25-1-80 Huub's sights set high Young Dutch driver Huab Rolhengatter's herizons extend well beyond the New Zealand Formula Pacific motor rzcing series, which he starts Sunday's Lady Wigram Trophy race with a slender points lead. The ambitious 25-year-old wants to break iato Formula One racing. And he knows that suecess in the New Zealand championship will be a big step in the right direction, is it was for the "flying Finn" Reke Rosberg two years back. "It would be a good step forward for me to vin this series," said Rothengatter, who is two points ahead of Australian John Smith, today. "I'm very very happy the way it is going." ¡he series mras a gamble for Rothengatter and his one cat DHi International team. The Chevron B48 bombed in its last Formula Two outing at Phoenix Park, Dublin. Team manager Alan Docking spent two months improving it and rebuilding it to Formula Pacific speeifications. but he and Rottengatter nick-named the "flying tulip" because of the Dutch embiem on his car and gear — knew the Chevron worldn't be the fastest car on the New Zeland grid. "The Ralt is the best car, says Rothengatter. "So it mas a challenge fo make a very uncompetiter Formula Two Chevron a competitive Chevron Pacitic car. "Alan's done a terrific job and made a new car of it. I'm more than pleased with the resuits up to now, and I hope to be in the same place at the end of the series." On the way here they got morale-boosting third placing in the Macao grand prix, when the normally smiling Dutchman, left at the back of the field after an early collision, • recovered and angrily powered his way through to finish third. In the Formula Pacific series Rothengatter has been third and fourth at Anckland, and third and second at Manfeild. His consistency and mechanical reliability have made him the championship leader. "As es de more miles in it the car is getting better and better," says Docking. "It is like a mongrel dog you've got to get to snow it's ways." The fast Wigram irack will be a tough test for the B48 D - "D for Docking and development," says Rothengatter. "The car has nothing to do with the notmal Formula Two car." In Christchurch they are working on a few "demon tweaks" for the car for the quick airbase track, ac cording to the driver. But is the case for the other teams, no one is going to spell out what the modifications are before start flag drops. Unti then Rothengatter - ho has twice been named young driver of the year by the Royal Dutch Automobile Club — will also be savouring the exhilaration of being the man every driver has to beat. Rothengatter, like several other drivers, got into motor racing through karting, in which he once wor a three nation series. • "I think it is absolutely the best starting ground to be successful in motor racing." he says. "In Europe at lezst it is very competitive. "You learn to drive in close racing, and you get the right mentality, which is the main thing. And you can start so Joung in karting." In 1976 Rothengatter pean championship. talked a bank into loaning Undeterred, him the money for a Formula Tree car, and he did the Europer circuit on a Shoestring for two seasons. He was ms own driver, easier. His sponsor mechanic, and manager, living in the truck he carried his car from meeting to meeting in. driver from Europe. That is the sort of experience to mane or break a professional driver's enthusiasm. In Rothengatter's case he stimulated it and his ambition even more. In 1978 he got on a Dutch team for an ultimately unhappy season, in which he team next year. RUBORA CHAMPION Hunb Rothengatter•.. pleased with the way things are going.