Collett not switched on

Press, 4 October 1977, Page 56

Collett not switched on

By

m.p.h. (275 km/h) and still recorded U.l7sec.

JOHN FRIDD

Ron Collett’s 1000 h.p. dragster looks good and goes very fast, but Collett may have to rearrange the controls in the cockpit after an unfortunate run at the Pegasus Bay Drag-racing Club’s meeting at Ruapuna on Sunday. Collett did two good runs In the brutish blue 433 cu in] rail but when he ran against] Dave Cairns’ 329 t-bucket to decide the winner of the altered dragster class — a race he should have won hands-down — he accidentally knocked the ignition; switch when releasing the, hand-brake.

Caims jumped into the lead and streaked down the strip, leaving the hapless Collett coasting along at the start.

However. Collett quickly; realised what the trouble was; snd switched the ignition back on before the engine nad stopped turning over,. and after a frantic couple of teconds was booming down the strip. He did not catch Caims, who recorded 11.57 seconds tor the quarter-mile, but he passed the finish-line at 169

“I wish you’d warn me when you do that, Ron. I got a hell of a fright waiting for you to go past” Those were the first words from Caims after the race, in which he had expected Collett to rocket away from him from the start. Collett’s best time of the day at the well-supported 'Winter Garden Motorssponsored meeting was an amazing 8.54 seconds, with the dragster not pushed to its full potential on the short Ruapuna track. I Cairns’ best time was 10.8 land 125 m.p.h. (200 km/h). I Mel Sculpher was lucky to • get out of his '34 Ford saloon with both feet intact when the car’s clutch dis- ' integrated half-way down (the strip on an early run. Part of the clutch assembly ripped through the car’s j floorboards, narrowly missing Sculpher’s feet and damI aging the dashboard. I Brent Thorpe (Monaro 327) and Dudley Neame (Kingswood 427) turned on 'some spectacular action as they battled for pro stock I funny car honours, with ,Thorpe managing to hold off 'Neame’s new car, a position

which could well be reversed as Neame improves. The most spectacular motor-cyclist competing, Jon White, got a fright when a wheelstand on his 900 cu cm racing Yamaha got out of hand and the machine almost tipped over backwards. The bike came down with such a thump that the front tyre burst and the expensive magnesium alloy wheel cracked. However, White’s opponent had red-lighted, so Smith quickly jumped back on his machine and wobbled down the strip at about 20 km/h to win the encounter in a time of about 120 seconds, not surprisingly the slowest of the day. Results. — ELIMINATIONS Palmer Ford stock: T. Carson (Falcon GTHO), 14.86, 1; R. Pabst (Chrysler 318), 17.31, 2. Crescent Electronics super stock: W. Burrell (Falcon GT 289), 1421, 1; T. Thorpe (Plymouth 400), 15.34, 2. S. and G. Auto pro stock: B. Thorpe (Monaro 327), 12.2, 1; D. Neame (Kingswood 427), 14.2, 2. Auto Sprayers street machine: K. Darrell (Chev 327), 15.19, 1. Glass Repros street rod: L. Hunter (’36 Ford 332), 13.52, 1; W. Spicer (T-bucket), 13.78, 2. Crescent Electronics altered: D. Cairns (327 T-bucket), 11.57, 1; R. Collett (433 rail), 11.17, 2. Christchurch Motorcycles street bike: N. Agass (Kawa 900), 12.22, 1: R. Satherley (Kawa 1000), 12.5, 2. Thorpe Engineering drag bike: E. Smith (Kawa 1200), 12.0, 1; P. Anderson (Honda 350), 12.35, 2. CLASS WINNERS B stock: T. Carson, 14.94. D pre ’4B street rod: L. Hunter, 14.33. B. Super stock: T. Thorpe, 14.89. C super stock: W. and L. Burrell (Falcon GT 2§9), 15.45. D super stock: M. Blatson (Zodiac), 17.48. A pro stock: D. Neame, 13.37. B pro stock: B. Thorpe, 12.24. C pro stock: R. Service (cortina V 6), 17.84. A altered bike: N. Agass, 12.22. B altered bike: G. Dunfoy (Suzuki 500), 14.25.