Classy 'big-banger’ field for meeting

Press, 18 April 1980, Page 15

Classy 'big-banger’ field for meeting

Editorial:

John Fridd

Pictures: Terry Marshall

The ground will shake at Ruapuna on Sunday as drivers start their engines for the OSCA big-banger races. At least 10 VB-pow-ered big cars will line up on the grid, so some spectacular racing should be seen on the fast Ruapuna track, which suits the big cars with its long straight. Southland’s Inky Tulloch in his Hiab Capri Chev will again be the

man to beat. However, Tulloch has struck a few problems with the big, black Capri this season, the worst being the costly destruction of a motor at Wigram, and he is well down the points table. Leading the A class, for cars with engines from 4500 to 6000 cu cm, is Christchurch driver John Osborne, driving his brutish Double R Camaro. Osborne has 52 points, 13 ahead of Tulloch, and will be trying hard on Sunday to head home the flying Southlander to sew up the class' title.

Keeping both drivers honest will be another Christchurch man, lan Munt (Hamilton Brushes Capri Chev 5.7). Munt has only five points fewer than Tulloch. Graham Baker will wheel out his 5 litre Boss Mustang on Sunday for his first race since November. Baker got very used to winning in the car when it was sponsored by PDL. Industries in 1973-74 but is finding his comeback a little tougher than

expected, as the big-bang-ers racing nowdays are considerably quicker. Baker intends to fit a 6 litre Chev motor to the car next season, which will give him over 100 h.p. more power, and he could well start winning again. Two more old-stagers making comebacks are Rod McElrea (Ashburton) and Bob Slade (Christ-

church), both in Mustangs. Peter Blomfield, of Wigram, will drive his VS-pow-ered Cortina Cobra. The southern challenge will come from Ross Cann eron (Dunedin, Cameron), Gary Jenkins (Gore, Victor Chev 327) and Jack Mclntyre (Gore, Boss Cortina Mk IV). The noisy, potent Mazda RX3 of John Haszard, of Dunedin, and the turbocharged Raycroft Escort of Dave Waldron, of Christchurch, will be the, two cars to watch in the B class section. Haszard has finished high up consistently this season to go into the Ruapuna meeting leading the over-all championship, and he also leads the B class narrowly from Waldron. Third in the B class is Ken Thompson, of Dunedin, driving a rotary-pow-ered Datsun coupe. He could be hard-pressed by Bryan Hessey, president of the Canterbury Car Club, in his Hurst Wreckers Escort RS2OOO, who is only three points behind. Others in the B class in-

elude Warren Hensey (Escort 3.5 V 8) and James Shand (Fairlie, Escort 2000). Some close, fast racing should be seen in the ultra-competitive C class for small cars. Warren Burt, of Timaru, has dominated proceedings this season in his quick little Corolla, but he should get a big hurry-up on Sunday by the veteran Dunedin driver. Rod Collingwood. Collingwood has taken over the Datsun coupe formerly driven by Max Crawford and has quickly established himself as a top Shellsport driver. Burt, with 64 points, has an unassailable lead in the C class, as the next contender, Wayne Ross (Ross Trans Lotus Farina) is 18 points behind. Ross will come in for some stem competition from lan Wilkins (Escort) and Graham Wilson (Datsun coupe). Points in the overall OSCA championship going into the penultimate round at Ruapuna are: Gaszard 114, Osborne 107, Waldron 106, Burt 80, Munt 69, Ross 62, John Dymand 57, Kevin Ryan 55, Hessey 48, Tulloch, Wayne Huxford 40, McElrea 35.