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The 1977-78 Wellington Stockcar Champs
With all the going on's with Clive Elliots new superstock i thought i would do a preview and review of when Clive won his 1st wellington stockcar title.These two write-ups are from the programme's.
WELLINGTON STOCKCAR CHAMPS 1977-78 SEASON
Reiging wellington champion,Des St Claire,should prove formidable in his defence of his stockcar title tonight.
Last week Des was in competitive form with two seconds chalked up before his dif. disintegrated in the third race.99w is fully primed for the occasion,the motor having been raced only twice since being fully worked by Parnell's over the winter.
Main competition in the championship for Des should came from Paul Hewson.Three wins and a third in four starts last week make him a reasonable favourite,although Des did head him in after a close duel in one event.35w will have the advantage of extra refinements tonight too.Problems last week were limited to cornering and Paul will have spent the week setting up the 35w's shocks differently to take the weight of the front right;coupled with lowering of the front right marginally this should stop a tendency to sledge and bring the car into line on the corners.
Clive Elliot can never be discounted,but unlike Paul,he usually takes a week or two getting his machine sorted out.Guy Fawkes night it was a simple matter of a corroded high tension lead, while the missing and sputtering last week was a carb problem.If this week's formula works, Clive won't be far off the title.
Watch out also for Rod Clifton.His valiant-powered imp is due here this week and is a real flier.Rod is one of the biggest money earners in stockcars today.A cool, top rate driver with a consistently top performing car,he is a hard man to beat.
You can't forget Wilbur Chiles either,although he ran into a spot of bother in the form of Dennis Berry last week.54w caught Wilbur in the feature and ran him right up on top of the wall.Wilbur will probably save his revenge for a later date,but at present it's Framers 1, Jesters 0
Barring exeptional cicumstances it is unlikely that anyone outside of these stars will have a serious chance at the title tonight,but in stockcar racing,exceptional circumstances are often the rule rather than the exception.
And we can expect a few of those exceptional occurrences tonight .One will be in the form of Len Nicholls,aptly named"THE MAD MAORI". One of Temarua's most colourful track characters last season in his popular good-looker "JAWS",Len will be back in action tonight.The hold up to date was over a seemingly unprocurable 20 over 173 holden piston. That has gone in, some excess weight has come off,the exhaust system has been modified and Len promises it'll all be action when he hits the track tonight.
Another surprise could be Bruce "loopey" Lewin in his new car.Bruce is a real stockcar driver of old.A current wellington saloon champion ,he could be interesting if his new 37w handles straight off.
Review of the Wellington Champs
Clive Elliot has done it.What has been a fact for so long he has made it official.With a win,a second and a third,he clinched the Wellington Stockcar Championship last saturday.
The racing was really tough and hard.Clive seldom passed a car without assaulting it,and in return was attacked a number of times,nearly coming to grief on more than one occasion.
Unlucky was Rod Clifton in his new 31w,the first we have seen it in action at Te marua,he failed to do noe lap of the first race, a fuel blockage being the culprit.Easy wins in the next two heats showed what could have happened had he not had his early mishap.
Paul Hewson simply didn't get the breaks,while reiging champion Des St Claire pushed Clive hard,but didn't quite have the 980's turn of speed and had to content himself with a second this year.
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