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Second International Lady Wigram Trophy Race

Repeated advertisements for the second international Lady Wigram Trophy race on Saturday 21 January 1956, with advance bookings at the D.I.C. and concession prices: grandstand seats 20/-, party tickets 30/-, adults 7/-, children 2/-, cars 2/-.

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Motor racing at Wigram: drivers to arrive on Monday; Parnell to race Grand Prix Aston Martin

Six overseas entrants (Parnell, Marr, Gaze and Whitehead from England; Mackay and Sulman from Australia) were to fly in on Monday ahead of the 21 January Lady Wigram Trophy. Parnell's Grand Prix Aston Martin had been unable to race at Ardmore because of a disintegrated crankcase, but he had two more engines in New Zealand.

Facts

  • The overseas cars were due at Lyttelton on Sunday and to be unloaded the following Monday morning.
  • Parnell had been considered the most likely challenger to Stirling Moss before his Aston Martin broke down at Ardmore.
news · Press Association, Auckland

Race to get car south

Australian driver McKay, who crashed his Aston Martin DB3 at the New Zealand Grand Prix at Ardmore, was racing against time to repair the rear suspension and panel work so the car could be shipped on the Navua to Lyttelton for the Lady Wigram Trophy.

Facts

  • McKay's Aston Martin DB3 hit a marker drum leaving the Hangar Straight in the 1956 New Zealand Grand Prix at Ardmore, damaging its rear suspension and bodywork.
  • The car was booked on the ship Navua, sailing for Lyttelton, for the Lady Wigram Trophy.
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Lady Wigram Trophy race: concession prices for advance bookings at D.I.C.

Advertisement giving concession prices for the 21 January 1956 Wigram meeting: grandstand seats 20/-, party ticket admitting car and occupants 30/-, single tickets adults 7/-, children 2/-, cars 2/-.

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Mechanical trouble dogging favourite in Lady Wigram race

Tony Gaze's 3-litre Ferrari was suffering periodic loss of speed since the New Zealand Grand Prix, and mechanics were swapping components with Peter Whitehead's similar car. Gaze was rated the closest rival to Reg Parnell's supercharged Aston Martin, with local hopes including Ron Roycroft (Bugatti-Jaguar), Ray Archibald, Syd Jensen, Pat Hoare (4CLT Maserati) and Frank Shuter (Cadillac Special). Entries for the main race totalled 27.

