Former kart champ, wins at Ruapuna

Press, 4 October 1982, Page 48

Former kart champ, wins at Ruapuna

Bt

JOHN FRIDD

Avon Hyde, the 1981 national karting champion, made a good start to his first season in Open Saloon Car Association racing when he won the O.S.C.A. final at yesterday's Ruapuna Raceway meeting.

Hyde coped well with a gearbox problem in his big Clyde Collins Capri Chev. V 8 to'take the chequered flag in the first race of the season, four seconds ahead of Rod McElrea (Ashburton. Cortina Chev.). although he was fortunate that, the reigning O.S.C.A. champion. Trevor Crowe (Christchurch, Zap Starlet V 8). failed to finish after an accident. Crowe had shot into the .lead from the start of the 12lap race and looked Set to start the season perfectly when he tried to lap two slower cars after coming out of the Castrol hairpin on lap six. Just as he was screaming between the cars of Rod Collingwood (Dunedin. Toyota Truenol .and lan Wilkins (Ashburton, Mazda RX323). the gap closed and Crowe's potent car hit the side of the Mazda, stripping a rear tyre from the Starlet and putting him out. leaving a grateful Hyde to inherit the lead. . 'There was more drama on the same lap when lan Munt. of Christchurch, spun off the track-in his powerful Capri Chev. after five torrid laps of harrassing Hyde. Munt regained the track but had dropped to fourth and could not reel-in Rod McElrea and Steve Vigurs (Christchurch, Cortina Chev.) by the time the chequered flag came out. Another Christchurch I driver, John Osborne, started

the meeting with a fine win over Hyde and Munt in the A class race. Although there were only six cars in the race they’ made an exciting spectacle as they circulated nose-to-tail at high speed. The relatively inexperienced Vigurs held’ an amazing second place for two laps and a half before the pressure got too much and he spun on Lancaster sweeper.' fortunately without damaging his car. During the race Hyde found that his Capri's gearbox was playing up. making it difficult for him to "find" gears at crucial times, but he drove intelligently to stay with Osborne. The three big saloons of Osborne, Hyde and Munt thrilled the’ large crowd by roaring across the finish-line locked together. Although Osborne won that race he did not show out in the O.S.C.A. final after "burning" two spark plugs while waiting for the race to start, and in the flying farewell he collided with the Escort of John Harcourt, wrecking his Capri's front suspension. Crowe drove superbly to win the first round of the new Don Grindley “King of the Road" reverse-grid series. At the start he scythed through the field and took the lead from McElrea after two laps, and held off a strong challenge from Hyde to win the race. Crowe also won the flying farewell, which was led for much of the distance by Munt. In that race Hyde also mounted a strong challenge on. Munt before a fuel line came adrift, and dangerously sprayed fuel all over his car's’ motor, necessitating a quick pit-stop.

John Crawford, of Christchurch. easily won the first round of the South Island Formula Ford championship in his Valour, beating Graham Dodd (Van Dieman) by 5.7 seconds in the 10-lap race. Results:-'

Open Saloon Car Association. -■ A class: .1. Osborne (Chch. Capri Chev.) 1. A. Hyde (Chch. Capri Chev.) 2. I. Munt (Chch. Capri Chev.) 3. Fastest lap: Munt. 44.45. B and C class: T, Crowe (Chch. Zap Starlet VBi 1. D. Grindley (Chch. Mazda RX3) 2. W. Burt (Timaru. Toyota Starlet 1300) 3. Fastest lap: Crowe. 43.85. Final: Hyde 1. R.'McElrea (Ashburton. Cortina Chev.) 2. S. Vigurs (Chch. Cortina Chev.) 3. Munt 4. Osborne 5. Fastest lap: Crowe. 43.7 s (equals O.S.C.A. record). Don Grindley "King of the Road" saloon 'race. -Crowe 1. Hyde 2. Munt 3. -Fastest lap: Crowe and Hvde. '44.25.

Saloons flying ■ farewell. Crow'e 1. Munt 2. McElrea 3. South Island Formula Ford championship race.--J. Crawford (Chch. Valour) 1, G. Dodd (Van Dieman) 2. K. Hill (Hustler) 3. Fastest lap: Crawford. 45.75. Formula Libre. -Handicap race: L. Johnston (Timaru, Begg) I. P. Mac Ewen (GLH Ownes) 2. Crawford 3. Fastest lap: Crawford. 46.05. Reverse-grid race: Crawford 1. Mac Ewen 2. B. Morrical (Chch. Lotus 69) 3. Fastest lap: Crawford. 45.05. Clubmans and allcomers saloons.-Race 1: D. Hudson (Torana XL'l) 1. G. Edwards (Camaro Z2B) 2. M. Rushton (Mazda s RX3) 3. Fastest lap: Edwards, 54.25. Race 2: Hudson 1. W. Jones (Mazda RX3) 2. G. Clark (Capri V 8) 3. Race 3: Edwards 1. Motor-cycles. - Racing class: B. Jones (Yamaha TZSOO) I. M. Pcro (Yamaha TZ2SO) 2. E. McDonald (Yamaha TZ3SO) 3. Production class; T. Kirby (Suzuki 750) 1. P. Corbitt (Kawasaki 750) 2. B. Brown (Kawasaki 550) 3.