Huxford's Capri By TEO VAN DONGEN Christchurch drivers! almost made a clean sweep of the first three places in the Open Saloon Car Association championship race at! Wigram, yesterday but were foiled the high-ranking North Island driver, Wayne Huxford. Huxford's immaculate: Capri 5000. faced an immediate challenge from another: but more powerful Capri off Inky Tulloch, of Mataura. But Tulloch's 700 cu em ad-! vantage was never properly put to the test. because a valve stem broke. ending Tulloch's racing for the day: HOnY Osborne (Camaro 3700) took up the pursuit of Huxford, but it was impossible for to keep in touch. By the end of the eight-lap race he was a irellbeaten 20 seconds behind the winner. TIvo other Christchurch drivers. lan Munt (Capri 5700) and Mark Rutherford (Escor: 1600) 1ook third and fourth after a spirited battle with David Waldron (Escort 2000) another Christchurch driver, Who was unfortunate enough to lose a top place by developing engine trouble in the last lap. Datsuns dominated the Shelisport saioon race by taking the three top piaces. Reg Cook (Auckland, Datsun 2000) and Grant Aicken (Dunedin. Datsun 1600) were nose to tail from beginning to end, providing the wind. blown crowd with a tine display of high-speed dicing. Cook got in front of Ait- ken two laps from the finish and managed to retain his 0.3 second lead. A iong way back - about a quarter of the circuit — came another Datsun, belonging 1o Rod Collingwood. A high-speed nuage un the front straight from Brian Hessey (Christchurch Escort 2000) sent Glen Whittaker's Datsun spinning spectacularly off the track and into loud-speaker. which became entangled in his wheei. The final Saloon event was the "Flying Farewell". , open to the fastest saloons at the meeting. Although 12 cars started, only seven finished. Ashburton's Rod VicElrea was the first to retire when he noticed his engine was not firing properly. He dropped out rather than risk blowing his new and potentially devastating Mustang. Huxford, the race leader, was the next to retire. with a broken rear axle. This left the race open to ¡John Osborne's Camaro 5700 land he had the length of the back straignt between himself and lan Munt bi lap five of the seven-lap race. Dave Waldron said "tarewell" in the fifth lap with a tuel blockage and, soon after. Rex Findlay retired his Datsun after it blew a head gaskei. The Ford Escort Sport championship eveni, the first the programme, drew eight entrants, including the South African professional racer, Desire Wilson. She used • this race to exercise her reflexes for the two Aurora heats later! in the afternoon. She had little trouble win-i ning. and lapped about a second taster than the secund piace-getter John Armstrong. of Denedin. Royce Clive, of Christchurch, was third, more than half a minute behind the winner. Aucklanders tOoK topi placings in the Formula Ford event, which offered! S600 in prize money. Nike Finch and Mike King had a close race throughout, with Finch always a traction of a second ahead. Mark Scott, Jeff Pascoe. Mateolm Webb, and lan Capereil were bunched bahind the leaders, providing the main source of position-swapping in the race. Finch. however, was in top torm. and was never passed after he made the best start of the field of 15. In the motor-cucie events, Paul McLachian (Suzuki 500) took away the top prize of $175 twice. Jonn Woodles (Suzuki 300) would have been a likely winner but he crashed first race, damaging his bike but suffering no serious injury. He fell near the Wigram control tower and his bike struck a barrier tyre. A six-iap race tor historic cars provided some moments of nostalgia as well as some genuine compentive spirit. Thirty cars took part. from 1931 Rile! Brooklands (IOS. cu cm) to à 1958 McLaren M4 (1600). Results: wins Ope 28-1 edin) R. Clive Cheni 3: G tava + Auck., Sionema: (Auck.) 5: Drummond • Pala: Nth) 6. Fastest lap. Wilson. Imin 475. Formula Ford: I. Finch •Auck Fiat) 1: M. Ring 1Aurn.. Titan: Scort (Auck.. Widen' J Pascoe iPieton. Swift 4: I. (ane. well (Primmerton. Crossle: 5: W Galloway, • Auck.. Lola. 5. Fasie:: lap, King and Capewell. 