European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 24, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday february 24, 1988 the stars and strikes Page 25 racing Roundup my sports cars poised to open season tiie racing season in Europe is about to Spring into action with the first major event of the year set for March 6 on the new Spanish circuit Al a Crit do la Frontera near Rota and Cadiz. This race of nearly 500 Miles duration is the first round in the 1988 world sports car championship. It will be followed one week later by the second world championship round at Jarama jus North of Madrid. So if you re stationed in Spain or visiting there you May want to make plans to take in Al least one of these events. The factory Jaguar Cam from Britain rules As the favorite to repeal for world championship honors his season and Jaguar will enter two Cara for the two Spanish round and for the other nine world championship races this season. In american  has a separate team of cars and Drivers for the Simsa series. The British can have already scored a Victory and a third place in the opening Simsa round the 24 hours of Daytona. Regular Drivers of the Jaguar xjr-9 cars for the world championship Competition include Martin trundle of England. Johnny Dumfries of Scotland John Watson of Northern Ireland Jan Lammers of the Netherlands and the Rome based american Eddie cd cover Raul Flousel. Who won the would sports car driving title last year with Jaguar will concentrate on the Simsa series in America As will Denmark John Nielsen but they will join the Jaguar team for ihc24-hours of be mans where Jaguar will Field a three car team specifically for that race. Jaguar s major Competition this year will come from the two car Sautter Mercedes team this team now with official Daimler Beni support and engine expertise. Team owner paler Sauber of Switzerland says he plans to contest every race in die world championship series and he has a Superb team of Drivers. Piloting the Sauber mar ceded cars will be German Ace Lochin mass the italian Mauro Bakli Sweden s Stefa Johansson inc swede is Gilill without a for Mula one ride for 88 and Frenchman can Louis Schlesler. Quite a lineup. Jaguar also can expect Strong opposition i from the British Aston Martin cars newly re i turned to sports car racing this year and rum such top notch customer car1 por sche teams As Krcmar and of isl these two German outfits always capable of scoring a Victory. Another lop j porsche Privateer i Brunei Mil Orsort of Switzerland this firm Stefan Johansson also competing in formula one grand prix racing this year. The porsche factory itself now  on cart indy car racing in America is committed to Only one race in the world sports car championship this season and that is the 24-hours of be mans which porsche won last year for the seventh straight Lime. Driving the no. I porsche factory car at be mans will be last year s winners Hans stuck of Ger Many and a crts Bell of England and they will be joined by Germany s Klaus Ludwig who won the 1979 la mans race in � Kramer porsche. A second porsche factory car will be entered for Vern scup pan of Australia and perhaps Bob Wollock of France while a third porsche is reserved for Mario Andrew and a two sons Michael and Jeffrey. The autumn Licitr club do t ours Ico producers of the annual la mans classic is currently engaged in renovating the Sara he circuit at a Cost of about j6 million. The program includes resurfacing and safely work with installation of trip la rail Aramco Barrier on the whole length of the Long mul Sannic straight and Al several other sections. So the track should be in first class condition for this year s race the s6lh in its Long history. Getting Back to the Spanish opener Al Jerez on March 6. Well have full details in next week s column but for planning purposes Here is the sched ule Friday March 4, uni Mcd practice from id . To 5 15 . On saturday March 5, official qualifying from 9 to ii . And from 3 to s 1d . On rate Day sunday March 6. Warm up from 10 50 to 11 . And the 190-Lap race from noon until about 6 . 0 looking Back on sports car racing in Gener Al it May come As a Surprise to younger renders. But at one Lime sports car racing in Europe often Muldrew formula one grand i Rix racing where crowds were concerned. In the i �50s and 60s, crowds of More than 250.000 were Normal at la mans and at whet area Florio in Sicily while More than 200,000 was the Norm at the the old spa Franco champs circuit in old nor Burgering in  and on the of. The Torga Florio and spa Franco champs Cir Cuits consisted of Normal Public roads that were simple closed off for racing purposes. These affairs were fascinating and highly dangerous spectacles. Spa Franco champs was the fastest circuit of them All. The record in i 970. Lor instance was set by the Tate Pedro Rodriguez who clocked an aver age of 60.51 m ills an hour in a porsche 017, faster ban the formula one cars of that time. The circuit measured 8.76 Miles in those Days and Rodriguez turned it in 3 minute. 