Endurance motor race

Press, 12 February 1982, Page 20

Endurance motor race

A Bathurst-style run-off for pole position will be a feature of the Southern 200 saloon-car endurance race at Ruapuna on Sunday. The top 10 qualifiers in the 40-car field will each do three solo laps before the main race in a bid for pole position, the CRC Chemicals Trophy and $2OO. so some desperate driving will be seen. The driver sitting on pole position also has an advantage for the Southern 200, sponsored by Sydenham Park Car Sales, as he will be at the front of the grid at the start and should have the cleanest getaway, providing his car starts quickly when

the flag drops. The expected capacity field of 40 — the biggest seen at Ruapuna — will be lined up herringbone fashion along the pit wall at the start, and when the flag drops drivers will start their vehicles and roar off in pursuit of over $3OOO in prize money. During the gruelling 200 km event each car must pit at least twice — once for at least 9 litres of fuel and once more for at least one new’ tyre — so a switched-on pit-crew is essential. Last year’s winners. Inky Tulloch and Pat Monaghan, of Southland, will be back with their modified Charger

E 49. but they will face a strong challenge this year from a number of top drivers. Jim Little (St Andrews) will do all the driving in his Charger, and Trevor McLean, of Auckland, will come south with a V 8 Commodore to try his luck. Barry Dryden (Wanaka) is also expected to drive a Commodore. Other leading entries include Barry Lloyd (Ashburton, Falcon XA GT), Gavin Duff and Graham Jenkins (Dunedin. Torana XUI), Russell Greer (Renwick, Charger) and Gary Edwards (Chev Camaro Z2B).