24-19-55 TOP CARS LADY WI , DRIVERS IN GRAM RACE WITH the recognition of New Zealand road races as a premier off-season circuit for Continental racing drivers it would appear that manufacturers intend to treat this country's races as a test series for new models. This is apparent from the prominent in Continental comentries received to date for the petition ior the last three years Lady Wigram Trophy race, an but to date no such cars have internationally-recognised event, been seen in New Zealand. to be held on January 21. This will be remedied with It will mean that New Zea the appearance at Wigram of the landers see some of the world's new Grand Prix Connaught. fastest cars in their debut to! In its first appearances in racing. It will also mean that England it proved capable of the eyes of the motor racing outstripping both Roy Salvadori world will follow the results of and Stirling Moss in their New Zealand events with con- Maseratis. siderable interest. It is Britain's most up-to-date Formula 1 car and will Unique Circuit driven by . the rapidly-rising Scots star, Leslie Marr. Leading overseas entries for the Lady Wigram Trophy Race Well Known were announced by the organisers, the Motor facing el to-day. They include some Well known to South Island the world's top drivers and the followers of the sport, Peter worid's fastest and latest racing Whitehead, of England, has cars of all rescription. entered with a specially-built 3- The New Zealand circuit is litre Ferrari. There will be two believed to be unique in inter- of these the national racing in that all other being driven by cars in the race Aus classes compete in the same tralian Tony Gaze. race. Whitehead won the last Lady Greatest interest will most Wigram Trophy race in 1953 likely centre around English when he drove a 2-litre Ferrari. driver Reg Parnell. During the Jack Brabham is entered past Continental season he has with a specially-built been driving with considerable litre Cooper-Bristol. It is success his own 2 litre Ferrari in Grand Prix events. the only Cooper racing in the Formula 1 class. He has been chosen to • Of local race in New Zealand a new entries the organexperimental Grand Prix isers had little to say at present • car specially constructed by except that many were being received from throughout the the Aston Martin company. country. This will be the company's Several well-known New Zeafirst venture into Grand Prix land drivers have imported racing since the war. The car quality racing cars while others is a s-utre supercharged model. nave been preparing cars of Uitra-streamlined, fully ед-- tner own design and manuclosed racing cars bave been facture. 9-12-55 17-12-55 21-12-55 WIGRAM MOTOR RACES ENGLISH ENTRIES CONFIRMED ARRANGEMENTS FOR TROPHY EVENT Four prominent British racing drivers will denitely compete in the Lady Wigram Trophy car race on January 21. according to cabled advice recelved yesterday by the organisers of the race from the secretary of the Racing Drivers' Club (Mr Desmond Scannell). Mr Scannell named Reg Parnell, Leslie Marr, Peter Whitehead, and Tony Gaze &6 the entrants. Parnell will drive the frst postwar Grand Prix Aston Martin. He is well known for his successes for the Maserati and Ferrari stables, and is now the leader of the Aston Martin works team. won practically all the important sports car races in England this season. Leslie Marr will be driving a Connaught in which Parnell recently easily outstripped Stirling Moss in a Maserati at Aintree. The three-litre car which Peter Whitehead will drive has been specially constructed for racing under New Zealand conditions. The car built under the supervision of Enzio Ferrari himself, and has a larger engine in an ordinary Grand Prix chassis. Letter from Whitehead "I am looking forward to TacIng in Christchurch again. When I raced there in 1954, I found the course very interesting, and the organisation com- Phede taken part with hid fare rad. " said Whitehead, in a letter to the Motor Racing Club. He said he was pleased that the re- sealing. which prevented event being held last year, was completed, and that it should make the course perfect pes. Whitehead also entered Cooper-Jaguar sports car, built to his own specifications, in the Redex sports car race at Wigram. Gaze will bring 3 Jaguar-HWM with Ferrari, and will probably also enter it in the sports car race. Both the Cooper- Jaguar and the Jaguar-HWM have never been raced previously in Aus- tralia or New Zealand. J. Brabham, who was originally expected to come to Wigram, has cabled advice that he will unable to compete because of business reasons. Tickets for Meeting Because the organisers of the races have been unhappy about the way in which spectators have had to queue up at Wigram to gain entry to the circuit. it ha: been decided that a booking office in Christchurch will sell tickets for cars and persons in advance at reduced prices. It is hoped that will facilitate the admission of what is expected to be a record crowd. The first race wi compared with 1 years. If the drivers ai the overseas Com their cars displa windows of Chris fore the race. Tw have already sou display in their il begin at 10 a.m.., p.m. in previous re willing. most of petitors will have yed in the shop stchurch firms bevo prominent stores ight two cars for windows. MOTOR RACING AT WIGRAM ENTRIES FOR TROPHY EVENT STAN JONES WITHDRAWS When entries closed yesterday for the 1956 Lady Wigram International Trophy race to be held at Christchurch on January 21. 