N.Z.’s top drivers to compete

Press, 30 April 1981, Page 13

N.Z.’s top drivers to compete

'The roads around the Ashley Forest north of Rangiora are usually pounded by heavy trucks, but the machinery which will break the silence this week-end will be rather faster. Some of New Zealand's top drivers will chase the first prize of $l3OO in the Dunlop televised rallysprint. The drivers will pit their highly tuned, powerful cars against the clock on a tricky 1.7 km stretch of road near the forest headquarters for a total of $4500 prize money. Over 40 cars are expected to take part in the first practice run on .Saturday morning, but by about 4.45 p.m. on Sunday only two drivers will be still in the running for the major prize, as the rest will have been counted out either in a series of eliminations or by damaging their cars while trying to tame the tricky gravel surface.

The event should produce some exciting action, as the drivers will get bolder once they get to know the road and are fighting to stay in the running. The first 55 per cent of the course is uphill, so the drivers of more powerful cars will have an advantage. Several 260 h.p. Escort RS machines are entered, and the winner will probably come from this bunch.

Top contender is Tony Teesdale, of Tokoroa, in his Engine Rebuilders Escort.

Teesdale has spent the last few seasons in the shadow of such drivers as Paul Adams, Jim Donald, and Blair Robson, but is now on equal terms, and showed this by beating Jim Richards in the final of last year's Riverhead Forest televised rallysprint.

Adams, of Auckland, will also be competing on Sunday in an Escort RS, having switched from the Chevette he drove last season. Adams won the 1979 New Zealand rally season in an Escort so is well used to them.

Hugh Armstrong (Masterton) and Mark Jennings (Wellington) are two more top North Island Escort RS drivers coming south for the Dunlop, rallysprint and both are quick, experienced

drivers. Alan Woolf, of Auckland, will share the Escort RS of his son-in-law, Paul Adams. Heading the South Island Escort contingent will be Trevor Crowe, of Christchurch. The experienced Crowe has had all last season to get used to his Muffler Services Escort RS and now has a works-style 2-litre alloy motor to provide all the power he needs to show the North Islanders the

back door; the crowd is sure to be right behind him at the week-end. Other top South Island Escort drivers include Brian Walker (Christchurch), Ken McDonald (Christchurch), Richard Hunt (Nelson), Alan Hewlett (Kumara), and John Sergei (Christchurch). Although the Escort contingent looks daunting, there will be other marques striving for victory. Howard Collier and Mike Limbrick, both of Auckland, will compete in powerful Mazda RX3s. and both know how John Woolf snatched victory off Paul Adams in last year's event in a Mazda. Mike Small (Timaru) will drive a rotarypowered Escort. Steve Chang (Nelson) an RX3 and Graham Crawford, of Gore, has a new rotary-powered Mazda 323.

Reg Cook, well known in racing circles as the Shellsport champion, will compete in his colourful Datsun Sunny 1600. slightly modified for rallying, and he. could give the rally men a shock with his smooth style.

Dave Brown, of Timaru, could be a dark horse in his Datsun 120 Y 2-litre after winning this month’s North Otago rallysprint and beating Paul Adams’ course record into the bargain. Another fast Timaru competitor will be Trevor Parmenter, in a quick turbocharged Datsun 1200 1.6.

Heading the Chevette brigade will be the talented Wyndham driver, Barry Robinson, fresh from success two weeks ago in his singleoverhead camshaft Chevette 2.3.