Queenslander buys local team’s BMW

Press, 27 February 1986, Page 34

Queenslander buys local team’s BMW

By

PETER GREENSLADE

The Christchurch-based Archibald Motor Sport team has sold its black BMW 635C51 to the Queensland racing driver Charlie O’Brien. O’Brien also raced a 635CSi in the recent Nissan Mobil 500 Group A saloon car international race series on the Wellington waterfront street circuit and at Pukekohe.

He was so impressed with the Archibald car’s

performance in the hands of the Christchurch driver Trevor Crowe and the Queenslander Tony Longhurst (they were robbed of victory at Wellington with end-of-race suspension failure and finished second at Pukekohe) that he negotiated with the Christchurch racing team immediately after the series

ended. The Queenslander believes the black coupe is the quickest BMW 635SCi racing anywhere in the world.

With the Group A racing season ended, Archibald Motor Sport is making plans for next season. These include fielding a new BMW for the Benson and Hedges three-race endurance series about October.

Most likely, the car will be a 3 Series model from the Australian JPS,team, which is the motor sport division of BMW Australia, Ltd. However, it will not be an "M” version of the new BMW 325 because that will not be confirmed for Group A racing until just before the Nissan Mobil series early next year. “Our computer company sponsors, Burroughs LINC, Burroughs, Ltd, and

CCL Computers, Ltd, have indicated that they were pleased with the exposure they gained through our 6355C1 during the Group A racing season and they, are anxious to continue their association with Archibald Motor Sport,” said Mr John Fairhall, the team owner. “The likelihood of their continued sponsorship has given the team the confidence to pursue its ambitious plans for 1986-87 Group A racing.” Negotiations are now going ahead and, if the outcome is successful, Crowe, the team’s number one driver, will contest some rounds of the Australian Touring Car Championship, as well as the endurance series, including the James Hardie 1000 kilometres at Bathurst, this year.