1982

RallyBC.com

1982 PFR Press Release

RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP OF CANADA

CHAMPIONNAT DE RALLYE DU CANADA

1982, Round 9

CANADIAN AUTOMOBILE SPORT CLUBS

FEDERATION CANADIENNE DU SPORT AUTOMOBILE

5385 Yonge Street, Ste 203, Willowdale, Ontario, Canada M2N 5R7 Phone (416), 222 5411

AFFILIATED TO FEDERATION INTERNATIONALE DE L’AUTOMOBILE

HEINONEN TAKES PFR, LENGTHENS CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD WITH TWO TO GO

WHISTLER, B.C., September 18, 1982 Taisto Heinonen of Surrey, B.C., strengthened his position on top of the National Rally Championship Standings with a victory in the Pacific Forest Rally, Round 9 in the 11 event series.

Heinonen, with co-driver Lynn Nixon of Calgary, Alta., covered the rally’s 145 km of special stages in one hour, 41 minutes and 46 seconds and marked the first win for Heinonen’s new Team Toyota Celica.

One minute and 38 seconds behind was defending Canadian Champion Randy Black, of Oakville, Ont., with co-driver Tom Burgess of Tampa, Fla., in the Team Datsun Canada 200SX.

Another six minutes back were Clive Smith and Walter Leemans of Calgary, Alta., in the Team Datsun Canada 510. Smith’s chances of scoring two straight National Championship victories disappeared on the second special stage when he was off the road for six minutes, and a flat tire later on ruined any comeback try.

Production Class A (and seventh overall) was won by Walter Boyce of Munster, Ont., and Robin Edwardes of Pierrefonds, Que., in their Lada 1500S, while Production B (and eighth overall) went to Jay Drager of Calgary and Don MacDougall of Edmonton, Alta., in the BFGoodrich Dodge Fire Arrow.

Walter Boyce gained his largest lead of the season for the Production A Championship, as his rival for the title, Chris Castledine of Mississauga, Ont., lost some 11 minutes with an electrical problem in his Honda Civic. Castledine, and co-driver Rick Sakanashi of Scarborough, Ont., finished no better than fifth in Production A and 12th overall.

For the Production A Manufacturers Championship, however, Honda maintained its lead with 64 points to 60 for Lada because Jim and Itu Jiwani claimed second place in their Civic. Jim Jiwani was also the top Novice Driver, finishing ninth overall.

With two events remaining, Taisto Heinonen leads the Overall Championship Standings with 119 points, followed by Randy Black with 96 and Clive Smith with 92.

NEXT EVENT in the Series is the Muskoka Rally, out of North Bay, Ont., on October 16.