S.I. drivers 1,2,3,4

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33912, 4 August 1975, Page 3

S.I. drivers 1,2,3,4

(N.Z. Press Association) TAURANGA. In a race filled with drama, Gary Sprague, of Timaru, drove his Chrysler Charger E 49 to victory in the Glenvale 200 longdistance saloon car race at Baypark Raceway yesterday. He became the first South Islander to win the event and broke the monopoly General Motors Holden has had on the race since its inception in 1969. Another Timaru driver, Jim Little, finished second, followed by a Mataura farmer, lan Tulloch — both also driving Chargers. Dave Bake- (Christchurch) was fourth in a Camaro Z2B. Baker was first away at the start but was soon passed by Rod Coppins (Auckland) in the SLR-5000 Holden Torana.

These two rapidly cleared away from the field and were passing the tailenders after five laps. However, Coppins’s race ended" dramatically on lap 15 when his brakes failed at the end of the back straight, and he took the Torana XU-1 of Norris Miles through the fence with him at nearly 100 m.p.h. Both cars were wrecked, but the drivers emerged unscathed. This left Baker comfortably ahead for more than 100 laps, until clutch and engine problems started slowing him. With 20 laps to go he was passed first by Tulloch, then Sprague and a hard-driving Geoff Sutherland who had had to make up a lot of ground after overheating problems.

Five laps from the finish, Sutherland’s race stopped abruptly with the second bad accident of the day. A front brake disc collapsed and his car somersaulted over all the safety fences at the end of the straight before landing on its roof in the crowded pit area. No-one was struck by the vehicle and Sutherland crawled uninjured from the car, which was crushed flat to the doors. Sprague gradually took his ailing Charger to the lead three laps from the finish, while Little passed Tuiloch on the last lap to provide a grandstand finish to the race.