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NEWSDESKCompiled by auto ACTION Editor, James Laing ■ PeachNIEL ALLEN RETIRES• FOLLOWING HIS unfortunate accident at Surfers' Paradise International Raceway on Tuesday, December 21, 1971, in which he suffered first degree water burns to his back and shoulder, and multiple fractures to his left ankle, Sydney real estate developer. Niel Allen, has announced his complete retirement from motor sport. The accident. ,n the works Lola T300 Chevrolet. which occurred during final testing in preparation for his come-back in the 1972 Tas man Cup Series. was found to have been caused by brake failureDetailed examination of the 60 per cent destroyed car showed the cause as being a loose brake fluid coupling at the right hand rear wheel which allowed fluid loss and the resultant loss of pedal pressureIn hospital last week. Allen stressed his disappointment ,n not being able to contest the coming Tasman SeriesHe said "I had worked hard with our crew to ensure that we would have a fully competitive entry"Allen said he was "extremely satisfied" with the progress made in testing, and was sure that he would be "100 per cent. compet1t1ve" and ready to compete with the "best of them"''I've tried again and I've lost. and motor racing Is made up of winning and losing. I'm truly sorry our Tasman effort came to an end as ,t did. but one must acknowledge that racing car preparation demands total concentration from all members of the crew One slip, one oversight. can spell disaster We blame no-one. but a lesson for everyone concerned in motor racing can be learned from our unfortunate experience - be on top of whatever you are doing m motor racing at all t,mes"Allen went on to say "I am d1sappo1ntedI will be unable to contest this coveted title for the series means a tremendous amount to Australian motor racing prestige throughout the world. Competition and good sportsmanship are essential to ensure the Tasman Cup Series continues to flourish I w,sh all competitors in the 1972 Series the very best of luck and I wish them the true spirit of good close corn· pet1t1on"CITY STATE REPCO KINGSWOOD• PLANS BY THE CITY STATE Racing Team to have one of the quickest Improved Touring cars in the country are almost completed. The car, no longer a secret, is the latest HQ model Holden Kingswood sedan powered by the five-litre Repco V8 engine which is based on the 308 ci production Holden V8.The body has been stripped back to the basic shell and carefully rebuilt by City State mechanicsRumors that the body closely resembles "Sw,ss cheese" have been denied as the original rid191ty of the car must be retained.Testing has been delayed by the late arrival of the motor from Melbourne. but the car should be mobile shortlyDriver for the Holden. Mai Ramsay, Is keen to have a crack at racing on AIR's ½-mile banlsed oval circuit.First meeting of this type Is to be held under lights on Saturday, March 1 1 .Judging by the antics of drivers on this part of the circu 11 at the opening meeting, a spectacular night Is assured.Good news for Series Production fans in SA is the reinstatement of the AIR as venue for a round of the 1972 Manufacturers· Championship on August 27.The race was earlier cancelled when it was thought the circuit was not large enough to accommodate the bigger fields.NEW LCCA MANAGER• One of Australia's top motor racing administrators, Mr. Ian McKnight has been appointed General Manager of the Light Car Club of Australia, promoters of the Sandown circuit, Lakeland hillclimb, the "BP" and "Alpine" rallies and with licensed clubrooms in Queens Road, Melbourne. For many years a Committeeman and now a Life Member of the Morns 850 Club, Ian McKnight was elected to the LCCA Committee in 1968 and has officiated at Sandown, Calder and Lakeland.He ,s a member of t~e Board of Management of the Victorian State Council of CAMS and a~ chairman of the National Motor Racing Promoters' Association led ti'>e successful campaign to have Formula ·5000 accepted as Australian formula One.McKnight leaves his position as Secretary of the Windsor Hotel. Melbourne to take up his new post.Ian has also relinquished his duties as assistant clerk of course at Calder raceway.RESIDENT DRIVER• RESIDENT Melbourne driver. Bruce Rae made his formula three debut at the Calder meeting on January 16. Rae drove the Terry Robertson Motors Monaro 327 In the past but has decided to go purist. He bought the Noel Potts Elfin 6008 chassis but without Pott's Alfa Romeo engine.Rae will use a 1 300 engine fbr the coming F-3 season Before settling in Melbourne Rae raced In both Tasmania and Syd ney where he campaigned a Sprite In marque sports racingJUNIOR NANC• WAS CIGARS all round when one of Melbourne·s most Iov1al m,•I sport personalities. Ken I Racegear) Nancarrow was presented "'''' seven pound baby girl by wife Tricia.To be christened