PAGE 4 AUTOWEEK SEPTEMBER 25, 1976

Last SeCA National Of The

Season Is At Lime Rock
was third in a Lola, Scott Harvey's
Crossle was fourth, Ed Impink fifth, in a
Royale. Some of stage action was pro-
vided by veterans Tom Davey and Tom
Gaffney, when both collided goiing for the
same corner line. Both were DNF and
elected to essay the fist city route to place
blame. Flagmen broke up the melee.
By Glenn Howell
For its final SCCA National of the
season Lime Rock, plagued as usual with
its Sunday racing ban, was forced to
spread its 11 card program over Sept. 4
and 6.
The center of fan attention was Group
44' s glistening new XJS Jaguar, making
its U.S. spectator debut. The cooling bugs
which marred Bob Tullius' initial appear-
ance in Canada had been eliminated. In
the big bore ABC prod 30 lapper the
beautifully prepared V -12 scored a flag to
flag romp. Tullius also managed to set a
new B Prod lap record.
Saturday's 30 lapper pro Formula Ford
race found a fat field of 35 cars taking the
green. After the usual assorted spinouts
and shunts, Bruce M:aclnness of Locust
Valley, NY in a Zink, emerged the winner.
No less than 11 top finishers were on the
same lap. Tim Evans of Northville, MI
came in second, also driving a Zink.
Third, Brian Goodwin in a Lola. Fastest
lap of 56.4 was turned in by fifth place
finisher Don McKnight in a Crossle.
There was also a 30 lap pro Scirocco-
Bilstein feature won by Lou Gigliotti. of
New York over a thin field of 13 cars.
The New England Region SCCA action
began in earnest at 9am Labor Day
morning with Band C Sedan 30 lapper.
This was another effortless benefit for
Elliott Forbes-Robinson in Bob Sharp's
immaculately prepared Datsun. EFR ran
from flag to flag, romping home with a
31.5 second margin over second placed
Datsun driver Bob Dyson of Poughkeep-
sie, NY. Elliott also posted a new BS lap
record of 1.01.14. Sometimes actor
P.L.Newman brought his Datsun in third.
First in CS and fifth overall; another
Datsun man, Bob Henderson of Honeoye,
NY. Still another lap mark, this for CS,
was set by Jim Boffo's wailing Mini.
British Leyland enjoyed its usual field
day in the second go-round for F, G and H
prod machinery with 24 mostly Anglican
entries hoping to stave off the virtually
invincible John Kelly. mounted in the
Group 44 FP Midget. Again it was another
unchallenged run from pole to checker for
Kelly who joined the lap setter parade by
posting a new FP mark of 1.02.11. There
was a mild contest for second place
between Rhode Island' s Steve Johnson
and Patrick Denevan from Virginia, both
Spitfire shod. Johnson prevailed over
Denevan. First in GP and sixth overall,
Bernard Diedrich in a Spitfire. First in
HP, 9th overall, Fred Wentzell's Sprite.
The fan attention was again titillated as
Paul Newman once more mounted the
grid in his TR-6 for the D and E prod 30 lap
trip, with 24 cars taking the green.
Moving out from a 4th grid spot, Newman
wasted no time going after Group 44's
John McComb in the TR-7. When the field
came about, there was P.L. out in front.
His taste of thin air lasted but two laps.
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The McComb took over and was never
headed. Ken Slagle's TR-7 held second
place to the finale, with Newman earning
a respectable third place finish. Don
Valenti's Porsche took first in EP and was
overall. Again, it was the day for
Lime Rock lap records, as Slagle turned
in a DP mark of 1.01.4.
The fourth event, for Formula Fords,
brought out 30 cars. Once again the
packed hillside of fans saw a series of
shunts, spinouts and one end-over-end
into the woods. To this long time viewer,
FF, at least at Lime Rock, is a really
hazardous pasttime. At the last National,
two drivers were hospitalized with bro-
ken legs. And last Saturday in practice, a
pair of FF boys racked up, each breaking
both ankles. NY's Bill Sucher, in a Zink,
was dominant all the way, winning over
second placed Brian Goodwin of Maine,
driving a Lola. Oma Kimbrough, of PA
The fifth event for Formula V produced
official hassles and steamy protests. A
few hotshoes jumped the green at the
start, bringing forth penalties. A many
time winner here, John VandeCar repeat-
ed after holding off V. Paul Lawless, who
DNF'd. Second was James Havell's Cald-
well, third, Jonathan Weisheit in an Auto-
Dynamics.
Race six for A, B, C sports racing was
another small grid lopsided victory for
Tony Cicale's beautiful BSR Chevron.
Jeff Jones ASR McLaren ran dist ant
second for 21 laps, then it fell out.
Finishing second, a lap down, first in
CSR, Samual Gilliland's Fastron. Third,
two laps off, John Timken's Bobsy.
The seventh race was still another
hairy session for Formula A, B, C and F
Super Vee. Our data from here on was a
bit skimpy as club officials take endless
time posting final results. The system is
One Thought, Says Lauda:
'Heal Quickly, Drive Ferrari
,
WATKINS GLEN, N.Y.-Niki Lauda,
the young Austrian World Champion
driver, has told officials at the Watkins
Glen Grand Prix road racing circuit he
fully expects to be back behind the wheel
of his Ferrari Formula One car in time to
defend his Grand Prix of the United States
title here October 8-9-10.
