featureWhat the formula means
Explains the Formula Pacific rules for the 1981 Wigram meeting: piston engines up to 1600cc with four cylinders, no fuel injection, strict safety rules (crushable fuel tank, dual brakes, rear red warning lights, drivers must exit the cockpit within 5 seconds). The Ford BDA is the most popular engine.
Facts
- Formula Pacific regulations in 1981 specified engines up to 1600cc, four cylinders, no fuel injection and original number of valves.
- Formula Pacific cockpits had to allow the driver to get in and out in no more than 5 seconds (1981).
- Alternative Formula Pacific engines to the Ford BDA included Mitsubishi, Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Renault, BMW and Porsche.
preview$400,000 worth of machines line up
More than $400,000 worth of Formula Pacific machinery was set to line up at Wigram, with some cars costing up to $60,000 each. Grand Prix Association managing director Ron Frost called it the biggest and richest field in years. Prize money: $2000 first, $1250 second, $750 third down to $125 for sixth. 11 New Zealand drivers entered; the race-5 line-up with numbers is listed.
Facts
- Wigram's 1981 Formula Pacific field was worth more than $400,000 on the grid, with 11 New Zealand drivers.
- Prize money for each heat of the 1981 Lady Wigram Trophy: $2000 first, $1250 second, $750 third, down to $125 for sixth, plus champagne for the winner.
