• 1 Local dr By Lindsay Kerr The traditional four-meeting international motor racing series for formula Pacific cars will get under way at Bay Park raceway on December 28 with the likelihood of overseas drivers outnumbering local contestants. In a bid to get larger fields, 44 appears to be driving as quickly sponsorship of more than $100,000 as he did in 1975 when with his been obtained from Mita formula 5000 Lola he won the Gold Copiers and Goodyear. In spite of Star series. Smith will be driving this, it appears only a handful one of the latest Ralt RT4s. of New Zealand drivers will be on Peter Haskett, who has camthe staring grid to do battle with paigned an ageing Chevron for an expected 10 overseas competi- several seasons, has moved up in LOTS. the ranks and will also be running a Ralt RT$. As a Shakedown to the series, a entries include last loree-race series was held earler Pessible this month in conjunction with the year's New Zealand formula Ford Simpson Appliance Group A races. champion, Craig Coleman from In spite of excellent prizemoney. Wanganui, the winner of that fewer than 10 drivers took part. championship the previous season, Christchurch driver John Crawford and the internationally experienced Paul Radisich. Beyond that it appears few of the formula Pacific cars lying around the country's workshops will be dusted down to run. The added attraction of a lucrative prize fund appears to be no incentive Leading the Australian contingent will be Gary Brabham, son of triple worid champion Sir Jack. Brabham, who has just compieted a season's racing in the British formula 3 championsaip, will drive under the auspices of the Sydney-based Rait racing car importer, Graham Watson. Champion Watson, who is thee current Davy Jones... trying again Australian champion, will also be driving in his team alongside Brabincluding four from Australia and ham and a previous Australian one from the United States. champion, John Bowe. These three races were part of Western Australia will not be the revamped New Zealand Gold holding all of its citizens for Star championship. with the final America's Cup yacht racing as two four rounds being run at the of them. Ross Zampatti and Bob Christmas-New Year meetings in Creasey, will drive their Rait RT45 the same races that constitute the in the series. Mita Copiers international series. The most exciting of the young Leading the New Zealand drivers American drivers to visit these is the veteran Kenny Smith, who at shores in the recent seasons. Davy ivers outnumbered PLE CAR CO. Kenny Smith is his Ralt RT4 • leading New Zealand contender Jones, will be returning to try to win the championship. In spite of some brilliant performances, he never managed to win the series, although he has woo the New Zealand Grand Prix and the Lady Wigram: Trophy Race. Jones icoks lixely to be joined by Willy T. Ribbs and three other Americans yet to be named. In conjunction with the fourmeeting formula Pacific series. national championship rounds will be held for formula Fords and Laser Sports, while the North Istand Sports Sedan Association will run 3 three-race series on the northern tracks. The Champion Spark Plug Mini 7 series, the recognised New Zealand championship. will also be run en the northern iracks. The formula Ford championship is one of the more popular of the national championship classes. Tweive rounds make up the 1986-87 champonship. three in the South Island Promising Christchurch's Paul Larsen is the only South Island driver chasing the title. Driving a 1981 Van Diemen, Larsen, an ex-karter in oniy his second season in the class. has made a promising start to the campaign finishing fourth in the opening race and seventh in the following one. The Laser series followed from the Escort Sport series. In spite of oniy mediocre fields in recent years, the racing has beer particularly close. Four of the leading OSCA drivers will make the journey north for the sports sedan races. Trevor Crowe will run his Starier V8. while John Osborne will return with his Mazda RX7 V& and Rob Kennard with his Cortina V8. Sieve Vigurs will be racing his recently-acquired Commodore V8. All ci these drivers will be hoping for a trouble-free run before the one-of! Australia versus New Zealand sports sedan clash at Wigram in January 18. The #igram races for the sports sedan cars will see a break with tradition: in the past the single seaters have had top billing. While the single-seaters will be present in the form oi the formula Pacifies for the final rounds of the Mita Copiers series - one of which mil be the Lady wigram Trophy Race - the organisers have quite correctly accepted that the prospact of six v8-powered nybrid type salcon cars competing in 3 tew Zealand versus Austraia situation will be the major attraction. The current South Island Mini 7 champion. Stephen Jones, will also be running in the North Island at the official championship races before returning to Wigram. Jones is philosophical about his chances in new company. "I really don't know how I will perform beause I don't know now strong the opposition will be. I wili ecrtainiy be trying, though," be Says. It is hoped two or three of the North Island Mini drivers will travel south with Jones to compete at wigram. Wigram, while no longer a real attraction for the single-seater drivers of the world, should still provide real excitement with the tin-toppers from the many classes going through their paces.