14 ~ Sunday, Tai 3, 1988 -. North Shore News

N. Van car racer
aims for the top

photo submitted

NORTH VANCOUVER’ S Andy Mahood is optimistic about this year's
racing program. He hopes to be driving Formula Allantic in two years

time.

MAHOOD EYES $21,000 PRIZE

1988 FINDS North Vancouver’s
Andy Mahood and his crew in-
volved in one of the most impor-
tant racing series ever to come to
Western Canada, the ‘‘Player’s/
GM Motorsport Series.”’

Showroom stock is the term us-
ed to describe the automobiles
thundering through this series.
Drivers have the choice of pur-
chasing one of two cars — a
Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z or a
Pontiac Firebird Trans-Am. As
each car is virtually identical, the
driver’s on-track performance is
put squarely in the spotlight.

In this, second year of the series,
six races will be divided between
Westwood Motorsport Park in
Coquitlam and Race City Speed-
way in Calgary. .

With more than $20,000 prize
money at stake in each event, the
Player’s/GM Series is giving most
participating drivers their first
chance at really making some
money.

Unfortunately, it takes more
than prize money to run an effec-
tive racing program.

“Without a very enthused fi-
nancial backer, you can kiss racing

goodbye,”’ says Mahood. “A good ©
and willing sponsor: is hard to «

come by; and when yuu do: find
somebody interested in backing
your efforts, you must work hard
off the track as well as on main-

taining a high profile and good:

visibility. Any promotional oppor-
tunity for your sponsor’s: name
and product can’t be wasted.’’..
Mahood has maintained two old
allies in his. quest for the 1988
Player’s Championship. . Kern

have the advantage of two-way
radios. Communication between
driver, pit crew, and a roving spot-
{er will definitely aid in a champi-
onship drive.

Mahood is optimistic about the
future.

“A good showing in this series
carries a lot of weight. Success will
make it that much easier to catch a
ride in the very top ranks. Within
two years, I hope to be driving
Formula Atlantic, only one: level
down from Indy cars. An In-
dianapolis type car is where I'll be
inside of five years,’’ he says.

His lap times are consistently -

good, within tenths of a-second
each time. He has a solid team
behind him, headed by crew chief
Rick’ Weaver and team manager
Bruce Goldsworthy.

There are three events scheduled

for Westwood: this season. The °

first occurred on the. weekend of
June 25/26; the others are August
6/7, and September 10/11.

Chevrolet-Oldsmobile of Port Co- _ |

quitlam, the dealership responsible
for supplying his cars, remains the
team’s major sponsor. As well,
VUI3 Television (who have sup-
ported Mahood’s program ‘since
1979) wil! have prominently
displayed decals on Andy’s cars,
And this season, the team will

NEWS photos Cindy Bellamy

IT WAS fun and it wes fast at
last Sunday’s Cypress. Bow! .
Mountain Challenge Road and
Trail Relay. Run at Cypress
Bowl. The 12 km challenge had
teams battling: mountain: ter-
rain. Runners (above) start off
on the first leg of the challenge
by the Cypress Bowl Cafe. The
West Vancouver firefighters’
team, left, came in first. Pic-
tured are team members (left to
right) Bob Sewell, Mike White,
Dave Jensen and Gordy
McLennan.

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