advert5th International Lady Wigram Trophy race
Advertisement for the 5th International Lady Wigram Trophy race at RNZAF Station Wigram on Saturday January 24, 1959, with overseas entries Ron Flockhart (BRM) and Jack Brabham (Cooper 2200cc), practice from 9.00, Lady Wigram Trophy race at 1.45 over 150 miles, and admission prices.
Facts
- The 1959 Lady Wigram Trophy programme: open car race 10am (25 miles), 350cc motor-cycle race 10.45, sports car race 11.30, 500cc motor-cycle race 12.30 (17 miles), Lady Wigram Trophy 1.45 (150 miles), saloon car race 4pm (20 miles).
- Admission to the 1959 Lady Wigram Trophy was adults 7s 6d, cars 2s 6d, children 2s 6d; royal tour grandstand seats cost 10s.
- The 1959 Lady Wigram Trophy had a record entry including all the best New Zealand drivers.
featureFlockhart's career
Profile of 35-year-old BRM driver Ron Flockhart, an Edinburgh University engineering graduate and wartime captain, who began with motor-cycles, raced MGs and ERAs from 1949 and joined the Owen Racing Organisation in 1954 after testing the V16 BRM. He drove Ecurie Ecosse D-type Jaguars, finishing fourth in the Rheims 12 Hours and winning Le Mans twice, and was third in the 1956 Grand Prix d'Europe at Monza in a Connaught. Most of 1958 was lost to injuries from a crash at Rouen.
Facts
- Ron Flockhart finished third in the 1956 Italian Grand Prix at Monza in a Connaught, then the highest placing by a British driver in a British car in a world championship event.
- Flockhart owned the first and last pre-war ERAs, R1A and R4D.
featureRon Flockhart's unusual hobby is walking
BRM driver Ron Flockhart, who arrived in Christchurch from the North Island without senior mechanic Gordon Newman and engine specialist Roy Foreman, enjoys walking in the Scottish Highlands and is a keen amateur pilot who owns an Auster. He is racing the BRM type 25 prototype in earnest for the first time in New Zealand and sees the trip as a workout after his Rouen crash. Three V16 BRMs were to be modified and two more type 25s built.
Facts
- The BRM Flockhart raced in New Zealand in 1959 was the type 25 prototype, being raced seriously for the first time.
- Flockhart hoped to remain in the South Island for about a month, possibly racing at Waimate and Invercargill.
Photos
newsLate Wigram entry
Ross Jensen, New Zealand's champion the previous season, made a late entry for the Lady Wigram Trophy on January 24, 1959. He would drive the Piccolo Maserati commissioned by the state of El Salvador, which had developed an engine fault while he ran well at Ardmore and had since been fixed; he was expected to be highly favoured on the faster Wigram circuit.
Read the OCR text
15-1-59
5th International
LADY WIGRAM
TROPHY RACE
R.N.L.A.F. STATION
Wigram, Saturday, Jan. 24th
OVERSEAS ENTRIES
RON FLOCKHART - SCOTLAND - B.R.M.
(WINNER AT LE MANS)
JACK BRABHAM - GT. BRITAIN - COOPER 2200 C.C.
(FORMULA II WORLD CHAMPION 1958)
A RECORD RACE ENTRY INCLUDES ALL THE BEST N.Z. DRIVERS.
PROGRAMME:
PRACTICE 9.00
OPEN CAR RACE, 10 a.m. 25 miles
350 G.E. MOTOR CYCLE RACE, 10.45 -.. miles
SPORTS CAR RACE, 11.30 miles
500 c.c. MOTOR CYCLE RACE, 12.30 17 miles
LADY WIGRAM TROPHY RACE, 1.45 150 miles
SALOON CAR RACE, 4 20 miles
ADMISSION
ADVANCE BOOKINGS AT DIC BOOKING OFFICE ONLY.
