Continental flavour to Formula Pacific racing series

Press, 20 November 1987, Page 13

Continental flavour to Formula Pacific racing series

For the first time in many years, New Zealand’s Formula Pacific international motor racing series may have a Continental flavour about it, as the Schnitzer BMW M 3 driver, Austrian Roland Ratzenberger, has evinced an interest in racing Ken Smith’s Ralt RTS in the five race series at Manfield, Bay Park, Pukekohe, Wigram and Timaru.

Ratzenberger, winner of the 1986 Formula Ford Race of Champions at Brands Hatch, England, and now an established Formula 3 racer, drove a Schnitzer BMW M 3 in Australia and in the Nissan .Mobil 500 Group A World Championship Touring Car round in Wellington recently. Smith has a couple of Ralt RT4s available for the Benson and Hedgessponsored Formula Pacific series, but for the first time in many years, it appears he will not be contesting New Zealand’s only open-wheeler international series himself. He underwent successful heart surgery recently and has decided on a thorough and extensive recuperation before getting behind the wheel of a race'car again. Smith, a successful race horse owner as well as racing driver, has had sdme great days in his colourful career. The next one will be November 20, when the Governor-General, Sir Paul Reeves, will invest

him a Member of the British Empire, an honour Queen Elizabeth bestowed upon him in her birthday honours for services to motor racing. Ratzenberger’s engagement for the series has yet to be confirmed, but already there are definite American starters.

This year’s North American Formula Atlantic Champion, and the runner-up, Johnny O’Connell and Dean Hall, respectively, are booked to race here in January. They are forceful 20-year-old drivers arid will be joined by the 23-year-old winner of this year’s Honda American Challenge, Parker Johnstone, and Dave Simpson, son of the well-known United States racing personality, Bill Simpson, who raced in New Zealand, with a Formula 5000 Eagle at Bay Park back in 1970. The opening round in the Formula Pacific series will be at Manfield, Feilding, on January 2, with races at Bay Park, Pukekohe, Wigram and Timaru following on successive week-ends.

According to Brian Lawrence, motorsport manager of Global Sports and Promotions, the company running the series on behalf of Benson and Hedges, about 20 openwheelers are expected to participate in the series. If such proves to be the case, it holds promise of the best Formula Pacific racing this country has seen in years.