Stock Rod Demolishes 25ft Of Safety Fence

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30960, 17 January 1966, Page 14

Stock Rod Demolishes 25ft Of Safety Fence

More than 25 feet of the solid wooden safety fence was demolished and a further 40 feet extensively damaged when a VB-powered stock rod crashed at Templeton Speedway on Saturday evening. The driver of the car, N. Quirk, escaped wiith a severe shaking. The right front wheel of his stock rod was torn from its hub and the front of the car was badly damaged. The accident occurred during the first four-lap heat of the stock rod feature—a special event for cut-down stock cars. Coming ou of the south bend on the final lap, Quirk swung too wide and while attempting to return the car to the centre of the track he lost control. It hurtled at top speed into the fence, smashed a hole 20 feet long, bounced off the two safety cables protecting the crowd only a few feet away, scraped along the fence for 40 feet tearing holes as it went and finally crashed through the boards again before coming to rest facing the wrong way. The meeting was delayed for almost 15 minutes while officials towed away the wrecked car and repaired the fence. One of the most remarkable aspects of the meeting was the considerable hrnprovement in performance of T. Hall’s Holdenpowered speed car. The South Island champion demonstrated for the first time this season some of the ability, which won him his title. He out-accelerated R. Clive's model A-powered car at the start of the eight-lap scratch race—something he has been unable to do previously this season, and when Clive spun was able to win as he liked. His time of 2min 56.65ec was good although he was obviously only coasting over the final laps.

In the previous four-lap midget car handicap, three cars, driven by J. Tiekink, B. Shutt and the visting Auckland driver, W. Clarkson, were involved in a multiple collision on the start-finish line.

Shutt went into a spin. Tiekink, following closely, took violent evasive action but was unable to pass, hit Shutt’s car, smashed Into the safety fence and rolled twice. Clarkson, the third man out of the corner, also hit Shutt.

No-one was seriously Injured. However, Tiekink’s car was severely damaged and the front axle of Clarkson’s VB-60 was badly twisted. None of the cars raced again.

Results: Motor-Cycles Scratch Races (4 laps each).— Opening event: R. McKinley 1, C. G. Glasson 2. Time, 88.0. Second Event: R. Webster 1, I. Bagbie 2, M. Salt 3. Time, 91.4. Third event: I. Mauger 1, A. Brown 2, G. Ray 3. Time, 81.8. Fourth event: T. Mauger 1, M. Burt 2, W. Moulin 3. Time, 84.6. Fifth event: R. McKinley 1, L. Glasson 2, R. Webster 3. Time, 84.8. Sixth event: 1. Mauger 1, M. Burt 2, T. Mauger 3. Time, 81.7. Seventh event: W. Moulin 1, G. Ray 2. Time, 56.6.

Handicap Races (4 laps).— First event; T. Mauger (130yds) 1, A. Brown (130yds) 2, I. Mauger (200yds) 3. Time, 90.0. Second event: G. Ray (100yds) 1, W. Moulin (100yds) 2, A. Nesbitt (100yds) 3. Time, 90.3. MIDGET CARS

Full-size Midget Speedcars.— Opening handicap (4 laps): B. Shutt (30yds) 1. R. Clive (160yds) 2. J. Ticking (50yds) 3. Time, 95.0. Second handicap (4 laps): A. Bayard (20yds) 1, T. Hall (120yds) 2, R. Clive (160yds) 3. No time. Six-lap feature scratch: T. Hall 1, R. Clive 2, A. Bayard 3. Time, 2:56.6. Three-quarter Midget Racing Cars.—Opening handicap (4 laps): G. Raymond (50yds) 1, S. Burt (150yds) 2, R. Berry (120yds) 3. Time, 95.3. Second handicap (6 laps): D. Richens (150yds) 1, J. MeKitterick (130yds) 2, G. Raymond (50yds) 3. Time, 2:20.6. Six-lap feature scratch: D. Richens 1, D. Harper 2, G. Raymond 3. Time, 2:39. Final handicap (4) laps): D. Richens (50yds) 1, J. McKitterick (130yds) 2, B. Hopewell (50yds) 3. Time, 91.7. STOCK CARS

Stock Rod Feature.—First heat (4 laps): A. Davies (60yds) 1, D. Cameron (100yds) 2, W. Rusbridge (80yds) 3. Time, 1:42.5. Second heat (4 laps): H. Pierson (80yds) 1, J. Annan (70yds) 2, A, Welbeloved (go) 3. Time, 1:41. Final (8 laps): W. Rusbridge 1, D. Cameron 2, H. Pierson 3. Time, 3:16.