Rally Cars At Fox Glacier

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31198, 24 October 1966, Page 3

Rally Cars At Fox Glacier

(From Our Own Reporter) FOX GLACIER. Oct. 23, The 34 Christchurch starters in the roundthe - South - Island Alpine Rally arrived at Fox Glacier this evening after two days and several hundred miles of hard motoring. The end of the event is still two days away.

There have been no retirements from the Christchurch starters, mainly because of good work by several garages at different parts of the route. One car had petrol tank trouble and later a fault in the rear axle: another had steering trouble: and an official car was bogged in a ford. The woman crew sponsored by “The Press,” Miss B. A. Armstrong and Mrs C. M. Gregory, was delayed nearly four hours at Waiau on Saturday when the cylinder-head gasket on their Anglia GT failed: a spare was brought from Christchurch by a friend. Saturday’s run started with time trials at the Ruapuna Park racing circuit, then the

care travelled to Nelson. There were five sections during the day, some involving navigation by map-read-ing. and many cars became lost. Most were late arriving at Nelson, where the last car arrived at midnight. The same day Dunedin and Invercargill starters travelled to Christchurch. One, J. Keen, had bearing failure in his Vanguard, but a Timaru garage, working through the lunch-hour, replaced the main bearings in half an hour. Today the Christchurch starters took part in driving tests at Nelson and then travelled to Fox Glacier, the day’s running being divided into four sections. Although it was hot and sunny on Saturday, intermittent rain fell today. The rally, however, was easier than on Saturday, and the field arrived at Fox Glacier about 9 p.m. Most of the running has been off main roads, and the field has encountered little traffic. Competitors have remarked on the friendliness and considerable local interest met wherever they have stopped. Today, while the Christchurch starters ‘ ravelled to Fox Glacier, those who

started from Dunedin and Invercargill travelled from Christchurch to Nelson, and it is believed they generally put up a poorer performance than did the Christchurch starters on the same section. Tomorrow the Christchurch starters will travel through the Haast Pass to Invercargill, driving from there to Christchurch and the finishing point on Tuesday. On Saturday Nelson and Blenheim starters went to Fox Glacier; today they continued through the Haast Pass to Invercargill. Results by Radi. Progress results are being sent to Christchurch by amateur radio stations in co-operation with the Christchurch section of the Amateur Radio Emergency Corps. This evening progress results put R. Rolfe (Auckland. Humber) in the lead, but he has completed only the two easiest sections of the rally. As other competitors have these yet to come, a change is quite possible.

There are 75 competitors in the 1800-mile rally, which is restricted to crews of two. The prize list includes "The Press” challenge trophy and numerous cash prizes. The event is being run by the Rallies and Trials Enthusiasts’ Club with the cooperation and assistance of Shell (N.Z.) Ltd.. Dunlop (N.Z.) Ltd., and the South Island Publicity Association.