Clair. the first Nancarrow Junior was born at Melbourne·s Mercy Hospital on January 10Ken ,s already convinced she will be the first woman world champion driver Ken's here seen celebrating at the Light Car ClubWEST AUSTRALIAN• WEST AUSTRALIAN series production fields will be booming for 1972 with three new Chargers going to Colin Hall. Ray Thackwell and Leon SchentonSports car man. Stan Starcevich will have a Phase Three GT-HO with another Phase Three under negollat,on Ford's will be big news ,n WA sport with the formation of a new Ford Owners Club of WA and formula Ford racing on the increase"'SUNRAYSIA" ON AGAIN• PLANS for a bigger and better Sunrays1a 250 Desert Rally to be run m the Mildura district on June 11th were announced in Melbourne last week.The promoter of the event, Don Gibb head of Motorsport Merchandising. said that considerable interest In the event has been shown from the four wheel brigade"We will have an even greater variety of entrants this year. from the look of things" he said, "the dune and beach buggy boys are determined to show that they can win the four wheel section. and the mod1f1edJeep section will have some very competItIve vehicles also" said Gibb.The rally will be run on the Sunday of the Queen's Birthday weekend. gIvIng plenty of t,me for pre-rally checking of vehicles and the Monday for scrutlneering of the class placegetters vehiclesA Gala presentation ,s being planned and all competitors w,11be invited free of charge. the results and presentation will be announced on the night of the rally.Interest 111the Sunrays1a 250 has been widespread according to Gibb, enquiries have come from interstate. New Zealand and Malaya and the entries are expected to be double those of the first eventPrizemoney ,s expected to increase considerably with many more awards for the various sections. the production and special vehicle awards w,11be well defined to enable all types of competitors to partIcIpate and stand a fair chance of doing well m their category.Two Yamaha 175 Trail 8,kes have been used by Gibb ,n the in1t1al surveys of the areas around M1ldura. this has enabled the organizers to have a closer look at many areas and th,s w,11mean much more variety m the terrain for this year.The Light Car Club of 8allarat w,11again organise the rally while Motorsport Merchandising w,11concentrate on publicity and promotion and the co-ord,nallon with C.A M S. and the Auto Cycle Union. Don Gibb unloads the Two Yamah Trail Bikes at Mildura 111readiness for a survey trip. son Andrew helps Dad!NO STONES AT P.I.• PHILLIP ISLAND organisers commented on our AA report last issue on the New Year's Day meeting where a photo of Charlie Occipinti's car had an accompanying caption which commented on the car's stone dints from the circuit. PIARC proudly pointed out there were no stones on the circuit that day due to a concerted sweeping effort and the car had the dents from a previous meet. It seems a new year sweeps clean at P.I.WHERE CREDIT'S DUE• ANOTHER APOLOGY goes to our stalwart Sydney lensmen from Motor Action whose pies we ran in the December 19 Katoomba rally• cross report but credited them to Lance Ruting Now Lance Is also one of those super shutter bugs but we'd like to get the credit straight especially when the shots are real auto act,onlBAINBRIDGE BRAINS 'EM• MAZDA DEALER Bainbridge Motors, one of Melbourne's largest Mazda outlets will campaign a new team of Mazda 1300s for the South Pacific Touring Series. The team will defend the Mazda 1300's title of Class A South Pacific Touring champion, won in 1971 by a car entered from Sydney dealer, Mazda House.The three car team made its debut at the Phillip Island New Year's Day meeting under impressive team colors.Top Mazda drivers Geoff Perry and Mel Mollison who scooped the pool in the Phillip Island 500K last November will head the team with Perry's fellow Victorian Police Motor Sports Club member. Garry KeenPerry ran first and Mollison second in the 500K. Both drivers have competed in the Bathurst 500 and have extensive endurance race experience.Perry was second ,n class C of last year's "500" in a Torana GTR It's Keen's first attempt at endurance driving although he's been closely associated with distance events timing for the Club team at Bathurst and Phillip Island.In the Phillip Island try-out on January 2, the Mollison car was lapping two seconds under its best t,me in the 500K and the Team hopesto make a clean-sweep of the South Pacific series. especially with the Mazda's power advantage on fast circuits like Surfers· Paradise and Sandown.NEW MOTORCRAFT RALLYCROSS• Manufacturers' championship, two drivers' championships and special divisions for clubmen and lady drivers are some of the features of the 1972 season of Motorcraft Rallycross at Catalina Park, Katoomba with the next meeting on January 30.A spectacular clash is promised between national