Protests upset placings

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33153, 17 February 1973, Page 48

Protests upset placings

(N.Z Press Association i WELLINGTON. Protests have upset the top placings in the Castro] GTX championship which has only two more rounds to run. Two of the leading contenders for the main points title in the national production saloon-car series are locked in a protest and counter-protest move, the promoters of the championship, Castrol N.Z. Ltd, said in a statement One of them R. Cook (Auckland) would have had the series in the bag on his points score when the chequered flag fell at Ruapuna last Sunday. But what looked like a clear, over-all win on the day turned into a secondplace decision this week when a protest from the January 13 meeting at Levin was resolved.

Cook’s Levin points were wiped after a complaint by R. Francevic about the specification of the group leader's Escort RS 1600 was upheld. This brought Francevic up three points—and dropped Cook’s total by nine. WITH LEADER Another Levin protest, by the Group Three leader, P. Curin, similarly has boosted his tally by three points to place him alongside L. Leo nard (Timaru) at the head of the list. Curin complained about the fixing of certain stickers to P. Ross’s car—and confirmation of the complaint has chopped Ross’s points down from 31 to 22. The four leaders’ positions at present are: Leonard (E 49 Charger) 67, Curin (Escort GT, Auckland), 67, Cook, 66, Francevic (Mazda RX2 Auckland), 63. Richard Seilens (Toyota Corolla, Wellington), 35 ■> points.

Leonard and Francevic cannot improve on their present scores at the series’ two remaining rounds—at Pukekohe on March 11 and at Levin on March 17. Both have logged maximum points already at these circuits. But Cook can pick up three points at Levin if he wins his race —and Curin stands to gain six points if he wins at Pukekohe Both Cook and Francevic have protested about the mechanical standards of each other’s car after the Ruapuna races last Sunday, and their respective engines have been sealed pending examination by M.A.N.Z. technical experts in Auckland.