16-1-84 17-9-84 Driving ambition The keenest observer at the Lady Wigram Trophy race next Sunday will be a garage proprietor, Tony Batchelor. Last summer, he became the first Christchurch driver to do a complete Formula Pacific series. This time a bereaverent and business commitments forced hirn to forget about the series, and last month he sold his 1974 March car to a Temuka owner. However, Batchelor's interest in the blue riband championship is far from finished. He retained the March's 1600 BDA Ford motor, which he considers "a good one," and intends to put it into a new car for next season's championship. "Til be running next year with a competitive subject to a good soonsorship, said Batchelor. whose campaign last year, unsponsored, cost him about $5000. "Last year my car was the oldest on the circuit, and 1 learnt a lot from it. You pick up a lot of knowledge as you go along - I don't want to let it go down the drain," he said. Before he makes a final decision on his car for next season Batchelor is assessing this season's line-up, and walting to see what rule changes come in. The most competitive cars at present are the RT4 Ralts, so he is looking at them. From now on Batchelor will be seeking sponsors for his venture, and expects the enhanced television coverage of motor-racing to boost their interest in the Formula Pacific series in future. Batchelor was once prominent in 1.5nitre singie-seater racing, but took a break trom motor racing for 13 years or so before returning in the top grade last year. 98-9-84 The Jones boy's winnin The teenage American driver Davy Jones has buried the reputations of New Zealand's top Formula Pacific competitors in his locker this month — not surprisingly, since he has much more at stake in the series than anyone else. The 19-year-old made a reputation for himself in srush rormula three racing last vear - and put lt or he line when he decided to come to New Zealand for the international series which finishes with Sunday's Lady Wigram Trophy race. He will siart the Wigram race with wins in the New Zealand grand prix at Pukekohe and in both Manfeild races to his credit. Jones made a spur-of-the-moment decision to come out here to drive a Ralt RT4 at the invitation of Graeme Lawrence and a former Christchurch man. Murray Taylor. who managed his team in Britain last year. "They met my air fare and expenses." he said in Christchurch today. "It is the best experience I've had for lowest cost." Jones knows that "the young punk invading their territory" gives the New Zealand driverssomething to go for. but he has had his own incentives during the series. Their experience in Formula Pacific cars (a new class for Jones) and their familiarity with the tracks spurs him, and he is at a crucial stage in his career. "When you are doing well all the opportunities are handed to you, but when you don't, they don't want to know about you. I did not want to corne over and not do well - if people found I went to New Zealand and got smoked, it would do me no good at all," Jones said. Two wins needed He will be going all out at Wigram, for in spite of his winning streak he needs to win both races there and have Ken Smith and Paul Radisch finish well down if he is to take the overall series title after missing the opening rounds. Jones will be a stranger to Wigram as he was to Manfeild and Pukekohe, but one of his strengths is an ability to adapt to cars and tracks very quickly. He started motor racing as an 11 or 12-year-old in Chicago in 120kmh quarter midgets, and after moving to upper New York State, where be now lives 40km from Watkins Glen, he won the New York State championships twice. A course at a motor racing school where he proved to be the fastest and most aggressive driver it had had led to an introduction to Formula Ford racing - and a hitch in his career. American rules for the class stipulated drivers must be 18. Jones was 15. He sought a waiver to compete using his first name, Duane, and when it was refused entered as Davy (his second name) Jones, 18. He g formula got away with it for three-quarters of a season, before officialdom found out, and until he was old enough to race in the United States competed in Formula Fords in Canada, where he became the youngest driver to win the championship - and by a record margin. Four days after turning 18 he had his first race in the Super Vee class and went on to finish third in the American championship series. However, as a "nobody" competing against some famous motorsport names in this class, Jones opted for a season in British Formula Three racing last year, and finished third overall. Bad start "I felt I would have done better but I was off to a bad start in the early part and missed a lot of points." he said That "bad start" included writing off four cars. "I got a deserved reputation of being wild," Jones said. "But I think the reason I did was because I was under quite a bit of pressure." He was promoted as the young American "over to clean up," and bad to live up to being No. I on a team that was picked to do well. and was away from home for the first time. JUST JUICE LADY WIGRAM TROPHY RNZAF STATION WIGRAM SAT. 21, SUNDAY 22 JANUARY CONCESSIONS TICKETS @ADULTS $6.00 @CHILDREN Under 14 Accompanied by Adults FREE @INFIELD PASS: Adults $10, Children $2 @3ZM AVAILABLE FROM - @MARAC MONEY CENTRE, 188 Armagn Street •RUN RUTHERFORD MOTORS, 198 Yaldhurst Road •JAPANESE CAR CORNER, Cor Tuam and Durham Streets •HERRONS MOTORS, Rangiora DUNLOP GOOD YEAR A VIBANK Ford Shell CHAN ADMISSION AT GATES RACEDAY: SUNDAY PRACTICE: SATURDAY ADULTS $7.00, CHILDREN UNDER 14 ACCOMPANIED BY ADULTS SATURDAY. ADULTS FREE. INFIELD PASS. ADULTS $12.00. CHILDREN $3.00. $3.00. CHILDREN FREE "I just tried too hard," he said. Two of the mechanics on that team (both New Zealanders) are in his team for the New Zealand series, which has helped his campaign here considerably. After the New Zealand series Jones hopes his next campaign will be the CART series for Indy cars, but if plans for that do not work out he will do the European Formula Three championship. "That would mean travelling all around Europe and getting quite a bit of exposure to Formula One circuits," he said. Joners has been enthusiastically supported in his career by his father, a retired shipping company owner who has been to every Indianapolis race since 1947. "In the smaller formulas of racing he supported me and ran the team," Jones said. "Now in the upper formulas it is far too expensive, and you need sponsors. Really, all racing is is a gimmick for advertising and promoting things. Sport or business, Jones is determined to reach the top in it. His maturity makes the "boy wonder" tag he got in the North Island inaporopriate, and his results in New Zealand so far inevitably invite comparisons with Keke Rosburg, the 1977 winner. Ine ilying finn went on to win the world championship. For Jones, with more experience behind him, who knows? Davy Jones crucial stage in career.