1min 255. 0.9.C.A. evert: Haxford (Wellington, Canri 5000L!: O.s. borne iChch, Camaro 3700, 2: Mant (Chch. Capri 5766, Rutherford iChch. Esort 1600. 4 R. McElrea (Ashburion. Warang : 5000г Hasard • Dunedin Mazda 5200i 6. Fastes ar ford, 1min 20.85. Sheilsport . saio Auck, Datsun 2000• I: G. Aitken Dunedin. Datsun 16001 =: R. Coi• rawood •Dunedin. Daisun 1300) W. Bur: •Timaru. Toyota 15601 B • Hesser iChen. Escort 150% Whiston Duncain. Tovota 6. Fastest lap. Cook, imin FiLing farew nil saioons: borne 1: Munt 2: Withen 3: Rutn erford i: A. Thompson • Dunedin Datsun 3000, 5; Hessar 5. Faster: ian. Maxford not Anish: Motorcycles, race one: P. 31c- Lachlan •Suzuki 300› 1: R. Freeth • Suzuki 500• 2: P. Waters ' Suzuki 1100, 0: P. Shapcott : Yamana 330) 1: P. *are Suzuki 1100: 5: 31. • Frepin 500, F. Rate trin: McLachlen 1: Waiers 2: Shapeott Fresh 4: R anse • lamana 2563) 5; 31. Robertson • Tamana 331. 6 - 80 • Motorsport LADY WIGRAM TROPHY MEETING Heat. - D. Maillan (Auckiand, Rait), 29main C5.2sec elapsed, I; S. Mitlen (Auckland, Ralt) 29:12.8, 2: 1. Flux (EDgland. Ehriich), 29:28.5, 3; A. de Cesaris (Ltaly, Marca 192 B), 29:30.8, 4; D. Oxton (Auckland, Chevron B34), 29:39.3, 5; L. Per- KIDs (Australia, Chevron B39), 29:46.6. 6: Fastest lap: McMillan, 1mın I1.5sec. Heat 2. - McMillan, Millen, 28min 53.8sec elapsed, 3:5r.1. 2; Uxton, 29:09.6, 3; M. Thackpel March 792B), land, Chetton : B3 Fastest Flux, 29:44.6. Stest rap: McMilan and H Rothengatter (Netherlands, Chevron B48), imIn 11.Usec Аигога AFX series points before final round at Pukekohe. Rothengatter si. 3.SE Smith ith (AUST, Riley Z, March Perkins, Smith March 782B) and Campbell 22, Campbeil Inackwell It, Wilson (South Africa, March 77B) and B. Donaldson (Auckland) 10, R. Hart (Auckland) 4. H. Owen (Blenheim, Ralt) 3. OSCA events. W. Huxford (Weilington, Capri 5000) 1; J. Osborne (Christchurch. 5700) 2. I. Munt (Christchurch, Сарті 5700) Rutherford ‹Chnistchuren, Bescort 1600) 4, R McElrea (Astburton, Dunedin, Mustang 500U) Haszard Mazda " 2600) 6. Fastest lap: Huxford. Imin 20 fsec. Shelisport Saloons - R. Cook (Auckiand Datsun 2000) 1, G. Aitken (Dunedin. Datsun 1600) 2. R. Collingwood (Dunedin, Datsun 1300) W. Burt (Timaru, Toyota 1300) Hessev (Christchurch. Escort 1300) 5, M. Whiston (Dunedin, Toyota I300) 6. Fastest lap: Cook, Imin 27.2sec. Flying saloons. Osborne 1, Munt Aitken 3. Rutherford Thompson (Dunedin, Datsun 2000) 5, Hessey Huxford (did not finish) Imin McLachlan Motorcycles Race T (Yamaha 750) Waters 1100) : р. (Yamaha 35(1) 4. Stace zuki 1100) 5. M. Cropp (Frepin 500: 6. Race 2: McLachlan 1. Taters 2, Shapcott 3, Freeto 4, R. Rose (Yamaha 350) 5, M. Robertson (Yamaha 350) 6. Escort Sports. D: Wilson (South Africa) 1, J. Armstrong (Dunedin) ở: Fara (Auckland 4, Clive {Christchurch) 3, G. k. Stoneman (Auckland). 5, Drummond (Palmerston North) 6. Fastest lap: Wilson, Imin 47sec. Formula Ford - Finch (Auckland, Fiat) M. King (Auckland, Titan) 2, M. Scott Fided) 3, J. Pascoe (Picton. 4, Capewell (Plimmerton, Crossle) 5. w. Galloway (AucElana Loia) Fastest lap: King and Capewe!l. imin 25sec. Paul McLachlan, of Christchurch. almost scrapes his knee as he corners his Yamaha TZT50. McLachlan won the first motor-cycle race at Wigram resterday.