OldRacingCars.com

Aurora AFX Formula Pacific Series Race

Baypark Raceway, 3 Jan 1982

ResultsLapsTime/Speed
1 Roberto Moreno Ralt RT4/82 [81-265] - Ford BDA Nicholson
#8 Goold Motorsport (see note 1)
76 1h 09m 36.9s
2 Steve Millen Ralt RT4/81 [259] - Ford BDA
#7
76 1h 10m 32.3s
3 Graham Watson Ralt RT4/81 [261] - Ford BDA
#9 Graham Watson Racing (see note 2)
76 1h 10m 46.5s
4 Mike Rosen Ralt RT4/82 [81-269] - Ford BDA
#3 (see note 3)
76 1h 10m 47.9s
5 David Oxton Ralt RT4/80 [200] - Ford BDA
#18
75
6 Ken Smith March 782/79B [15] - Ford BDA
(see note 4)
74
7 John David Briggs March 81A - Ford BDA
#37
74
8 Steve Cameron Cuda JR3 - Ford BDA
#21
73
9 Eric Morgan Ralt RT1/77 [88] - Ford BDA
#6 (see note 5)
72
10 Robin Irving Modus M3 [047-F3] - Ford BDA
#22
70
11 Tom Donovan March 77B ["763-U3"] - Ford BDA
(see note 6)
59
12 Robbie Hislop March 74B [1] - Ford BDA
(see note 7)
48
13 Dave McMillan Ralt RT4/82 [81-267] - Ford BDA
#1 (see note 8)
5 Engine
DNS Bryan Hartley Chevron B34 [34-76-19] - Ford BDA
#34 (see note 9)
Did not start
(Dropped valve in warm up)
DNA Larry Perkins Ralt RT4 - Ford BDA
Did not arrive
DNA Charlie O'Brien Ralt RT4/82 [81-274] - Ford BDA
(see note 10)
Did not arrive
DNA Robert Handford Ralt RT4/82 [81-276] - Ford BDA
(see note 11)
Did not arrive
DNA Ron Barnacle Ralt RT1/78 [145] - Ford BDA
(see note 12)
Did not arrive
DNA Grant Campbell Chevron B39 - Ford BDA
(see note 13)
Did not arrive

All cars are 1.6-litre F/Pac unless noted.

Heat 1 Laps Time Speed
1Roberto Moreno380.34.35.6
2Graham Watson380.35.02.8
3Mike Rosen380.35.04.2
4Steve Millen380.35.13.7
5Ken Smith37
6John David Briggs37
7David Oxton37
8Steve Cameron37
9Eric Morgan36
10Robbie Hislop36
11Robin Irving35
Tom Donovan23
Dave McMillan4Misfire
Bryan HartleyDNS: Dropped valve in warm up
Heat 2 Laps Time Speed
1Roberto Moreno380.35.01.3
2Steve Millen380.35.18.6
3David Oxton380.35.33.0
4Mike Rosen380.35.43.7
5Graham Watson380.35.43.7
6Ken Smith37
7John David Briggs37
8Eric Morgan36
9Steve Cameron36
10Tom Donovan36
11Robin Irving35
Robbie Hislop12Engine
Dave McMillan1Engine
Bryan HartleyDNS
Qualifying
1 Roberto Moreno (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Ralt RT4/82 [81-265] - Ford BDA Nicholson 0.53.4
2 Dave McMillan (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Ralt RT4/82 [81-267] - Ford BDA 0.54.2
3 Mike Rosen (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Ralt RT4/82 [81-269] - Ford BDA 0.54.2
4 Graham Watson (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Ralt RT4/81 [261] - Ford BDA 0.54.3
5 Steve Millen (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Ralt RT4/81 [259] - Ford BDA 0.54.4
6 David Oxton (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Ralt RT4/80 [200] - Ford BDA 0.54.5
7 Ken Smith (F/Pac) 1.6-litre March 782/79B [15] - Ford BDA 0.55.2
8 John David Briggs (F/Pac) 1.6-litre March 81A - Ford BDA 0.55.8
9 Eric Morgan (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Ralt RT1/77 [88] - Ford BDA 0.55.9
10 Bryan Hartley * (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Chevron B34 [34-76-19] - Ford BDA 0.56.3
11 Steve Cameron (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Cuda JR3 - Ford BDA 0.56.7
12 Tom Donovan (F/Pac) 1.6-litre March 77B ["763-U3"] - Ford BDA 0.56.9
13 Robin Irving (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Modus M3 [047-F3] - Ford BDA 0.57.7
14 Robbie Hislop (F/Pac) 1.6-litre March 74B [1] - Ford BDA 0.58.2
 
