Trevor Crowe drives to perfection

Press, 1 September 1986, Page 25

Trevor Crowe drives to perfection

Trevor Crowe capped a successful day’s racing by comfortably winning the Sixlap final at the Canterbury Car Club’s Handy Hire rallycross meeting held on the new purpose-built circuit at Ruapuna Park yesterday. Crowe maintained a perfect score, by winning all his qualifying events, but his task in the final was made easier by mechanical failures which eliminated the two drivers who appeared likely to offer him his closest challenges, Bruce Reid and Dave Samson. Throughout the day there were problems with the track surface which cut up despite sterling work by the

organisers with rake and roller. The ruts which formed proved particularly hard on machinery. Due to ambiguity in the regulations some of the competitors were asked to change from the rally tyres, which they had used during the qualifying events, to road tyres, which had originally been stipulated, for the final.

One driver affected was Ashburton's Russell Haines, who powered away at the start of the final only to lose traction and spin his Mazda RX2 in front of the following pack.

After some hasty avoidances, Bob McCleary, driv-

ing well in his four-wheel racing debut, took a brief lead, but his Mazda RX3 was quickly overpowered by Crowe V 8 Starlet. From here on, interest centred on the efforts of Simon Davies to usurp Peter Cunliffe’s Mazda from third and Haines’ spectacular recovery drive at the rear of the field.

Crowe duly took the flag well clear of McCleary while Cuniiffe just held out the inspired Davies to retain third at the finish. In the first semi-final Crowe cruised to an easy victory from Murray Crampton’s Escort after Peter Kennard’s Nissan 1600 had run

off the circuit early on. Davies assured himself of a place in the final by pipping Jeff Marshall's Datsun on the last corner. The second semi-final was a lot closer after the favourite, Des Millar, eliminated himself in a mix-up with other competitors at the start; McCleary winning from Haines and Cunliffe.

Results.— semi-final (1): T. Crowe (Starlet V 8) 1, M. Crampton (Escort 2000) 2, S. Davies (Escort 1600) 3. Semi (2): B. McCleary (Mazda RX3) 1, R. Haines (Mazda RX2) 2, P. Cuniiffe (Mazda RX3) 3. Final: Crowe 1, McCleary 2, Cuniiffe 3.