Close finish in car rally

Press, 21 August 1979, Page 21

Close finish in car rally

Only four seconds separated the first two drivers m the Nelson Car Club’s rally at the week-end. Leo Leonard (Timaru) completed the 110 km course through its five special stages in 102.89 min. Hard on his heels was the kelson driver, Ross Hore to °>: 102 -93 min. Brian , (Kaiapoi) came in 1.66 mm later. This year’s course, a shortened one, was through the Hire State Forest. According to drivers it was very demanding and relatively slow. J Tight bends, very hard roads, and the lack of any appreciable straights forced drivers to keep speeds down to survive. A lot did not. Of the 80 cars which left Nelson, only 57 completed the course. One or two drivers found the tight bends too hard to handle at the speeds at which they were travelling, and paid the penalty. Dave Leitch (Neison) and P "’>l Russ (Nelson) both rolled their vehicles, and

Peter Johnson (Christchurch) is believed to have written off his Viva.

A couple of “yurnps” on the course put paid to a few other hopes. Some cars which hit these became airborne, and suspensions and shock absorbers took a terrible beating in some cars. In the 1301 to the 1600 cu cm class, Stephen Stokes (Kaiapoi) outstripped everyone to win all five special stages, and in the 1601 cu cm and over class, Leonard won stages two, three, and four. Results were: Leonard, Escort RS, 1; Hore, Mazda, 2; Brian Stokes, Escort, 3; lan Begg (Wyndham), Mazda, 104.71 min, 4; Carl Raddidge (Timaru), Escort, 104.89 min, 5; John Sergei (Christchurch), Escort RS, 105.29 min, 6; Wayne Sendall (Nelson), Escort, 105.67 min, 7; Brian Bream (Palmerston North), Escort RS, 106.29 min, 8; Alan Hewlett (Kumara), Escort, 106.38 min, 9; Grahame Wylde Greymouth), Anglia. 107.65 min, 10.