between the races dragged—the presentation was not as snappy as that at an ova! not a million miles from Templeton—and this aspect will have to be improved to make the

meetings more attractive. The action is there, though, and for a first night it went off very well. I think the stock-car racing will be the most popular spectacle, and within a few months a surprising number of people will be visiting Woodford Glen to see cars bashing each other all over the track. Results: Saloons.—Race one: T. Edens (Christchurch), Corolla Coupe, 1; A. Hudson, (Christchurch, Cougar, 2; P. Woods (Gore), Customline, 3. Race two: B. Railton (Invercargill), Falcon, 1; K. Baird (Christchurch), Escort, 2; D. Smith (Christchurch), Torana, 3. Race four: Smith, 1: Railton, 2; Woods, 3. Race five: Woods, 1; Smith. 2; G. Sprague (Timaru), Cortina Lotus, 3. Stocks (all drivers from Christchurch).—Race one: W. Wilding (Mini Valiant), 1; . Smith (Ford Chev.), 2; G. Tinkler (A3O- - 3. Race two: Wilding, 1; P. Silcock (Mlnor-Chev), 2; Smith, 3. Race three: M. Coutts (A3O--1; Wilding, 2; Smith, 3.