Thrills on wheels

Press, 25 January 1988, Page 28

Thrills on wheels

Two thrilling heats of the Sun Valley Sports Sedan championship, which kept the crowd on their toes from start to finish, were the highlights of the support programme at the Benson and Hedges International motor race meeting at Wigram yesterday. In the opening event for the class, the Christchurch driver, Rob Kennard, returned to top form after a national championship campaign which has been plagued with mechanical maladies.

John Osborne, driving "The Spirit of Christchurch" Mazda Chev, narrowly held off Kennard and Rodger Freeth for three laps until Freeth shot ahead of the two heavier VBs under braking at the hairpin on the end of the third lap.

Freeth’s lead lasted less than half a lap before he retired with a broken universal joint allowing the two Christchurch drivers to duel to the finish. The Commodore of Glen Jones blew its engine with one lap to go, spreading oil onto the circuit and as Kennard and Osborne indulged in an outbraking battle into the hairpin for the last time both

got badly crossed up, with Kennard recovering to take first from Osborne who staggered to the line with a broken axle. Osborne was adamant that no oil flags had been shown at the hairpin, thus giving the two protagonists no warning of the oncoming hazard. Sunday’s Benson and Hedges Group A Touring Car championship race was, by way of contrast, clear cut.

Christchurch’s Trevor Crowe virtually wrapped up the title with a dominant win which saw him lap the entire field with the exception of the second placeman, the young Australian, Graham Gulson.

Craig Baird and Grant Campbell took a win each in the Formula Ford heats with some particularly fraught slip streaming battles being fought out around the airfield circuit.

Christchurch’s top rate driver, Paul Larsen, had a bad day mechanically, retiring from both heats with electrical and fuel problems. Another Christchurch driver, Grant Milligan, was most impressive in his older model Van Diemen. Provisional results:

Formula Pacific (Preliminary) 20 laps: P. Radisich (N.Z. Ralt RT4), 1; D. Hall (U.S., Swift) 2; D. Marvin (U.S. Ralt RT4) 3; D. Brabham (Australia Ralt RT4) 4; R. Groff (U.S. Ralt RT4) 5; K. Smith (N.Z. Ralt RT4) 6. Race time: 23:41.70.

Lady Wigram Trophy: Hall, 1; P. Tracy (Canada, Ralt RT4), 2; Marvin, 3; Smith, 4; T. Prappas (U.S. Ralt RT4), 5; P. Johnstone (U.S. Ralt RT4), 6.

Sports Sedans: Race 1: R. Kennard (Cortina V 8) 1, J. Osborne (Mazda Chev) 2; D. Grindley (Mazda Buick) 3. Race 2: R. Freeth (Starlet V 8) 1; Kennard 2; B. Willis (Commodore Chev) 3. Provisional results: Group A, Race 1: T. Crowe (BMW M 3) 1; J. Sax (BMW M 3) 2; R. Gulson (BMW 635csi) 3. Race 2: Crowe 1, G. Gulson (BMW 635csi) 2; L. McKellard (BMW 635csi) 3. Mini 7: S. Jones 1, J. Brook 2, B. Hartley 3. Race 2: Jones 1, G. Brewer 2, W. Collins 3. Formula Ford, Race 1: C. Baird (Van Diemen) 1; G. Campbell (Swift) 2; S. Higgins (Van Diemen) 3. Race 2: Campbell 1, Baird 2, I. McDonald (Van Diemen) 3. Laser TX3i: M. Rutherford 1, S. Taylor 2; K. Pateman 3.