The 27-year-old Ferrari driver, who
won his first World Championship in 1975
and the same year took the American
Grand Prix title here at The Glen, was
critically injured in a crash August 1 at
. the Nurburgring in the German Grand
Prix. Doctors feared for his life after the
fiery crash. but the resilent World
Champion has jumped from his hospital
bed and expects to return to the Grand
Prix wars in his bid to become the first
driver in more than 15 years to win back-
to-back world championships. The last
driver to turn the trick was Jack
Brabham, who took the crowns in 1959-60.
In a conversation with Glen officials
this week, Lauda expressed his eagerness
to return to the World Championship trail
behind the wheel of his Ferrari and face
the challenges of England's James Hunt,
South African J ody Scheckter and
Ireland's John Watson in the American
classic at The Glen.
Lauda said is injuries were healing
well, and that now itisamatterofwaiting
the skin grafts on his forehead and around
his eyes to heal properly.
"My lungs are good, my blood is fine
and the other injuries are either healed or
nearly healed," the quiet-spoken
Austrian said. "Now there is only one
SENIOR AREA EDITORS
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CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
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thought in my mind-full recovery. I
must heal quickly and get back to doing
my job-driving the Ferrari. That is what
I get paid to do."
A crash at 140 miles per hour and a
resulting fire ight give other drivers
reason to retire from the sport. Not so
Lauda. "My philosophy and way of
thinking about the sport of motor racing
have not changed a bit," Lauda said.
Following the Italian Grand Prix, only
three events remain-Canada, The Glen's
American round and the newly added
Japanese Grand Prix which brings the ten
month, 16 race season to a conclusion.
While Hunt is the strongest challenger
to Lauda, Scheckter has moved into third
place in the point standings on the basis
of his strong finishes.with the exotic six-
wheeled Tyrrell. And Watson gave Roger
Penske his first Formula One victory in
the Austrian Grand Prix, marking
himself a contender for more victories
this year. The Irishman still is in
mathematical for this year's
title and the Austrian victory has been a
tremendous confidence booster for the
First National City Travelers Checks
Penske crew.
Practice and qualifying session for the
Grand Prix of te United States at The Glen
will . begin October 8 and continue on
October 9. A round for the Robert Bosch
Gold Cup for Super Vee machinery and
twin races for the magnificent Vintage
Sports Car Club of America machines
will be held Saturday. The U.S. Grand
Prix will take the green flag at 2:15 p.m.
Sunday, foll owing the staging of the
Toyota Celebrity Match Race.
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antiquated beyond description. However,
John Martonson in a March led well for 21
laps, then fell off the pace, finishing
second to winner Ken Duclos in an B
Class Chevron. Joe Sposato's Chevron
was third, Eric Kerman fourth with a
March.
Now we came to thea day's highlight;
the maiden American appearance of the
B-L Jaguar XJS. This was the ABC prod
30 lapper for 25 entries. Frank Panzarel-
la's Greenwood prepared AP Corvette
had the pole, but had blown an engine in
so doing and was unable to repair in time.
So, side by each were a familiar pair on
the front row, Tullius for Jaguar and
Forbes-Robinson in the Bob Sharp CP
Datsun. At the green, Sylvan Cornblatt's
BP Corvette slipped by EFW and hung in
t here for the whole show, driving a heads
up race to stay ahead of the always quick
Datsun. These three were the only ones to
finish on the same lap, with Tullius
winning by some 10 seconds. First in A
Sedan and sixth overall was Chuck
Saltz's Camaro.
The final go of the day was quiet time
for the very muffled Showroom A, Band
A stockers, a shortie of 20 laps. A Datsun
280Z, with its horsepower advantage, had
little trouble staying in front of Hondas,
Rabbits, Opel. Pintos and Renaults. et al.
It was not too exciting. for all three
leaders remained that way throughout.
Second, was Jon McKnight's Rabbit,
while Carlos Ramirez ran tight third in a
team Rabbit. Fourth was Frank Law-
rence's Opel. For most of the race Patrick
Jacquemart in a Renault R-5 ran a very
strong fourth, but fell back to sixth at the
end.
Macinnes And
Z-lO Invincible
LIME ROCK, Conn.-If there is an
invincible combination in east coast pro
Ford racing, it's best summed up as Bruce
MacInnes driving a Zink Z-10 with a Joe
Stimola engine. If you'd been at Lime
Rock, you'd have known what I'm talking
about.
The only real competition to MacInnes
seemed to evaporate when Tom Davey
gave up the quasi-works Lola FF ride
earlier in the year to help Fred Opert work
out the new Tiga (Tim Schenken and
Howden Ganley). Davey has been busy
sorting out the handling properties of the
car and at Lime Rock he managed to
qualify third behind MacInnes and Brian
Goodwin.
"It's a real handful," said Davey after
the race. He progressively had slipped
back from his third spot and finally joined
the backmarkers when he with a spin in
turn two. In the best sprint car tradition
however, he gave the Tiga full lock and
planted the throttle and the car did a
couple of loops with the slicks spinning
on the wet grass. When things stopped
going around, he joined the group again
but resigned himself to steadily worsen-
ing handling characteristics. The prob-
Continued On Next Page
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