* Did not start

Notes on the cars:

  1. Ralt RT4/82 [81-265] (Roberto Moreno): Ralt sales record says sold to Graham Watson/Pwee, no delivery date. [Tub no: 81/126; gearbox: FT1478; JM36735 6/81] "Pwee" is Gregg 'Peewee' Siddle, who ran the teams of first Nelson Piquet in F3, and then Roberto Moreno in all junior formulae. Chassis number noted in NZMA report on the car of Nelson Piquet at Australian GP 1981 [NZMA 23 Nov 81 p4]. Chassis number given for Moreno's car in NZMA report of the Bay Park race, 3 Jan 82, and presumed to be the car run by Moreno throughout the NZ series. Chassis number given for Phillip Revell's car at the 1982 AGP and presumed to be the car used by Revell in the 1982 Australian Gold Star series. Revell's car also described by AMSYB-82 p166 as 'ex Piquet 1981 AGP'. [CT]
  2. Ralt RT4/81 [261] (Graham Watson): Ralt sales record says sold to Graham Watson, for own use, no delivery date, but appears in UK August 1981. [Tub no: 81/120; gearbox FT1474; fuel cell: JM36677 4/81]. Chassis number observed on Roberto Moreno's car at Australian GP, 1981, [NZMA 23 Nov 81 p4]. According to Dave McKinney's report of that race, this was the car raced by Watson in the latter stages of the 1981 British season. Chassis number given for Watson's car in NZMA report of the Bay Park race, 3 Jan 82 with a note that it was Moreno's AGP car. AMSYB-82, p167 says that car of Willy Stobart [chassis given as 261] is the car 'Moreno crashed in Macau after the 1981 AGP'. The NZMA report of the Selangor GP says that the car had been rebuilt around a new tub, but it may be that Moreno ran 265 there instead. [CT]
  3. Ralt RT4/82 [81-269] (Mike Rosen): Ralt sales record says sold to Theodore Racing, delivered 2 Oct 81. [Tub no: 81/123; gearbox FT1482; fuel cell JM36678 6/81] Chassis number given by NZMA for the car of Mike Rosen at Bay Park 3 Jan 82. Described by NZMA report as ex-Jarier, so presumed to be Jarier's car at Macau 1981. A note for Paul Radisich's car at the Bay Park Union Travel Championship race 11 Apr 82 [A/S 15 Apr 82 p48] says that this was the car used earlier in the year by Mike Rosen. Paul Radisich's car at Adelaide 4 Jul 82 is described as 'ex Mike Rosen' [AMSYB-82 p153] Chassis number given for Paul Radisich's car at 1982 AGP, and presumed to be the car used by him throughout the 1982 Australian Gold Star series. Chassis number given NZMN 21 Jan 83 p16 for the car of Paul Radisich at Bay Park, 2 Jan 83. [CT]
  4. March 782/79B [15] (Ken Smith): Ricardo Zunino's works car at Thruxton 27 Mar 1978 and presumably all season. Converted to Formula Atlantic for Teo Fabi to race in New Zealand in January 1979 (where it was reported to be wearing plate "782-16", an observation that is now thought to have been incorrect). To Ken Smith (New Zealand) and raced in Formula Pacific in the 1979/80, 1980/81 and 1981/82 seasons. Then to Warren Heron, but not raced until Bay Park in March 1989. Raced twice in 1990, but then stored until two further races, in 1998 and 1999. Sold back to Ken Smith in 2009. To Robert Shaw (UK) in 2010, and restored back to Formula 2 specification. To Marc Devis (Belgium) late 2016.
  5. Ralt RT1/77 [88] (Eric Morgan): New to Brian Robertson's Ralt America as a late-season car for the CASC Formula Atlantic series, probably intended for Eddie Cheever to drive at Trois Rivieres, but he did not appear. To Larry Bergman (Los Gatos, CA) for SCCA Formula B in California. Bergman retained the car for 1979, winning the Northern Pacific Division Formula Atlantic title but also competing in most rounds of the North American Formula Atlantic series. Then to Steve Millen in New Zealand, and raced in the Aurora AFX New Zealand Formula Pacific series in January 1980, then in the 1980/81 season. To Eric Morgan for the 1981/82, 1982/83 and 1983/84 seasons. CT
