Draw from hat sends N.Z. drivers to their death

Press, 2 June 1982, Page 32

Draw from hat sends N.Z. drivers to their death

NZPA Washington A draw from a hat sent two New Zealand rally drivers. John Woolf and Grant Whittaker, to their deaths in America at the week-end. The draw put them, in their Peugeot 504. first on to a small forest road in Oklahoma at the start of a 240 km rally race. On that road, coming fast the other way. was a four-wheel drive support vehicle. The two vehicles smashed head-on. killing the two 26-year-old Aucklanders instantly. The three Texans in the support vehicle escaped with cuts, according to race organisers. One of the organisers said that the four-wheel drive vehicle slipped on to the unpaved private road in the Kiamichi Mountains from a side road, thus missing a car which drove through first to check that the road was clear, and also missing race marshalls who patrolled it with hand radios. Drivers seeded by the Federation Internationale de L'Automobile (F.1.A.) get

first choice for starting positions in the Sports Car Club of America (S.C.C.A.) rallies. Woolf and Whittaker, his co-driver. regular and successful drivers in the rallies in their works coupe, were seeded, and the draw from the hat won them the plum first position for the Memorial W'eek-end race, which started in Paris, Texas, and was continuing through to south-eastern Oklahoma. Woolf's wife of five months. Carol, who is about 24 and also an Aucklander, was at the race, which was abandoned after the accident. Woolf, his wife and Whittaker, who was single, lived together in a house in Livonia. Michigan, where they had a shop and worked on their Peugeots which they drove for the French firm. The two men had known each other since they were small boys. W'hittaker's parents. Rich and Joan Whittaker, arrived coincidentally in Los Angeles just before the accident. They had gone to the United’ States for a holiday.

and had been planning to meet up with Grant next week. John Woolfs father. Alan, had also been planning a trip to the United States in a week or two. Carol Woolf flew to Los Angeles to be with Mr and Mrs Whittaker after the accident. The Whittakers have cancelled their holiday plans and they and Mrs W’oolf are planning to fly back to New Zealand in a few days, a friend of the two men said. The bodies are likely to be flown back to New Zealand for burial, the friend said. The accident is being investigated by local police. It raises questions about procedures for checking that roads are clear. Woolf and Whittaker had been driving safely and well within the limits of expected conditions. The two men. with 52 points, were running third in the -S.C.C.A. 1982 championships when they died. The leader, with 70 points, is another New Zealander, Rod Millen, who drives a Mazda RX-7.