Flying Start For Americans in New Zealand Grand Prix

Jan 5, 2002
Invercargill, New Zealand – Team USA Scholarship winners Bryan Sellers and A.J. Allmendinger made a solid start to their New Zealand International Formula Ford Championship campaign by finishing fourth and fifth today at Teretonga Park, near Invercargill.

The 10-lap race not only counted for championship points, it also served to set the grid for Sunday’s New Zealand Grand Prix, one of the premier auto racing events in the Southern Hemisphere.

The pair started third (Sellers) and fifth (Allmendinger) in their red-white-and-blue Van Diemens, but both lost a couple of places following their first-ever standing starts. (In America, rolling starts are the norm.)

“We were terrible when we practiced them, but when it came down to it we did OK,” said Sellers.

Although passing was difficult, both Americans were able to move forward. The race was won by Fabian Coulthard, who maintained his unbeaten record during the New Zealand National season. Veteran Kenny Smith (manager of 2001 CART FedEx Championship Series Rookie of the Year Scott Dixon) finished second ahead of another local driver, Simon Richards. Sellers pressured Richards throughout the closing stages but had to settle for fourth, with Allmendinger hard on his tail after finally finding a way past local driver Nick Ross going into the final lap.

“I’m pretty happy,” said Sellers. “It was a little frustrating but it was OK. We have some things to change on the car for tomorrow and I think we should be in good shape.”

“Racing down here is very different,” declared Allmendinger. “For starters, they block like crazy! We’re going to make some changes to the gearing, because I was getting killed coming onto the main straightaway. Other than that, the car’s fast.”

Sunday’s feature event will comprise two 18-lap races with a short break in the middle to refuel the cars. Allmendinger and Sellers will seek to etch their name onto a trophy won previously by some of the sport’s all-time greats, including Stirling Moss, Jack Brabham, Bruce McLaren, Graham Hill and Jackie Stewart, plus CART star Roberto Moreno and Americans Davy Jones, Ross Cheever and Dean Hall.