26-1-90 stay at Ruapuna? This weekend's Lady Wigram Trophy Race meeting at Ruapuna, the penultimate round of the Peter Jackson International series, will be significant for more than just the continuing battle between Ken Smith and Paul Radisich. For the first time, the traditional meeting will be held within the confines of Ruapuna Park rather than at the open expanses of the Wigram airfield. The public's response will be interesting to monitor. Although the change of venue was forced on the organising Motor Racing Club by the need to reseal the airfield's runways, school of thought suggests the change was overdue. Wigram is almost haliowed ground to competitors and purists, but the fact remains that it often presented rather bland entertainment the casual spectator. The skill required to drive a car at the speeds dictated by the Wigram layout was more often than not lost to the untrained eye. In fact, the flat nature of the venue made the high speeds somehow surreal. The degree of apathy among the general public, weaned On television sports coverage where all of the action is visible, grew until in recent years spectator • attendances at Wigram have been but a shadow of those seen during the halcyon days of the Tasman series. Now there is a chance to start afresh. There is everything top suggest that Ruapuna will provide the closer racing demanded by today's specta- TOr. Fields are generally smaller in today's harsh economic climate, and the shorter Ruapuna lay- John Hawkins on RACING out is unlikely to spread competitors in the way that has often occurred at Wigram meetings. Although not ideal in every way, Ruapuna Park is Canterbury's permanent motor racing facility. It makes sense to direct limited resources to the one venue. The Motor Racing Club and the Canterbury Car Club, owners of the Ruapuna circuit, have co-operated well in readying the circuit at short notice for its first true international meeting. The benefits of this work will be reaped by competitors and spectators alike throughout the year, not just at the Peter Jackson meeting. While Motor Racing Club personnel are adamant that the meeting will return to Wigram in 1992, when the resealing is completed, a good speciator attendance this week-end could well go a long way toward tipping the balance in favour of Ruapuna. It could also provide the impetus necessary to upgrade Ruapuna into a true international circuit for the real benefit of motorsport in Canterbury. - 90 STENU KIL tir Tom Cuthbert this week-end's 1 Cathedral Square the Wigram airie • of Christchurch, wit ady Wigram Trophy yesterday. The race, ld. is being beld at R first time. h cars competing in Race on display traditionally held at uapuna Park for the 27-1-90 European chance riding with By JOHN HAWKINS Paul Radisich starts tomorrow's two heats of the Peter Jackson Inter-national motor racing series, at Ruapuna, knowing that his long-awaited chance of a regular drive in Europe rides with him. Aithough there is no doubting that be has the ability to win, the Aucklander admits to some concern about reliability after mechanical failutres have frustrated his progress in the last three heats of the series. With as tough an adversary as Ken Smith to face on track, Radisich does not need the added worry of a possible mechanical break-down. A flat battery at the New Zealand Grand Prix at Pukekohe as well as a broken pin in a timing degree plate. which caused retardation in timing and a stripped first gear at Manfeild, have seen him relinquish, what. after Bay. park, seemed a strong hold on the series. Radisich said that while these problems had occurred to other competitors before using the afflicted parts. it had been thought that the problems hadbeen rectified. it has been • intimated that should Radisich win the series for Reynard a drive may be arranged for him Europe by the factory. Radisich says inat Reynard was pleased by his wins in the two opening heats of the Peter Jackson senes at Baypark. As a result of half of the original production run of their 20 Formula Pacific cars had been sold in the United States, he said. Concerning the Ruapuna circuit, Radisich said that while his previous milage at the track extended only to running in an engine before an earlier meeting at Radisich Wigram. resting before tomorrow's racing should see him well in tune with the circuit. He feels that the Reynard should be well suited to Ruapuna and that the good iow-down torque characteristics of his Toyota engine may well offer him some advantage over his Ford Cosworth-engined rivals. Smith, the series leader, is the man most likely to stand between Radisich and the Lady Wigram Trophy which be last won in 1987. The diminutive Aucklander is driving perhaps better than at any time during his long and illusinous career, and with straight wins in the last four heats of the series, including the New Zealand Grand Prix, Smith starts tomorrow's rounds with a 20-point lead in the championship. Smith's Swift can be expected to be honed to perfection and his speciallydeveloped Ford BDA appears to enjoy a top-end power advantage over its rivals. At Manfeild, though, Smith proved that he is still sharp enough to win without any power advantage. The Hamilton youngster, Craig Baird, is rapidly emerging as a threat to the iwo more experienced New Zealanders, as evinced by his pole position and two second placings at Manfeild. He stands out as the third river with a real tilt at viciory in the trophy race. The Graeme Lawrence team drivers. Robbie Groff, of the United States, and Jovey Marcelo, from the Philipines, showed vastly improved form at Manfeld and the team seems to be getting on top of its problems with its Swift DB4s. The uncomplicated Ruapuna layout could well provided these two with a chance to Shine.