6-2-54 6-2-54 6-2-54 KEN WHARTON, lonked happy this mo on a one•lap try-out non's Lady Wigram crew afterwards, Phillips, W. Southern river of Britain's orning after he had of the course at W Trophy race. Her ft in right: G. le B.R.M. racing car. taken the speedster igram for this aftere he is with his pit wman (England). d. it (England, in front), fi. s. Bobby, ane Wharton. WIGRAM MOTOR RACE TODAY DISTINGUISHED LIST OF ENTRANTS PROGRAMME OF THREE RACES The biggest motor race in the history of the South Isiand will start at Wigram this aiternoon. Entered for the Lady Wigram trophy race of 100 miles are Ken Wharton with the B.R.M.. Peter Whitehead with the FerrarI, and F. A. O. Gaze wiin the H.W.M. The first-named are English drivers and Gaze is an Australian. who has recently been racing in England and on the Continent. Local drivers in the event are the best in New Zealand. R. Roycroft, of Glenmurray, Auckland, will drive his 2.9 litre Alfa Romeo. which has won the Wigram championship three times in succession. J. McMillan. of Wellington, renowned as a builder of unorthodox cars, has followed the advice of others and is now driving a red Alfa Romeo similar to Roycroft's. F., Zambucka, another Aucklander. who! will be remembered for his periorm-s ance in a De Soto special at a previous / Wigram race, will drive a black 2.9 litre Maserati. A high fence of secrecy has surrounded the workings in the garage operaten oy H. Green, of Christchurch. Green is well and his efforts with unusua Popular rear-engined Vanguardpowered car, earlier, with Wolseley special. Today he will appert with known only by cryptic symbols, new cal «R.A. The motor of this vehicle was built by Green himself and the car is his own design. Shuter will drive the Edelbrock Special. a machine whose moior has capacity of 3992 c.c. Shuter. a Christchurch driver, is a consistent visitor tand his over races almost everywhere. years been particularly successful. E. Ransley, with the "Ransley Riley," a very attractive blue car, Which made its appearance in last vear's Mairehu race. is another contestant from Christchurch. His is a two and a half litre supercharged motor. Eleven Supercharged Cars Altogether there are 11 supercharged cars in the race. Whiteherd's 2-litre Ferrari Tony Gaze's 2-litre H.W.M.-the Wharton's litre BE. foreign contingent-are supercharged applies also cars by Royeroft. Zambucka, McMillan, Ransley. Winterbourn (Vauxhall Special). Moore (Kieft). H. R . Logan (H.R.G.), and J.E. Horton (TD M.G.) R. J. Arcibald': XK 120 Jaguar is. appearance standard sports However. considerable modifications have taken place under the bonnet. and at Ardinore last month he was imong file faster drivers. The mishap that put hin out of this race probably cost him sixth or seventh place. pe H. R. Logan. of among the smaller fr for several rears he church laces. drivin motors. This year. he will drive the originals a snoris car 15 the driven J. E. Hor A car which will o tios to Arch bald in car section. which velop in the trophr Austin-Heale!. The motor 12660 c.C.) tha: c.c.l. but it is repute makers claim it to duction car in the speeds in excess of rhaps even better. Nelson.. is this vear iri the man lace appeared 1n Christ- 1g behind larse as he did last year. supercharged H.R.G.. car. Another smali arged J1.Г... to be ton of Auckiand offer strong competithe unofficial sportvill undoubtediv derace. is R. Jensen's Healey his a smaller the Jaguar's 13142 d to be faster. The be the fastest proworld. and speak of 140 mites an hour. Large Crowd Preliminary Sees Races On Wigram Circuit- A LARGE crowd was present to-day at the Royal New Zealand Air Force Station, Wigram, to see preliminary events before New Zealand's classic motor race, the 100-mile Lady Wigram Trophy. The Redex Sports and Racing Car Handicap resulted in a good win for the Gore driver J. K. Kerr (Singer SM) from the local man Ray Archibald (XK120 Jaguar), who drove from the back mark. Speeds were high. Archibald covered one lap in 1min 40.4sec, an average speed of about 76 miles hour. Archibald drove particularly and Miss N. Blackburn (Cooper). well to work his way through a field of twenty-three cars for his second place. Excitement came early. The Christchurch driver, T. A. Shadbolt. lost a wheel from his Shadbolt Special • without having completed one lap and the car slewed across the track before it came to a stop in the path of a number of others. Shadbolt was unhurt and the rest of the field scraped through. The pace set by Archibald and the two Austin-Healers driven by K. Roper (Nelson) and R. Jensen (Auckland) proved too fast for a number of the smaller cars. Eariy retirements were the local drivers. R. Moore: (Cooper), G. Mardon (Staride), Shortly after the race a grass fire broke out on the eastern side of the airfield. but it was put out very smartly. The fire delayed practice for the fast cars which raced in the Lady Wigram Trophy later in the day. Results: Redex Sports and Racing Car Handicap, of twenty-five miles-J. K. Kerr (Singer S.AI., Gore), 2min 10sec, 26min 16sec. 1: R. J. N. Archibald (Jaguar XK120, Christchurch), 6min 10sec. 26min 22 sec. 2; G. Roud (Austin A40 special, Christchurch, 3min. 26min 30sec. K. Roper (Austin Healey 100' (Morgan, Neison), 5min 25sec. Reid 5: A. Moffatt (Riley. Motor-cyclist Entrants Iwo motor-cyclists have entered the race. R. Moore, idolised in New Zealand and in England is a speedwar rider T1: drive his father's supercharged Kielt (1000 c.c.), and S. H. Jensen, a muo. cycle rider of note on road circuits, will drive a J.B.S. Both thise cars are lightweight motor-cycle-eng ned vehicles. which. although undoubtedly very fast. are prone to suffer rather badly in long events. Another J.B.S. (this one with an engine half the size of Jensen's) will be driven by P. J. Ward, of Levin. and the smallest car in the race will be the Cooper Mark IV, to be driven by A. T. Freeman. This car is powered motor of only 497 c.C. One other Formula III car will start, the Cooper-Norion. to be driven by A. Stafford, of Levin No review of the cars entered for this race could possibly be compiete without mention of the "Crop-Duster." Ofhcially known as the Stanton Special, this most unusual car will be driven by M. Stanton, of Christchurch. The name came roout because it is powered by de Havilland Gypsy aircraft engine of 6124 It is. in capacity. the largest car in C.C. the race: the motor is four times larger than that in the B.R.M. E. A. Kennard. of Christchurch, wil drive the 1100 c.c. Fiat once driven by D. Wild; H. McLean. who some year aco drove a huge black Invicta, and Ken Cooper will drive a car known as the S.Fi.: W. Darrell will drive the A.C.E and 31. Winterbourn a supercharsed Vauxhall The complete list Dumhers 23 Tun other racas will be held. a saloon car handicap. which has drawn 21 comretitors, and a sports and racing car handicap which has drawn 24 entries. Both these races are of 12 laps (25 miles).