Blomqvist to drive in rally

Press, 25 June 1983, Page 60

Blomqvist to drive in rally

From

JOHN FRIDD

in Auckland The first battle of the Sanyo Rally of New Zealand was fought yesterday, before a wheel had even turned. The German Audi team fought desperately with officials to have their No. 3 driver, Stig Blomqvist, included in the rally field, and while they won that battle they might yet lose the war. Blomqvist will be permitted to drive an Audi Quattro in the 2600 km rally, but if he finishes he will have to wait for the National Motorsport appeal court to hear an appeal from his team manager. Audi entered the Swede after the closing date for late entries, and rally organisers decided jpesterday that his entry would not

be accepted. The German team has lodged an appeal with M.A.N.Z. appeal court, claiming that the organisers were wrong to reject the entry. If Blomqvist had been banned from starting in the event, Audi would still have run the third Quattro, Tony Teesdale, the national champion, who would have left his United Datsun Silvia on its trailer and driven the powerful Audi, a prospect he was not really relishing. “All that power,” he said. “It would have been a real handful.” Walter Rohrl, the world champion and top seed, was disturbed at reports yesterday that more rain had fallen over the rally route. He said that if the roads weere too wet they would

suit the four-wheel-drive Audis better than his rear-wheel-drive Lancia Rally. “I hope I can stay not too far from them — that I am always able to push them like in Greece,” he said. Rohrl said that he thought the rally was too long. “It is so long that you cannot unjoy these nice roads, and you can only go 90 per cent, not maximum.” The lanky German is not impressed by the 80 km/h speed limit on the touring stages. “I could go 24 hours flat out, but the 80 km/h touring is very dangerous — you get so tired.” His Lancia team-mate, Attilio Bettega, was imRressed by his first look at lew Zealand roads this week “They are fantasic. If it is a wet but no mud we have a good chance, but if

there is mud it will suit the four-wheel-drive cars,” he said. Michele Moutoon, the No. 2 Audi driver, is more impressed by the roads in this year’s event than for her first New Zealand rally last year. “The roads are tighter — much better,” she said. “I think it will be a very interesting fight — whether the roads are wet or not does nor really matter as there are not too many hills.” Shekhar Mehta, of Kenya, one of the Datsun drivers, is also pleased about the tighter special stages this year. “It is exactly what we wanted — it is the fifth gear stuff we do not like,” he said. Mehta conceded that the Datsun drivers would have no chance of doing

well unless the Audis and Lancias strike trouble. “That has been the pattern of world rallying for a while now — ours is a conventional car, not a homologation special.” The rally will start today at 11 a.m. and crews face four tough days of high speed adventure. The early stages may see Blomqvist charging hard as Audi may use him as the “hare” to upset the Lancias. If one of the Lancia drivers crashes or blows his car’s engine trying to keep up with the Swedish veteran, then Audi will not be so down hearted in Blomqvist fails to finish or has his appeal rejected after the event. Whatever happens, it will be the most interesting New Zealand world championship rally yet.