Series shaping up for gran dstand finish After two rounds of I the Peter Stuyvesant series the man with the fastert car is obviously Graeme Lawrence. He set it new lap record at Pukekone, and set the fastest lime on a wet track at Manfeiki. He look over the lead of 1he Grand Prix on the twenty-second lap and seemed set for a comfortable win when three valve springs broke. And he led the field convincingly Manfield for 17 laps until a valve incker broke. The effort and care Lawrence's father, Douf, and their team put into preparing the Wix Lola T332 and its engines make such minor mishans even harder hear, hut they are the first 11) say "That's racing and 40t about preparing the car for the next race, Lawnice was confident before both rounds, and so he should have been, but The mechanical problems which have cost him a chance to win the P.O.S.B. series and gain an early advantage in the Stuyves. ani. series have tried the patience of him and his team. Only their professionalisın can make them carry on now, knowing they have the car and the driver to win at Wigram and Tere" tonga, but wondering what can go wrong next. Max Stewart. the big, hearty 40-year-old Australian veleran the Stuyvesant series, will approach Wigram with the confidence that Win Manfield entilles him lo. He knows Lawrence has the legs on han. but he knows too inat he has a better record of reliability this season. He will he out to win at Wigran, and, he hopes, gain points advantage which lew drivers will be able lo attack. KeN Smith is bitterly disappointed with his ninth placing at Manfield, especially after his win in the P.O.S.B. series and the New Zealand Grand Prix. He started with Lawrence on the front row of the grid at Manfield (they set the same time in practice) but had dropped in sixth place after 1wo laps. He picked up a place when Bartlett pitted, and passed Allison into fourth on lap Then Lawrence pitted, putting Smith in third, and he was ahead of Brian Redman for two laps after Redman spun. But the Englishman claimed back second spot and Smith appeared content to drive for a third, which would have given him a substantial points lead. But on lap 31 a tread came off one of his rain tyres and he was in the pits for about four minutes. Brian Redman, who has been rated as one of the 10 best driver's in the world, is the present American #5000 champion, so the spectacle of such a driver in ah utterly compelitive car is rather Redman is the sort of driver who could pedcile a Standard saloon among racers and not be disgraced, and as his two-litre Brambles Chevron B.M.W Formula Two car iS superbly prepared and very reliable, he has good chance of doing well in the championship. I he was in an F5000 car he would dominate all the events. As the underdog, Redman has the crowd on his side, which he enjoys; and as a thorough professional he aims to win, no matter ited. nf the Southland-built car. what the odds. the number Baton Robertson, iron Reports of a "death duel" two in the Sharp Hastings. Continues to canat Pukekohe both team, the Australian paign his Eitin MR5 and Redman and Kevin Bartlett Formula although there are a few laugh. They were simply has already faults in bus driving he driving as hard as they of Cannot afford the best knew how, and respect each handling much larger engines, nor can he afford other for il.. extend the one he has. Redman's fourth in the His Pukekohe The persistence of his shoe. Grand Prix was a faultless al string operation has been performance, but his second wet rewarded with some uselul at Manfield was marred by track he drove like and he two mistakes which might ents aims 1o be the there as the have cost him the race. eem finish a third or fourth He spun on the first lap have flair of place is not beyond him. while Lying to overtake winner but he has Graham Baker, from Max Stewart for second, here. Christchurch, has been frussaying later that he had at the ›ften trated this season by misjudged the speed at mechanical bother and was which Max would take the John allother overjoyed to race his Begg corner and clipped his rear had very PMS into fifth place at Manwheel; and he spun at the little his field after missing the G.P. hairpin on lap 24 -m his MR5 He will be keen to do own fault, he said, because Repco. has raced in *ch on as none lack and. he looked in the mirrors Formula for about barring mechanical failures, when he should have been lour the G.P. can be counted on to furn in concentrating on the road. in a good performance in a car Few drivers in the workd the 15000 car. which is no longer truly could have driven as quickly dim Murdoch bas bad bad competilive. Redman in the wet luck with the Bege O18 this Robbie Booth, front Auck- Manfeild. and it would be season and although he land, could finish no better almost worth the discomfort finished fifth in the G.P. he fhan tenth at Manfield in rain at Wigram to see crashed in practice at Man- the Matich Michigan this him perform on a wet track feild. The clutch failed on fastest lap was 1 min. 22.9 there. But Wigram is usually the main straight. the sec. compared with Lawdry. brakes would not slow the rence's 1:9.3) and cannot be This in way deters car enough and he hit expected to do more than Redman. He's heard of Ken bank, damaging the finish at Wigram. Smith's brilliant perform- monocoque shell. held The same could he said ance there when he for Gary Love if he starts fourth position in his two- Murdoch is a capable and litre March 732 two years competitive driver and with in the Begg FM4, and Neil of luck could show Doyle has yet to start in ago until the battery fell crowd the Surtees TS9B this the Wigram his off. And he knows that on amount of skill he has and although the car is circuit as fast Wigram, with 120 m.p.h. the brilliance of the design potentially quite fast. corners, a smaller car sometimes has the advantage. He says he hopes to be able Max Stewartgo. through the corners with his foot. flat, instead of having lift nif like the drivers five-litre cars. Bruce Allison is not the as hard as the fastest driver in the series su lar, but his points