17-9-92 A "Press Advertising Supplement .... Датам: звал Big to b cars est e Shown ffect STRONG support programme at international Motor Racing Series Wigram for the Peter Jackson features the Primo Tranzam class, ICI Autocolor Formula Fords, and the Auto News Group N saloon category. The big and powerful racing saloons all-comers, OSCA, sports sedans, or Tranzam - have always been favourites with New Zealand race fans and the Wigram circuit has provided some classic battles in their history. The wide open spaces provide an ideal venue for the big cars to stretch their legs and the cars will be shown to their best effect at Wigram on Sunday. Kayne Scott, with his Mark Petch Motorsport Sierra, has ruled the roost in the Tranzam class in the last two seasons and the car should be in its element at Wigram. Scott, who last raced at Wigram in a BMW M3, hopes that the car will be able to lap the circuit in near Formula Atlantic times. With lap records at Teretonga and Levels in the last fortnight he will be anxious to continue his record-breaking form. The two other GTO class Tranzam cars in the field are the Oldsmobile Cutlass driven by Don Grindley and the Nissan 300ZX of Dr Rodger Freeth. Grindley has been driving the big Oldsmobile with increasing verve in recent outings and although he feels disadvantaged to the turbo cars such as Scoit's Sierra, the big V8 will sound magnificent ai Wigram. Freeth, driving the third of the American built cars, has moved into the Nissan this season, but while the car has the potential to run faster than the welldeveloped CRC2 he ran last season, like others before him. he has found it a difficult beast to m ally been bettered The GTS class, ru for less expensive block engines, and a standard product While there has c which cars qualify OSCA runners. Joh aster and has generby Grindley. un within Tranzam, is cars featuring stockmust be built around tion body. been controversy over for this category the in Harcourt and Don Elvy have been to the fore, while Greg Lancaster with Petch's Group A Sierra Cosworth is another front runner. Harcourt has now started to sort out his Starlet V8, which was previously raced by Freeth and consistently runs in fourth behind the GTO cars. Elvy has struggled with his Capri Chevrolet against mechanical problems but the car has potential and it would be good to see his enthusiasm rewarded with a good result. The ICI Autocolor Formula Ford championship is the biggest growth area in New Zealand motor-racing. The top New Zealand drivers, such as Gary Croft, Andrew Neale and Ashley • Stitchbury, have all proven their worth in the series against international opposition which includes the English drivers, Matt Aitken and Guy Smith, Austrians, Alexander Wurz, Michael Fritscher and Jochen Bauer, Adrian Mastronardo, from Australia, and Hiro Kojima, from Japan. The New Zealand series has become very competitive and this Sunday at Wigram the Christchurch drivers, Paul Larsen, Shane Drake, and Blair Smith, will be among the front runners. Larsen, who won the 1990 Championship, returned to the Formula Ford class at Levels last weekend and shocked the regulars by qualifying on pole postion and running away with both races in his Crawford Services-tended Van Diemen. Drake, who won his drive as the prize in the Shell Ultra Challenge, is hitting peak form and gained a second and third place at levels. The Auto News Group N series is designed to equalise the performance of the top production-based cars in the interests of better racing. John Sax, who is still recovering from his horrific crash at Wellington, has proven too fast for the rest despite a handicap of 60kg of weight which has been added to his BMW M3. At Wigram the big V8 Commodores driven by Ed Lamont and Barry Dryden, and the Ford Falcon XRS of Brett Riley should come into their own. Trevor Crowe was in top form at Levels last weekend and should excel at Wigram, a circuit he loves, in his Subaru Legacy RS. Lady Wigram ... Julian Westwood (3) and Harry Nuttall, from Britain, will contest the Lady Wigram Trophy Race driving the Mobil Swift Toyotas for the Graeme Lawrence Autosport Team. Top field of local classes Drake will be among the favourites. HQ contingent and the Milligan While the Tranzam, Formula Their first race will be on Saturday, brothers, Grant and Dean, among Ford, and Group N classes make up along with races for the ciassics and the fastest in the rotary class. the regular part of the Peter Jack- Chris Blackwood has been at the son Series support programme, the the HQ/RX7 field. circus is joined at various circuits An excellent field of 38 cars has front of the Pre 65 class this season by other classes which may be been assembled for the classic race, with his Mustang Coupe and the car popular in each region. including marques such as Jaguar should be well suited to Wigram. At Wigram the Mini 7, Pre 65, and and Porsche, their drivers no doubt A fellow Ford man, Tony Jeffs, Classic Saloon classes, together with keen to give their cars a run on the has a new engine for his big Galaxie a race for the combined Holden HQ wide open spaces of Wigram. this week and the car should be and Mazda RX7 registers, will round Combining the Holden HQ and more suited io Wigram than the out an exciting programme. Mazda RXT classes will result in a tighter circuits the series usually packed field. Both these classes are runs on. Jim Little in his Valiant, The Mini 7s should be good to along with Craig Gilbert's Chevy watch around Wigram with plenty proving very popular in South Island Nova and Dave Mitchell's Faicon, Peter meetings this season, with Robin of slip-streaming battles. Laing and Mike Small leading the will also be near the front. Black, Robin Wilkinson and Doug YNE TIMME Agip Wayne Timms leads James Daniels in a close Mini 7 race at Timaru last Sunday. Trophy Race Meeting January 18-19