23-1-80 THE TAT ELECTRONICS LADY WIGRAM TROPHY MEETING Third Round of Aurora A.F.X. Series. Sat., Jan-26, Sun., Jan-27 Shellsport getting better Some of the most fast which was first raced by of Dunedin. Aitken wOn fast Mini driver from the and furious racing seen at Graham MCRae at Man- both rounds at Bay past who has just te Wigram on Sunday will be ¡eila last week-end, and Park and once at turned to racing and in the Shellsport two-litre could arive this at Wigt- Pukekohe in his I20Y getting faster with every saloon championship. am. It is believed that his hatch-back and Cook has meeung. Shellsport racing gets bet- 160J wil ten be driven been finding it harder and Roy Harrington, of ter by the year and last by the former O.S.C.A. harder to keep up with Auckland, has emerged in year's champion, Reg champion from Timaru, him. his Escort T.C. as the big- Cook, of Auckiand. is Kevin Ryan, who could Two other South Island gest tbreat to the Datsun finding it increasingly also emerge as a Shelis- drivers who are right up supremacy. Mike Moore, hard to win with his high- port top-runner. with the leaders are John of Palmerston North, Is ly-modified Datsus 160J, Cook's rivals at Wigram Dymand (Christchurch, L another quick Escort which has a two-iitre on Sunday will include and P Datsun 1200 coupe) driver and a familiar car motor. several Datsun and Rod Collingwood at Wigram will be the In fact Cook has built a the fastest (Dunedin, Datsun 1200 Californian Chicken Escort Datsun 140J SGX drivers is Grant Aitken, whom coupe). Collingwood is a of Kevin Ryan, which now frant Aithen teads Meg Cook in a very wet Sheisport race at Pukekone all the has a 1600 T.C. motor and Warren Steel (Taupo) as driver. Steel has soid his im. maculate Escort 1600 Mark Il to the young Christchurch driver, Mark Rutherford, who has moved up from Escort Sport racing to try for the big time. Rutherford has the skill to be a big threat ' nexi season. time Toyota will be renresented by Warren Burt (Timaru) and Merv Whis- Ion (Dunedin). There should be at least 20 cars lined up for the start of the Shelisport races at Wigram, and the racing will be extremely close and fast if those so far this season are any• thing to go by. shen The "big-banger" D.S.C.A. racing at Wigram should be close. Here, Inky Tullock (Capri Cher.) and John Osborne (Camaro) fight it out in an earlier O.S.C.A. round. Larg At least nine V8-powered "big-bangers" will roar away from the grid in the $1000 Open Saloon Car Association classic at Wigram on Sunday. top North Islander, Wayne Huxford, is making the trip south to race dis e big-saloons field spectacular five-litre Capri and the South Island's top drivers are very keen to ensure that Huxiord is kept of the winner's rostrum on Sunday. Inky Tulloch, of Mataura, will once again be the man to beat in his bie. black Hiab Capri Chev 5.8. However, Tulloch has been pressed this season by the Double R Camaro of the Christchurch driver, John Osborne, and Osborne is leading the O.S.C.A. A class. Jan Munt, of Christchurch, is getting faster on every outing in his rebuit Hamilton Brushes Capri 5.7 and could also Sports DOOr handie-to-doorhandle, bumper-to-bumper - that's Escort Sport racing. The spectacular Sports will have a round of their championship • at Wigram and are certain to turn on plenty of action for the crowd. The Escort Sport race at the New • Zealand Grand Prix meeting at Pukekone earlier this month had the crowd of 10,000 ou feet, as the South African single-seater star, Desire Wilson, led going into the final lap in her Masport Escort. Mrs Wilson must have thought she had the race won, but had not reckoned the determination and sKil of Phil Fava (AucE- give Tulloch some headaches. - The experienced Ashburton driver Rod McElrea, has rebuilt his Boss Mustang 302 and could be a big threat, as will the fast-improving Gary Jerkins (Gore, Victor Chev). Another Christchurch driver, Bob Slade, who used to race a V8-powersd Capri • O.S.C.A. events. will make his come-back in the ex-Chris Morris Mustang. The Dunedin driver, Ross Cameron, will core to Wigram with his Cataro and Tony Newton (Ashbarton, Cortina Chev) Is also expected to race on Sunday. • With such" e classy, close field of big saloons the O.S.C.A. final on Sunday should provide a fine spectacle, as the drivers will be abie to really oven up the big cars on the open airfield circuit Dave Waldron (Christchurch, Escort, turbo) and John Haszard (Dunedin. Raro Mazda) should fight it out in the O.S.C.A. B class. As well as the seven-lap O.S.C.A. final, there wil also be a seven-lap saloons flying • farewell for the 40 fastest saloons, including Shelisport cars, and this could also be a very interesting race. always close land) and John Armstrong (Dunedin). The Iwo invers shadowed the South African / down the main straight and whez they reached the hairpin Fava went around the outside while Armstrong diced with Mrs Wilsor, and she spun, lettint beat the two men go on to her, but recovering well to finish third herself. Action like that could very well be seen at Wigram, All the cars have to be stock: standard, and this makes for extremely close racing. The cars do not look very fast on the straights, but when they swoop into a corner to gether anything can hap pen. Other top drivers Ford Escort Sport racing include Jack Drummond (Palmerston North), GETald Fava (Auckland), Steven McHugh, Ted Jarvis (Hillsborough) and Kirk Stoneman (Auckland).