20-9-55 8-7-55 Lady Wigram Car Race to be Held Again Next Year The Air Department has granted the Christchurch Motor Racing Club permission to hold the Lady Wigram 150-mile car race at the Royal New Zealand Air Force Wigram, again next year. Statiot The 1955 event was abandoned. Next year's race will be held on January 21 over seventy-one laps of the Wigram circuit. race for motorcycles may be added to the programme. Permission for the meeting has also been granted by the Association New : Zealand Car Clubs and an application has been lodged with the Royal Automobile Club, London, for the race to be granted an international licence and to be included on the International Calendar. This will allow the club to engage overseas drivers. 9-7-55 WIGRAM MOTOR RACE JANUARY 21, 1956, FIXED AS DATE OVERSEAS DRIVERS MAY COMPETE Overseas drivers may compete in the Lady Wigram Trophy motor race to be held on January 21, 1956. This was announced by the Motor Racing Club of Christchurch yesterday. Permission to use the perimeter track at the Royal New Zealand Air Force station, Wigram, has been granted by the Air Departrent, and the date for the event| has been agreed to by the officer com-! manding the station (Group Captain I. R. Dix). Application fur the race to be. granted an international licence and to be included on the international calendar had been made to the Royal Automobile Club, London, said the secretary of the Motor Racing Club (Mr P. M. McShane) yesterday. This licence would allow the club to engage overseas drivers. Fermission for the meeting had already been granted by the Association of New Zealand Car Clubs. "The Motor Racing Club intends to invite competitors from overseas, but at the same time will watch the interests of New Zealand drivers closely in order to make the event attractive to! drivers from both islands. said Mr McShane. The Lady Wigram trophy race will be run over 150 miles. or 71 laps of the Wigram circuit. The usual gramme of supporting events will be heid, with the possible addition of a race for motor-cycles. The club hopes to attract a frst-class entry for this sace. Entries for the trophy race and other events will open on September 1. 19-9-55 Wigram Now Carl Kace nternational NANTERBURY'S classic car race, the Lady Wigram Trophy race at Wigram, will this season assume full international status, according to information just received by the organising body, the Motor Racing Club. A cablegram has been re lengthened from 100 miles to ceived from the Royal Auto- 150 miles and it is almost cermobile Club, London, stating tain that many drivers will be that their competitions com- forced to make pit stops for mittee has accepted the supple. retuelting. mentary rules for the race and One of the main attractions that an international licence is for overseas drivers will be now a matter of course. that the club has arranged the. A spokesman for the club date a fortnight after that of this morning said that inter- the Auckland International national recognition, and the Grand Prix, at Ardmore, on inclusion of the race on the January 7—New Zealand's only international calendar, means other international event. that the club can go ahead and " Provided arrangements can contact the English and Aus- be made, we hope to run tralian drivers who have already motor-cycle race in conjunction shown an interest in the event. with the main event," said the With such drivers appearing, club's spokesman. many of the finer points of race organisation will be seen, as this season the race has been WIGRAM CAR RACE R.A.C. INTERNATIONAL STATUS OVERSEAS DRIVERS EXPECTED The Lady Wigram Trophy race at Wigram, the major Canterbury event on the motor racing calendar. will this reach full international status according to information received the Motor Racing Club, the organising body. The Royal Automobile Club has advised the club, by cablegram, that its competitions committee accepted the supplementary rules for the race and that an international licence is now a matter of course. A number of British and Australian drivers have already shown an interest the race, and international with the inclusion of the meeting on the international calendar, will mean that the club will be able to offer then a race of a standard which would comexpense bringing their cars out. according to Mr Harvey Croft, club publicity officer. Firm entries are expected shortly. With the lengthening of the course from 100 to 150 miles it is likely that many drivers will be forced to make pit stops for refuelling, and spectators will be able to enjoy some of the finer points of race organisation. A further attraction to international drivers is that the date (January 21) has been arranged to follow the New January Zealand grand prix at Ardmore, on sports car race will also be held and Mr Croft said yesterday that some of the overseas drivers may wish to compete in that event also-cither in their own cars or others acquired in Dominion. motor-cycle short distance, may also be organised. Five leading English drivers, cluding the British champion, Stirling Moss. intend to compete in the New Zealand Prix, Ardmore,! dozen tralians, Aalials induding Stan Jones, 1953 winner, are also after the Prize: least three of the driyers expected to compete Wigram and they will then the Dunedin 75-mile road January 28 to thrill crowds on the "round the houses" course. Next they will compete in the 150-mile South-; land road race on February 11. race is planned especially for the centennial celebrations. All the races have been granted international permits under the Royal Automobile Club rules. The total prize money that can be won is the highest in the Commonwealth outside Ensland. New Zealand championship events for the coming season are: New Zealand Grand Prix at Ardmore, Auckland, on January sealed circuit racing at Levin on January 14 Taut Wigram Trophr race at Christchurch January 21; the New Zealand championship road race at Dunedin. on January 28: South Island championship road race at Christchurch on February 7; Southland road lace. at Invercargill on February 11; New Zealand beach race championships at Oreti Beach on February 18: New Zealand hill climb championships. at Welling- Ohakea Trophy race at Onabez airher (tentative), February on March 3: New Zealand championship sprint at invercargill or Christchurch on March 10. 10-10-55 International Status for Car Race The car race for the Lady Wigram Trophy on the circuit at the Royal New Zealand Air Force Station, wigram, on Saturday, January 21, will carry international status. Competitors will be required to have a current international competition licence. Practice will be held on the Friday afternoon before the race, and, if necessary, a brief practice period will be held on the morning of the race. - The race will be 150 miles long. The number of laps required will be seventy-one. The first prize will be £150, and there will be fifteen other prizes. Sports Car Race Aiso on the programme will be a sports car race over fifty miles. This will be divided into i three classes, up to 1500 c.c., from 1501 to 3000 c.c., and over 3000 c.c. The prize money, which will be subject to there being suffcient entries in each class, will include £50 for first in each class. A saloon car race will be a handicap event of twenty-five miles. There will be four prizes, with £25 for first. A race for open cars not in the trophy race will also be a nandicap event of twenty-five miles. The four prizes will include 225 for first. Entries will close on Friday, ; December 16.