  6. March 77B ["763-U3"] (Tom Donovan): Brett Riley took delivery of a March 77B in December 1977 that is believed to have carried the chassis number 763-U3 when it arrived in New Zealand. Riley raced it in Formula Pacific in 1978, 1979 and 1980 before selling it to Tom Donovan who progressively modified it and ran it in hillclimbs as well as F/Pacific up to 1983. He then won the 1984 and 1985 NZ hillclimb championships running a 1800cc Cosworth engine in the car. It was sold to Stuart McChesney in 1985 and again used in hillclimbs. It then went to Kenny Smith around 1987 and then to John Mackinlay (Christchurch) around 1993 who restored it and raced it in historic racing 1994-1996. It passed to Garry Cliff (Magnum Motors, Christchurch) in November 1996 then Peter Finlay in Australia in August 1998 in exchange for a Reynard Formula Holden. It was sold to Kevin Miller in May 1999. Retained May 2003.
  7. March 74B [1] (Robbie Hislop): New to Ted Wentz (Philadelphia, PA) and raced in the 1974 British Formula Atlantic season. To New Zealander Alan Crocker, who had moved to England to race in the 1975 British series, but a blown engine curtailed his season. Used occasionally in the 1976 Indylantic series and in libre racing. Croker took the car to New Zealand and raced it in the 1977 Formula Pacific series, then sold it there to Ken Smith, who rented it to Ken Sager to drive in the 1977/78 Gold Star series, and to Robbie Booth for the 1978/79 season. It reappeared with Robbie Hislop in 1981/82, then to Tony Batchelor for 1982/83. Last seen when raced by Keith Laney in 1984/85, and sold by him back to Kenny Smith some time before 1988. Later sold by Smith to Richard Carter in Australia to donate parts to Carter's rebuild of March 73B/8. The remains of the car were sold with the 73B to George Makin (Melbourne, Australia) about 2005.
  8. Ralt RT4/82 [81-267] (Dave McMillan): Ralt sales record says sold to Theodore Racing, delivered 16 Oct 81. [Tub no: 81/135; gearbox FT1488; fuel cell JM37176 10/81] Dave McMillan's car at Bay Park 3 Jan 82 is described by NZMN as Lees's car from Macau, 1981. Chassis number given NZMN 21 Jan 83 p16 for the car of Dave McMillan at Bay Park, 2 Jan 83. Presumed to be the car used by McMillan for the first part of the 1982 North American season, before he was given a 1982 specification car to use [alternatively this may have been RT4-205]. Chassis number given for McMillan's car at 1982 AGP, [AMSYB-82 p167] [CT]
  9. Chevron B34 [34-76-19] (Bryan Hartley): Tom Bagley (Centre Hall, PA) raced a yellow-and-blue Chevron B34 run by Fred Opert Racing in three IMSA Formula Atlantic races in early 1976, with Kent Oil sponsorship. This car was then raced by Juan Cochésa (Venezuela) in the Players Formula Atlantic series, starting at Edmonton on 16 May. Chris Waddell's report from Edmonton for Autosport described Cochésa's car as "an Opert B34 driven earlier in the year by Tom Bagley". Cochésa then moved to a new car, and the ex-Bagley car was sold to RJ Nelkin (Roslyn, NY/Woodbury, NY), who first raced it in an SCCA National at Summit Point in late June. He then raced it in Pro and SCCA races for the rest of 1976. Nelkin recalls that the car was then returned to Opert to be used as a spare car for Keke Rosberg and Mikko Kozarowitzky to use in the New Zealand Formula Pacific series in January 1977. After the 1977 New Zealand series, the car was sold to Norman Lankshear (Feilding, New Zealand) and raced in the Gold Star series in 1977/78 and 1978/79, and the International series in early 1978 and early 1979. It was then sold to Bryan Hartley (Palmerston) and raced by him in the 1981/82 season. The car was then sold to John Wigston (Auckland), fitted with a Ford crossflow engine and used in hillclimbs in New Zealand in the late 1980s. Wigston was reported to still have the car in October 2016.
