Armstrong fastest

Press, 6 June 1977, Page 6

Armstrong fastest

I'PA Invercargill | .1 John Armstrong, of Dunedin, [drove his Torana XUI from the .(pole position In the South Island .(production car race at Teretonga yesterday and gained an early [lead, winch he held comfortably [throughout. [ Graham Jenkins (Dunedin) got [away fast, but never managed to ■gel within challenging distance | of the leader. Rod McElrea (Ashburton) kept his Mazda Capella clear of the rest, but had to be [content with third place behind (Jenkins. Armstrong also won the second heat when he pulled away steadily’ to establish a comfortable lead. Ron Gilkison (Dunedin, Torana), was unable to make an impression on the leader, and , was challenged by Barry Lloyd (As)iburton. Falcon) but held him off successfully to keep his second place. In the first heat of the Intelex . sports cars Tom Donovan (Wellington) driving an Odlins. pulled away quickly to lead and In-

.; creased it as the race progressed, t John McDonald (Wellington,; , Noble) took second place, with' Charlie Benseman (Nelson) third,! . in a Rhubarb. Benseman made up for some lost time in the first heat by win-; ning the second heat after a! quick getaway. Mac Ashmore (Invercargill, Clubman), took thei lead a couple of times, desperately trying for a win, in the loop, but it was Rhubarb which had the “grunt” on the straight to the finish. Bob Archibald (Christchurch) was third in his Kimac. i Barry Vuyk (Dunedin) provided' a sensation in an 0.5.C..A. race, when he pulled into the pits, flunking he had won. with the! chequered flag still waiting for' him at the finish. He was 50j seconds ahead of the field after) lapping many of the other com-, petitors. Blinded by spray from a car! ahead of him, Vuyk mistook the) blue flag for the chequered in! the second-last lap. Frenzied offi-) cials told him of Ills mistake and' he wasted ne time In backing!

tout and sliding over the v. [grass back on to the track . • finish. ! Vuyk still managed to finis', 12.fi seconds ahead of the rest in (spite of this mishap. | JJds heat and the final of the • Open Saloon Car Association'. •championship followed much th* same pattern, with Vuyk hand ling his Sunbeam Fort brill.antly. In the heats he screamed away from the grid, appearing to leave the other cars standing. In the : first heat he was taken on bv (Trevor Crowe (Christchurch, Datsun), who eventually dropped 'back to fourth place. ' Vuyk’s wet-weather tyres (helped him peat the Carnaro of (Ross Cameron (Dunedin) and the [big Gurney Capri of Bob Slade (Christchurch). Crowe was second [behind Vuyk in the O.S.C.A. final, j This season’s O.S.C.A. chamr!ionship was won by Munt, w?’i 45 points, from McEJrea seeo.-d )on 28. Cameron was third w!*’i (28, followed hr Slade and Vu'l., ,21.