16 defnite siariers were announced for the race. further nine entries are tentative. of grandstand and car tickets for the race will commence before Christmas in a Christchurch shop. Last evening a last-minute entry was received from A. I. Freeman, of Wellington. His 4f-litre French Lago- Talbot has just been landed at We!lington. and is likely to take part in other South Island races during tbe season as well as Wigram. The car, which has been raced in Europe, das a very large twin camshaft six-cylinder engine. Australian Withdrawal The Motor Racing Club yesterday received a great disappointment when the directors of Repco, Ltd., Melbourne, cabled to Christchurch inat Stan Jones would be unable to compete at Wigram in the Repco- May bach. "The proprietors regret very much that the entry will have to be with drawn, ana realise it is a bitter disappointment," said the cable. "When a final inspection of the engine was made before putting it together to be shipped to New Zealand, faults in the crankshaft were revealed. A member of our company's directors made al special trip to Europe to obtain two new ones, but found he would unable to have them in Australia it time for fitting to New Zealand races the car for the Confirmed entries are: F. A. O. Gaze (England), Ferrari; R. Parnell (England), Aston Martin; L Marr (England), Connaught; N. Whitehead (England), Ferrari; Sulman (Australia), Aston Martin; ; J. McMil- (Wellington). Alfa Romeo; O. Symonds (Christchurch), S.H.; P. Hoare (Christchurch), Maserati; Moffatt (Ashburton), Jaguar XK120; R. J. N. Archibald (Christchurch), Jaguar_XK120; J. •E. Horton (Dunedín), H.W.M.; R. W. O. Frost (Levin) Cooper; W. Darrell (Christchurch) A.C.E.: R. Jensen (Auckland); Freeman (Wellington), Lago-Talbot; A. Stafford (Levin), _Cooper. Tentative entries: L Moore (Christchurch), Kieft: R. Roycrott (Glen Murray) I. Clark (Auckland), Maserati; F. Zambucka (Auckland), Smith (Auckland), Maserati: C. G- F. C.G.S. Special; Shuter (Christchurch). Edelbrock Special): D. Caldtell (Glen Murray), Alia Romeo: R Moore (Christchurch). Cooper; S. Jensen (Palmerston North) -. First International Race For Lady Wigram Trophy The frst international car race ever to be held in the South Island-the 1956 Lady Wigram Trophy race, to be held in Christchurch on January 21will be a far different event from the handful of pre-war vehicies which contested the first race in 1949. Competition from England and Australia will ensure that the race hard-won, especially as it is an official event on the international motor racing calendar. In 1949, the first year in which the race was held, about 30,000 spectators saw 22 starters race round the circuit at speeds which today-only six years later-could be easily equalled by a high-powered saloon car. M. Proctor, of Wellington, drove his veteran Brooklands Riley into first place ahead of seven other finishers. His average speed was 65.67 miles an hour, and he established a lap record of 67.9 miles an hour. Because of the war and import restrictions, the average age of the cars in the race was much more than 10 years. Some were nearly 20 years old, and burnt clutches and melted pistons took a great toll. Only five of the 13 starters in 1950 önished the 105-mlle race. The race was faster (average 69.4 miles an hour) and the lap record was advanced by a large margin to 75 miles an hour. The first overseas competitor was entered in this race-G. Coglan, of Australia. driving a supercharged M.G. This car gave motor racing fans their first glimpse of a 100 miles an hour supercharged racing car. The race was won by Hec Green, a favourite with the crowds, with his beautifully prepared Wolseley. Slides and Spins A wet day provided spectators with . feast of wild slides and spins 1951. The first continental-built racing саг made its appearance a 2.9-litre P3 Alla Romeo, driven by Les Moore. Moore won the race four minutes ahead of the second car, at an average speed of 69.4 miles an hour. Had the track been dry he would almost certainly have established a new lap record The 1951 race marked the beginning cf the decline of the old pre-war sports cal successes. Cars were becoming more and more high-powered, and maximum speeds were in the 140 mile an hour category. " Three Australians took part in the race, but all retired within five laps of the start. They were K. Tubman, d. Nind, and 1. Sulman. Because of the large number of retirements in the races of 1950 and 1951. the race distance in 1952 was reduced te 50 miles. The Alfa Romeo driven by Moore again triumphed. and this time, with a dry track, he established a new lap record of 80 miles an hour. His average speed was 77.8 miles an nour. Sulman again came over from Australia and drove into second place with his 4C Maserati. An accident occurred when Ron Moore, in his Rieft, crashed into the back of another car. Apart from a few minor cuts and bruises Moore escaped serious injury. Alia Romeo's Third Win An Alfa Romeo the race for the third time in 1953. Its driver was the Auckland veteran, Ron Roycroft, and he completed the 50 miles at an average speed of 79.5 miles an hour. The lap record changed hands, , however, when R. Gibbons drove his tiny Cooper 1100 at 80.5 miles an hour. On February 8. 1954, Christchurch crowds saw the fastest car race ever run in the South Island. New interest and competition were infused into the race by the entry of English international drivers. The fastest car of its kind in the world at the time-the B.R.M.—thundered around the course Ken Wharton at the wheel to establish a new lap record of 88.9 miles an hour. The B.R.M. was reaching speeds of up to 180 miles an hour in the straights, but could not stay the distance and broke down within yards the finishing line. A very disappointed Wharton pushed the car over the line to take third place behind Peter Whitehead and Tony Gaze. is unlikely that Wharton's lap record will be broken for many years This year the race was not held. The circuit was being resealed, and would have been dangerous for racing.