THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1930. BAD LUCK.
Robbed of Record in Last Minute.
CRASH ON A BEND.
Verneuk Pan, Aug. 6. Cruel tuck robbed Gerry Bouwer the last of a world's record at minute here to-day,
He had covered 1,728 miles at an average speed of 76.45 miles an hour, and the world's 24-hour re- coril for cars of the "C" Claas was within his grasp, when he skidded on a bend.
His De Soto Eight Crashed into flagpole marking the course and the radiator was so badly pierced that he was obliged to give up the attempt.
He had been driving for 22 hours 5 minutes; and another four laps covered in less than 1 hour 25 minutes would have given him the record.
Kaye Don and E. A. D. Eldridge, who averaged 72.8 miles an hour present at Monthlery. are holders.
the
High Speeds. Bouwer started on his attempt The at 5.50 p.m. yesterday. weather was perfect and the holi- tatora from the surrounding dis- day had drawn scores of specta
tricts..
THE CHINA MAIL.
returned to Cape Town from Ver- neuk Pan by air, in a fight of three and a half hours.)
At Verneuk Pan on Tuesday, after driving his De Soto Eight 18 for 22 hours 35 minutes seconds, and covering 1,723 miles at an average speed of 76.45 miles an hour, and with only four 'laps record to be secured by a South to go, he was robbed of the world's 24-hour record for cars of the "C" African.
"Bluebird, Junior," as Bouwer's class by askid on a bend, which
nicknamed, De Soto Eight, was
Tuesday seems to be experiencing the tradi-caused his car to crash late a flag-
"At three o'clock on tional bad luck that belongs to its pole, damaging the radiator. famous big brother.. Its perform morning," he said, "I had a ter- ance, howfver, is extraordinary rifle ukid. The moon had just set, and the average speed maintained and in taking the bend at over 80 over nearly 23 hours is more than three miles per hour faster than les an hour I got off the track, careered round five times over a the International Class "C" record and when I tried to get back the car distance of 200 yards and finally It was held by Kaye Don.
ended aniong the tents.
a busy Verneuk Pan presented scene yesterday and to-day, while Douwer, was rolling out the miles. A cafe-de-move-on" dispensed meals, gramophones disturbed the usual solitude of the Pan, and it was all very much like last year, bad luck included.
spec-
"The actual skid which cost me the record I attribute to tiredness, was beginning to tell, and in taking the eastern loop as the strain coming off the straight at nearly 90 miles an hour I failed to cor- rect a kid in time, and the car careered off, finally striking a flagpole.
rather alarming for the spectators.
His high speed was all the more noteworthy in view of the fact that the track included two very sharp loops which could only be taken at speed by broadsiding the car. The crowd of several hun-1 to everyone. dreds enjoyed the thrilling completely round when taking the tacle of the car, often skidding corners. This was a terrific atrain on the tyres, but Bouwer was con- fident that they would stand up to the terrible treatment, he not even carrying a spare.
The R.A.C. officials are return- ing to Cape Town, and Verneuk Pan will to-morrow be as barren once as before. Reuter.
For the first 12 hours of dark
he averaged 76 miles an ness hour; but during the day his speeds improved and he actually covered one lap at 81.33 miles an hour. The spectators were treat- ed to some hair-raising exhibitions, of skidding and more than his car turned completely round.
At 2.30 p.m. Bouwer had cover-:
an average 1,550.61 miles at speed of 76.97 miles an hour. It was an even greater test of on- durance for the driver than for the car, for Bouwer drove all the time.
have Though the strain must been beginning to tell on him, he hour was averaging 80 miles an shortly before the crash. The ex- he neared the citement grew as 1,700 miles mark and the crowd cheered him heartily each time the De Soto came round.
Tuen, when victory was than 100 miles away, came erash at one of the bends.
less
the
Record "In His Pocket." Bouwer had the record in his pocket" when the accident occur- red. He had only four more laps to cover to annex the first. world'
Previous Attempt. Bouwer made a previous attempt on the record on July 22 at Ver- neuk Pan. On that day, at 12.31 p.m., he drove his De Soto Eight over the starting line and carried on for 13 hours, averaging 74 miles
He was then ал hour. obliged to give up at two o'clock in the morning-in consequence of a broken contact point in the dis- tributor. Up to this point the car had been running well and lapping at a steady 77,
It
was inter announced that, owing to unfavourable weather, the altempt would be postponed for about a week.
"A Great Disappointment.". "It was a great disappointment Excitement had be-
cried over it. Mr. Mortier, of Englebert Tyres, has prepared a come so great that women actually
champagne dinner in anticipation of my capturing the record, but instead people fed in their tents and the champagne bottles were not opened.
"But we refuse to admit defent," declared Bouwer. "This car has proved it is easily capable of tak- ing the record, and we feel it is just a matter of getting over this spell of bad luck. We have every intention of capturing the record with this car.
"Campbell's track st d up mar- vellously to the punis.ment. At the end of my test the car was nc- tually moving faster than at the beginning, but the track remain- ed hard and even improved with use.
