Millen drives to victories

Press, 29 December 1980, Page 26

Millen drives to victories

PA Tauranga Auckland's racing driver, Steve Millen left Mount Maunganui Baypark Raceway a happy man yesterday having made no contest of the first round of this season’s Aurora A.F.X. Formula Pacific international championship. In what served as a good guideline for next month’s New Zealand Grand Prix at Pukekohe, Millen blew his rivals into the weeds in his Ralt RTI as he took both heats of the opening round by large margins.

The fastest qualifier, he led both races from start to finish and had nearly half a lap in hand each time the chequered flag fell.

The effort was more meritorious as one race took place in perfectly dry conditions and the second followed a heavy downpour which left the track wet and slippery. , In the first outing the only driver to stay anywhere in sight of the winner was the three times former national champion, David Oxton, who had his new "ground effect” Ralt RT4 running very sweetly to head off the March of Ken

Smith, with the defending champion, Dave McMillan only able to make a struggling fourth place in his new Datsun powered Ralt RT4. Grant Campbell made a steady fifth place with the Englishman, Adrian Reynard, driving the revamped New Zealand-built Cuda, running sixth. In the second race Smith tucked in behind Millen

t from the outset and was never threatened. , McMillan dropped from ; third place to last after a spin, but climbed back ■ through the field for another fourth. Meanwhile, the best performance was coming from Oxton who failed to . make the grid in time for the start, after puncturing I on the warm-up laps, and after giving away nearly half a lap powered through the field for an excellent third. In the national Formula Ford championship. Jeff Pascoe, of Blenheim, moved further ahead when he won both heats in his Christ-church-built Swift LMI. In the first heat he headed home Wally Galloway and Walter York and in the second, Galloway was again a close second, with Lou Scholium third, Pascoe now has 66 points, with Galloway second with 35 and Scholium third on 28. Two Aucklnd drivers. Reg Cook (Sanyo Datsun Sunny) and Brvce Platt (Fountain Escort TC), continued their tense battle in the Shellsport’ national 2-litre saloons, with Cook running out a: close winner in both heats. Both were hard-pressed by Kevin Ryan, of Tirnaru. who scored a third in the first heat in his Scope Datsun and came home second in the second heat when Platt withdrew. Graham Baker, of Christchurch, won the Air Pacific open saloons handicap race in his VS Capri after starting with a tough handicap in the 38-car field. John Os* borne (Christchurch) finished out of the major plac* ings.