READY FOR VENTURE

Evening Star, Issue 20989, 31 December 1931, Page 8

READY FOR VENTURE

LAND SPEED RECORD “ WIZARD " SMITH'S CAR TO BE SKIPPED SATURDAY FRICTION RUMOURS DENIED [Special to the ‘ Star,’] AUCKLAND, December 30. With “ Wizard ” Smith’s car ready for tho attempt on the laud speed record at Ninety Mile Beach a report has been published in Sydney that official permission for the trial had been withheld, that there lias been friction in the Smith party and that another designer has been approached, and that Mr Don Harknoss may not go to tho beach. This has been officially denied by Mr Smith and his manager, Mr J. H. M’ostyn. “ There has been no friction and no misunderstanding between myself, Air Mostyn, tho Auckland Automobile Association, and the Auckland Automobile Racing Club,” said Mr Smith. “ The car is under my sole control, and will definitely be shipped to Awanni on Saturday. I will have the car run in the condition I want it, and nobody will interfere. The A.A.A. have helped me in every way possible, and they agree with all my views about tho car. No outside _ designer is to be brought into the picture.” An absolute denial that permission to hold .the race had been withhold was also given by Air Afostyn. “ The car will lie shipped on Saturday, and we will leave either on Saturday or Sunday,” he said. “ Trials will ho hold as arranged, early in tho new year.” Both Air A. Grayson, president of the A.A.A., and Air H. J. Butcher, chairman of the Auckland Automobile Racing Chib, deny that there is any friction between those bodies and Smith’s party, and they endorse Smith’s statement entirely. Air Harkness, the designer and builder of the car, said he was not prepared to make a statement of any kind at tho moment.