Leonard top S.I. driver

Press, 12 July 1979, Page 19

Leonard top S.I. driver

The veteran Timaru driver, Leo Leonard, will lead the South Island challenge in the 1979 Motogard Rally. Leonard has prepared his Lyon Ford Escort RS 1800 to full works specifications, although he will not have the benefit of the latest engine-tun-ing tweaks. •‘We are virtually running the 1973-developed motor,” said Leonard, “and we have de-tuned ours in the interests of reliability.” Leonard has the ability to be the first New Zealander home in the gruelling rally if he can settle down early. In the 1972 international he finished sixth in a Datsun 1600 but was dropped to eleventh after a protest and in last year’s Motogard he was lying fourth when his Escort’s axle broke. Leonard is thirteenth seed for the 1979 Motogard. John Sergei will lead the Christchurch contingent in the rally. Sergei is well known for his steady pace in long events, and his finest hour came in 1977 when he brought home his Escort RSIBOO, which was crippled by a gearbox failure, in seventh place.

This year he has built up a new Escort RSIBOO, and this will run under Motor Reconditioners and Palmer Ford sponsorship.

Sergei will compete in group two, as although his car has a twin-cam motor it is homologated for that group.

“In group two form RS Escorts are not allowed triple-plate clutches, fourlink rear suspension or brakes, for example,” said Sergei.

The Christchurch driver will have stiff opposition from the two works Datsuns as well as the Escort RS of Tony Teesdale (Tokdroa) and the Mazda RX of John Woolf (Auckland). Sergei will start at No. 23 and two cars behind him should be his New Zealand Rally Drivers School team-mate, Rob Gerard. Early this week Gerard was running out of time to prepare his Escort RS 1600, but he hoped to make the start in Auckland on Sunday.

“If I do make it the car won’t be properly sorted and tuned,” he said, “but we’ll just potter along and see what happens. We have had a lot of problems preparing the car.”

Another Christchurch Escort driver, Bruce Reid, will start at No. 44 in his BRM Escort 1600 Sport. Reid admits to being a little rusty, as it is a year since he last drove competitively, but he could still show out in the group two 1300-1600 cu. .cm class if he has no problems.

Brent Rawstron will start at No. 57 in his Mazda RX3, Lyall McMillan (Leeston) is seventythird seed in his Toyota Corolla and Brian Walker will start right behind him in an Escort 1600.