Racer drops car for clubs

Press, 17 September 1976, Page 24

Racer drops car for clubs

By

ROD DEW

Escalating costs, business interests and family commitments have prompted one of New Zealand’s leading midget car racing drivers, Laurie Millar, of Christchurch, to retire, Millar has sold his immaculate Datsun-powered racer to another prominent Christchurch driver, Gordon Rox-

burgh, and in future intends to restrict his sporting activity to playing golf. “It is much cheaper — and it is easier on the nerves.”

Now 43 and with a decade of speedway racing behind him, he will be remembered as one of a very select

group of top drivers who never won a major title. On several occasions, Millar has been among the favourites for victory in the South Island championship but in the final analysis — often through no fault of his own — he has had to be content with a minor placing. Last season he was leading on points after two heats of the South Island event and apparently heading for his first victory. But in the first turn of the final heat he

was bumped by rivals, his car spun out of control and stalled. He was finally credited with third.

The championship was later declared “no contest” after a protest meeting of drivers but in the re-run a week later Millar again finished third. A spin in the second heat destroyed his hopes. However, Millar is not at all frustrated about his lack of championship success. “I went out there to enjoy myself and only one guy can win. It was jiist one of those things.” Although he will always retain an interest in speedway racing, the popular Christchurch garage proprietor does not think he will “ever come back to it.” He cannot see the sense of spending $12,000 for the type of car needed to be fully competitive. Even to increase the performance of his own car, a new Sesco engine valued at more than $5OOO would be necessary.

Millar built and tuned his own car, which was a credit to him. But the Datsun engine was giving away a lot of capacity to its rivals. “I was using everything I had and I still wanted more.” If he won everything, he would win only $lOOO in a season. But it was not the cost

which forced Millar to call a halt. “I have been trying to run a business and a family — I am a solo parent — and I found that I could not do justice to all three.” Nevertheless, he has agreed to tune the Datsun racer for Roxburgh and will certainly be a spectator on the big midget car nights at Templeton.