Fast pit-stops soon reality at Ruapuna

Press, 30 November 1978, Page 19

Fast pit-stops soon reality at Ruapuna

Racing-car drivers at the Canterbury Car Club’s Ruapuna Park circuit will soon be able to roar into a special pit lane for urgent mid-race repairs. A concrete lane is being constructed on the inside 'of the circuit in stage II of the club’s ambitious plans to make Ruapuna the best track in New Zealand.

The present pits, which are situated on the outside of the track, make it difficult for drivers to get to their teams for mid-race work, which can sometimes prove worth while in longer races. The pits are to be shifted to the inside of the track, and the new pit lane will run for 80m along the long front straight, providing easy access to racing cars.

The new lane is being constructed in concrete to lessen the effects of oil and petrol spillage, although the entry and exit sections will be laid in hot-mix ashphalt. The other major feature of the new inside pits will be a Im high concrete wall running the length of the new lane, this will protect stationary cars in the lane and pit-crews signalling to their drivers on the track.

The work is being carried out by a foreman and five labourers working under the Labour Department’s scheme to help unemployed workers. The work is being financed by a big Canterbury

Car Club raffle, and when the new pits are completed the Ruapuna circuit will be eligible to run races sanctioned by the Federation Internationale Automobile, world motorsport’s governing body.

First use of the new lane will be made during the club’s April 22 meeting next year, when a one-hour race for production saloon cars will be held as the feature of the meeting.

At least one complusory pit-stop for a tyre-change will be specified, so that spectators can see crews feverishly working on the cars, giving the race a Bathurst air.

The special race will be run to South Island production saloon-car • series regulations and will count for double points for drivers contesting the series, with at least double the normal prize money.

As an incentive to drivers in the spectacular

Escort Sport series started this season a sub-class for these nippy little cars will be specified, which should see several top North Islanders come south for the race.

Plans are also under way to run a special race for Mini 7 cars at the April 22 meeting. If the club can find a sponsor spectators could see 20 or so of the “flying little bricks” dicing desperately on the track. Mini 7 race’s are usually run only in the North island.

The Canterbury Car Club's meeting on March 4 should be the highlight of the season. It will run the postponed round of the New Zealand Union Travel Formula Pacific series, along the championship rounds for Escort Sports and Formula Fords as well as the final round of the New Zealand Shellsport 2-litre saloon championship.