Manurewa Driver Ist In Waimate Race

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30978, 7 February 1966, Page 8

Manurewa Driver Ist In Waimate Race

The Manurewa driver, I. W. Dawson, in a 2.5 litre Brabham Climax, won the 36-lap Waimate 50 road race on Saturday. The 50.4-mile event was a runaway victory for Dawson, who finished within two lengths of lapping the second placegetter, D. Hollier, of Taihape, driving a 1.5 litre Lotus 208.

The race was run in brilliantly fine weather and a temperature of up to 87 degrees. The crowd was estimated to be bigger than last year, but no accurate figures were available.

After a good start the race was notable mainly for the way in which the cars spread out over several laps, some pulling into the pits for several laps with assorted complaints before rejoining the race.

It was here that the reliability of the nine-year-old Lycoming Special of J. Boyd, of Papatoetoe, paid off, and he finished a good third. The front row of the grid for the main race was J. Riley (Lotus, 2.5 litre), of Papatoetoe, Dawson, K. Sager (Repco Brabham 2.5 litre), of Auckland, and D. Hollier.

Sager Early Leader At the start Hollier shot into the lead, but the first time around Sager had taken first place with Hollier hard on his heels. Then came Dawson, K. Smith (Lotus 2.5) of Auckland, Riley, Boyd, G. Lawrence (Brabham 1.5) of Wanganui, R. W. Thackwell (Brabham 1.5) of Papakura, A. Rhodes (Lotus 1.5) of Christchurch, and P. C. Gillum (Cooper 1.5) of Christchurch). Sager was lapping 'in about 67.8 sec by the second lap, increasing his lead as Hodlier and Dawson started a furious battle for second place. On the fifth Dawson got past Hollier and then came Riley, Lawrence, Boyd, Thackwell, Smith, Rhodes and Gillum.

Later Gillium, Smith and Law’rence had to pull out at different times, rejoining the race several laps later.

By the eighth Sager was still leading, with Dawson, Riley, Hollier and Lawrence fairly close behind, Boyd being further back. On the tenth Sager began to slow, and on the eleventh he dropped to second place behind Dawson, with Hollier third. Lawrence was in and out of the pits with oil leaks. / Gap Widened

The gap between Dawson and Sager began to widen, and on the seventeenth lap Sager retired with a broken half-shaft. Riley had taken third place from Hollier, and on Sager’s retirement moved up to second place. From then on the interest started to go out of the race. Hollier and Riley continued to tussle, and Boyd was now fourth, with Thackwell, Rhodes, Smith and Gillum following.

By the twenty-second lap Dawson had a massive lead, while Hollier took second place when RHey dropped back. Dawson lapped Boyd, the fourth-placed car.

On the twenty-fifth lap Riley dropped back with gearbox trouble, and was never a threat again. Four laps later he retired. And so the race went on to the finish. At the fall! of the flag Dawson was almost two laps ahead of Hollier, who was a lap ahead of Boyd. Runaway For Boyd The first car event of the day was for sports cars and specials, and it was a runaway victory for J. Boyd in the Lycoming. B. Hawes, In the Tojeiro Jaguar, was second all the way and G. Smith (Heaiey-Corvette) was third. , By the third lap Boyd had big lead on Hawes and P. Ackeroyd (Heron) who was tussling furiously with Smith’s Heaiey-Corvette. Boyd steadily increased his lead while Hawes and Smith had a battle for second. Hawes managed to hold Smith off and D. Silcock (Jaguar XKI4O) finished fifth behind Ackeroyd. The first aM-comers saloon car race featured an exciting battle between P. Fahey (Lotus Anglia) and K. Grant (A4O Farina). By the third lap Fahey and Grant were fighting furiously for the lead, and after a gap came W. Coillins in his Fordengined Morris Minor (called the “Fo-Wog”) and then further back A. F. Moffatt in the .twolitre Olimax-engined Lotus Cortina. , J By the fifth the two leaders were still hard at it and Moffatt had moved up rapidly to press Collins hard. He continued to apply the pressure for about three laps before falling back several lengths. Simpson tried hard to regain his place but the competition was too strong. He finished fifth behind Moffatt, with A. D. Bell (Cortina GT) next. Mullins Triumphs The race for modified production saloons was a win for J. Mullins, of Christchurch, in his crisp little Mini Cooper S, which finished about 30 yards ahead of a similar car forcefully driven by A. Hyslop. But not forcefully enough to catch Mullins, who has now won the modified production saloon championship. The front row for the saloon final comprised p. Fahey, in his Lotus Angilia, K. Grant, in the A4O, W. Coillins, in the “Fomog,” and A. F. Moffatt, in the Cortina Climax. Fahey surged into the first corner ahead of the pack, and the first time around the order was Fahey, Collins, D. Simpson (Lotus Anglia), Grant, N. Doyle (Anglia Corvette), Moffatt, B. Innes (Mini S), Coppins (Zephyr Corvette), G. J. Baker (Anglia). D. Baker (Ford-Fiat), Marwood (Mustang), Radisich (Humber Jaguar), J. W. Armstrong (Jaguar) and M. J. McAllister (Mini Cooper). These last two fought furiously at the rear of the field throughout the race. On the second lap Fahey was timed at 98 m.p.h. on the front

