24-1-58 LADY WIGRAM TROPHY RACE COULD BE FAST AND OPEN THE ninth Lady Wigram Trophy race, to be run tomorrow, promises to be the most open and the fastesi in the series. The most open because in the twenty-four-car field there are at least six or seven entrants with winning chances. The fastest because last night at an unofficial practice the forceful English driver Archie Scott-Brown took his Lister-Jaguar round the circuit in 1min 26sec-an average speed of 88.58 miles an hour-to well and truly beat Peter Whitehead's 85.11 miles an hour set up with a Ferrari in 1956. Scott-Brown's time will not go down in the Motor Racing Club's record book because records have to be established. in races. In any case, it is almost certain that 1min 26sec will go by the board in the 150-mile classic Scott-Brown was running mean more miles an hour which: he will be using to-morrow. While Scott-Brown was getting the "feel" of the fast 2.1mile Wigram circuit, tne race favourite, the Australian Jack' Brabham, was working on the damaged gearbox of his 2.2litre Cooper in Ron Frost's Levin garage. Brabhar, the 1958 New Zealand Grand Prix winner,_and second place man to Peter Whitehead in last year's Lady Wigram Trophy, damaged the gearbox of his car at the Levin meeting last Saturday. He reached Christchurch this morning along with Stuart Lewis- Evans, the Englishman, who will pilot a Grand Prix Connaught to-morrow. Favourite Brabham looks the best of good things for tomorrow's race. Scott-Brown • and Dick Gibson, the English amateur driver who will use a 750 c.c. Cooper to-morrow, believe that Australian will be the hardest man to beat. But if Brabham is to be beaten in the New Zealand international races this season Wigram, with its fast open bends, is the place where it is most likely to happen. At the moment, scott Brown looks the most likels man to do the job. Last night he was at least 20 miles hour faster through the tricky open bend leading into the long back straight than other driver, and he was negotiating the S-bends under power while most of the others were coasting through. Despite the fact that a disability restricts the use of his right arm, Scott-Brown ‹ has masterly control and the forcefui driving style to keep on going without ever • letting up. Lewis-Evans is another who coula easily give Brabham a great deal of worry. His Con-. naught is not the most reliable of cars, but the fast, open Wig ram circuit could easily be more to its liking than the Ardmore Grand Prix circuit. Gibson looks a bit outclassed by virtue of the smaller capacity of the motor of his Cooper. Nevertheless it would be sur-: prising it he was not up among i the first five or six at the end Good Prospects Never before have New Zealand prospects looked better. Pat Hoare found his new 3-litre Ferrari slightly over geared at Auckland and last night he was a much happier man, although he was not making any forecasts. Hoare, like the other Christchurch_hopefuiike the back off Frank Shuter, knows Wigram his hand, and he must be well in the hunt in the crucial final twenty-five miles to-morrow. Shuter's 8CLT Maserati did not appear to be going fast last night, but he ras probably not trying hard as there is another • practice session this evening. Wigram showid suit his car better than Ardmore. The Auckiander, Ross Jensen (250F Maserati) and Ron Roy. croft (4}-litre Ferrari) finished second and third respectively in the Grand Prix. Jensen did not seem particularly happy on the fast bend leading into the main straight last night. He did not put in any fast laps. Roycroft did not appear. But Roycroft is always a threat and he could i give the overseas men some- I thing to think about. There will be only two notable absentees to-morrow. One is Ron Frost. He injured an arm when he overturned his Formula II Cooper at Levin last Saturday. Frost's car will be driven by the Aucklander, C. Mayo, who , has scratched his little Buckler to take over the faster car. . The Hungarian driver, J. Buza, will be the only other non-starter. He damaged his Connaught at Auckland and was unable to get it ready in time for to-morrow. Of the rest of the bunch the most likely appear to be Arnold Glass, the Australan, Fao will ¡arive a Super Squalo ferrari; : Bruce McLaren, the New Zealander about to spend a season racing in Europe, with a works Cooper-Climax; Ken Harris, of Auckland, with the ex-Wharton i Monza Ferrari; Gavin Quirk, of Te Awamutu,. with a 250F Maserati; and finally, Frank Cantwell, the local man, who will be driving his Tojeiro! Jaguar. Slight Change There will be a slight change in the circuit to-morrow. The drain that runs across the course at the entrance to the south curve proved hazardous last night. Cars were hitting the ground at that olace and: having to siow right down to negotiate safely. For this reason the Motor Racing Club's executive last night decided to set up a chicane (artifcial bend) at this point, to slow down the cars. That should make no difference to lap speeds as cars have to slow down to cross the drain anyway, but it will be an additional safety measure and will be kinder to cars and drivers. The minor events have drawn excellent fields, those for the sports car and saloon car races being exceptional. The former should result into a Jaguar. Austin-Healey dues there being several models of each marque entered, as well as Cantwell's Tojeiro Jaguar and Arthur Kennard's Corvette-Healey. These two should be the favourites. A mixed bag will face the starter in the saloon car race, the last event on the pro gramme. There will be capacity class prizes in this event, and each class well represented with a good selection of " manin-the-street' motor-cars. Spectators will be able to see for themselves just exactly what the cars they drive are capable of doing under racing conditions. 25-1-58 Traffie At Wigram The Motor Racing Club asks motorists going to the car racing at Wigram today to use the fol- •lowing entrances: those travelling along Riccarton road: tur left after the Sockburn railway crossing to the entrance in Vickery's road. This is the largest entrance to the circuit and can handle several lanes of cars at a time. Those approaching Wigram from the south: use the main gate to the airfield on the Main South; road. Those from the south-east (Lincoln road): use the Middle Lincoln road entrance which gives access to the back straight. All! today gate collections will be made by members of the Papanui R.S.A.