OVERSEAS RACING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20902, 18 June 1931, Page 16

OVERSEAS RACING.

CONTEST AT BROOKLANDS.,

The annual Double-Twelve race at Brooklands, hold on May 8 and 9, is probably the most gruelling raco in the world and this year the track broke up under the strain, so that appalling stresses were imposed on chassis and bodywork of tho competing cars. The handicap was such that weeks before the race a win by a 750 c.c. unsupercliarged car was regarded as a "suro thing." The larger cars "would havo had to travel at almost impossible speeds to hold their own. To quote a specific example, Sir Henry Birkin's Bentley would havo had to lap tho course at 105 in.p.h. to equal in performance D. Higgin's M.G. Midget! As a result, tho few large cars that started soon cracked up under tho strain and from the very first lap a "baby" win was assured. For a timo* interest was sustained by the fight between the Austin Sevens and tho M.G. Midgets, but presently it became obvious that tho former, after a long period of successful racing, ■had met more than their match. So, an hour or two after the start, the M.G.'s held all the leading places. Nobody could keep up with them and the race, as between individual cars, was no longer of any interest. Only the stern battle for tho team prize, hotly contested by the Austin, M.G., Talbot and Aston-Martin teams, went on for tho whole of the 24 hours' racing. Finally tho Earl of March's team of M.G. Midgets had a welldeserved win.

Many Mechanical Failures. " Although thero was very little transmission trouble, many engines suffered from broken valves, valve-springs, pistons and bearings. The tyros and springs stood up well, but shock-absorbers betrayed weaknesses. There were four non-starters. Lord Howe, who was to have driven a Mer-cedos-Bouy., was ill on the day of the race and could not compete, while Mascrati, to be driven by 1' ronteras and Outlaw, was found to havo a broken timing chain wheel just before the race. The other two were an Alfa-Ilomeo and one of the M.G. Midgets. Only two big cars were in the race, a Bentley and an Invicta, both of which cncountorod trouble. From the start the Midgets proved the leaders, the unsupercharged models lapping at 68 miles an hour. At the end of 12 hours the Earl of March and C. S. Staniland (M.G. Midget) were leading, with H. D. Parker and G. K. Cox second, R. Gibson and L. Fell third and N. Black and C. W. Fiennes fourth. Tho final results showed tho Earl of March and gtaniland first in their Midget, with similar cars second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh. T. Rose-Richat"ds and J. R. Cobb won class D with a Talbot, A C. Bertelli and J. Bezzanfc were first in class F with an Aston-Mdrtin, while A. F. Ashby and R. Pauling (Riley) took class G. ROADS IN THE NORTH. Last Monday tho northern patrol of the Auckland Automobile Association commenced a tour of North Auckland for tho purpose of testing headlights and to report on tho state of the roads. Iho patrol reports that on tho north sido of tho Waiwera Bridge, it is necessary to exercise care, as the contractors are still at work. The approach to the bridgo over • the Mangakahia River is now in a satisfactory condition. On the Warehino and Topuni sections of tho route from Auckland, care is necessary, but with two days' ft no weather thero should bo no difficulty at tho ford on tho road from Whangarei to Russell. Depth posts are to bo erected here by tho Auckland Automobile Association, and also at Hukerenui. It is intended to place one-car signs on two bridges between Whangarei and Portland, which have been tho scene of several accidents. SOUTHERN ROADING. Motorists who travel ihe main Auck-land-Wellington highway through the area controlled by the Rangitikei County Council will learn with pleasuro that tho council lias agreed to accept a loan of £IO,OOO from tho Main Highways Board for scaling the main road from Wangaehu to Bulls. The cost of scaling tho' 18 to 20 miles of the road will bo £40,000, of which £30,000 will bo found by tho Highways Board and £IO,OOO by the County Council. Tho sealing of this stretch of road is badly needed, and its completion will see a tar-sealed surface from Palmers ton North to Wangnnui, a distanco of about 55 miles. The Manawatu County Council has just completed a fivc-milo stretch of hot-mix sealing from Foxton to Himatangj, this being part of tho council's of surfacing main through highways. The road just surfaced has beon described as tho "bottleneck" of tho west coast, as practically all vehicular traffic from Wellington, en route to all parts of the North Island, with tho exception of the Wairarapa, traverses this section of the Manawatu County. Tho work has taken a long time to complete.

STRAYING CATTLE. The danger of straying animals on tlio roads at night has been exemplified recently by two fairly serious accidents near Auckland. It is obvious that in his own interests an owner does not wilfully allow cattle to stray, but greater caro is apparently necessary. A gate left carelessly securod may easily be pushed open by cattle, which are thon at liberty to roam along main roads, to the danger of all traffic. Motorists keep a good lookout at night for any obstruction, but do not expect to find animals straying on tlio roadway and may easily collide with some beast which lumbers from the roadside into the path of the oncoming vehicle. In such collisions the occupants of tho car run a grave risk of injury, whilo the car is frequently damaged and the beas N mutilated to such an extent that it has fce destroyed.