29-1-54 29-1-54 30-1-54 BIG OTOR RACING : AT WIGRAN IMPROVEMENT IN FIVE YEARS FAST CARS IN NEXT MONTH'S EVENT Before the war beach racing was the most popular and the best known iorm of motor racing in New Zealand. Ioday the Continental style of circuit racing first comes to mind when motor racing suggested. in New Zealand the hrst large event of this kind was held at the Wigram airfield in 1949. In 1954, with only five years' experience behind them, New Zealand motor racing enthusiasts have been abie to. attract internationally-famous racing drivers to the country. On February 6 the largest motor race of its kind in the South Island will be held, again at Wigram. At least three international drivers will compete-Ken Wharton with B.R.M., Britain's Formula I racing car; Peter Whitehead, last of the independent Probably the grand prix drivers, with an Italian Ferrari car; and Tony Gaze, land with considerable success, and wire considerable ace t another British car, an H.W.M Against these men will be matched nany New Zealanders who, because di the encouragement given in previous circuit races, have been prompted into building buying, cars capable of competing in this class. The 100provement Which has been made in five years is shown in a comparison of j performances. The slowest car to finish the 1953 Wigram race was faster by several miles an hour than the winning ar in 1919, From the total tele ro22 int total which began the first Wigram race, 12 were small two-seater sports cars; only two entrants drove single-place machines. The winnirlos miles was 66.17 miles average speed over the distance of an hour and the fastest lap was made at 67.9 miles an hour. Speeds Rise In 1950 there were 13 starters, eight of them single-seaters, but only five finished the distance of 105 miles. The race was faster (69.4 miles an hour) and record lap speed markedly to 75 miles an hour. This was the first year an Australian competed in the race. He was Gary Coglund, who brought a supercharged MI.G. across the Tasman. Coglund put lp ine lap record but was forced to withdraw two laps from the finish. The trophy that year Green, Christchurch, with Wolseley. special. A "real" racing car in the hands of a New Zealander made its appearance in 1951 when L. Moore, of Christchurch, brought the black Alla Romeo ‹now in the hands of R. Roycroft. of Auckland) to Wigram to win the race at an average speed of 69.4 miles an hour. The speed was no higher than in the previous year's race, but if the track had not been as it was, another record would have been made. This year there was a field of 19, but only seven finished. By this time the era of the light sports car in this race was nearly over. Coly two M.G.'s started fand one could hardly be called a light sports car), the supercharged K.3, driven by K. Tubman, of Australia, and the little J.2 driven by the New Zealander, R.' Jeal. Twelve of the 19 entries were single-seaters. Three Australians took part , but all retired within five laps of the start. They were Tubman, J. Nind with a Cooper, and I. Sulman with a 4C Maserati Perhaps because of the disastrously high total of retirements in the races of 1950 and 1951, the race distance for, 1952 was reduced to 50 miles. Again Moore won with the Alfa Romeo and this time, with a dry track under his tyres. he pushed the average speed upl to 77.8 miles an hour. His fastest lap was also a record: Imin 3łsec for the 2.1 miles, an average of 80 miles an hour. Sulman returned with his Maserati and drove into second place.: A field of 22 began the race-16 of them were single-seaters. Last year speeds were raised even! further. The trusty Alfa Romeo, now! with Roycroft as its pilot, completedi the 50 miles in 38min 40sec (79.5 miles! an hour). The lap record changed hands when J. Gibbons in a Cooper; 1100 drove Iound in Imin 33sec 10 average 80.5 miles an hour. There were 22 entries. 20 of them single-seaters. On February 6, with the modern cars the race has now attracted, records are almost sure to be remade and eveni further impetus given to the sport in New Zealand. OVERSEAS DRIVERS SHOULD DO BEST IN TROP OVEr See race drive of ine stake money Prophy race, which will Zealand Air Force Static afternoon. The New Zealand contingent will have to face up to Englishmen Ken Wharton, with the fabulous £200,000 200-miles-anhour B.R.M., and Peter White head, who will drive his 24-litre supercharged Italian • ferrari. Third overseas competitor will be Australian-born Tony Gaze with a British supercharged 2-litre H.W.M. The Wellington driver, Maurice Proctor, won the race in 1949, driving a Brooklands Riley. His time for the 100 miles was 1hr 35min 56sec—an average speed of not much more than sixty miles an hour. Since that ers should take the lion's share in the sixth. Lady Wigran be held at the Royal New on, Wigram, next Saturday uate speeds have increased considerably. It is likely that both Wharton and Whitehead will push the race speed up to about 90 miles an hour. Roycroft averaged 78.8 miles an hour last year. The lap record for Wigram is 81.9 miles an hour. It was set up last , year by the Wellington driver Bob Gibbons, with an 1100 c.c. Cooper. would not be surprising if Wharton or Whitehead pushed the record up to something like 10m circuit or 2i miles, win with exceptionally back straight, is reckoned to be at least 10sec a lap faster than the Ardmore circuit. Likely Duel The race is likely to develop into a duel between • Whitehead and Wharton with Gaze staving of the faster New Zealanders other other Aucklander fred Zam- Aucklander, Fred bucka, who will drive his 2.9litre Maserati, John McMillan (Wellington), who will drive an Alfa Romeo similar to Roycroft's, and possibly the Christchurch drivers Hec Green (R.A.), Ron Symonds (R.H.) and the , Stanton Special, which was designea and built by the brothers Stanton, Charles and Maurice. Wigram with its long back straight, sharp hairpin bend, succession of short straights and fast bends, is a circuit which should suit Whitehead's Ferrari better than the B.R.M. and the race may well develop in much the same way as did the Ardmore event. Of the New Zealanders, Roy croft appears the most likely to take some of the stake. drove an exceptionally fine race at Ardmore and showed himself to be well up to the standard of overseas drivers. but his main handicap will be his outdated though extremely fast car. Field of 20 There will be about twenty starters. There is a possibility that there will be some last- HY RACE Much Depends Un Wigram Race The fate of international motor racing in New Zealand may well rest in the hands of the Motor Racing Club, organisers of the 100 mile Lady Wigram Trophy, which will be held here next Saturday. New Zealand motor sport lost considerable prestige over the muddle with placings that followed this conntry's first international event, the 200 mile Suckiand Grand Prix. Observers in this country believe this will make the Royal Automobile Club reluctant to grant a permit for another international event In this country. Moreover, English drivers who competed at Auckland will report back to the R.d.C., and in view of what happened at Auckland they can• not be expected to report otherwise than adversely. successful, well-organised Wigram race next Saturday would do much to restore the ground which was lost at Auckland. minute Australian entrants, but this week the Motor Racing Club had no definite information. One of these entrants, it has been rumoured. may be Stan Jones who brought his May. bach home in first place at Ardmore: Unlike the Auckland race of 200 miles where tactics counted for quite a lot, the shorter Wigram race will, most likely, develop into a sprint with no holds barred. Of recent years the Lady Wigram Trophy has been run with two 25-mile heats and a 50-mile final, but this year it will again be a straight 100 mile dast.