‘Big banger’ set for retard to the track

Press, 9 November 1984, Page 15

‘Big banger’ set for retard to the track

Throughout the years, many cars and drivers have captured the imagination of New Zealand motor racing spectators, but perhaps none have had as much appeal as the all-conquering P.D.L. Mustang H. The Christ-church-built racing saloon was described on its debut in 1977 as the most sophisticated racing saloon in the world.

In the hands of one of New Zealand’s top saloon car drivers, Leo Leonard, the car broke lap records at every circuit in the country and simply devastated the opposition. On one occasion the low-slung orange machine started half a lap

behind the field on the vast Wigram circuit and still managed to take the chequered flag first. In many ways, the car’s very invincibility brought about its downfall. It is now history that the Mustang II heralded the end of an era in New Zealand saloon car racing. The Christchurch team had created the nearultimate car for this class of racing and nobody else could compete. When the sports administrators in their wisdom scrapped the “big banger” class of racing in favour of the smaller, up to two litre formula, now known as Shellsport saloons, late in

1977, the team was left with virtually nowhere to run. their futuristic car and eventually the machine was left to lie idle for a number of years, including spending some time in the Hall of Wheels at Fen-ymead. this year, Mr Peter Stewart, the son of Sir Robertson Stewart, the chairman of P.D.L. Industries, and himself a former racing driver, suggested to Sir Robertson that as the car had been built as a racing car it should be maintained as such and restored to full racing condition.

Sir Robertson had received numerous requests

for the car to be demonstated at various events, and with this in mind he contacted the well-known Canterbury motor-sport personality and former P.D.L. team driver, Clyde Collins, to rebuild the car to its former pristine condition.

The car has been completely stripped and rebuilt by the Clyde Collins team and aside from obvious things such as tyres and brakes the car was found to be in excellent condition. Unfortunately the car’s original special alloy engine block was found to be damaged beyond repair and has had to be replaced with a cast iron version. However,

Sir Robertson is confident that the car will still be able to show a good turn of speed at demonstration runs, the first of which is expected to be the Ruapuna 21st anniversary meeting on Sunday.

Mr Peter Stewart will drive the car, still in its original orange colour, but it is envisaged that the original driver, Leonard, will be invited to put the car through its paces on occasions.

The original red P.D.L. colours will be seen this season on the Commodore Chevrolet run by the Collins team in OJS.CA. racing and

will be driven by Avon Hyde. The car has already proven competitive by winning the “flying farewell” at the first meeting of the season at Ruapuna on October 7.

Mr Collins is anxious to dispel the impression that this is a “big buck” return to motor racing by PD.L. “There is no point in going out and winning races by half a lap, what we have with O.S.CA. at the moment is ideal, with excellent close racing and everyone still enjoying the sport,” he said. Over the winter, the team has carried out modifications to the Commodore’s

suspension geometry to help give the car more traction. Mr Collins is not in favour of running wings and other big aerodynamic devices on his cars preferring instead that the Commodore "retains its original profile and still looks like a car.”

The Commodore will appear at all Arbuckles OJS.CA. championship rounds this season, and although no definite programme has been mapped out for the Mustang, there is the possibility that it too might take part in the occasional “allcomers” type event. JOHN HAWKINS