Baker’s Mustang notches 104th win

Press, 6 October 1980, Page 3

Baker’s Mustang notches 104th win

’iM -nm M . ij

JOHN FRIDD

The veteran Christchurch I driver, Graham Baker, gave his ageing Mustang two more wins at Ruapuna yesterday to bring the ex-PDL car’s totai number of wins to an amazing 104 during its] 10-year history. ! Baker narrowly won the eight-lap Open Saloon Car! Association A class race from the hard-charging John! Osborne (Christchurch. Mid-: dleton Camaro) but had an' easier victory in the 15-lap, O.S.C.A. final when his two! main rivals, Osborne and] lan Munt (Christchurch, Ha-; milton Brushes Capri), with-j drew with mechanical; trouble. | However, both Osborne ; and Munt gave Baker a torrid time in the O.S.C.A.i final while their cars were! going. At one point, when! they had reeled Baker in] after he got a flying start,] the three big cars swooped; into the hairpin side-by-side.; before Osborne and Munti collided coming out of the: hairpin. Osborne retained second place after the crash but: Munt slipped to sixth place; and put in some blindingly] fast laps to drag himself; back up to third place] before retiring with a blown; clutch in his 5.7 litre Capri,! the same fault which had] made him. a non-starter ini the earlier A class race. ! Osborne lost a certain; second place with onlj’ two; laps to go when he threw a| fan-belt and Rod McElrea, of'

tl Ashburton, steered his Muss tang into second place — )!' the final five laps with a -.flat rear tyre. J Trevor Crowe, of s; Christchurch, was heading >1 for an amazing third place ;in his • rally-prepared Aven;iger V 8 before the car’s H brakes faded and he lost third gear to let John Has-] lizard, of Dunedin, slip past! ■ jin his Mazda RX3. i; Crowe made amends, how-,

■ lever, with a brilliant drivel I-in the allcomers saloon! (scratch race, when he won] rafter starting at the tail of; t'the field. It was a desperate-; . ily close race, with the lead; Ichanging eight • times before i i Crowe brought home his! ['Avenger ahead of the big; ,i Falcon XA GT of Barry; I] Lloyd (Ashburton) and the: ; Charger E 49 of Jim Little, :i(St Andrew’s). • i ; Little took the honours in; ; the first round of the 1980-j SI South Island production; :• saloon championship. Fie; jwon both races, despite! ; being harried by a gaggle of! 'Toranas. including one ! driven by K. North which] I almost overturned when it! (drifted on to the grass at!' i point in the first heat. ; Jeff Pascoe, of Blenheim,' !had a good start to his I, (racing season by dominating;; ;the B.M'.C. Transmission! 1 (Services South Island For-jj 'mtila Ford series races in|;

-(his Christchurch-built Swift.! -Andrew Mitchell, of ijChristchurch, tried hard in his Cuda to keep up with f: Pascoe and scored one ; second place but several !. spins at the hairpin saw him ■; down, in the placings in the ; other two races. F Results: .... I •j Open Saloon Car Association.— t A class (.over 3500 c.c.i: G ' Bake.- ; ((Christchurch. Mustang j'Oitfti 1,! J. Osborne (Christchurch, i am-1 •■aro 6000) 2. R McElrea (Ashbur-i .(ton, Mustang 5000) 3. Fastest lap: I (Osborne, 46sec. 6. and-C classes:; .3. Haszard (Dunedin. Mazda R.X3) I , I. T. Crowe (Christchurch, Aven-: iger .3 )00■ 2. I. Wilkins i.Ashbur-. (ton. Escort rotary, 3, G. Riehardt i ((Ashburton. Datsun 1600 —first C] (class ear) 4. Fastest lap: Haszard.; ]|4B.2sec. Final: Baker 1. McElrea! (2, Haszard 3. Crowe 4. Wilkins; ,]5. Fastest lap: I. Munt (Christ-■ (church. Capii Chcv. 5700). 45.6; (see. Handicap farewell; McElrea ' 1. Baker 2. Crowe 3. . B.M.C. Transmission Services; South Island Formula Ford! ■(championship.—Scratch race: J.; : Pascoe (Blenheim. Swift.) 1. A.! [Mitchell (Christchurch. Cuda) 2. K Laney [Christchurch, John;son> 3. Fastest lap: Pascoe. 46.5: |sec. Reverse-grid race: Pascoe 1.; (Laney 2. R Noble (Christchurch. ■ van Dieiiian) 3. Fastest lajpa Paslene. 47.75ec. Handicap race: T. 1 (Etwell (Christchurch, Lyon) l.j I Noble 2, Laney 3. ; South island production saloons chamnionshin. — Scratch ‘race: J, Little (St Andrews. [Charger) l. B. Prestidge (Torana XUli 2. G. Ilartstonge (.Mazda IRX3I 3. Fastest lap: Little, 55.1 |sec. Reverse-grid race: Little 1, jK. North (Torana XVI) 2. Hartst'onge 3. Fastest lap: Little, 53.9 sec. All-comers saloons ion road (tyres).—Race one: T. Crowe 1, B. Llovd iAshburton. Falcon XA (GT, 2. Little 3. Fastest lap: (Crowe and Llovd. 52 ssec Race (two: Lloyd 1. Little. G. Riehardt :3. Fastest lap; Lloyd. 52sec,