Championship events at Ruapuna meeting

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33046, 13 October 1972, Page 17

Championship events at Ruapuna meeting

Two premier events on the New Zealand motor-racing calendar will be the main attraction when the Canterbury Car Club’s new season begins at Ruapuna on Sunday. The club has been fortunate in securing the first races in the Bank of New South Wales national saloon car championship for its opening meeting. There will also be a feature race counting towards the New Zealand Racing Drivers’ Club sportscar championship, with the Dunlop Clubman’s trophy at stake. There are 14 10-lap races on the programme. These include events for singleseaters, Formula Ford cars, open-class saloons, and motor-cycles. Total prize money for the meeting is $3500. The club is grateful to Rothmans, who are sponsoring the meeting. The Bank of New South Wales event for standard saloon cars (group two) began in the 1970-71 season when the bank put up $2OOO for the series. This was the first sponsorship of a motor-racing series in New Zealand. Until then most sponsoring had been directed to a particular driver or car. Because of the success of “Wales” events during the past two seasons, the bank has now increased its contribution to the series to $4OOO. Additional support by other sponsors means that the total prize money for the championship, held over 10 meetings, is now $24,000. A “Driver of the day” award of $lOO will be presented by Rothmans. A panel of three judges will decide the winner on the basis of ability displayed, the presentation of the car, spectator value, and sportsmanship. Beauty queen The cars in the salooncar championship events will be flagged off the grid by a former “Miss International” (Jane Hansen).

Miss Hansen works in the public relations department of the bank. Due to a lack of entries in the top class of the “Wales” championship, the 4200 c.c. class will combine with 6000 c.c. classes for two 10-lap races. The cars in the 1000 c.c. class will also contest two 10-lap races. Most attention at the meeting will focus on the P.D.L. Mustang with top driver P. Fahey at the wheel. Fahey won the championship last year in the 5675 c.c. Mustang, after a number of exciting races. Powerful On Sunday, Fahey will have competition from three other cars in the 6000 c.c. class. R. Coppins will be driving the powerful Pontiac Firebird (5950 c.c.), J. Armstrong, from Dunedin, will be behind the wheel of the 1966 Ford Mustang (4700 c.c.), and another Dunedin driver, B. Jenner will be driving a 1967 Camaro (5500 c.c.). Jenner is driving the Camaro once raced by R. Coppins. Although he has had some trouble with the car, it is hoped that no problems will occur on Sunday. Armstrong’s Mustang was formerly driven by J. Riley. These are the first powerful cars to be entered in the national championship, although there will certainly be more entries in the top classes during ' the North Island races of the series. While the competition will no doubt be exciting in the 6000 c.c. class, it should prove just as interesting in the 0-4200 c.c. class. R. Collingwood, who was the 0-1000 c.c. champion in the “Wales” series last season, will race in the Escort formerly driven by Fahey. A car making its first appearance at Ruapuna is the B.M.W. 2002 T. 1., driven by S. Millen. He used to drive a blue Jaguar in the series. One of the most unusual cars to be entered is the Fiat 124 coupe belonging to G. Mclntyre, who holds the sports car record on the Ruapuna circuit. The Fiat has a 1600 c.c. motor, but

is hoped that this will be replaced by an 1800 c.c.| engine in the near future. j The winner of the 0-4200 c.c. class last season, D. Halliday, has entered a twin-cam Escort. Burnt-out Another Escort, formerly) driven by J. Richards, has) been entered by L. Neilson.) This entry is of particular; significance because onlyl two weeks ago it was aj burnt-out shell in a Dunedin! garage. However, since then) it has been restored to its) original condition. A 1500 c.c. Toyota Corolla will be driven by the experienced Wellington driver, D. Sellens. One of the most immaculate cars in the championship will be Alan Boyle’s “Coca-Cola” Viva, which he is bringing down from Auckland. One of the South Canterbury entrants in the championship is Peter Kocis (Geraldine), who will be driving his Holden Torano. The 1000 c.c. should see a close contest between R. Cook in a Mini, and J. Richards in a Hillman Imp. Richards was the runner-up in the 0-4200 c.c. class last year and is the present GTX production saloon car champion. The N.Z.R.D.C. sports-car championship races will add variety to the meeting. A wide section of top sports cars are entered in the championship, including the 1498 c.c. supercharged U2, owned and raced by David Waldron. Waldron (Christchurch), drove this car to victory in the championship last year. Wellington driver, D. Elvy has entered his Christchurch prepared car, the Lotus Heron 1500 c.c. An entry with an unusual name is the 1760 c.c. Le Demon Rouge, raced by K. Barberel. This car was formerly raced by L. Jones. R. Noble, who last season i raced a Brabham single-; seater, has now built his own sports car from the Brabham. Named the Noble Sports (2100 c.c.), it will be driven by Noble in the championship series. The Dannevirke driver, L. McCutcheon, who performed well last year, will race a Ford U2. B. McKeown, from Christchurch, who wroteoff his Sparticus sports-car at Ruapuna last season, will drive a 1650 c.c. Lotus 7. A 1608 c.c. Wilmac Fiat will be raced by Gisborne driver, P. Stock. The Fiat was driven by G. Mclntyre last season. Mclntyre has. entered a Fiat coupe in the saloon championship races. Among other sports-cars to appear on Sunday will be L. O’Connor’s Begg V 8 (3500 c.c.), J. Aislabie’s Sid MKI Sports (4600 c.c.), and M. Balse’s Falcon powered Mirage (3200 c.c.).