24-1-78 26-9-78 Rosberg' appeal set for Thursday Finnish racing driver Reke Rosberg should know or Thursday whether he has the Peter Stuyvesant international series in the bag, or whether all his hopes rest on Sunday's Lady Wigram trophy race. Rosberg's lead in the series is threatened by a pen alty imposed after the first of his two wins at Teretonga at the weekend. He was alleged to have jumped the start and a oneminute penalty. relegated him trom first to ninth place i the race. He has appealed against the penalty and the committee of the Motorsport Association of New Zealand will consider the case in Christchurch on Thursday. If the appeal is allowed -and Rosberg believes he has a strong case-then he has won the series without even starting at Wigram. If not. Australian Larry Perkins. who has 37 points 12 fewer than Roseberg could take the Wigram race and the title driver Auckland Brett Riley. who was admitted to Kev Hospital after crashing in the last lap of the second heat of the Peter Stuyvesant series at Teretonga on Sunday, was to be discharged today. Riley fractured his leg and ankle when his car slid off the track going out of the main straight. He said he bad noticed the wheel was locking up slightly and had slowed a little. and Danny Sullivan, travelling immediately behind him, was beginning to catch him. He thought the car would make it to the finish I but on the straight in the last lap the wheel locked completels, sending him into a bank. After his discharge. Riley will take a holiday and hopes to get to Migram to see the last race in the series. PETER ST -SAN Valuable purs for streamlined, five-ra ce: ser The Peter Stuyvesant motor racing series. has origins in the old Tasman series which be. gan about 14 years ago. What started out as eight-round championship incorporating four saces in Australia, has now been refined to a five round all New Zealand contest for the rich purse of $85,000. While the first New Zealand motor racing probably took place shorty aiter the second motorcar arrived on these shores, the early days of the lasman seres were a golden era for motorsport here. Bruce McLaren, Jim Clark, Jackie Stewart, Chris Amon, Graeme Lawrence, Granam MeRae, and Peter Gethin - the names engraved on the Tasman Cup trophy read like a "Who's Who" of motorsport. I you add the names of individual race winners in the series since its inception in 1964, the list grows more impressive - Jack Brabham, Graham Hill, Denny Hulme, Piers Courage, Jochen Rindt, Frank Gardner and Frank Matich Falent With such obvious abounding in its early days, the Tasman series produced outstanding racing. The 1969 series was the last to see all the international drivers and it was a real credit to New Zealand's Chris Amon that he beat Rindt, Graham Hill, Derek Bell, Jack Brabham, Gardner and Courage to win the series. The remainder of the Tas man series and the start of the Peter Stuyvesant series finto which it evolved, were Teally the story of Graham McRae. The outspoken New Zeabander won in 1971, 1972 and 1973 and was clearly the fastest man in the series in 1974 but was let down by mechanical fallures. It was the Englishman, Peier Gethin in bis team: • VDS Chevron B24 who headed off Australia's Max Stewart and Belgian Teddy Pilette for the title. The Australians really made their mark the following year, through the young. ster warwick Brown, with his slogan "Eat 'em Alive in "75." Then only 24, Brown won at Uran park, Sydney, as well as Pusekobe and was never lower than fourth on the grid. He also captured two poie positions and comfortably won the Peter Stuyvesant title. Up until 1976 the series had been over eight rounds, shared between Australia and New Zealand. In that year however, it was split in two with the four-race New Zealand Peter Stuyvesant series matched by the Rothmans series in Australia. The more compact pack- es And there was also that man named Rosberg. Arriving as he did, ory two days before the first round of the series at Bay Park, Tauranga, Reke Rosberg was an quantity. Even after Bay Park, when he failed to finish because of mehcanical probiems, no-one guessed what was to come. Winning next three rounds in a row - including a devastating drive at Teretonga where be lapped all but the second and third cars - and running second at Wigram, gave him a comfortable series win. American Tom Gloy took out the Wigram round, and second place overall, with Australian Bruce Allison third. Previous winners of the Tasman series. - 1964, Bruce McLaren (New Zealand); 1965, Jim Clark (UK); 1966 Jackie Stewart (UK): 1967, Jim Clark (UK); 1968, Jim Clark, 1969. Chris Amon (NZ); 1970, Graeme Lawrence (NZ) ; 1971-73, Graham McRae (N.Z.) Peter Stuyvesant Series: 1974, Peter, Gethin (UK); 1975, Warwick Brown (Australia); 1976, Ken Smith (NZ) : 1977, Keke Rosberg (Finland). SER LADY WIGR age without the problems of transtasman transport, allowed the New Zealand promotors to attract double American F5000 champion Brian Redman. Redman was destined not to win the series, but his performances in the two-litre BMW-po#ered Chevron B29 were to have a profound effect on its future. It was certainly the yeal for the popular litte Auckland driver Ken Smith who had a brilliant season to become the 1976 titleholder and the first resident New Zealander to win the New Zealand Grand Prix. Yet even against the big five-litre cars and the agression and tactical skill of Smith, Brian Redman and bis Chevron grabbed plenty of attention. There was much less surprise therefore, than there might. have been, when it was subsequently announced that for 1977, New Zealand was adopting the two-litre Pacific Formula for the series. Redman had clearly shown that the cars were quick, entertaining and handled magnificently. The 1977 series was testimony itself to the wisdom of the change in formula. Ful grids and exciting racing were evidence that Formula Pacific had breathed new life into New Zealand motor racing. ES AM FINAL ROUND Series Lap times points •The points in the Peter Stuyvesant series after the penultimate round at Teretonga last weetend, subject to appeal, were: Rosberg 49, : Perking 37, Sullivan 26, - "Rahal McMillan 12, Miedecke 11, Oxton 10, Riley 10, Millen 9, Smitie 7, Melville Stone 1. The lap records at Wig ram are: Single. seaters. Outrigh: record, G. Michae, McRae GMZ, 1.02.65; Formula Pacific, K. Rosberg, Chevron B34, 1.11.00. Saloon Cars: Outright record,. A. Moffat, Chev Monza, 1.17.6; 0-6000cc, L. Mustang _ 1.19.0; Leonara, R. Hart, Ford ES- 0-2000cc, cart, BDG, 1.25.3; o-1600cc R • Francevie, Datsun 1.29.0 Prizemonev Prizemoney for the 1978 Peter Stuyvesant series is laid down to a formula that allows $17,000 each quali fying round. The prizemoney is divided among competitors in each heat as follows: First $2125; second $1250; third $1000; fourth $700; fifth $550; sixth $425; seventh $350; eighth $250; ninth $200; tenth-twentieth $150 each. Points for the 1978 Series will be awarded to finishers in each beat as follows: For each heat the points system will be first 9 points; second 6; third 4; fourth 3; fith 2; sixth 1. In the event of two or more drivers accumulating the same total of points in a round, the higher placing will be awarded to the driver whose sotal elasped times for the two heats is smaller.