Gerry Frechatte phota

‘Local in Motion

‘NORTH VANCOUVER driver John Beaudoin puts his 1976 Datsun 280Z through its paces dur-

ing a recent race in preparation of the upcoming weekend of racing in the streets of Vancouver.
The local racer will be competing in the Proformance Sports Car invitational Race, presented
by the Sports Car Club of British Columbia. This year marks the third d straight Proformance
race during the indy weekend,

i

IN ITS short, two-year exis-
tence, the Sports Car Club of
B.C.’s: (SCCBC). Sports. Car
Invitational has had some of
the closest racing of the entire
Molson Indy weekend,

By Gerry Frechete
Contributing Writer

Some would say that with 50
cars onthe track at once, it would be
diffleult not to have close racing,
Those in the know would also point
to the high fevels of driving skill

(and car preparation as major factors,

Last year’s race was a case in
point.

There were really four “races

within a race", as the cars are classi- |

fied according to specification and
engine size, The fastest cars were
the bigver-engine purpose-built GT
racers,.and it was Bruce Willox of
Edmontun and Vance Swift: of
Surrey who had the fans on their

feet with a stirring batde. The pair.
~ swapped the lead repeatedly

as they
weaved their way through the traffic
jams of slower. cars. Willox's
Datsun 2402 was stronger off the
slower comers, but Swift’ had the

‘advantage at high speed in’ his

Mazda RX- 7;

Willox scored a narrow victory,
Both drivers have since sold: thei
ars, and are reportedly construct
ing new ones that should: see th
renewal of their bate on Septembe
2 : .

srafler-engined and mor
GTB-class..cars were very
nearly as quick. around Pacific;
Place, Don Nimi . of. North’
Vancouver, drove his Datsun 510 to
first. in class, and third overall?)
despite having suarted a lowly 34¢!
on the grid after mechanical sob
lems in. qualifying, Nimi «iso lost!
the use of first gear duriug the race
In. the. Improved Production!
classes for “shav':vom stock" cars

Se The
nimble

the American Jars were dominant

In IPL. tie big Camaros -and’
Firebird. battled for the lead, an
emerging victorious was the Chev
of North Vancouver's Ken Leslie
just holding off American’ singing :
star Peter Cetera (of Chicago fame
and Langley’s Duncan Anderson
The trio finished seventh, eighth and }

ninth overall.

And in [P2 for the smaller be
Coquitlam’s Mike: Boyle drove a,
brand new Plymouth Neon to victo-'
ty.Derek Ross of Vancouver. had
been icading the class in his Toyota
MR2, but stopped to Jet*¢o-driver’s
‘Tim Brown have a chance, and tha

cost him the victory.

On everything for Bae sk to School, and check-out ¢ our
mini showroom of hot new cars; they’ be on. a deplay y in.

We ol eho arly.