straight—only four miles an hour slower than the fastest cars in the main race. But his engine was Mowing a lot of smoke, a hint of things to come. Opened Up Lead By the third the first six— Fahey, Simpson, Doyle, Collins, Grant and Moffatt—had opened a lead on the rest of the field, and Grant was strongly challenging CoUlins. He took him the next lap. By. the sixth Fahey was about three seconds ahead of Simpson, and then on the next lap Grant dropped out with clutch trouble. This put Collins in fourth and Moffatt fifth.

On the seventh Fahey was taken by Simpson, and then his piston rings finally gave up the ghost completely. He cruised to the pits, leaving the first four Simpson, Doyle, Collins and Moffatt, with Coppins, Marwood and Radliisch next. Then on the last lap Moffatt dropped out with ignition trouble and lost a certain fourth place. Results:—

W>aimate 50 championship road race, 36 laps, 50.4 miles: I. W. Dawson (Repco Brabham 2.5 litre), Manurewa, 1: D. Hollier (Lotus 208 1.5 litre), Taihape, 2; J. Boyd (Lycoming Special), Ptapatoetoe, 3; R. W. Thackwell (Brabham 1.5 litre), Papakura, 4; A. Rhodes (Lotus 1.5 litre), Christchurch, 5. Fastest lap: Dawson, 1:07.2 (new record).

South Canterbury motor-cycle grand prix (10 laps): lightweight section, G. Molloy (Bultaco), Huntly), 1; K. McCleary (Greeves), Christchurch, 2. Junior section, D. G. Ramuano (A.J.S.), Christchurch, 1: R. J. Hubbard (8.5. A. Ellesmere, 2. Senior section, T. McCleary (Norton), Christchurch, 1; N. F. Brown (Manx Norton), 2. Open section, I. G. Begbie (Triumph), Ashburton, 1; B. Mitchell (Triumph), Invercargill, 2. Sprague Motors,, Ltd. sports car race (10 laps): J. Boyd (Lycoming), 1; B. Hawes (Tojeiro Jaguar), Timaru, 2; G. Smith (Healey Corvette), Christchurch, 3. Fastest lap: Boyd, 1:12.0.

Waimate publicans,’ siaioon car race (10 laps): P. Fahey (Lotus Anglia), Manurewa, 1; K. Grant (A4O Farina), Lower Hutt, 2; W. Collins (Fowog), Christchurch, 3. Fastest lap: D. Simpson, 1:14.0 (record).

New Zealand specials and racing cars (10): G. Smith (Healey Corvette), 1; B. Hawes (Tojeiro Jaguar), 2; D. Bruton (Begg Special), Invercargill, 3.

DR Filter saloon car race (10): J. Mullins (Mini Cooper S), Christchurch, 1; A. Hysiop (Mini Cooper S), Havelock, 2; B. Innes (Mini Cooper S), Morrins Ville, 3. Fastest lap: Hyslop, 1:17.8. Waimate open motor-cycle grand prix (10): T. McCleary (Norton), Christchurch, 1; K. McCleary (Greeves), Christchurch, 2; G. Molloy (Bultaco), 3. Liillybank saloon car grand finial (10): D. Simpson (Lotus, Anglia), Auckland, 1; N. Doyle (Anglia Corvette), Ashburton, 2; W. Col'linis (Fowog), 3.