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Famous drivers enter for N.Z. motor races

Preview of the third NZ Grand Prix at Ardmore on 7 January 1956, with 42 entries including Stirling Moss (his own 2.5-litre Maserati), Reg Parnell (new 3-litre Aston Martin), Leslie Marr (Connaught), Peter Whitehead (Ferrari), Tony Gaze (3-litre Ferrari), Tom Sulman (3-litre Aston Martin), Stan Jones (Repco-Maybach) and Jack Brabham. After the race the overseas drivers go to Wigram for the Lady Wigram Trophy, then the Dunedin and Southland road races. The 1954 Grand Prix drew 75,000 spectators. Winner collects 600 pounds and the NZ Motor Cup.

Facts

  • The 1956 NZ Grand Prix at Ardmore had 42 entries; the winner was to receive 600 pounds plus 10 pounds for each lap led.
  • The 1954 NZ Grand Prix at Ardmore was watched by 75,000 spectators.
  • Les Moore won the Lady Wigram Trophy in 1951 and 1952.
  • Maurice Stanton's aero-engined special was timed at 132mph at Ohoka in 1955.
  • After Ardmore, the overseas drivers were to race at Wigram on 21 January, at Dunedin (75 miles) and Invercargill (150-mile Southland centennial road race on 11 February) 1956.
Read the OCR text
Famous Drivers Enter For N.Z. Motor Races колетещика On January 7 the results of the Jarrest motor-ircing meeting ever Now staged country-the Prix-will be cagerly awaited by fol be zcaland ""Grand lowers Four o Britains best at the throughout world. and six from Australia have entered they will be driving cars which among the fastest In the world today. The race, which will bo held on a circuit of the Ardmore acrodrome neat Auckland, will the riches race the southerr hemisphere There 42 entries, five of which are provi sional Alter the race , overseas drivers, in- Parnell, Matt and Whitehead cludin® Brabham Gaze, come to Christchurch to compete Jones, Sulman in the Lady Wigram trophy race January They will then go on Dunedin to take the 75-mile "round and the housepart in then to Invercargill for January the 150-mile Southland centennial road onFebruary 11. All four races have been granted international mils under the Royal Automobile Chul Illes. The 210-mile Grand _Prix was held this year before 75.000 spectators, and it is likely that this third event wil attract 100.000 the 1o ha ti to hondie on as at at racies 500.000 without a crush. south-cast Auckland Five races will make up the day's programme They 210-mllc limited Grand formula cars, theibie, 21-mile (un international "Ultimale capacity, HOSTA sports car race, lace a 32-mile with Le Mans start (drivers sprint the track their 21-mile •salnon car race, hind a 10-mite Veterale (pre-1916) grand prix Ar the Grand Prix and the sport cars which record the fastest times during practice laps will qualify. For those whn do, not quality there is the "Ultimato race. The veterans' grand prix will see old-timers as Chandler, Albion, Minerva, Twombly, and Benz battling it out for The winner her 10 he New Zealand Grand Prix will collect £600 and the Neu Zealand Motor Cup. As well as TOT various capacity classes £10 is awarded to the leader in each lap. Therefore car leads from to finish to driver will collect £1000 in prize money The first prix held in 1954 won Stan Jones, 01 Australia Repco-Maybach Ardmore Jones will definitely compete Was won By prince Bira, of Siam i Brantes since Sound his retirement from motor-racing. Maserati. Britain's Top Driver The favourite for the race is Stirling MOss. the 25-year-old English champion, and runner-up to J F'angio of Argentina for the world tille, Moss will drive his own 2)-litro Maserati in the racc Moss has had one of the most spectacular rises his attended the Imperial Service College education at Haileybury success. College he first raced a 500 Cooper car it Bie wil in the race the beat C.c. 1950 nother a Jaguar. cam of factory-entered Jaguars, an in view of this. he was invited in joi the Jaguar works team, never regretted its choice, in the next yeat Moss won' the Tourist trophy. this time in XK1200 ¿aguar The gold star for the most successful British driver of the year issued by the British Racing Drivars Club. been won by Moss four times. He waI :dt successively 1950, 1951 and 1952 , thus equalling the hat-trick