Club celebrates anniversary

Press, 5 December 1988, Page 34

Club celebrates anniversary

The South Canterbury Car Club celebrated the twentyfirst anniversary of the opening of its Levels raceway circuit with a mixed bag of historic and current racing classes at the circuit yesterday. After Robin Wilkinson had won the opening race for Agip Oils Mini 7s Avon Hyde was back into his winning ways in the second race. Hyde moved into the lead on lap three while behind him Jeff Brook and Doug Drake battled over second while John Hamilton, having his best meeting of the season, was the fast mover in the pack, carving his way to fourth place.

The third race developed into a thrilling duel between Hamilton and Hyde who moved clear of the rest. Hyde shadowed Hamilton all the way but, when his attempted passing move came unstuck at the sweeper Hamilton was home clear with Hyde recovering for second. With the championship leader, Paul Larsen, eliminated yesterday after a collision with Keith Laney’s Formula Pacific earlier in the day, the way was clear for a new star to take the limelight in the Formula Ford championship races. Dean Gullery took his first win from the hard trying Phil Walker in the first encounter

after Blair Smith had thrown down a strong challenge in the early laps. Smith’s race ended when his car rode over Walker’s back wheel at the end of the front straight and suffered suspension damage. Smith made amends in the second race which featured a classic slip streaming battle between the first three. Gullery, Walker and Smith all took turns at leading before Smith made it stick while Walker overhauled Gullery in a last ditch attempt. Garry Cooper, driving an Anglia, was fortunate to hold on to win the 15 lap Pre 65 saloon feature event. Cooper’s car, which had led from the seventh lap when he usurped

Gareth Hall, faltered on the last lap allowing Paul Roffey’s 1955 Chevrolet and Wayne Austin’s Anglia to close the gap, narrowly missing out on passing Cooper on the last straight. The earlier, six lap event for the pre 65s had seen Roffey inflict a rare defeat on Robin Laing’s Falcon after the latter had run off the circuit, and dropped to second. Peter Booth was a clear winner of the clubman’s scratch race with his rapid Starlet, while .Roger Townshend and Glen Buist entertained the crowd with some spectacular driving in their RS Escorts.