Wigram TrophyMotor racing at Wigram airfield · Christchurch · 1949–2000
Home › Archive › 1991 › Excitement at Ruapuna
← 10 Jan 1991All 1991 pages11 Jan 1991 →
Scan of the clipping page, 11 January 1991
↗
Drag to move · scroll or pinch to zoom
preview · The Press · John Hawkins

Excitement at Ruapuna

Press advertising feature for the Peter Jackson International Motor Racing Series Lady Wigram Trophy meeting (round 3) at Ruapuna on 12-13 January 1991. Baird, Ken Smith and Radisich return with American Mark Smith as an outside threat; Barrie Thomlinson, Mike Berg and Sandy Dells could surprise; Ralt RT4 drivers Dean Cockerton and Ian McDonald contest the Ralt Cup. The Motor Racing Club intends to take the meeting back to Wigram after resealing.

Facts

  • The January 1991 Ruapuna meeting was round 3 of the Peter Jackson series; Baird started favourite after two wins at Levels.
  • The Motor Racing Club planned to return the Lady Wigram meeting to Wigram once resealing was completed.

Photos

  • Craig Baird, of Hamilton, will start as favourite in Sunday's Lady Wigram Trophy race and preliminary race after two wins at Levels last weekend. Photo: Euan Cameron
  • Kieran Wills, in a Mazda RX8, has had to work hard to head off Kayne Scott's Ford Sierra in the Hansells Sun Valley Tranzam races this season.
Read the OCR text
11-9-91 PE LADY TER JAC WIG RUAPUNA PARK I KSON INTERNATIONAL MOT RAM TROPHY NTERNATIONAL RACEWAY 10610 OR RACING SERIES MEETING (ROUND 3) JANUARY 12-13 A "Press" Advertising Feature •TOYOTA NECTRIX 150g wynn's Craig Baird, of Hamilton, will start as favourite in Sunday's Lady Wigram Trophy race and preliminary race after two wins at Levels last weekend. - Photographs by EUAN CAMERON Excitement at R uapuna JOHN HAWKINS Last season's Peter Jackson series meeting at Ruapuna, which brought the international series to the Templeton circuit for the first time, produced some truly competitive single-seater racing. Although the organiser of the meeting, the Motor Racing Club, intends to to take the meeting back to its traditional home at the Wigram air field once resealing has been completed there, the little Ruapuna circuit certainly gave the spectators a chance to see exciting racing at close quarters. This Sunday last season's three main protagonists, Craig Baird, Ken Smith and Paul Radisich, will return. An outside threat will be posed by the talented 22-yearold American, Mark Smith. While these four are expected to dominate the main placings, others such as Barrie Thomlinson, of Auckland, who will race Radisich's previous Reynard, and Mark Smith's compatriot and team-mate, Mike Berg, could surprise. Another Amencan, sandy Dells, has proven more competitive than several previous Americans who have raced in New Zealand and should not be disregarded. Among the drivers of the now outdated Ralt TR4s, Dean Cockerton and lan McDonald are talented drivers who will not be far off the front running pace and will be involved in their own struggle for points in the separate Ralt Cup. Top tan performance dards likely An exciting programme of races, including : the popular Hansells Sun Valley Tranzams, Motorcraft Formula Fords and Dulux Autocolour Group N races, will support the Peter Jackson Formula Pacifics at Ruapuna on Sunday. In the Tranzam class Christchurch spectators will have their first chance to see Kayne Scott's new American-built Transam Ford Sierra, which set new standards of performance at Teretonga. The present champions, Kie Freeth, will provide Scott with at Ruapuna, while Christchurc give his Oldsmobile Cutlass its A local driver, Andy Mc international field in a Formula Sapphire and a BMW M3 will eran Wills and Rodger - plenty of competition ch's Don Grindley will • Ruapuna race debut. Elrea, will head an la Ford, while a Sierra add an exotic touch to the Group N field. Followers of the South Islar will be pleased to find the Pr among the supporting events. Jim Little, Morrie Bone and 65 class, and Peter Black, Ro Brook in the Mini 7 class will tha fara id motor-racing classe e-65 and Mini 7 classe Tony Jeffs in the Prebin Wilkinson and Jeff almost certainly be to Shell NOK GOODEYER Kieran Wills, in a Mazda RX8, has had to work hard to head off Kayne Scott's Ford Sierra in the Hansells Sun Valley Tranzam races this season.

Summaries and tables are machine-read from the scan and may contain errors: the scan is the record.