Pitstop: Hamilton driver prepares second London-Sydney attempt

By BOB PEARCE

Ten years after his first attempt, Hamilton service station proprietor Gary Smith is preparing another entry in the London to Sydney race.

Last time, Smith combined with expatriate New Zealander Graham Lorimer in a Ford Escort BDA Mark 1. They led the field in Europe, but dropped back to finish fifth after mechanical problems in Australia.

For next year's race Lorimer, now based in Zimbabwe, invited Smith to join a three-car team of South African-built Toyota Corollas. Among the other drivers is Scots rally legend Jimmy McRae, father of Colin.

But Smith has opted to join the three-car team being put together by Wellingtonian Joe McAndrew in two-litre Honda Integra Type R cars with six-speed gearboxes.

McAndrew, who last year won the Midnight Sun to Red Sea marathon from Sweden to Jordan, will drive one car and Smith and another experienced rally driver, Colin Taylor, will drive the others.

The team will have a service crew - a luxury Smith and Lorimer dispensed with on their 1993 venture.

"I'm happy for someone else to do the spanner work this time," Smith said. "I'm a lot more prepared for what to expect. I've still got some of the notes we took and they'll be helpful."

McAndrew hopes to have one and possibly two of the cars ready to have a shakedown run in the Whakatane Rally in September.

Organisers have already confirmed 40 entries for the race, which will begin in London on June 5 and finish in Sydney on July 4.

The entrants include modern and classic cars.

Another Waikato driver, Nelson Marshall, will have a 1974 Ford Capri.

The teams compete over 1500km of special stages during the long trek. In Europe these include Alpine stages from the San Remo and Acropolis Rallies, sections of the historic Mille Miglia and some rugged parts of the Gallipoli peninsula in Turkey.

A giant Antonov aircraft takes the contestants from Turkey to Cochin in India for six days of competition and then to Alice Springs in Australia.

Some of the toughest stages come at the end on the desert and stock route run to Sydney.

The race was first run in 1968 when Scotsman Andrew Cowan won in a Hillman Hunter. In 1993, Francis Tuthill won in a Porsche 911.

* * *

Former kart star Gene Rollinson catapulted himself into title contention at the third round of the Formula Challenge motor-racing series at Taupo.

After setting the fastest time in both qualifying sessions, the 18-year-old five-time national kart champion worked his way from the back of the reversed grid in both races, to be a close second in the first race then winning the second by 8s from Australian youngster Drew Russell.

With 20 points for each pole position and 20 for a race win, Rollinson has gone from fourth in the series points standings after the second round to a close second, just one point behind fellow Aucklander Dale Williams.

Williams qualified second in the first session and fourth in the second, but was slowed when he hit oil in the first race, then by an intermittent gear selection problem in the second.

* * *

Top seed Marty Roestenburg will start as the favourite to win the Rally of the North on Saturday.

The Auckland Mitsubishi driver has a perfect record after three rounds of the Top Half Series.

His closest opposition is likely to be provided by Stumpy Holmes, who won the event two years ago.

Holmes has only competed twice this year and might be a bit short of "match practice" in his Lancer.

Hamilton's Glenn Rosser is the third seed for the Lion Foundation-Lighthouse Tavern-sponsored event in an Impreza WRX.

The rally starts at 7.30am at Paihia, with the morning's stages going as far north as the Mangonui area, followed by a lunch stop back in Paihia.

The five afternoon stages will be held in the Moerewa, Kawakawa and Towai area, before the finish back in Paihia.

A field of 77 cars, the largest yet, will tackle the 160km of competition.

* * *

New Zealand racing driver Matt Halliday escaped with minor burns after his car caught fire during the fifth round of the Formula Renault V6 Euroseries at the Spa Francorchamps circuit in Belgium.

From his fifth starting slot, Halliday had started well and quickly moved into fourth position, but then noticed fuel leaking into his cockpit.

Although the fuel caused him considerable discomfort, he continued to pursue the race leaders.

He suspects the fuel may have ignited when he used his pit-to-car radio, but was able to pull off the track quickly and abandon the car.

The minor burns he received were from the soaking petrol and not flames because he was wearing the regulation flameproof clothing.

The series will return to Spa on August 30-31 when there will be two races.

* * *

Sebastien Loeb's victory in the German round of the world rally championship justifies Citroen's decision to sign the young Frenchman to an extended contract.

Entering the final stage with a 13s lead over world champion Marcus Gronholm, Loeb held his nerve to win by 3s.

Richard Burns' third placing behind his Peugeot team-mate, Gronholm, preserved his lead in the drivers' championship and highlights the effect of the new points system, which reduces the differential for winning.

Gronholm has won three of the eight rounds, yet he trails Burns, who has yet to win, by five points.

Carlos Sainz (Citroen), who has won once, is a point ahead of Gronholm in second place.

Next stop is Finland, where Gronholm will be a hot favourite. But if Burns can make the podium again, he will still lead the points.

Rally New Zealand, meanwhile, is patiently waiting for confirmation of next season's date. Odds seem to be on April 15-18, but whether that will be in a 16-rally championship or the present 14 has still to be decided.