HILL-CLIMBING CONTEST.

Otago Witness, Issue 3756, 9 March 1926, Page 75

HILL-CLIMBING CONTEST.

WON BY BEARDMORE. Bethune’s Gully road presenteu an ani mated scene on the evening *of March 1, when the Motor Car Championship Speed Cup was run off. At the bottom of the hill hundreds of cars were lined up, whilst their . passengers and drivers occupied various points all along the line of the road. Considering the state of the weather for jie past few days, the surface was excel lent, the only doubtful piece being a stretch of about 100 yards just above the first corner. This, however, did not lead to any trouble, and all the competitors negotiated it successfully. The organisa tion of the event was as nearly perfect as it is possible for the organisation of such an ev.nt to be and Mr J. L. Passmoic, in whose hands a’ a. anger. ntr> were left, is*/ to be congratulated on his efforts. The electrL.il device for timing the corpetitors was an undoubted success, and stray pedestrians were kept clear of the danger zone by a hard-working and eminert patrol of 13 members of Tie Otago Motor Club. The times were considerably ver than those of last year, but some ex .ellent driving was seen, The big Sunbeam, of which great things were expected, failed to “rev ” as she should ha e done: .nd on the second run did not apoonr to be. firing evenly. Shiel’s Jewett got a good climb at the lirst attempt, and should have improved in the second, but unfortunately a bad skid at the third corner, from which he made a magnificent recovery, lost him a second or two.

Perhaps the most attractive exhibition of the day was Campbell's climb on the Beardmore, and his cornering, especially at the difficult, fourth corner, was a pretty of driving. He was unlucky enough to have the ball and> socket joint of bis throttle control come adrift in his second run, but this did not permit his first time (lmin 45sec) from standing unbeaten. Irving’s Bugatti dia not show to advantage in the first try, but it streaked up the hill in fine style in the next, only to crash near the top. Fortunately no one was injured. The following are the results: — A. Campbell’s 12.8 Standard Sports Beardmore; first run, lmin 45sec .. 1 C. and W. Shiel’s 25 h.p. Jewett; first run, lmin 47sec; second run, lmin 45 l-ssec .. .. ~ .. .. 2 A. Irving’s 10 h.p. Bugatti, lmin 46 2-ssec .. ~ 3 M. G. Wells’s 80 h.p. Sunbeam; first run, lmin 47 il-Ssec; second run, lmin 47 l-ssec « 4