2012/13
MSC New Zealand F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series
Rnds 4
NZ Festival of Motor Racing - celebrating Denny Hulme meetings
Hampton Downs
19-01-13
DAY 1 REPORT
DEBUT VICTORY FOR SMITH AND REBUILT LOLA
It was touch and go whether it would be ready in time. But ready it
was and not only did New Zealand motor racing great Ken Smith get
to debut his freshly rebuilt Lola T332 on the first day of competition
at the first of two NZ Festival of Motor Racing - celebrating Denny
Hulme meetings at Hampton Downs today, he also won the weekend's first
MSC F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series race.
Above:
Kiwi 'super-veteran' Ken Smith leading Clark Proctor and
Steve Ross early in the first MSC F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series
race of the weekend at Hampton Downs.
The
win was not the first one for the car since the 71-year-old three-time
New Zealand Grand Prix and four-time Lady Wigram Trophy race winner
bought it in partnership with crew members Barry Miller and Phil Richardson.
That was on the first day of competition at the second round of the
2011/12 series. But the next day a diff malfunction saw the car all
but written off against the Manfeild circuit's pit wall and Miller
and Richardson have spent the past 14 months rebuilding it for a second
time.
It wasn't quite the perfect 'second-time-around' debut for the ex
Danny Ongais car, Smith was pipped for pole position in qualifying
earlier in the day by the March 73A-1 of fellow Aucklander Clark Proctor.
But it was close.
Proctor just edged an aggressive Smith out on the run through the
first turn after the rolling start but Smith found a way past on the
third lap and started edging away from Proctor and defending MSC series
champion Steve Ross as Proctor struggled with a gear selection issue.
That allowed Ross to close on Proctor and when Proctor lost the use
of third gear, Ross set the fastest race as he tried to close the
gap on Smith. When the flag came out though Smith was still almost
a second in front with Proctor third, Brett Willis (Lola T330) fourth
and the first of the visiting contingent of overseas drivers, Greg
Thornton (McRae GM1) fifth.
Above:
First Class A car home was the Surtees TS8 of British visitor Michael
Whatley.
After the race Smith dedicated the win to his long-time crew chief
Barry Miller saying; " All credit to Barry, he built that car
from scratch and it's nice to be able to reward his dedication with
a win. I'm so lucky I've got guys like him and Phil and Doug working
on the car, it was magic today, just magic. When we first got it here
the car was quite nervous in the tail but once we did some adjustments
to the suspension it was better and now it's brilliant. I've driven
a fair few of these old 5000s now and man does this one get some traction."
For Clark Proctor it was a case of what might have been, the former
Speedway hardman having experienced similar problems at the Lady Wigram
Trophy meeting late last year.
"As you probably noticed," he said," I had trouble
getting away at the start and I was having trouble changing gear before
I lost third. What happened at Ruapuna (the second round of the 2012/13
MSC series) was that the bush that holds the spigot bearing moved
back on the crankshaft and was jamming the front clutch plate so I'm
pretty sure that's what's happened again."
That said Proctor was impressed with Smith's pace and said he was
happy to let him take the lead of the race early on.
"I had the measure of him under brakes and through all the windy
stuff but he was better through the last two turns so I didn't really
mind him taking the lead. But when I lost third gear he got away and
I had my hands full with Steve, who I managed to hold out for another
couple of laps before I thought, nah, let him go and concentrate on
bringing her home."
Early on in the eight lap race the interest behind Smith, Proctor
and Ross was in the battle between fast-starting Australian visitor
Paul Zazryn in his T332 Lola and Rotorua man Brett Willis in his earlier
model Lola T330. Zazryn made the early running but Willis wore him
down and went on to cross the line in fourth place.
Also impressing was regular British visitor Greg Thornton, driving
the former MSC series-winning McRae GM1 he has recently acquired from
Kiwi series stalwart Stu Lush. After issues in qualifying which saw
him start the race from P16 on the grid Thornton stormed through the
field to cross the line in fifth place between Willis and Zazryn.
Monaco-based compatriot Peter Dunn was the best of the Northern Hemisphere
visitors in qualifying, setting the fourth quickest time in his March
73A/05, but it was actually Class A (for older cars) pace-setter Michael
Whatley (Surtees TS8) who got the best start and spent the early laps
in sixth place ahead of Dunn and Mark Dwyer (Lola T400). Dunn eventually
got past, as later on did Thornton, but Dwyer ended up slipping back
down the field after losing second gear and eventually pulling in
with two laps to go.
Having a second car, meanwhile, paid off for last year's MSC series
runner-up Aaron Burson of Auckland. After setting the tenth quickest
lap time in qualifying Burson returned to the pits with water pouring
from his McRae GM1's engine, the problem, a cracked cylinder head.
Fortunately Burson's original series car, a Talon MR1/A, was sitting
in t his workshop back in Auckland, prepared and ready to go.
Because he elected to swap cars Burson had to start the race from
the back row of the grid but by the flag he had made up nine places,
crossing the finish line 14th, one place ahead of his father Peter
who drives his own McRae GM1.
A little further up the field another worthy performance was put in
by former saloon car star Peter Sundberg was qualified his Lola T332
12th and finished tenth.
Today's was the first of three MSC F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series
races at the NZ Festival meeting this weekend with a second eight-lapper
tomorrow (Sunday) morning and a 15-lap feature final in the afternoon.
The MSC F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series is organised and run with
the support of sponsors MSC, NZ Express Transport, Bonney's Specialized
Bulk Transport, Mobil Lubricants, Pacifica, Avon Tyres and Exide.
Historic
Racing Australia