Facts

  • Entries for the major race at the January 1956 Lady Wigram meeting totalled 27, with a possible further entry from George Palmer of Hamilton.
  • Two Ferraris, the Aston Martin and Marr's Connaught were expected to fight for first places.
Read the OCR text
30-12-55 MOTOR NTERNATIONAL 2NI NTERNAWONAL ONT ATERNATIONAI WIG OP WIG: A 4121 ROP WI W IG 104 (GM ·22222 JIG LAT WIG LAD WIG TB WE ARE EL 1958. 21, 1956. 21, 1956. Adyance Bookings at DIC. Booking Office. GRANDSTAND PLAN NOW OPEN Party Tickets and Car Stickers at Concession Rates. MAIL ORDER FOR PATRONS COUNTRY 5 BIE BOOKING OFFICE C8830X 6-9-56 MOTOR RACING CLE SECOND INTERNATIONAL SECOND INTERNATIONAL LADY WIGRAM TROPHY RACE LADY WIGRAM IROPAY RACE SATURDAY, JANUARY 21 Adrarce Bookings at DI.C. Booking Office. Grandstand Plan Now Open. Farty Tickets and Car Stickers at Concession Rates. Mail Orders for Country Patrons. DI.C. BOOKING. D.I.C. BOOKING OFFICE 7905 12-9-56 13-1-56 14-9-56 MOTOR RACING AT WIGRAM DRIVERS TO ARRIVE ON MONDAY PARNELL TO RACE GRAND PRIX ASTON MARTIN Six overseas entrants in the Lady Wigram international trophy race on January 21 will arrive in Christchurch by air on Monday. They are R. Parnell. L. Marr. F. A. O. Gaze, and Peter Whitencad. England, and D. Mackay and T. Sulman, of Australia.. At present the drivers are spending a holiday in the North Island. The cars are due to arrive at Lyttelby mechanics ton on Sunday, and Will be unloaded ! on. Monday morning. Parnell will drive his Grand Prix Aston Martin car, which was unable to race at Ardmore last Saturday because of a disintegrated crankcase. Parnell has two other engines for the car in New Zealand, and he will be able to have one of the new engines installed in time for the race. Parnell was considered as the most likely challenger to Moss before the car broke down at Ardmore. 12-9-56 Race to Get Car South P.A. AUCKLAND, To-day. Australian Grand Prix driver, who crashed in the New Zealand Grand Prix • Ardmore last Saturday, is racing again to-day-against time. The rear suspension and panel work of his Aston Martin DB3 were badly damaged when the car hit a marker drum going out of the Hangar Straight. "flat out," trying to Since then, Mckay has been car ready in time to ship it to Christchurch for the Lady Wigram Trophy race, on January 21- Sails to-morrow. The Aston Martin is booked in the Navua, which sails for Lyttelton to-morrow night. This morning, Mckay thougnt the repairs would be finished by midday tomorrow-just in time to have the car aboard beiore loading on the Navua in the afternoon. Should the car miss the Navua, Mckay will have to then try and get it shipped or flown across Cook Strait. LADY WIGR CONC ADVANCE AM TROPHY RACE ESSION PRICES FOR BOOKINGS AT DIE GRANDSTAND SEATS 20/- PARTY TICKET: ADMITS CAR & Oecupants 30/- SINGLE TICKETS: ADULTS 7/- CHILDREN 2/0g CARS 2/• BOOK NOW! AVOID THE CRUSH AT THE GATES WIGRAM, SAT. JAN. 21, 1956 MOTOR Mechanical Trouble Dogging Lady W Favourite in gram Race NE of the favourites fo O Race next Saturday, race in the international elusive mechanical trouble. Prix, Tony Gaze reported suffering from periodic loss This week Gaze's mechanics have been working on the car, and testing the components Which might be causing the trouble. Prior to loading the cars for shipment to Christchurch, mechanics had resorted to 'exchanging components between Gaze's car and the similar model driven by Peter Whitehead. It is possible that further tests will be needed next week. Rival On paper Gaze has been reckoned as the closest rival to Reg Parnell, who will drive the specially prepared 3 litre supercharged Aston-Martin. Most of the overseas drivers entered in the race are expected to arrive in the city on Tuesday. Their cars will arrive to-morrow. or the Lady Wigram Trophy the second New Zealand car calendar, is being dogged by After the New Zealand Grand that his 3-litre Ferrari was of speed. Although the two Ferraris, the Aston-Martin and Leslie Marr's Connaught are expected to fight for the first placings, local drivers will not be far behind. The Wigram circuit should give the slightly slower cars, in skilled hands, a better than normal chance. Ron Roycroft may surprise overseas drivers. Handles Well The Bugatti-Jaguar, which he will drive, is renowned for its handling qualities, while speed is higher than that of the average XK 120 Jaguar. Ray Archibald, well-known Christchurch Jaguar driver, re ported that his car is ready. "The only trouble is that it is down on speed for competition against these overseas cars," he said. Syd Jensen, of Palmerston North, is also expected to put up a good showing. Although twothirds of the Wigram circuit will be advantageous to him, with its tricky off-camber bends around hangars, the long back straight may defeat him on top speed. Several Christchurch drivers reported that they expect the toughest local competition from Pat Hoare in his 4CTL Maserati. Other local entries include Frank Shuter, who will drive his Cadillac Special. With a new gearbox the car can be expected to perform well. One well-known New Zealand entry still in doubt is that of George Smith, of Auckland. He crashed in practice at Ardmore and bent his chassis. Entries for the major race at Wigram now total twenty-seven, with a possible entry from George Palmer, of Hamilton, to come.

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