lead shows that he has been most consistent. A reliable engine allowed him l0: "I'm the oidest open- routine and rigorous check inherit second place wheeler driver in Aust- between races. "There's no Pukekohe, and he fought such thing. as bad luck, ralia,' said Max Stewhard for his fourth at Man- alts had manages Sit, bat feila, afler putting a coll art, aged 40. He didnt "It's bad management, rod through the sump dui- say so, but he is also organisation, bad driving." ing practice: Belore the the most successful this He seems very emphatic. race, his mechanics changed Selwyn In Orange (he shifted to season, writes Sydney this year), he did the engine three times in) "Sydney Parker of the his time as mechanic, three days. Morning Herakd." But Allison is a very and says his knowledge of talented driver трет all his cars great fellow-competitors say So lar he has won the strength. "Sometimes and he is very s1100th 10 Grand Prix for think I can get more out of Australian of watch - and he has what the car than I can out the second successive year, Iysell." coul prove to be big the Toby Lee for the advice and Formula 5000 the drivers, such as advantage: cars, his team-mate Kevin Barthelp of the reigning Tas- first round of the frans. champion, Warwick Tasman series, and the sec- lell. have quicker reflexes, Brown. the Stuyve- he says. They can also Brown's position of men- sant series. make car that is not for to Allison is another He dues not look 40. quite in peak tune go fast. oddity of this series, espec- Standing well over 180 cm, He can not do that, but he ially when he has can tell whether a car is he appears fit in spite of a "off" or "on," and advise good engines and a keen slight paunch underneath sponsor in Los Angeles. But mechanics how to improve his T-shirt. weathered, the locol promoters would performance. lived-in face is crowned by not offer him the sort of an incongruous (10p Are his own reflexes money he would need to long blond hair. He is very fast as they. once were? "l here, and he's on the courtcous. He also swears. don thinking ipping as sideline. driving. But Allison seems to be will- An acquaintantewar ac something im watching all terised Stewart the time.' ing to listen to Brown'si advice and Brown 15 an having "a hell of a lot of Max Stewart does not rough edges, but the most experienced Wigram cam- honest bloke I know." smoke, drinks lightiy, goes paigner so Allison should for the occasional jog (but be among the first 10: At the moment he scems otherwise does not concenfinish the race, even if hel entirely at home. In the trate on physical fitness). does not break the lap i Manly workshop where he His years have made him prepares his team of four record. 5000 he mature m says. Of the remaining drivers, Formula cars iS "Probably more Kevin surrounded by old lyres, cautious. I think things out only Jin Murdoch, Bartlett and Pau) Berna- drums of racing fuel, wheel betler. sconi can he considered a rims, scattered racing over- His temperament has inalls, all kinds ol biis and serious threat. pieces and, of the proved with the ears, too. Bartlett proved with his 'When' I'm disappoinied I cars menacing-looking drive in the Grand Prix red insects of glass fibre just get quieter and that he is in top form, and and inctal sitting on lour quieler. He claims not to his third place must have rubber feel. Visitors have kick holes in the car, like made up for some of the some other drivers, l0 be carciul where they "Lane it out on the wile."'" disappointments he has step in case they tread on suffered in Australia! something important. This year he has had recently. little to be disappointed 'Most of the cars are in about. The general manager AL Manfoild, he held third pieces. undergoing their hei of Sharp Corporation, Mr for three laps until spun, knocking a radiator Bob Belyca, delighted hose off. After making with his company's decision repairs he rejoined the race and circulated as quickly as the others in the wet, finish sixth. Fic has the Lola T400 going well, and is all set to add to the five still driving youngsters to sponsor Stewart's teamn, A motor-racing enthusiast who jokes that he once raced through the Esses at Bathurst in a billy-cart, Bob Belyea turns up at most of Stewart's races, In the pits, he says, Stewart is even-tempered, and only gets impatient when others members of the team leave things to the last minute. "He often surprises me. I've asked him whether he's done soand-so and he says: 'i fixed that a week ago'" The sponsorship deal with Sharp was fixed, not with a contract, but a shake of the hand. Nothing has been signed. Sponsorship has meant that Stewart, for the first time in 22 years of racing motor-bikes and cars, is a professional full-time driver. He says wistfully that lack of money has held him back throughout his career, and talks with discernible envy • of Bruce Allison, the 22-year-old Queenslander whose ents have sponsored him into $26,000 Formula 5000 cars at an age when, Stewart says, he could hardly afford to replace the front lyre of his racing bike. He sold up his Toyota dealership in Orange, plant-l ning to finance his racing through a used car lot. The Sharp sponsorship (whose amount has not been disclosed) came out of the blue. But sponsors finance only the racing = cars, spares, repairs, trailers, tyres, etc. It's the challenge that keeps Stewart going. Certainiy, there's not money in it, he says, and turns to Kevin Bartlett! for endorsement. "Why do you keep rac ing, Kevin?" Bartlett pon-l ders Smoking cigarette. •beely she odd achievement. Certainly not the money. You'd have to have rocks in vour head toi think there's any money in it." Bartlett has been rac-' ing for 17 years. I ask 1he inevitable question. • Does the danger worry you? "You're aware of it, but I don't stick my neck out." Max Stewart is married with two teenage daughlers. His wife, Margaret, rarely goes to the track, but watches the race at home on television. Does she get nervous? "Very much so," he says. "If l went home today and said I'd retire, she'd be the hap piest person in the world."