Boy - == won de Boy wonder driver Dary Jones knows he's going to make it in motor ring. Not just because of the startling ability revealed, in becoming, at 19, the youngest winner of the New Zealand Grand Prix. And not because he's an ambitious young man (he is, but that's not the reason). But because, as he says without any trace of regret: "I've missed so much time from high school to go motor racing, it's too late to stop now." Anyone who watched him behind the wheel of not only a strange car, but a strange car of a racing class he'd never tried before, would say young Davy shouldn't worry a bit. Ever bough he still takes lessons in maths and other basic subjects from private tutors during the racing season, in a tiny concession to the possibility he won't become a Formula One or Indy 500 star, this boy has definitely done the right thing for his future. SENSATION He created sensation enough when he drove from the airport after the long flight from New York, hopped into New Zealander Graeme Lawrence's Formula Pacific car... And drove it around Pukekobe fast enough to qualify thirdfastest. But when he won the grand prix, even Lawrence - the man who'd got him out here - could scarcely believe it. He'd been privately tipping that Jones would prove to be every bit the racer that the others in the field were, but felt he'd lose out to the likes of local veterans Kenny Smith and David Oxton in general experience and track knowledge. The best explanation Jones can come up with for his brilliant form is that he does adjust to tracks and cars very quickly. "As long as I'm sitting 1 cardrave in okay. I feel He always has been able to handle "snomobiles, motor bikes .. matoras a motor anything Maybe it's a rub-off from his father, a motor racing fan who hasn't missed one Indianapolis 500 race in 36 to win wanted a son who was race driver." As well, this is a critical time in his career - and he's not about to biow everything he's worked for by putting in some poor racing while he has a good tire on a holiday. "I wasn't coming over here with the attitude that I was going to win - but I was not going to be a flop either. " he says. His totally devoted approach to his chosen calling shows when he explains how carefully he weighedup Lawrence's Ilth-hour offer of a drive. "RISKY' "This sort of spur of the moment thing is really risky," he says. "I didn't know anything about Graeme Lawrence or his team. "I can't afford to do anything that would make me look silly. "It's a tough business. At the end each season you've gotta go and negotiate a deal for the next year. "Provided you keep doing a piate." • So far, he's doing good. He started racmg gokarts at eight years: "I never thougnt it would take me so far." At 12, he really started to get serious, racing quartermidgets. At 13 and 14 he was New York State champion. Four years ago, he attended a motor racing school run by driver Bertil Roos. When he proved himself to be its fastest and most successfu graduate, Roos found him a Formula Ford drive. ' When the Americans found out he was under age, he was forced to race only in Canada until, at 18, he came di age, switched to SuperVees and placed third in the championship. He has spent the past year in England, where be finished third in the British Formula 3 championship, in spite of a series of crashes that "were starting to give me a bad reputation. It was a matter of trying so hard to live up to the expectations that he overdid things. make it in motor racing. "I know I've got the ability. All I need is the experience." The New Zealand trip, on which Jones is driving purely for expenses, is "the cheapest piece of experience I've ever had." And even before he won the GP, he was glad he's core. POWER "The Formula Mondial car is very beautiful to drive. It has plenty of power and you can really throw it around." Jones hasn't yet finalised what he'll be driving this year. If he's lucky, it'll be a Formula One car, but chances are it'll be a Euro pean F3 drive, possibly with some indy car races back home thrown in. He scored a test-session drive in a Brabham F1 car last year. He modestly suggests that Brabham's Bernie Ecclestone was "trying to get me off his back. "He said it was to let me know what I was in for in the future.". What it all means is that Jones is just about out of his apprenticestup - he hopes. "Tve never really made any money yet - just expenses," he says. "But I know the first year I do get paid, I'll make rush DAVY JONES: Younges maybe $50,000 to $100,000. "There's only a 30-70 chance I'll make it this year. Next year will probably be the turnaround." FATHER Much of his success comes from his father's support. The retired shipoing ine owner nas backer is son rient through unti he got into Formula 3 last st NZ Grand Prix winner. year. am very fortunate," says Jones. Now Jones has his owa manager and his father to chase sponsorship - "he's talking now with the Arabs, people like that who make so much money they cant spend it all" - it should be easier. even though the money he'll be needing now is up into the $500.000 area. 21-9-84