Champion driver for U.S.

Press, 31 May 1977, Page 42

Champion driver for U.S.

By

ROD DEW

The New Zealand supermodified champion, Harry. Pierson, of Christ-i church, leaves on Saturday] for the United States where he will spend the next three months. i While there, he intends to make himself known to promoters in the hope of gaining a drive in sprint car events. “I will certainly take my safety helmet with me,” .he said last evening. “I have i nothing specific arranged. I will just have to see what happens when I get there.” However, his main purpose in going is to observe and to gather new ideas on I

I sprint car racing and obtain I“a few bits and pieces." | He will be accompanied |by his mechanic, Tony Fairburn, and another prominent] Christchurch supermodified; car driver, Peter Leversedge, who is also a former New Zealand beach racing champion. It will be Pierson’s third, visit to America — he was I last there two years ago — I but this will be the first of ! any duration. He has decided | against bringing a new car back with him, which is a | pity because he has just sold •his national title-winning l sprint car to a Wellington] I driver.

i | “There is too much hassle I toms,” Pierson explained. II “When I come back, if there is a competitive car availcable I will buy it but it will Ihave to be at a reasonable . price. If there is nothing | around at the time then I • I will start building a new one [for the following season and spend next season helping !my son, Wayne.” Harry Pierson finds it i difficult to explain why he [ sold the car he used to win the New Zealand championship in earlier this year — a car he built himself three 'years ago and has been] (developing ever since. “Ij (was certainly sorry when li

saw it going out the drive, getting a car through cusIt takes years to build a car up like this and suddenly you have got nothing except a pocketful of money.” In America, Pierson will be thirsty for knowledge, particularly about handling and car design. He wants to see, closer racing in New Zealand events and if he can encourage this by making any information he collects freely available he will be only'too happy to do so. “Close racing would be better for the public and better for the drivers. I just want to see speedway progress.”