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feature · The Press · John Hawkins

Spurle intent on closing gap on Ralt Cup leader

Heather Spurle, New Zealand's leading woman driver and women's water speed record holder, intended to close the gap on the leading Ralt Cup contenders in the remaining rounds of the 1991 Peter Jackson series, racing her Ralt RT4 at Ruapuna. A sponsorship deal in early December brought her car rushed back from Australia, assembled from a bare tub by a crew led by her brother Ian and taken to Teretonga untested. She had mechanical bad luck at Teretonga and finished ninth and eighth at Levels.

Facts

  • Heather Spurle finished ninth and eighth in her Ralt RT4 at Levels in January 1991, the second round of the Peter Jackson series.
  • At Teretonga in January 1991 Spurle suffered a broken throttle cable in heat one and a wrong tyre choice (slicks) in heat two when rain fell.

Photos

  • Heather Spurle of Auckland, with Sandy Dells; Spurle will race at the meeting on Sunday.
news · The Press

Setback for Baird

Craig Baird's Swift DB4 lost its brakes at the end of the main straight in testing at Ruapuna and ended upside down on the escape road, five days before the third round of the Peter Jackson series. He was five points behind series leader Ken Smith and billed as favourite for the Lady Wigram Trophy. Damage was confined mainly to the rear bodywork and wing, with some suspension links broken, and the car was repaired in time for qualifying. The brake failure is believed to have been caused by a sheared pivot pin in the brake pedal assembly. Ken Smith and Paul Radisich both suffered engine failures in the test sessions.

Facts

  • Craig Baird won the two Ruapuna races in 1990 and three of the four races in the 1991 series before the Ruapuna round; he trailed Ken Smith by five points.
  • Baird's Swift DB4 overturned after a brake failure in a test session at Ruapuna in January 1991.
Read the OCR text
11-1-91 ACYSON Heather spure of Anck and meeting St reap a on Sunda. Wit her is Sandy Dells, of Losan ces see will alse omele tra by o , Spurie intent By JOHN HAWKINS Series 500 R New Zealand's to ing driver and W water speed re Heather Spurle, ha on closing the gap Rait Cup contende maining rounds of Peter Jackson motor racing serie purie. W round of the •p femaie racorid women's this Sunday, intended to cord holder, series but s set her sites to the leading early in De rs, in the re- her car bein Australa, ar this season's international land eight di round of the race her A crew, le On clo alt RT4 in the third • series at Ruapuna had not originally contest this year's a sponsorship deal cember resulted in g rushed back from riving in New Zeaays prior to the first series at Teretonga. by her brother, lan. Sing gap on worked day and night to as- aiter semble the car from a bare tub SpL and rushed the car to Invercargil! stay ( without time for testing. there At Tereronga Sp: the disappointment throttle cable on th the firsi heat and i she made a wrong starting the race oi while the track was urle sufiered appea of a broken forcec ze last lap of Ai in the second gaine tyre choice, placin i slick tyres, is no s soon awash sidere leader a heavy shower. rie says that she decided to ut on 'slicks' as at one stage seemed to be a dry line aring. but was eventually d to pit for wets. Levels lasi sunday spur! a ninth and an eight. ng in the Rait, a car whic w outdated and not con ed a front-running prospec Setback for Baird Baird Craig Baird is set to the Lady Wigram TrOT Ruapuna on Sunday, his DB4 repaired after an a in a test session at the tr Thursday. Baird's car SU surprisingly little damage accident in which the car at the end of the main s when Baird purposely Sp car after his brakes fail: PA Wellington Craig Baird, of Hamilton, suffered a major setback in his preparation for Sunday's third round of the Peter jackson senes at Ruapuna Raceway. During testing at the track yesterday Baird discovered when he was into the braking zone at the end of the main straight, that his Swift DB4 had lost its brakes. Using the escape road the car finally came to a stop, but upside down. Baird, who is only five points behind the series leader, Ken Smith, now faces a massive job to have the car repaired in time for tomorrow's qualifying session. After winning the two races at Ruapuna last year and having won three of the four races in the current series he was being billed as the favourite for Sunday's races, one of them the Lady Wigram Trophy race. 12-9-92 ready to defend The brake fail phy at have been is Swift sheared pivot pi accident pedal assembly. rack on Apart from st age to the bod uffered was confined ma e in the wing, which was ir rolled IWO broken lop straight suspension. pun the led. Baird's crew defend lure is believed prepa caused by a Ruapi in in the brake ехрте trophy ared for further testing at una yesterday and Baird essed himself satisfied that th to uperficial damlywork, damage ainly to the rear W. s destroyed, and P links in • the cil had the car d he car was in top order for day's qualifying sessions. Ken Smith and Paul Radisich, ho are expected to provide aird with his strongest oppotion on Sunday, both suffered etbacks through engine failures uring yesterday's test sessions.

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