Brock and Oxton win

Press, 25 October 1982, Page 3

Brock and Oxton win

PA Tauranga The reigning New Zealand single seater champion. David Oxton, and the top Australian, Peter Brock, proved a winning combination at Mount Maunganui yesterday when they carried off the first round of the 1982 Benson and Hedges saloon car series in their Holden Commodore SS.

Second home on the tight Bay Park circuit were the defending champions. Leo Leonard and Gary Sprague, in their Ford Fairmont Ghia, with Aucklanders Wayne Wilkinson and Neville Crichton third, in another Commodore SS. The first three drivers completed 123 laps, and a lap down was the Ford Escort RS2OOO of Graham Lorimer and Tony Lawrence. Wilkinson made the early running, chased hard by Brock, with the SpragueLeonard Fairmont and the

SS Commodore of Trevor McLean and Barry Lloyd vying for third. It took a third of the race for Brock to find a way past Wilkinson, but from there on he and Oxton had the race under full control. Results:—

Benson and Hedges Saloon Car Classic (150 minutes): David Oxton and Peter Brock (Holden Commodore SS), 123 laps. 1; Leo Leonard and Gary Sprague (Ford Fairmont Ghia). 123 laps. 2; Wayne Wilkinson and Neville Chrichton (Commodore SS). 123 laps. 3; Graham Lorimer and Tony Lawrence (Ford Escort RS2000). 122 laps. 4: John Morton and Neal Lowe (Commodore SS). 121 laps, 5; Denis Hulme and Peter Janson (Commodore SS), 120 laps. 6: Rod Coppins and Bruce Beiliss (Toyota Celica), 119 laps, 7; Bruce and Tony Fowler (Fairmont Ghia). 119 laps. 8: Warwick Mortimer and Jack Drummond (Toyota Celica). 119 laps. 9: Bruce and Wayne Anderson (Fairmont Ghia), 118 laps. 10.