Speedway driver with an unusual sideline

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34041, 3 January 1976, Page 4

Speedway driver with an unusual sideline

(By

KEVIN TUTTY)

Being’ a speedway drivei’ and a minister of religion is an unusual combination, but then Garj- Paterson is an unusual person.

Paterson, from California, is in New Zealand with another American speedway driver, Larry Rice, for a series of meetings in the North and South Islands. He has been a minister of the Universal Life Church since 1967, but explains his church is different from normal religions. “In our church you believe in what you want to believe. If you believe in smoking pot, then that’s 0.k.” said Paterson. “I don’t believe dope should be used as a crutch though, and I’m against hard drugs. Anything that addicts you can’t be good for you.” Paterson, who is being described as a hippie minister in publicity material in New Zealand, has no problems mixing his two positions. Driving, however, takes precedence. He drives 12 months of the year and travels all over the United States, competing in 80 to 100 meetings. “You could drive in a meeting every day if you wanted to” said Paterson. “There are tracks all over the country'. There are eight within a 100 miles of where I live.” Most .of the races carry between $lOOO and $2500 in prize money, which Paterson finds is enough to make a living, but not make him rich. The largest event of the year, the Western United States Sprint Car Championship in Phoenix carries a

stake of $lO,OOO. Paterson has not won this race, but he has reached the final in the last two years. But even to make the final of the event is an achievement, according to Paterson. This year there were 176 entries. For the. first three days there are qualifying heats and on the fourth day 24 qualifiers race off in a 50-lap final. “The first year I lost my brakes half-way through the race and this year I had worked my way from 20th to 12th when I lost a wheel.” Paterson drives sprint cars in the United States, rather than the midgets that are seen on New Zealand tracks. The main difference is that sprint cars have about twice as much horsepower. although they are only slightly larger in size. He cannot recall how he got started in speedway driving. “I have been around cars ever since I can remember. and I’ve been hooked ever since. Its worse than drugs,” joked Paterson. Speedway driving is a hectic way of life and travelling around the United States eats into any prizemoney he wins on the circuit. Paterson and Rice are both racing for three, months in Australasia and they are classing it as a holiday. They have to race

twice a week at the most and the travelling is minimal. They both enjoy New Zealand and Australia. Paterson claims he has more good friends in this part of the world than back home. In spite of the hustle and bustle, Paterson has no intentions of giving up speedway driving. “I’ll just keep driving until 1 stop winning,” he said. Last Saturday night, Paterson needled the local speedway crowd, saying he would not be beaten this week. But he has a healthy respect for the drivers, even though he says they are at a disadvantage because they lack the competition, and perhaps more important, the cheaper machinery drivers in the United States are used to. “When you have to pay 120 per cent duty on anything you import it make it an expensive sport.” Like his companion on the trip. Rice, too, has an interesting background. It seems only natural that he should be racing cars. He is a native of Indianapolis, the city which hosts the most famous car race in the United States. Rice has been driving speedway cars for eight years, and four years ago he left his position as a teacher to drive full-time. In 1973 he had his biggest success. He won the United Stales Automobile Club championship, a series of 52 races held all over the United States. Although he won only five races. Rice finished in the top two 52 per cent of the time, and earned about $5OOO for his efforts. His ultimate ambition is to drive in his famous hometown race, the Indianapolis 500. Rice does not own his own car. It is raced by a group of six airline pilots, but they are pleased with his progress and are considering purchasing a championship car this year — the next big step to Rice realising his ambition. “When I gave up teaching I had a certain number of dollars in the bank. After four years the balance

is still the same. If I have not made the break 1 want in another four years 1 will probably call it quits,” he said. This is Rice’s first season in New Zealand and he has been so impressed with the hospitality and the slow pace of the circuit that he will be back next year if he gets the opportunity.