23-1-80 Third ELCIR Round of Aurora A .F.X. Series N.Z. series F1 bree The world's best racing drivers can longer come to New Zealand each January to compete here, because of the demands of the li-month Formula One season. However, the annual New Zealand Formula Pacific series is proving an important breeding ground for tuture stars. This was illustrated only two weeks ago when the flying Finn, Keke Rosberg, brought his Fittipaidi Wolf home in third place in the Argentine Grand Prix, the first round of the 1980 championship. Rosberg won the 1977 and 1978 lew Zealand series and then moved up io Formula One. Two young men racing in this year's Auroroa AFX are expected to follow Rosberg's footsteps and be racing Formula One within two or inree vears. The are Mike Thackweil. New Zealand-born driver who staried racing in Australia and now. lives in Britain, and Andrea de Cesaris, a fast Italian. Thackweil is only 18 but already has some impressive victories io his credit. A British newspaper recently tipped him become the youngest world champion at 23, but of course this depends on his getting a drive in a competitive caI. De Cesaris has looked the more mature driver in the Aurora series so far. and he toon second piace in the British Vanderve!! mula Three championship last year, pipping Thackwell. The two youngsters are driving for the WOrKS March team in New Zealand. Last year March scooped the pool with Teo Fabi in its very fast gro un d-effecte Varch 782B, but this year the team is severely handicapped by a change in the rules 10 ban side-skirts: The March 792B was de- signed around skirts, which suck the back the car on to the track in corners, and the team has to run more "wing" at the rear in New Zealand to keep the cars the irack. This in turn slows down the cars markedly on the straights because of the increased wind Iesistance. Another problem is the cars' weight. They are designed for Formula Thro and weigh 50 kg more then the Raits which are sweeping all before them in Formula Pacific- Atlantic racing this sea- However, the March team has two talented drivers to get the best out of the cars. Thackwell started racing in Perth at the age of 11 after his family moved there from Auckland. His fatner, Ray, ino raced ding gr occasionally. at Ardmore, encouraged him to take up karting and he won the Hong Kong junior G.P. ai 14 It wasn': unti: 1978 chai Thackwell moved up to Formula Ford, but he was immediately successful in the British series, gaining 25 placings in the first three from 31 siarts, including 10 wins. Las: year he moved up to Formula Three and was once again very competitive winning SIX races and finishing third in the Vanderve!] series. Haliway through the season Thackwell was on the verge of quitting the game because of lack of money, but the Australian is now. heavily backing the youngster. recognising his potential. Maybe Thackweil will take over round Carlos Reutemann's place in the Leyiand Williams team when he retires. Andrea de Cesaris is a 20-year-old from Rome. He also started in karts and won the world 100 cu cm championship • in 1976 at the age of 17. He then moved up to Superford and Formula Three racing, coming under the Mariboro banner as the company recognised his potentiai. In 1978 de Cesaris finished seventn in the British F3 championship and last year he was the fastes: driverin British F3, despite havng to concede the championship to ine Brazilian, Chico Serra. because of a number of mistakes during the season. De Cesaris is moving up to Formula Two this ard should be snapped us by a Formula One team either nex: vear or in 1982. FRAN Sat. Jan -26, Sun.ng YME Jan-27 BRETI RILEY 1s once again back in his March 7iB, now painted green to stand out in the field. Riley has had a frustrating British Formula Three season with the Unipart team, finishing fifth. He now plans to move up to Formula Two or the British Aurora Formula One series.. Riley, second iss last year's New Zealand series behind Teo Fabi, may also drive a Rover 3500 in the British saloon championship. JOHN SMITH is an aggressive Sydner driver who is @ regular competitor in Formula Pacifie races here. Driving his Juicy Kalt, Smith has bettered the lap records at both the Lakeside (Queensiand) and Oran Park (Sydney) tracks — an impressive achievement considering that both records were heid 1bt00 cars. Smith is the fastest regular Formula Pacine driver in Australia and his Ralt will be suited. to the Wigram track Nike Inackwell (left) and Andrea de Cesaris •.. two young men on the way to the top.