16.5 seconds. He was dome Well Over 230 Miles an hour on the Uphill and downhill straights and had to slow Down to 25 Mph or so for the first gear la source hairpin. So an average of 160.51 Mph was a great achievement and it look  to do it. But the great mexican Driver never lacked for courage. It is our opinion that Long distance endur Ance racing demanded Long and difficult circuit such As inc Targa Florio and the old spa and nor Burgering Layouts and with the loss of these Tracki much of the Glamor was loft. Loo. The Targa Flono simply ceased to Genisl. While spa was shortened and the ring dropped altogether Tor a new circuit. Bui time change and safety demands and mod Ern Day Road traffic brought an end to such race. Today most of the emphasis is also on formula one grand prix racing and sports car racing gels Little or no help from Hal end of the motor sport spectrum. In fact with the enormous amount or sponsorship Money pumped into formula one Rac ing today the top Drivers there Are kept out of sports car raring altogether by their contracts. You will not see Nelson Piquet Alain Prosl or Ayrton Senna for Sample. Racing in sports cars. Their sponsorship and financial contracts won t allow it and that s Okay with them Ai they make enormous sums of Money in formula one anyway. Twenty years ago every Driver in formula one Competition raced sports cars. Too. Because he needed inc Money. There was Little sponsorship at int time. So the sports car races attracted great crowds not Only because of the demanding Cir Cuits but because the spectators knew they would be seeing All of the grand prix stars in Naclion As Well. Today. Formula one grand prix racing and world championship sports car racing Are Sepa rate entities which is really not As it should be. Out despite the Lack of lop line grand prix Drivers mod Ern Day sports car racing retains worldwide inter est and it draws Good crowds in Europe and Amer Ica and enormous crowd in Japan. In Long distance racing the Spectator sees Sunn of inc finest and most powerful racing machinery in he world lie sees teamwork and strategy not to be bund in formula one racing and he Mil sees some great Drivers at work eng Laryl Derek hell and Germany s Hans stuck and Jochyn mass for example. Of the 11 world championship sports ear round on this year s Calendar nine arc scheduled at Llu rope so plan on taking in a few races. And unlike formula one grand i Rix events the Iid Mitton prices arc still quite reasonable t1ir porsche club of America tier Many Region pc Orcas scheduled a Var con version seminar and technical session Lor sunday at Gordon automobile a Mph Headquarters m Mannheim Kii Fertal near Benjamin Franklin Vil Lage. The seminar which will Start at noon is open to All porsche car owners. The fee is $5. To be contributed to the porsche club Treasury and pc re Gislla lion is not necessary. The following items will be covered pot Epa conversion bonding and shipping the 5-j car exemption lips and procedures an porsche 924/944 do in yourself maintenance plus porsche 911 maintenance. Chief instructors arc John Gordon car conver Sion Jerry 1 Earce. Water cooled porsche tars and Ray  Horsch cars. For additional details those interested May Call Gordon at 0621-739207.  Fellenzer corrals Usa eur slalom title by Klint Johnson assistant sports editor Berchtesgaden West Germany Vii corps loss was v corps gain tuesday As John  benefited from Brady Glauthier s disqualification and loss of a protest to win the usar eur slalom championship. Glauthier. The defending slalom Champ and Winner of monday s slalom Here was the Leader after the first run. Then came the drama and controversy of Ibe second run. Glauthier skiing after  with a one second cad Over his v carps Adver sary encountered trouble with a Gate pole near inc Bottom of the 56-Gate course. After losing his balance briefly he continued through five More gales then skied off the course just before the finish and announced Bis protest As i turned a Gate it came tinder my ski said Glauthier. "1 hit it with my  not my ski. The pole was l set  the 21-year old skier assigned to numbers was Given a provisional rerun. Meanwhile a written protest was sub milled and after the second run was Over the race jury rejected the protest. If he had skied off the course immediately and reported his protest to the nearest sate judge then he Lehl be won his Case said Meel director Jeff Leedy. But he skied through five More gain before abandoning the race. The Rule is you have to protest to the judge nearest he Gate in  Well i gave it a try said Glauthier afterwards with a Shufu you can t win pm  his first run of 46.44 was tie fastest and his rerun of 49.79 would pc give him a 1 35.73 total. Fallen scr a helicopter Pilot from Hanau. Skied a steady Overall race clock ing 47.44 and 48.91 for a 1 36.35 total that gave him his first Usa eur. Championship. He had finished fourth in monday s giant slalom behind Glauthier Bill Sternhagen and Thor Seaborg. Stemhagen from Bamberg and Usa eur contender for three season. Clocked 47,91 and 49.66 for a 1 37.57 local and second place. Seaborg Felt twice and abandoned the first run. Paul Clover Ovll corps a runner up to Glautier in the 1986 slalom wound up third this year with a 1 39.28 total Lime. The quickest skier of the racers Kevin Dwyer of the Vermont National guard and one of the six skiers brow jul Here from the slates for Ryoul for the Consil International do Span Alili Taircy championships March 2-7 in ugly Dwyce. Who was Only sixth fastest in the see Usa eur on Page z7