DROVE LIKE A MADMAN

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 745, 19 August 1929, Page 6

DROVE LIKE A MADMAN

LAUGHING DARE-DEVIL WINS EPIC RACE INTERNATIONAL TROPHY (United P.A. — By Telegraph Copyright) (Australian and X.Z. Press Association) (United Servicei LONDON. Sunday. Carriciola (Mercedes-Benz) . . . . -1 a monster Mercedes-Benz racer, staggered the motoring world with his performance in the Royal Automobile Club's international tourist trophy race at Belfast. The race resulted: Carraciola (Mercedes-Benz) . . . . 1 Zaupari (Alfa-Romeo) *- Fraser Nash (Austin) The race is described as an epic. Carriciola dashed ahead from the start like a thunderbolt. He drove like a madman, took risks and made the crowd sick with fear. He went ahead by laps in a few minutes. Mrs. Carriciola cheeerd her husband and timed him as accurately as the experts. MAN FATALLY INJURED Near the end of the race one car ran into a breakdown gang and one man died in hospital. Five others were seriously injured. There were many driving accidents, but it was amazing that nobody else waa seriously hurt. Kidston, in a Bentley, crashed, but ho and his mechanic were not hurt. Higgins (Britain) dashed into the Town Hall at Newton Hards at a speed of 70 miles an hour, but escaped inA* groan went up when Kaye Don had to retire owing to engine trouble. Rubin, another English competitor, overturned, and his car had to be raised to extricate him. He shouted: “I am not hurt,” and then helped to clear the debris. Another car caught fire, and before long 20 starters had retired owing to disastrous skids, but Carriciola dashed on as though he bore a charmed life. WINNER'S AMAZING SKILL Camprai pays a tribute to the winner’s amazing skill and the manner in which the winning car stood up to the gruelling of the 400-mile course. The leading average speeds were: Carriciola, 72.8 miles an hour; Camprai, 67.5; Nash, 59.6; Holbrook (who was fourth, also driving an Austin), 59.5. DEATH-TRAPS CfF COURSE The course was treacherous. The distance was 410 miles, so that the competitors had to make 30 laps of one of the most difficult courses in the world. There were hair-pin corners in abundance, but also long straights on which the large cars could go at full speed. Heavy rain had turned the deadly curved and hair-pin bends into death-traps. The great joke of the race was the share taken by Baby Austins, which were given such handsome starts that the racing experts of six nations had to risk their necks and their reputations to catch them. At least 500,000 people witnessed the race, in which there w'ere 65 competitors from six nations. A downpour of rain on the previous day threatened to spoil the prospects, but the roads were in such a perfect state that in a few hours the surface was restored. Many of the spectators camped all night at vantage points on the circuit of 13£ miles.