estab- Jished by Bira before the war. Mos won In December. gold star 1954 Moss joined the German Mercedes-Benz team and this inodel He shattered the previous record by 10 miles average 97.99 miles He finished also Mercedes. minutes ahead hour October rangio this year he won the dimcult Targa Floria race and gained for Mercedes the world championship. After lacing at Ardmore, Moss will sly to Argentina to take part in tho Grand Prix there New English Cars Reg Parnell, another well-known English drivor, will make his appear ance in a new Aston Martin. No details of the except that it is a 3-litre supercharged model. Parnell veterar and t farmer He Arst raced at Donningtor Park in 1934 In a 2-litre Buratti, aire 1947 and 1948 he won gold stars Lagonda in this Le Mans race, but was forced to retire about half way through. He is a member of the Aston Martin works team The 21-litre Connaught, which until recently has had little success will be driven by Leslie Marr. year' Le Mans the car lapped at 105 miles An hour and reached 150 miles hour ne straighte It has a closed aerodynamic body with larpe vertias been tihed to is cars After suffering earls teething the the Syracuse rand Prix and broke the lap record Ihree times Since 1949, the Connaught laced ind developed under the patronage of Kenneth McAipine.! whose ambition it is to sce a British cap ever Whitenead is one touran Prish international Grand Prix whichead was the wander oolr1051 farmer woolbroker Lady Wigram race. and was second at Ardmore this ycar. Driving very fast Italian Ferrari he will bel one of Moss's toughest opponents. Australian Contenders F. A. O. (Tony) Gaze, will drive 3-litre Ferrari. Gaze is an Australian who has raced in Europe with much thirds at Ardmore this year, and second at Wigram in 1954. Tom sulman. of the "Kangaroo Stable," "emer Australian leam, has had much racing experience in Europe and Australia. He will drive a 3-litre unsupercharged Aston Martin A similar car took the first four plac ings in the sports car race at the las Grand Prix It has six cylinders. three carburettors, and twin (two spark plugs a cylinder) Stan Jones, will appear again in his Repco-Maybach, The car has beer completely rebuilt after recent crash, and now retains "ntle te original German slat car components. it has been limed at 150 mile an hour. 3115lT74 will drive a l-litre A thile porsche Spyder These display at the last Le Mans race, andere outstanding they won their class. One car finished fourth behind a daguan and anagdot cars with much larger capacities Other Australians taking 2 Mildren Brabhum (Redex Special art and A ‹Cooper-Bristol). W Wil ox Ford V8 Spectal and D. McKay (Asin Martin DB35) are among the provisional entries. New Zealand Entries Prominent among the leaders should be the Scuderia Zambucka With two brand new Italian 8CLT Maseratis and an older 1-litre model, the New Zcalanders could casily show visitors the way to the fnishing line. The new cars are capable of 200 miles an hour, but it remains lo vietner lee drivers can match experience of the vistitors. Following the lead of Zambucka, R Frost and A Stafford joined to form a team with two 500 c.e. Coopers. entered are Coopers. these popular little cars are entered, anould the tell in with their fine cornering ability There are 30 New Zealand entries. including three provisional Les Moore. when tha Lady Wigram trophy in 1951 and 1952 is one of the Ave Canterbury entrants. He clive a 1000 c.c. Kiefl, while his son Ronnie, who is well-known as a speedmotor-cycle rider, will drive a Coup Stanton will drive a car which derives tremendous acceleration from its 63-litre inverted aero Chaine, ine car was recently timed at 132 miles an hour at Ohoka in unfavourable STIRLING MOSS and although it appears to very control at high speed, can be considered a likely F. Shuter (Cadillac Special) and E Bristed (Triumph TR2) are the other Canterbury entrants. New Zealand drivers will be conpeting against formidable opponents in cars which have been tested shatever top sense race el Whatever result, have played a major part 111 bringing Zealand into the limelight of linternational motor-racing circles

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