SPRAGUE’S FALCON WINS

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32425, 12 October 1970, Page 26

SPRAGUE’S FALCON WINS

(N.Z. Press Association)

INVERCARGILL. E. Sprague (Timaru) had his Ford Falcon G.T.H.O. slowed with a deflating tyre on the last lap, but still managed to hold off B. Crosbie’s Pontiac Firebird, to win the first race of the Rothman’s standard production saloon car series, at Teretonga Park, yesterday.

Sprague led Crosbie (Invercargill) and fellow-Timaru driver, L. Leonard, for the whole 30 minutes, except for a length of the straight halfway through the race when Crosbie slipped through, only to be passed under braking. Leonard, driving the Valiant VIP which won this year’s Benson and Hedges 500, was third after losing about five places in a spin on the hairpin of lap 16. Sprague drove 35.2 miles at an average speed of just under 71 m.p.h. The race was the first of a $3200 threerace series at Teretonga, Ruapuna (Christchurch), and Timaru.

Crosbie tried hard to pass Sprague on the last lap, but

the 5.7 litre Firebird couldn’t match the Falcon’s straightline power. Crosbie had better handling through the twisting back of the circuit, but could not get by, Sprague using his experience. The Falcon had a definite power advantage in the drag along the straight, but Crosbie kept close, and at the end of the race, there was only a length of the grid separating them. The surprises of the race were the showing of the Holden Torana GTR, which finished fifth behind the big VBs, and the demise of the speedy Fiat 125 s which, in other races, have done well. The Greymouth driver, J. Kennedy, spun on the elbow before finishing fourth in the V 8 Falcon G.T. The Toyota Corolla drivers, P. de Lore (Christchurch) and R. Seilens (Wellington) went well for fourteenth and fifteenth places over all. Nineteen cars lined up on the grid. Results:-** Mollers Motors Saloon Car Race (Six laps).—B. Crosbie (Invercargill), Ford Escort T.C., 1; M. Kelman (Invercargill), Morenia, 2; G. Simmers (Invercargill), Austin Mini, 3. Sports and Racing Car Race (six laps).—D. Morrison (Ryal Bush), Cooper-Ford, 1; A. Smith (Invercargill), Citroen Special, 2; R. Stirling (Invercargill), Mini Sports, 3. Rottynans Production Saloon-

car Race (30 minutes).—Over all: E. Sprague (Timaru), Ford Falcon G.T.H.0., 22 laps, 1; B. Crosbie, Pontiac Firebird, 22 laps, 2; L. Leonard (Timaru), 22 laps, 3; J. Kennedy (Greymouth), Fora Falcon G.T., 21 laps, 4; R. Emson (Manurewa), Holden Torana G.T.R., 21 laps, 5; C. Bunce (Invercargill), Lotus Cortina, 21 laps, 6; B. Lyons (Invercargill), Ford Capri 2000 G.T.,21 laps, 7; D. Dawson (Taupo), Flat 125, 20 laps, 8; R. McPhail, (Christchurch), 20 laps, 9; A. Woolf (Auckland), Triumph Vitesse, 20 laps, 10; G. Richart (Timaru), Datsun 1300, 20 laps, 11; B. McLaren (Oamaru), Ford Capri 1600 G.T., 20 laps, 12; M. Cockburn (Dunedin), Fiat 125, 20 laps, 13; P. de Lore (Christchurch), Toyota CoroUa, 20 laps, 14; R. Seilens (WeUlngton), Toy-

ota Corolla, 19 laps, 15; J. WetheraU (Gore), Riley Kestrel 1300, 19 laps, 16; K. Ballagh (Rangiora), Flat 850 Sports, 19 laps, 17; B. Hessey (Christchurch), 19 laps, 18. Sports and Racing Car Handicap (six laps).—Stirling 1, Smith 2, D. Morrison 3. Saloon Car Handicap (six laps).—Kelman 1, W. Crosbie (Winton), Morris 1100, 2; B. Kilkelly (Invercargill), Morris 1100, 3; Saloon Car Race (six laps).—B. Crosbie 1, P. Kocis (Geraldine), 1700 Ford Anglia, 2; Simmers 3,