Pit Stops

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31094, 24 June 1966, Page 9

Pit Stops

A Hillman Imp, raced in Australia by N. Beechey, has broken the 1100 c.c. sports car record at Calder Raceway, Victoria. The record was formerly held by a Lotus sports-racer. The size of the Imp’s engine has been increased from 875 c.c. to 998 c.c., and it produces 88 b.h.p., compared with the 42 b.h.p., of the standard engine. It is still usable on the road, and full race tune would produce about 105 b.h.p., Beechey says.

Two British constables, driving a two-year-old Cortina G.T., won the international police rally in Belgium recently. The Federation of British Police Motor Clubs team won the teams’ award. Teams from Belgium, France, Germany, Holland, and Sweden also competed. » » ♦

Eoin Young, formerly of Timaru, who has been personal assistant to Bruce McLaren since 1962, has become engaged to Sandra Bourne, of Ashtead, Surrey, who is John Surtees’ personal secretary. During his five years with McLaren the company has grown from two to 30, a works McLaren-Elva sports car team, and a full Formula One team of McLarens. On July 1 Young will leave the company to set up his own office in

London as a consultant to grand prix drivers for press work and public relations. Or Ik flr

A Ford Falcon driven by Sir John Whitmore, became the first saloon to lap at more than 100 m.p.h. around Britain’s Silverstone circuit recently. The new saloon lap record is 100.35 m.p.h. Hs # #

Only 15 cars finished at Le Mans, the three Fords being followed by four Porsches, a Ferrari, a Renault Alpine, another Ferrari, three more Alpines, another Porsche, and a Marcos. Dan Gurney (Ford) set the fastest lap of 143 m.p.h., which lowered the previous record by seven seconds. The index of performance award (performance related to engine size) went to a Porsche, with another Porsche second, and the index of thermal efficiency (based on fuel consumption) was won by a Renault Alpine, the Denis Hulme-K. Miles Ford being third equal in this category. The Ferraris won the 3000 to 5000 c.c. class, and Ford and Porsche took ail the places in the wer 5000 c.c. class and the 1600 to 2000 c.c. class respectively. * $ *

The Dublin dress designer. Rosemary Smith, who drives a works Hillman Imp in international rallies, has won the women’s prize and other awards in four international rallies in eight weeks: the Circuit of Ireland rally, the Scottish rally, the Shell rally in Canada, and the Greek Acropolis rally.