Motor sport and commercialism linked for good?

Press, 19 December 1985, Page 40

Motor sport and commercialism linked for good?

Motor sport is becoming more and more business orientated in New Zealand. There has been an element of commercialism in racing and rallying for many years, through driver and car sponsorship, but now the commercial elements are becoming much more deeply rooted. The point was made a week or so ago at the Manfeild racing circuit by Toyota New Zealand Ltd. Public affairs manager, Andy Cuming, holding court on the balcony of the company’s hospitality suite in the presence of Bob Field, the company’s chief executive, and' Jack Wills, the sales and marketing manager, let it be known that a motor sport company, Amon Adams Autosport Ltd, has been formed and would trade under the banner of Toyota Team New Zealand to co-ordinate the development of official race and rally cars for Toyota. It will also provide a full retail support operation for privateers racing and rallying Toyota cars. Incidentally, Toyota New Zealand Ltd proposes to extend its motor sport prize fund to privately entered Toyota racing cars. The company, according to Cuming, has committed itself to racing as well as rallying. At present there are 58 drivers registered in this Toyota scheme and nearly $50,000 has been paid out over the last 12 months.

Amon Adams Autosport Ltd will be an integral component of Toyota New Zealand’s motor sport strategy and will work with the motor sport policy committee of Toyota New Zealand.

Although television viewers who happen to notice the advertisements may believe that former Formula One racing driver Chris Amon is merely an' expensive ring-in to boost Toyota sales, the fact is that the Bulls farmer, who was once a member of the Ferrari Formula One and sports racing teams, happens to be one of the world’s foremost test drivers. He has transformed the bread-and-butter front-wheel-drive Toyota Corollas and Coronas which, in rear-wheel-drive guise, were among the more undistinguished Japanese hacks, into what are arguably the best handling and riding

BEHIND the WHEEL with Peter Greenslade

popular saloons on the market today. When Toyota New Zealand decided to use Amon’s expertise to transform the first generation front drive Toyotas into drivable saloons by critical New Zealand standards, the parent company’s suspension designers did not commit hari kari. On the other hand they did not jump over their drawing boards in glee.

Under the circumstances, it was interesting to learn that the Toyota Motor Corporation will be incorporating Amon’s “tweeks” in the cars he has modified, if they are destined for export markets in future.

That is not only another feather in the ex-Ferrari team drivers’ cap but also a decision that must enhance the corporate image of Toyota New Zealand Ltd — all the more so when it is realised that Lotus Cars, Britain’s prestigious highperformance car-maker and backer of one of the leading Formula One teams, is at present designing the chassis for two future Toyota models in competition with Toyota’s own engineering staff. Although it is generally known that Toyota is working closely with Lotus, it is satisfying to know that, through Chris Amon, Toyota New Zealand has directed some input in automative design into an area where it really matters. To rally and race fans, Paul Adams needs no introduction. He is perhaps the epitome of New Zealand car controllers and his exploits in rallying and, more recently in Group A saloon circuit racing, have become

almost legendary. Remarkably, he and his father-in-law and co-driver, Alan Woolf, have become one of the most formidable driver teams in Group A racing. Adams set the Toyota alight as a moderately priced hatchback among rally-wise new car buyers because he introduced a new element to the Toyota range with his rally successes.

Although Amon and Adams will front the company, it is not because they are simply names in the motor industry and motor sport. Their track records indicate that they have a vast store of knowledge to contribute and it will be harnessed and employed by David Trevett, a former Firestone (U.K.) design engineer who has had extensive overseas motor sport experience including suspension design work for Ferrari.

Yet another key man in the organisation will be Grant Fifield, a New Zealand development engineer who, this year has been responsible for the development and building work involved in JPS-Team BMW, the motor sport division of BMW Australia which is headed by Frank Gardner. Fifield can count the 1985 Australian touring and endurance car championships, won by New Zealand expatriate Jim Richards, among his most recent achievements.

The immediate developmental work Amon Adams Autosport Ltd will undertake for Toyota New Zealand will centre upon the Corolla 1600 GT, the rear drive coupe that Adams has rallied quite successfully and with which he and Alan Woolf scored third place in the recent Benson and Hedges Group A saloon car race at Pukehohe.

With sponsoring from UDC Finance Ltd, Adams and Woolf, with a second driver pairing of Mark Jennings and Dave Barrow, will contest the $120,000 Nissan Mobil 500 two-race series early in 1986. After that the company will prepare the Toyotas that will be contending the newly established production car series that will close the New Zealand motor . racing season in March and April.

Long term, it is probable that Team Toyota New Zealand will become involved

in the James Hardie 1000, Australia’s premier Group A saloon race on the legendary M Panorama circuit at Bathurst, New South Wales. According to Cuming,

such a campaign would involve the development by Amon Adams Autosport Ltd of a Celica or some other Toyota performance car. However, with boss Bob

Field nodding his head in agreement, Cuming made it plain that Amon Adams Autosport and Team Toyota New Zealand are agreed that it is in their best

interests to learn to crawl properly before they begin to walk. When that press conference ended, Field, looking about the Manfeild circuit,

proudly admitted that his company has rented the best hospitality suite available. “It’s directly opposite the start-finish line,” he said with a grin.