I am more firmly convinced than ever that Verneuk Pan will for the whole world. It has every become the centre of motor racing advantage if used during the win- ter season, from. May to Septem- ber, when no rain is to be expect ed and there is little or no wind. "I think Kaye Don and Campbell "Failure Due to Tiredness."
Capetown, August 7. would he foolish to look elsewhere, "attribute my failure to tired-as Daytona Beach has clearly been discredited by Don's recent abor tive attempts. ness." Gerry Bouwer told a repre- sentative of the Capé Times. (He
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OUTBOARD MOTORS-Rudolf Wolff & Kew, 54 Queen's Road
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MORRIS.-Hongkong Hotel Garage, Queen's Road. Tel. 24759.
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FISK TYRES.—Gilman & Co., Ltd. is, Des Voeux Rd. . TeL A 28011,
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Track Actually Better.
north-west "Everyone in the Cape is keenly Interested in the future of Verneuk Pan. and I have very little doubt that, if either Don or Campbell elected to come out here, the money could easily be raised in the local districts to re-condition the track. Campbell's track is to-day actually better than when he used it, and £1,000 spent judiciously would bring it back in- to perfect trim."
Bouwer said he felt almost ex- hausted at the end of the attempt. The worst hours were from 4 am until just after dawn. He, had a trying time on Tuesday morning. when he had to speed straight into the rising sun at 80 miles an hour, with the result that he several times ran right off the track.
Buich
THE
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to travel so fast, and yet pull up so quickly and gently."
a
25-year
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THE new Buick is characteristically Buick in all those qualities which have contributed so materially to Buick leadership for a quarter of a century.
Buick has won public confidence on the sheer merit of its products year after year. Thousands of motor, car buyers buy Buicks without even asking for a demonstration.
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The
11
BUICK 8
THE DRAGON MOTOR CAR CO., LTD.
Telephone 30228.
33, WONG NEI CHUNG ROAD, HAPPY VALLEY.-
ALL-THE-YEAR.
93.7 Per Cent. of Cars
Have No-Rest.
The percentage of private motor- cars which are used all the year round has now reached the figure of 98.7, accord.ng to statistics issued by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.
These vehicles have an estimated average mileage of 6,500 per year, and an average consumption of a gallon of fuel for every twenty miles,
Figures for 1929 showed that the of all-the-year-round percentage private vehicles was 93.65, with an average mileage of 6,000.
Boom in Tyres. Commercial goods vehicles show Bouwer claimed that the per- formance of his car" demonstrated an average mileage of 14,000 per Of the total number regis- that the eight-cylinder engine was year. basically the soundest. He gave tered, more than 99 per cent are the highest praise to the Englebert in use during the whole year.
Hackney vehicles fall behind the tyres-they had not once to be
terrible private motor-car-Approximately changed, punishment they received, especi- 93.3 per cent, may be said to be in ally.In taking bends at speed-and use throughout the twelve months.
the despite
to the Pegasus petrol and Mobiloll
lubricant. The engine functioned
80
perfectly that not even the
plugs had to be changed.
Stops for petrof all and water totalled 27 minutes. There were
The number of outer covers and solid tyres produced in the United Kingdom during the last a remarkable six years shows increase.
In 1924, approximately 1,927,100
no involuntary stops, and the aver- tyres and outer covers were pro- age speed for running time, ex-duced. Four years later the num- cluding stops, was 78.08 miles per ber had risen to 4,800,000. hour, which is nearly six miles an hour above the world's record.
[Gargoyle Mobiloil was used during the trip.]
"TWO-WAY" ROADS.
The
roads
of mileage England, Wales and Scotland has increased by 5,632 miles between 1909 and 1929. England and Wales 'account for 3,169 miles, and Scotland for 2,478 miles of the new highways.
The final decision on the question of the speed limit is that it is to go, and go it will for private cars and motor-cycles when the Road Traffic the selfish Individual overhanging Blil becomes law-but not until the second car in the line invariably holds his position, as often as not then.
entirely misjudging the space he is allowing to the car approaching.
Personally, writes "Contact" in The Motor, I have always been in
I am convinced that something favour of this reform, but I wish It had been finally decided at a time drastic will have to be done in this when there was less evidence of matter, and In the making of new roads it will have to be considered dangerous driving than there is at present. The appalling lack of road whether a definite division of the sense. and the evidence of gross roads should be made. My view is discourtesy is nowhere more appar- that ft should be done....? ent than in the tendency to three Uning..
I notice that something in this At times in the day when the line has been achieved in a part of a new road which has been laid down outboard traffic (or vice versa) pre recently between Mortlake and dominates, the case of the unfortun Richmond. Here there is a section ato driver who has to face it is trulyf the road separated for up and down traffic and divided in the appalling. The driver making the third of the approaching line is middle by a kerbed path the generally-partly overlapping the one attempting to pass the one on the Crowding up into a third Ins inside. The unhappy driver who la chould be regarded as a distinctly. facing this oncoming sweeping mags dangerous practice and a form of Is between the devil in the form of selfish discourtesy to be punished a kerb (If there be one) and the severely. A relatively narrow read deep sea represented by a ditch like the Kingston by-pass is render- (equally, if there be one) because ed a positive nightmare by it..
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