3-12-84 •9-12-84 Cheever in crash Young American uriver Ross Cheever crawled uninjured but shaken from his Rait RT$ after flipping the car in an unofficias practice for tomorrow's Skyline Garages Lady Wigram Trophy race at the Wigram circuit tocay.: He and fellow American Davy Jones were familiarising themselves with the course when Cheever clipped a tyre marker on the inside of the track at the hangar loop, flipping the car which landed upside down on its crash bars. The front right suspension of the car was destroyed and there was some damage to the body work. Although the car is expected to be repaired in time for tomorrow's racing; it is unlikely that Cheever will be able to register a qualifying time and will probably have to start from the back of the grid. Feature trophy to Cheever By JOHN HAWKINS Seldom do from the pit la winner. Yet that was what Ross Cheever, of the United states, he tess first over all after the two heats of the Skyline Garages Lady Wigram Trophy race at the wigram airfield circuit. Cheever, who had the misfortune to roll his John Brandon Ralt RT4 in a timed practice on Saturday, carved his way through the heid, after starting in the pit lane, to take fourth place in heat one, and he took a virtual flag-to-flag win from the front of the grid in heat two. Davy Jones, of the United States, gained pole positior first heat with a time of 1min 10.77s, set in the early practice on Saturday. Head winds on te mam straight during the afternoon practice put parc to the chances of anyone improving on the morning times Although it was Jones who moved first at the start of the first heat, the Aucklander, Ken Smith, shadowed him around the first lap and seized the lead at the hair-pin bend. Two other New Zealanders, Dave McMillan and Stre were closely followed Camerot by Jeff MacPherson, of the United States. Smith led into lap four, when his car touched a marker tyre at the back of the circuit. His car spun and he dropped to fifth place. Jones, then led comfortably from MacPherson MacPherson, who was a virtual unknown in New Zealand before the event lived up to the form he showed in practices. es a racing driver start a race ne and still finish the outright Second place was hotly disputed on lap six between MacPherson and Cameron. On the same lap, Cheever who had been moving quickly trough the field spun his car at the hair-pin, but without losing sixth place. On lap 13 McMillan, who had been running fifth made a quick pit stop with a puncture, talling down the field. On the next lap, Mac- Pherson, who had just been passed by Smith, ran into the back of Smith's car, bending the nose fins on his Ralt, seriously damaging the handling and causing him to drop back. He eventually finished fifth. On lap 18, Jones bad a lead of 4.8s on Smith, but over the final laps, Smith reduced the margin steadily, and failed to catch Jones by only 1.3s. "One more lap and I would have had him," Smith said after the race. was Cheever who started from pole position in heat two, by virtue of setting the fastest race lap, Imin 10.75s in the first race. He made a perfect start to lead at the end of lap one, but on lap two his team-mate and compatriot, Jones, drew level on the main straight and slipped ahead at the hair-pin. Jones's lead was extremely short-lived, however, as his car's engine met with electrical problems and he coasted into the pits and retired. Smith then looked like being Jones's strongest opposition, but he, too, stopped on lap three with a puncture and lost a lap. The order then on lap five was Cheever, MacPherson, wth a gap to McMillan, Cameron, Charlie O'Brien and Peter Haskett. In the middle stages of the race, Macherson tried to challenge Cheever, but Cheever kept things safe, edging away slightly again towards the end. Cameron settled for a distant third, while Haskett finally got the better of 0 Brien as the Australian began to suffer gear selection difficulties. Haskett's placing was a particularly creditable performance in his aging Cheyron. When the results of the two heats were collated Cheever was announced the over-all winner with 20 points, Cameron had 15 and MacPherson 12. Ibe personable young Cheever bad been most concerned for his reputation after his practice accident - his third in three meetings - but was delighted after his victory. "I feel sorry for Kenny and Davy who bad bad luck, but that's motor racing. I've had some bad luck and now perhaps it's time for some good," he said. Results:- Skyline Garages Lady Wigram Trophy race.-Heat 1: D. Jones (U.S.A., Ralt), I; K Smith (N.Z., Ralt), 2, S. CameroD (N.z., Ralt), 3; R. Cheever (US.A., Ralt), 4; J. MacPhersoD (U.S.A., Ralt), 5; D. McMillan (N.Z., Ralt), 6. Fastest lap: Heat Cheever, Cheever 10000 McMillan, 2, Cameron, 3; P. Haskett (N.Z.. Chevron), $; C. O'Brien (Aust., Ralt), 5; Smith, 6. Fastest lap: Cheever, 1:11.12. Ross Cheever (Ralt RT4), of the United States, accelerates away from a hairpin bend near the start-finish in the second heat of the Lady Wigram Trophy event at R.N.Z.A.F. base, Wigram, yesterday. BELOW: Cheever with some of the spoils of victory. • ½