MOTOR CAR ACROBATICS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22911, 19 June 1936, Page 10

MOTOR CAR ACROBATICS

HELL DRIVERS PERFORM AT WELLINGTON The famous Hell Drivers (Captain Charles Miller and Air Joe Campbell) gave several thousand people at Kilbirnie Stadium, Wellington, the most thrilling exhibition of carobatics that has yet Ireoii seen in New Zealand. The practical objective behind the life-risk-ing feats performed was to show the quality and safety of the all-steel bodies fitted to Dodge motor cars. Two Dodge sedans were used in tbe demonstrations. Those motorists who attended went home with the realisation that, however capable they considered themselves at the wheel before seeing the Hell Drivers, there were many things they had to learn. '

The first exhibition was a high Jump consisting of a run up a ramp elevated at 25 degrees at 45 miles an hour and then, like a steeplechaser, clearing a

four feet brush fence and down with it resounding thump on the track. For motorists who find they arc going in the wrong direction and decide to change their minds slowly and the gears quietly the next feature —the back skid at 40 miles per hour —had most attraction. The cars were slewed completely around in their own length. The broad jump saw the cars take the ramps at 40 to 50 miles an hour, hurtle several feet in the air, and then meet the track with a crash sufficient to test the finest chassis and wheels. The brake test saw the cars take the ramp at 45 m.p.h., the drivers remove their hands from the wheels of their cars and apply the brakes to pull up, on a straight course, 30 yards on. Perfect steering

and balance were seen when the cars did the 30 and later 45 degrees tilt. The ramps were elevated to put the cars on these respective angles, when they approached side by side, the inner wheels of each car running on the ramp and the outer pair on the track. In the 45 degrees tilt one side of the cars took the | whole rolling load and absolute perfeci tion of control was required. Landing on the track one front wheel would take the first jar of the contact and then as the cars righted themselves, all four. A solid timber wall 35 feet high and constructed of heavy one-inch facing board was then set alight with petrol. When the flames were at their pitch Captain Miller hurtled through it with a terrific crash at 55 miles an hour. It

was a magnificent sight and a great feat of courage.

The'car roll-over was then performed by both drivers, Captain Miller doing two in immediate succession. A sand barrier was approached at 50 miles an hour, and the ears slewed sideways on the barrier so as to topple them over. One landed on its hack; the other times both cars did complete roll-overs. The drivers were unscathed and the cars drove off under their own power. Dodge stock models only were used.