  10. Ralt RT4/82 [81-274] (Charlie O'Brien): Ralt sales record says sold to Graham Watson for Charlie O'Brien, delivered 29 Sep 81. O'Brien's car at Shah Alam GP 16-18 Oct 81 is described as 'new' by NZMA. Chassis number given for O'Brien's car in NZMA report of 1981 AGP [NZMA 23 Nov 81 p4].
  11. Ralt RT4/82 [81-276] (Robert Handford): Ralt sales record says sold to Graham Watson for Rob Handford, without delivery date. [Tub no: 81/131; gearbox: FT1487; fuel cell: JM36739 6/81] Chassis number noted on the car of Larry Perkins, entered by Robert Handford Racing, at AGP, 1981 [NZMA 23 Nov 81 p4]. A note in the race report says that the car had been given a new tub after a testing accident. AMSYB-82 notes 'the RT4 Larry Perkins drove in the 1981 AGP' [AMSYB-82 p149] for the car used by Handford throughout the 1982 Australian Gold Star season; chassis number given for Handford's car at 1982 AGP. [CT]
  12. Ralt RT1/78 [145] (Ron Barnacle): New to Bernard Hunter (Edinburgh, Scotland) in December 1978, and raced in the 1979 British Formula Atlantic series. Also used extensively in libre racing in the north of England in Scotland. Sold to David Duffield for 1980 British Atlantic races and for libre at Ingliston. Then sold to Australian Charlie O’Brien and raced by him in the New Zealand Formula Pacific series in December 1980 and January 1981. Then raced by O'Brien in the National Panasonic Formula Pacific series in Australia later that year. To Ron Barnacle for the Australian Grand Prix in November 1981 and the Australian National F1 Championship in 1982. Subsequent history unknown. In 2011, Grant Martin (Auckland, New Zealand) advertised the ex-O'Brien RT1 No 145.
  13. Chevron B39 (Grant Campbell): John Sisk (Lahaska, PA) raced a Formula B Chevron in a NERRC event at Lime Rock in April 1978. At the end of that season New Zealander Grant Campbell bought a Chevron B39 from the US to use in the New Zealand Formula Pacific from January 1979 onwards. Kiwi journalist David McKinney noted that the car wore the '01' chassis plate and was told by Campbell that it had previously been raced by John Sisk. It was retained by Campbell for the 1979/80 and 1980/81 seasons in New Zealand, then taken to Australia for the National Panasonic Formula Pacific series before the start of the 1981/82 New Zealand season. To Steve Cameron (Auckland) for the 1982/83 season. David McKinney advised that it then went to Charlie Thomasen, who also owned the ex-Dave Oxton B34, and then to John Wigston (Auckland) in 1985.

Sources

Note that the identification of individual cars in these results is based on the material presented elsewhere in this site and may in some cases contradict the organisers' published results.

The New Zealand race results have been provided by Chris Townsend based on material in Autosport and Motoring News reports in the UK, Motoraction in New Zealand plus the information supplied by a wide range of contributors.

All comments, clarifications, corrections and additions are most welcome. Please email Allen (allen@oldracingcars.com) if you can help in any way with our research.

Individual sources for this event

NZMA, Autosport 7 Jan 1982 p52.