29-1-77 Flying without a wing? By RUSSELL JONES Keke Rosberg has already won the Peter Stuyvesant international motor-racing series but he is still determined to win the fifth round at Wigram tomorrow, 50 determined that he may be prepared to take a gamble. "If the circuit is as fast as everyone says it is the race will go to the driver who can get the highest speed out his the straights," he said yesterday. "And I think that Tom Gloy's Tui may have the edge over my Chevron in top speed." Rosberg, and seven of the other overseas drivers, wil have their first look at the, airfield circuit this morning. By this evening they will have done 30 or 40 laps of practice and decided how to set their cars up for the fast! and difficult circuit. The man who can come to grips with Wigram and adjust his car to it in thel snortest time may well be the winner tomorrow. Rosberg thinks he can be the one, but he is facing stiff competition, particularly from Gloy. Mikko Kozarowitzky (Finland, Chevron), Dave McMillan (New Zealand, Ralt), and Bruce •Allison (Australia, Ralt). After a few laps to learn the circuit and try to set a fast time Rosberg will decide whether to take hisi gamble: to run his car without a rear wing. The drag caused by the wing slows the car down on the straights, but the downthrust helps keep the rear wheels on the ground during cornering, thus increasing (cornering speeds. Rosberg's gamble would be that he could control his Formula Pacific car with enough skill and daring to stay with his rivals through corners, and have a definite advantage on the straights. it , might work, but he would be pushing his car so near to the limit that the chances of making a mistake: would be magnified. And one mistake could cost him the chance of having four wins in a row. Fred Opert, who runs the Chevron team of Rosberg and nozarowitzky, thinks that four consecutive wins for Rosberg in New Zealand could guarantee him a Formula One drive. And that is the Finn's immediate ambition. The Opert team has fitted a new motor to Rosberg's! car since Teretonga, and this was run in at Ruapuna yesterday by Grant Walker, who working as a mechanic with the team. Walker, a young New Zealander who has won the Formula Ford championship and done well in saloon rac: ing at the wheel of a very fast Capri, hopes to race one of the Opert Chevrons next season. Other drivers to try their cars at Ruapuna yesterday were Allison, Richard Melville Jamaica, March), and David Oxton (New Zealand Chevron). Mcwillan tested hi: Ralt during the week .; try to guard against a recurrence of the problems he had at Teretonga. After the race he found a loose wire had caused the misfiring which had dropped him from second place to fifth. Alter Manfeild, the man who builds racing engines for the world's top Formula One drivers, John Nichoison, was the only driver left in the series with a chance of scoring points in all five rounds. But an overheating motor put him out at Teretonga and : now no-one can claim this honour. Nicholson is a fast and competent British Formula having won two British Atlantic championships since he left New Zealand in 1969, and could be worth watching tomorrow. Although seven drivers have_dropped _out _of thei series since it began at Bay Park five weeks ago one driver is making his series debut tomorrow. Steven Emson, of Auckland, has bought the Modus raced by Phil Sharp and after testing at Bay • Park early this week he decided to bring the car to Wigram. Emson will aiso race his Datsun saloon, which he drives very but he coul quickly indeed, surprise with this ability at the wheel of a single-seater. The only South island driver in the series, Graham Baker, of Christchurch, has had a foul run of luck in his Birrana but if everything comes right for him at Wigram he could give the more fancied drivers a run for their money. Although Rosberg must start as short-odds favourite tomorrow he would be the first to say that a thousand things can go during a race which lasts nearly an hour. The winner's cheque of $3000 could finish up with any one of half a dozen drivers. They will all be trying very hard. Cotter Ford Stuyve eter Rodney Heads, aged eight, of Blufi, sits in Keke Rosherg's Chevron B 31 Formula Pacific car in Cathedral Square yesterday where Rosberg (left) had his car on display. Finn still at top J - By JOHN FRIDD ¡see my parents before going offer of a Formula Three to England and unfortuna drive in a Wihuri Titan in Mikko Kozarowitzky tely feil off my bike and 1970 in which be continued would probably have been broke my legi said to build racing experience. playing the professional yesterday in Christchurch, The following tennis circuits of the world while signing autographs for spent in national service end now had he not broken his young fans. Kozarowitzky then went into leg nine years ago, but he is, Kozarowitzky spent the demanding class now on the way to the top broken-hearted six months Super Vee. anyway, in the world with an entire leg in plaster Kozarowitzky quicily motor-racing. and it was eight months be established himself and non Kozarowitzky was a rising the European Super lee siar in European tennis be- championsnip two years fatfore he fell off his motor- ning, in 1974 and 1975. cycle in his rative Finland The Marlboro racing team just before he was to make knew & good man when tre! his first appearance at Wim- saw him and snapped up Diedon, where ne was seeded Kozarowitzky for the 1976 eighth il the fumor secaon. Formula season. He then immersed himself first raced a Lola T460 but in economics studies for the team could not get the three years and later went Icar sorted out for racing and Into motor-racing, and is abandoned it for & March. driving in New Zealand in Kozarowitzky the Peter . Stuyvesant series, have much success during which finishes at Wigram to- his first season in the "big morrow. time" but gained the exzarove i had won the perience that he feels will Kozarowitzky won the make him prominent in For- Finnish under 16 tennis mula Two next season. championships and when he He knows he has to rin was 15 he won the under 16/ races to be noticed for posand under 18 championships. sible Formula One drives This success encouraged him and the likable Finn is sare to work towards a profes- KOZAROWITZKY to be challenging his fellow sional career and he played Finn, Keke Rosberg — Fio tournaments as fore he held & tennis racket has the New Zealand series possible while still at school. again. Isewn up — for the right to In the winter he played *I thea quit my aim of be called the top Finnish for the University of Miami being a top tennis playez driver, and later possibly ide on the Caribbean circuit and and decided to go for a busi- world champion. In his tinai season on the mess career; I studied ecor-i European circuit he won two omics for three years and|liked to take back the New major tournaments in Ger- did little else," be said. Pacific many, beating such stars as! Kozarowitzky then bought Bob Carmichael, of Austra-ja little Formula Vee car and growing stature in Europe, la, on his way to the top. began his racing career, fol-but he has suffered the During his period at the lowing in inho wasteps of mechanical problems for the top of Finnish played regularly in the Fin- Finnish racing driver before his team-mate, Rosberg, sas nish Davis Cup team, which he was Killed in practice for virtually nad a trouble-tree was hampered by the facta sports car championship.run. that there are no grass race in a Lotus Climax in| However, Kozarowiziy courts in Finland — most of 1956, in Finland. has thoroughly enjoyed the the courts are either outdoor. In 1969, only a year after New Zealand series and mil gravel ones of indoor courtsh e started racing, be back next year if posin huge stadiums. Kozarowitzky won the Fin-sible, with double the nam- "I was at my peak then, nish Formula Vee champion-/ber of overseas drivers. and was ready to go to ship. In the same year he "The series has been fan- Wimbledon to play in the won an internationa, race atitastic; its the best thing trat runior section. i went home unruxton, in England. has happened to me and Fre for a few days to Finland to This success brought theireally enjoyed it, • he said.