25-2-53 MOTOR RACING PREPARATIONS FOR WIGRAM TROPHY BIG EVENT ON AIRSTRIP NEXT SATURDAY Final preparations are being made by the Motor Racing Club for the Lady Wigram trophy, which will be held on the perimeter track at the Royal New Zealand Air Force station, Wigram, on Saturday. The programme provides for an official practice at 10.30 am. A trophy race preliminary for cars up to 1500 c.c., over 25 miles, will begin at 12.30 p.m, and a preliminary race for cars over 1500 c.c. is timed to start at 1.20 p.m. After this race is a handicap race for sports and saloon cars, beginning at 2.10 p.m. The main event of the day, the Lady Wigram tropay race, is timed to start at 3.15 p.m., and will be over 50 miles. Until recently the main setback to motor-car racing in New Zealand had been the shortage of suitable tracks, said an official of the club last evening. On the Continent it was a main sport and was sponsored by automobile associations, and was assisted by car manufacturers, and in some cases, governments. The manufacturers gained valuable engineering knowleage. which was used to build better private governments benefited by cars the increased export demand which resulted from the reputa-; tion gained by the racing cars Circulis were In many cases built specially , for the purpose, and in some countries the racing was done through city streets. but there was no record of a race being abandoned because there was no circuit for it. A few years ago some enthusiastic sports car owners in New Zealand formed clubs, and they raced on grass tracks throughout the Dominion. • In the early stages, headlights and mudguaras were taken of, and later the entire factory body was replaced with a lighter one. Together with a re-' worked engine, the special or American "hotrod" was introduced. First Wigram Race Since the war, airfields have been used for racing, and Christchurch club officials are very appreciative for the use of the Wigram circuit. entries for the first Wigram race five years ago consisted of two or three specials, two vintage factory racers, and a few sports cars. Oniy about two of the entries were capable of travelling at more than 100 miles an hour. In recent years factory-built racers have not been readily • available because of exchange difficulties, but a few have been brought in by members returning from overseas or by migrating owners. The only one of these 26-2-53 26-2-53 26-2-53 MOTOR RACING WIGRAN TROPHY EVENTS RECORD ENTRIES Twenty-three entries have been _теceived for the 50-mile Lady. Wigram trophy race. to be conducted by. Motor Racing Club, at the Royal New Zealand Air Force Station. Wigram. on Saturday. Twenty-two entries have been received for the 25-mile handicap race. The conditions do not allow a car to enter in both entries constitute a record for the day's racing. Two 25-mile preliminary races will be held. one for cars with a rating of less than 1500 cc.. the other for those of more than 1500 cc.. entered in the trophy race. The following entries have been received for drivers from Christchurch except where otherwise indicated: (Ransley Riley); Wild (Alta): L. C. Moore (Kieft S/C); J. R. Jacobson ‹ Mercury V-8 Special); Holden ‹ Jaguar XK 120); Hoare RA. Vauxhall S/C); Logan (H.R.G. S/C). Nelson; H. O'Neill Chevrolet Special): Green (R.A. Vanguard S/C); Darrell (A.C.E. Special): R. J. Paterson (Singer Special S/C); F. G. Pope ‹ Warner's Special Ford 10); H. J. Mc- Lean (Cooper); D. J. Haigh (Citroen Special), Timaru; R. J. Roycroft (Alfa Romeo P3 S/C). Auckland; A. Stafford 'J.B.S.). Upper Gibbons • Cooper Wellington; M Winterbourn ‹ M.G. Tc.); F. E. Sprague ‹ Mercury V-8 Special, Timaru; V. Shuter i McMillan Special), Frankton; W. E. Crosbie (Austin A40 Special), Invercargill: G., C. i Smith (Gee Cee Ess), Auckland. The following drivers will compete in the preliminary race, for cars with rating of more than 1500 cc.:-F Jacobson. Shuter, o'Neill. Holden. Ransles Green, 1 Roy- The following drivers will compete in the preliminary race for cars with a rating of less than 1500 c.c.:— Moore. Hoare. Logan, Darrell. Pater- Pope. McLean. Stafford, Gibbons. Winterbourn, and Crosbie. Handicap Race The following are the entries and handicaps for the 25-mile handicap race:-W. R. Willmott (Morris Minor), Timaru. go: D. Waters Morris Minor!. Dunedin 15sec: 15sec; _A. N. Stuart (Morris Minor). R. J. Cummins (M.G. J2). Jackson {Austin A40 Sai.). Invercargill, Imin; A. E. Ansell 1500 Sal.). Imin 25sec; L Harrington 1 M.G. P.A.). 50sec; So thirst go he Temuka. 2min: R. Hurst (Singer Vans), Waimate. 2min 25sec: F. Coster (Singer Dunedin, Zord. 2min sosec; 2min 25sec: R. Jeal! "G. 32 Sp 00) Ealing, 3min 25sec: A. Moffatt ‹ S.S. E. Crosbie ( M.G. T.D.). Invercargill, Ching (Ford 10 Spl.). 3min 2asec: ¡i-assec: Nelson. 3min E. A Kennard (Jaguar Mk. 50sec; 2. Henshaw 1 Ford Timaru. 5min; Miss N. Blackburn Y8) Cooper. 5mih 25sec: K. Roper (Morgan Plus 4). NelsOn. 5min 35sec: F. A H. Sharman ‹ Fora V8 Spl.), 5min 35sec; G. Horder ‹Allard J2). 6min: Roycroit ‹ Bugatti 35A) Glenmurray. 6min 25sec. TWO SCRA NEW CAR TCHINGS, ONE RACE ENTRY TIVO scratchings and one addittional entry for the fifty-mile Lady Wigram Trophy car race at the R.N.Z.A.F. Station, Wigram, on Saturday were announced this morning by the sponsors, the Motor Racing Club. : Arnold Stafford, of Wellington, | therefore, will be scratched from the who was to have driven a J.B.S. 500, race for cars up to 1500cc and will will now not be starting. He can- start in the event for cars of more not get replacement parts for the than that capacity. motor. Stafford retired in the 150- Entrances to car parks at Wigram mile Mairenau road race after a con- on Saturday will be through the necting-rod broke. The other scratching is that There will be an entrance for pedesof the Frankton driver, Vic Shuter. His rear-engine Menti- trians only of Symes Road. lan Special did not come up to expectations in the Mairebau event. l A Christchurch driver, L. Holden, is a late entry for the trophy. He will drive the only 120 Jaguar in the race. Measurements of the engine of the Alta, which will be driven by Des Wild in the race, show that it is of 2000cc capacity, and not 15000c as the offcials originaly thought wild, LADY WIGRAM TROPHY RACE NEXT SATURDAY 10.30 a.m.: OFFICIAL PRACTICE. 11.30 a.m. to 12.15 p.m.: LUNCHEON BREAK. 12.30 p.m.: TROPHY RACE PRELIMINARY for Cars up to 1500 c.c. 25 Miles. 1.20 p.m.: TROPHY RACE PRELIMINARY for Cars over 1500 c.c. 25 Miles. 2.10 p.m.: HANDICAP RACE FOR SPORTS AND SALOON CARS. 3.15 p.m.: FINAL LADY WIGRAM TROPHY RACE. 50 Miles. SEE NEW ZEALAND'S FASTEST 20 CARS! FOLLOW THE CROWDS TO WIGRAM! Buses leave from Square at 9.45 a.rl. PROMOTED BY MOTOR RACING CLUB INC. CATERING ON THE SPOT ! PIES, TEA, SOFT DRINKS, ICE CREAM, CHOCOLATE, PACKAGED LUNCHES.