Exploding tyre fails to foil Donald

Press, 1 June 1981, Page 3

Exploding tyre fails to foil Donald

By

JOHN FRIDD

Jim Donald, of Auckland, took the lead of the New Zealand Rally Championships when he won the second round in Southland yesterday, but only after surviving a high speed incident which could have sent him crashing out of the event. Donald was rocketing down a sealed straight near Gore on Saturday night when a rear tyre exploded on his Sanyo Escort RS at more than 180 km/h, throwing the car into a severe speed wobble. • ’ ■ . .

The Auckland driver had to use all his experience to stop the car safely and he was able to change the wheel and still win the gruelling 600 km -Foveaux Radio Rally. The quick, Wyndham driver, Barry : Robinson, cheered the local crowds who braved the Southland cold on Saturday night, when he drove his Chevette 2.3 to

second place ahead of the up-and-coming Wellington driver, Glenn Mclntyre (Escort RS 1600). Alan Mitchell, of. Feilding, set the early pace in his CRC Escort RS, tied for first place with Donald on special stage one, then took the lead on stage three, after the second stage was cancelled after David Batty’s fatal accident.

But second place on stage six, in the Tarihgatura Hills, behind Tony Teesdale of Tokaroa, was enough to give/ Donald the rally lead. I>l

Mitchell’s rally ended on the same stage when the motor in his Escort blew up on. a long sealed straight near Mandeville. Trevor Crowe, of Christchurch, lost the lights on his. Escort with an alternator fault which cost him 16. minutes and saw him finish eleventh in the event ' 7 ■ - . • . ‘

Brian Stokes, of Rangiora, had fought his way into the top 10 by stage seven, until he crashed off the road in his Escort 1600 on the last corner of the stage. Of the eight special stages, Donald won three and tied one, Mitchell won one and tied one; and Teesdale, Robinson and Davidson won one each.

Donald, the feigning champion, now leads the national rally championship at the half-way stage with 39 points,, followed by Robinson (23), Davidson (22), Paul Adams, Auckland (20), Mitchell (15) and- Mclntyre (Clover all results:—Donald 2.25.38, 1; Robinson 2.29.30, 2; Mclntyre 2.34.22, 3; Davidson 2.35.20, 4; Rabbidge 2.36.15; Teesdale 2.38.49. 6; Tulloch 2.39.20, 7; A. Hewlett, Kumara, 2.41.28. 8; Murland 2.46.07, 9; F. Kidd, Winton, 2.47.23, 10. .