WHITBY FREE PRESS, Durham Moyas, NOVEMBER 9,1988, PAGE Ai Ashburnma By Mike Johnston Asbburn's Rupert Bragg-Smith has a dream. The 38-yeard-old wants te race a Canadian-backed car, with a Canadian* racing team, in the Camnel GT racing series in the United States. The series is sanctioned by the International Motor Sports Association and involves a number of endurance races, including a 24-hour race at Daytona Speedway in Florida Jan. 30 and 31, 1989. Bragg-Smith, who sold bis Volvo car dealership in Toronto te chase bis dream, is one-third of the way there. He bas purchased a 1984 Aiba, whicb has previously mun in the Camel series and twice in the 24-hour Lemans held in France. -According te Bragg-Smith the car is stili very competitive. It can reach a speed of 200 mph, producing 400 horsepower. Bragg-Smitb's next step is te flnd Canadian drivers capable of handling the car and then oel bis idea to a Canadien company for backing. "Anyone coming out of the ,racing. series here at Mosport, (GM, Formula 4, 2000 or Porsche) bas no way inte the United States. And the problemn is that good drivers are not always good promoters," says Bragg-Smith who bas driven competitively since he was 23. Bragg-Smith will not drive, saying he will be busy setting up the car and organizing the tearn. But he bas at least two drivers in mind. Bragg-Smitb says be will require three drivers for the 16-race season. He bas already chosen Scott Maxwell of Union- ville as one of the three drivers. "Fm trying ta drum up Cana- dian backing. I would like te see a solely Canadian team," says Bragg-Smitb, wbo bas been busy scouring Europe and North America for spare parts for tbe Aiba of which there were only five built. "Motor racing in Canada is growing and growing but tbe serious drivers have to leave Canada." Bragg-Smith wants ta change that by providin~ Canadian m to sponsor Canadian racing team mnU.S. race series drivers an opportunity te drive for a Canadian team in tbe U.S. He cen approach the U.S. circuit in two ways. He cen ask eacb driver te roduce their own tunds (about 250,000 for the racing season). Or he -can flnd a company to finance the team. "If I go the route of getting Canadian- backers then the drivers only have to worry about AN ALBA, an Italian racing car, sits in front of Rupert Bragg-Smith's Ashburn home. Bragg-Smith wants to enter the RUPERT BRAGG-SMIITH driving," says Bragg-Smith, wbo admits that $250,000 is expen- sive. But be says it will cost approxixnatley $800,000 to $1- million ta race the car for a wbole season. Bragg-Smith says be could aIse transport the car ta tbe races and Arnerican drivers would be more than bappy te pay te drive the car. But Bragg-Smitb wants Cana- dian content. Hle first purcbased the Aba witb the intention of converting it into a road-legal car. "I started talking to drivers who knew I had this car and tbe wheels just started rolling," says Bragg-Smith, wbo stili plans on manufacturing a road car using the designs and features of a racing car. "If this doesn't work I can always go back te work. But these drivers are frustrated." Bragg-Smitb will soon begin approacbing Canadian companies and is certain be will bave a team ready for the Daytona 24-hour endurance race. ____ car and an ail-Canadian racing team in races throughtout the United States Frece Pr-ess photo GM car assemblyplant raises $36, 343 On May 2, the GM United Way Committee decided to rafle one of the new1y introduced Buick Regal vebicles. The Buick was ordered and entered production in April of 1988. The dealer selected ta process the car was Gus Brown Pontiac-Buick of Whitby. Two early bird draws were also included in raffle tickets. The first draw included a 21-incb color television purchased at a reduced rate from Parkway TV. The second draw prize was the a trip for two to Las Vegas for four days and three nights. This trip, valued at $1,000, was generously donated by Travel Agents International, Kingsway Plaza, Osbawa. Kingsway Limousine Service, Oshawa, donated limo service te and from tbe airport for the winning couple. More than 28,500 of the 35,000 tickets printed were sold giving the car assembly plant United Way drive a total of $36,343 to donate to the Osbawa-Whitby- Newcastle campaign. These funds will help support 41 different agencies warkçing' in the community. Paul Towner, the plant's United Way chairman, said, "None of this could have bappened witbout tbe countless bours put into. the canxpaign by our volunteers. They should feel proud of their efforts and their part in this very ambitious and worthwbile cause." The winners include: Color Television - Janet Bojda, car assembly plant #1 (trim & hardware); Las Vegas trip - Rob Rashotte, car assembly plant #1 (trim & hardware); 1988 Buick Regal - Editb Pike, RR1, Little Britain, Ont. RUPERT BRAGG-SMITH of Ashburn places the front windshield on his Alba. i-ce Pi-eu. photo EDITH PIKE of Little Britain was Michael King, çar assembly plant the winner of the General Motors manager Gordon White and the car assembly plant car draw to raise plant's campaign chairman Paul money forý the United Way. From left Towner. are United Way campaign chairmanFF-ee Proue photo 6 66444 64646464 666 6 66 4 6 46 b 6 46 ~ 66 64 46 6 4 646 5 *ê # Rtf J A 661 I., *R..~v ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ SONATA: HYUNDAI'S MOST ADVANCED CAR page A2 ____________,