OldRacingCars.com

New Zealand Formula Pacific Race

Manfeild, 21 Mar 1982

ResultsLapsTime/Speed
1 David Oxton Ralt RT4/80 [200] - Ford BDA
#18
11
2 Eric Morgan Ralt RT1/77 [88] - Ford BDA
#6 (see note 1)
11
3 Grant Campbell Chevron B39 - Ford BDA
#19 (see note 2)
11
4 Bryan Hartley Chevron B34 [34-76-19] - Ford BDA
#34 (see note 3)
11
5 Paul Radisich Ralt RT4/82 [81-269] - Ford BDA
#05 (see note 4)
11
6 Steve Cameron Cuda JR5 - Ford BDA
#21
11
7 Tom Donovan March 77B ["763-U3"] - Ford BDA
#12 (see note 5)
11

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 1.05.74
2 Eric Morgan (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Ralt RT1/77 [88] - Ford BDA 1.06.33
3 Grant Campbell (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Chevron B39 - Ford BDA 1.07.06
4 Bryan Hartley (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Chevron B34 [34-76-19] - Ford BDA 1.07.15
5 Tom Donovan (F/Pac) 1.6-litre March 77B ["763-U3"] - Ford BDA 1.07.56
6 Paul Radisich (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Ralt RT4/82 [81-269] - Ford BDA 1.08.08
7 Steve Cameron (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Cuda JR5 - Ford BDA 1.09.01

Notes on the cars:

  1. 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
  2. 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.
  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. Ralt RT4/82 [81-269] (Paul Radisich): 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]
  5. 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.

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.