N.Z.-made motor ruled out for Formula Pacific racing

Press, 28 August 1978, Page 21

N.Z.-made motor ruled out for Formula Pacific racing

New Zealand-made racing engines will not be approved for cars competing in Formula Pacific events this season.

Mr Morrie Chandler, president of the Motorsport Association of New Zealand, said such engines did not comply with the regulations. They had been made in very small numbers and were not fitted to any current production cars, he said.

The announcement put paid to plans for engines from New Zealand, Japan and Australia, including a Christchurch-made engine, to compete in the class.

However, Datsun and Toyota 1600 cucm four valves-per-cylinder engines will

probably be eligible, along j with the universally used I Ford B.D.A. motor. Mr Chandler was speaking after a joint meeting of, M.A.N.Z., the Confederate u of Australian Motor Sport, and the Japanese Automobile Association last week-end. It decided to present proposals for Pacific-area notorsport championships to :he wwld governing body of notorsport, the Federation i Internationale d’Automobile. | Chis will meet in Paris in October. The F.I.A. has already indicated approval in principle for the setting up of Pacific championships. “We are fairly confident it will go ahead,” said Mr

(Chandler. “By making a ■ joint proposal,’ we will have I more weight behind our sub- ! missions.” Other countries involved I will be Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines and Thailand. By setting up a Pacific region, they hope for more responsibility in running international championships. The first championship likely to be held is for Fori mula Pacific single-seaters, I which were introduced to New Zealand two seasons ago. Japan has just adopted it as its national formula, and Australia ran its first Formula Pacific race recently. Mr Chandler said he was

confident that Australia would run at least two Formula Pacific races each year, although the major Australian single-seater formula is still Formula 5000. The president of C.A.M.S. (Mr J. Roxburgh), said Australia was committed to Formula 5000 at least until the end of 1980, but a possible change of formula would be considered before then. Once a single-seater championship is established, the Pacific countries have hopes of establishing a Pacific rally championship. There are also plans for a touring-car race series for slightly modified saloons, and a sports saloon championship for highly modified saloons.