Hyde takes O.S.C.A. final

Press, 16 April 1984, Page 40

Hyde takes O.S.C.A. final

By

JOHN HAWKINS

The Christchurch driver, Avon Hyde, took a comfortable win in the Arbuckles O.S.C.A. final at Levels Raceway, Timaru yesterday. Hyde took the Clyde Collins Commodore Chev past Trevor Crowe’s ailing Zagato Starlet Olds on lap seven of the 15-lap race and was never in any danger of losing the lead from that point onward. Ivan Munt powered his Waterbed World Capri Chev away from the grid to take the lead at the start but Crowe was past before the end of the first lap, with Hyde close behind in third. Steve Vigurs coasted his Cortina Chev to a halt when in fourth place on lap two. Crowe and Munt swapped places on two occasions over the first few laps, but on lap seven, Munt, following closely behind Crowe, spun and stalled his engine. Crowe’s engine had been suspect before the race and had been losing water, possibly causing Munt’s spin. On the next lap, Crowe, eased back as the engine began to overheat and Hyde, who had been following closely, passed and began to pull away. Crowe, trying desperately to conserve his car, fell further back through the field. Munt, meanwhile, had restarted his car and moved back into second place by lap ten, but by this stage was 12 seconds behind Hyde with little prospect of improving. As the race ran out it began to look as though Crowe would not make it to

the finish as the car got slower and slower, but he eventually nursed it in, gaining enough points to take the Arbuckle’s O.S.C.A. title. Hyde ran out an untroubled winner from Munt with Mike Johnson taking a creditable third in his class B Escort. Hyde was an easy winner of the earlier race for the O.S.C.A. six-litre cars, establishing a strong lead early in the race and pulling further ahead as the race progressed. Second place went to Munt who drove steadily through the small field after a poor start. Vigurs took third but only after a coming together with fellow a Christchurch driver, lan Schrimpton, while hotly disputing the position. Crowe was too good for the rest in the combined race for the two and fourlitre O.S.C.A. cars, driving away form an easy win. Behind him Mike Johnston took a lonely second. Third place over all went to the leading two-litre contender, Alan Farr, driving an Escort. A Timaru driver, Jim Little, won the first scratch race for production saloons but he was not allowed much respite by Graham Jenkins. Peter McEwan dominated the main Formula Libre race in his Formula Ford, leading initially from Andrew McElrea. Keith Laney, who had sportingly started from the back of the grid in his more powerful Formula Pacific, hauled his way through the field to

take second from McElrea. Perhaps the most exciting race of the day was the scratch race for pre-’65 saloons, with four cars in contention for the lead for the entire eight laps. The four swapped placings on several occasions, with victory eventually going to the newcomer to the class, Trevor Parmerter, driving a Vauxhall. lan Donald’s Jaguar took a close second from Peter Swaney in a Hillman. The meeting ended on an unfortunate note when Munt lost control of his car at the end of the short front straight in the flying farewell, possibly caused by a deflating tyre. The big Capri skidded across the grass, clipping a large tractor tyre. Two marshals were injured and taken away by ambulance. Munt

was badly shaken and the car severely damaged. Results. — Arbuckles 0.5.C.A., Six-litre class: A. Hyde (Chch, Commodore Chev) 1, I. Munt (Chch, Capri Chev) 2, S. Vigurs (Chch, Cortina Chev) 3. Fastest lap: Hyde, 44.545. Four and twolitre class: T. Crowe (Chch, Starlet Olds) 1, M. Johnston (Ashburton, Escort Turbo) 2, A. Farr (Timaru, Escort 1600) 3. Fastest lap: Crowe, 44.535. South Island Production Saloons: J. Little (Timaru, Chrysler Charger) 1, G. Jenkins (Dunedin, Torana XUI) 2, W. Murdoch (Timaru, Avenger) 3. Fastest lap. Jenkins, 535. Pre 65 Saloons: T. Parmenter (Timaru, Vauxhall) 1,1. Donald (Ashburton, Jaguar) 2, P. Swaney (Timaru, Hillman) 3. Fastest lap: Parmenter 53.355. Formula Libre: P. McEwan (Chch, G.L.H.) 1, K. Laney (Temuka, March) 2, A. McElrea (Ashburton, Van Dieman) 3. Fastest lap: Laney 46.715.