OldRacingCars.com

New Zealand Formula Pacific Race

Timaru (Levels), 7 Feb 1982

ResultsLapsTime/Speed
1 David Oxton Ralt RT4/80 [200] - Ford BDA
#18
21
2 Mike Rosen Ralt RT4/82 [81-269] - Ford BDA
#3 (see note 1)
21
3 Eric Morgan Ralt RT1/77 [88] - Ford BDA
#6 (see note 2)
21
4 Bryan Hartley Chevron B34 [34-76-19] - Ford BDA
#34 (see note 3)
21
5 Steve Cameron Cuda JR5 - Ford BDA
#21
20
R Ross Cameron March 77B [75B/"8"—2] - Ford BDA
(see note 4)
16 Clutch
R Dave McMillan Ralt RT4/81 [267] - Ford BDA
#1 (see note 5)
11 Flywheel
DNA Robbie Hislop March 74B [1] - Ford BDA
(see note 6)
Did not arrive
DNA Chris Read Chevron B29 [29-75-30] - Ford BDA
(see note 7)
Did not arrive

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

Qualifying
1 David Oxton (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Ralt RT4/80 [200] - Ford BDA 0.39.46
2 Dave McMillan (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Ralt RT4/81 [267] - Ford BDA 0.39.48
3 Mike Rosen (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Ralt RT4/82 [81-269] - Ford BDA 0.39.79
4 Eric Morgan (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Ralt RT1/77 [88] - Ford BDA 0.40.08
5 Bryan Hartley (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Chevron B34 [34-76-19] - Ford BDA 0.40.31
6 Steve Cameron (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Cuda JR5 - Ford BDA 0.41.42
7 Ross Cameron (F/Pac) 1.6-litre March 77B [75B/"8"—2] - Ford BDA 0.42.74

Notes on the cars:

  1. 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]
  2. 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]
  3. 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.
  4. March 77B [75B/"8"—2] (Ross Cameron): Carrying chassis plate 75B-8, this car was bought by Kiwi Dave Saunders from March in 1976, after it had been returned to the works. It is unclear why 75B-8 would have been in England but March records do contain a note saying that its Shierson Racing sister car 75B-2 was returned to England for repairs. Presumably Saunders, who had raced in the UK in 1976, took it back with him to New Zealand because it appears in the first two rounds of the 1977 NZ series, being badly damaged in practice for the second. A NZ vehicle registration document [required for all cars in NZ] dated 10 Nov 77 confirms the plate is chassis number 8. The Pukekohe damage was made good with a new tub, bought not from March but John Thompson's fabrication company, numbered M772PU6. The car is now in Australia, and these documents were forwarded from the owner via Bryan Miller, and had been confirmed with Dave Saunders. Saunders reappeared with the car, now entered as a 77B, in the New Zealand Formula Pacific series in 1980/81, but had major accidents at Pukekohe in January 1981 and in March 1981. The car was then sold to Ross Cameron's Willowbank Motor Court Ltd (Dunedin, NZ) in May 1981. Cameron raced it in the 1981/82, 1982/83 and 1983/84 series. It then went via Ken Smith to Allan Champion, and is believed to be car raced by Geoff Champion in the 1985/86 series. It then passed via Smith again to Gerry Duyvestyn (Australia) in September 1989. It was bought by Howard Blight (Sydney, NSW) in August 1993, and raced in Australian historic events up to 2007. Sold to Robert Foster (Casino, NSW) and raced by him from 2008 onwards.
  5. Ralt RT4/81 [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]
  6. 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.
  7. Chevron B29 [29-75-30] (Chris Read): Built as a works development car, and tested by Brian Redman. Then entered by Jörg Obermoser's Team Warsteiner Eurorace for Hans Binder to drive in Formula 2 with a Rosche BMW engine, when it was reported to be chassis 32. Brian Redman drove it in the 1976 New Zealand Internationals, still with its 2-litre BMW engine, this time as part of the Fred Opert team. Sold in New Zealand to David Oxton, fitted with a Formula Pacific BDA engine and raced in the New Zealand Formula Pacific series in January 1977. Then to Eric Morgan for Gold Star and International races from 1977 to 1981. Sold to Chris Read for 1982. Later history with the car indicates that it was sold by Read to Kenny Smith in 1991, then to Brian Sampson in 1992, then Peter Whelan in 2000, and Miles Jackson in 2008.

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.