rallycross champion. Peter Brock. and Australia's number one all-rounder. Colin Bond.Both will drive Toranas for the Holden-Dealer Team.Following requests by several drivers. extensive earth works are being carried out on Catalina Park to provioe more passing areas on the tight one-mile track.First-up winner at Catalina Park. Bab Watson. returns on January 30 with the 1 500cc engine in his Renault Gordin, even further developed, while fellow rally-man. Bruce Collier, has fitted a highly modified 1600cc TS engine to his ultra light-weight Renault Gordini. Rally champion Barry Ferguson has had the two-litre engine of h,s VW completely rebuilt with a resultant increase in bhp while Escort drivers Bob Inglis and Gary Mecak have made further modifications to their cars.AUTO SPORT• AFTER ONLY SEVEN months since beginning their sponsorship and advertising business, husband and wife team Rhonda and Doug Hicks have changed their business name from Team Harp to AUTOSPORT ADVERTISING and PROMOTIONS. This was done to lessen the confusion the old name created with people unfamiliar with motor racing.Doug has very firm convictions on the responsibilities of both drivers and circuits to their respective sponsors and advertisers. feeling that in the past many sponsors have not received anywhere near their full value from their participation.AUTOSPORT are at present primarily working for Sandown. Phillip Island. Catalina and Oran Park. and are also beginning to dabble cautiously with driver sponsorship.Future plans include a driver management service which will look after entries. travelling bonuses. car and crew transport. accommodation. publicity and the like.AUTOSPORT are indicative of the new professional attitude which ,s becoming increasingly apparent and necessary in motor racing.SUPER SUPER BUGThe General Manager of Volkswagen Australia, Mr. W.R. Higgins, announced that total 1971 sales for his company increased 17.2 per cent. over the previous calendar year.The most significant gains were made with the company's recently released Superbug ( + 19.6 per cent.) and one-ton commercial vehicle range ( +30.2 per cent.).HIGH FLYING ADS• FORD will launch its all-new XA series Falcon early in March and despite the failure of GM-H's HO launch advertising campaign featuring gliders, Ford will employ the theme -Borne on the Wind.BEECHEY CHALLENGE• FORMER AUSTRALIAN Touring Car champion. Norm Beechey, will match his Holden Monaro against sports-sedan stars Barry Sharp and Wayne Rogerson in the New Year Trophy Race at Oran Park on January 29.Beechey w,11be contesting his first Oran Park night race meeting in only his second appearance at the fast 1.2 mile cIrcuIt.Sharp has dominated sports-sedan racing at Oran Park for the last three meetings.But Rogerson has been developing h,s own lightweight Jubilee Falcon V8 and ,s certain to challenge his Sydney rival.Circuit organiser Alan Horsley has obtained special permission from motor sport controllers to run the night meeting without halt from 7.30 p.m.Beechey has just finished fitting a new high-revving Holden motor to h,s Monaro to make an all-out bid to win this year's Australian touring car championship.Bond, oyvner of the until-recently undefeated Austin Healey 3000 and of Peter Brock's original Austin A-30 Holden sports closed car, has fitted an automatic transm,ss,on to the five litre Monaro V8.He claims the car has enough power not to need gears and automatic transmission w,11allow h,m to save time on changes.Tasmanian Tony Calvert, driving the ex-Robin Pare Ford Mustang is travelling especially to Oran Park for the New Year Trophy.Calvert's car, the only right hand drive Mustang racing ,n Australia, has dominated racing in Tasmania but ,t is the first time he'll be meeting NSW opposItIon.TWO GREAT NAMES• TWO FAMOUS AUSTRALIAN names -Jack Brabham, OBE, and Kingsford-Smith -were merged recently. It has taken a business arrangement to bring together two names that have helped to make Australia proudThe week 11was agreed that Jack Brabham take over the major share of Kingsford Smith Flying Service Pty. LtdJack Brabham Aviation has been established three years at Bankstown carrying out the business of charter. private hire. maintenance and aircraft sales.Both companies based at Bankstown Airport are now under the d1- rectIon of Jack Brabham. with London-born Roy Coburn adding the K1ngsford-Sm1th company to his general managership of Brabham Aviation.WOODWARD'S TORANA• PETER WOODWARD's new improved Torana XU-1 made an impressive debut at the first Calder meeting for 1972 on January 16 (see full report page 8). Woodward won two starts from Norm Gowan in an improved EH to be king of the Calder six cylinder meeting first off.As our columnist Peter Brock pointed out, a 202 cid improved Torana XU-1 should be virtually unbeatable for the series. Whatever, Woodward has made a flying start.