ROYAL TOUR GRANDSTAND SEATS 10/-, (plus admittance)
ADMISSION TO COURSE: ADULTS 7/6, CARS 2/6, CHILDREN 2/6.
CONCESSION TICKET ADMITS Private Car and & Adults, 30/-
FAMILY TICKET ADMITS Private Car, 2 Adults and Children Free, 20/-
ADMISSION AT GATES:
ADULTS 7/6 - CARS 2/6 - CHILDREN 2/6
CATERING TEA - HOT WATER
PACKAGE LUNCHEONS ICE CREAM
PIES SOFT DRINKS
16-1-59 19-1-59
Flockhart's
Career
Ron Flockhart, the 35-year-old
B.R.M. driver with a delightfu
Scottish accent who will drive
in the Lady Wigram Trophy race
on January 24, is one of Britain's
top-rank drivers. An engineering
graduate of Edinburgh University; he held the rank of captain
during the last war, serving in
Italy. Austria, and Egypt.
Flockhart's career in motor
sport began after the war with
motor-cycles. Transferring to cars
in 1949. he frst raced with M.G.'s
and E.R.A.'s, owning the first and
the last of the pre-war E.R.A.'s.
The first was the R 1A and the
last was the R 4D—a two-litre car
which remains to this day his
favourite car.
B.R.M. Driver
In 1954 he took up full-time
motor racing, joining the Owen
racing organisation. Hitherto he
had raced on most of the circuits
in the British Isles, but after being
involved in the testing and development of the V-16 B.R.M. ne
began racing on Continental circults. He drove for the Scottish
Ecurie Ecosse in D-type Jaguars,
being placed fourth in . the 12hour race at Rheims and first in
the Le Mans 24 hours on two
occasions.
When the B.R.M. was not used
in grand prix racing, he accepted
the invitation to drive a Connaught in the Grand Prix
d'Europe at Monza in 1956 and
finished third. At that time, this
was the highest Diace achieved
by a British driver in a British
car in a world championship
event.
His suecesses were. continued in
1957, but most of 1958 was spent
in hospital and recuperating after
his serious crash at Rouen.
His races in New Zealand mark
his return to the sport since the
accident. He has not decided on
his plans for the 1959 season, but
he says it is certain that he will
be driving for B.R.M.. at least.
Race Driver
Ron Flockhart's
Unusual
Hobby
IS Walk Ing
THE BB. racing driver Ron Flockhar% who arrived in Christchurch this morning from the
North Island, has one of the most unusual hobbies for
a racing driver—walking.
"I like to get away from the 'infernal' combustion engine for a while and go walking in the Scottish
Highlands when I get the chance," he said.
Flockhart, aged 3t' Edinengineering graduate of
burgh Universtiy, with a
pleasant Scottish accent, is also
a keen amateur pilot.
He owns his own Auster aircraft, which he finds is a most
useful and pleasant way of getting to ana from car race
meets.
He arrived from Wellington this morning without
his senior mechanic. Gordon Newman, and the
B.R.I. engine specialist,
Roy foreman. whom ne
was sapposed to meet at
the ferry last night.
Apart from driving the B.R.M.
type 25 prototype, which is being raced for the first time
seriously in New Zealand,
Flockhart sends back lengthy
technical reports to the Owen
organisation. owners of the car.
Three of the Vl6 type B.R.M.s
will be modified and another
two of the type 25 are being
built. so that with the one ne
nas in New Zealand. there will
be six B.R.M.s racing soon.
Workout
He said this New Zealand
trip was a workout for him
following his spectacular smash
at Rouen. in which he suffered
six broken ribs. fractured
spine and a punctured lung.
"By the time I get back
home in February I hope to
be getting more familiar
with the old game," he said.
"Im just getting back into
the swing of it and feel
quite good."
He will drive the B.R.M. in
the Lady Wigram Trophy race
on January 24, and hopes to be
in the South Island for about a
month, possibly also racing at
Waimate and Invercargill.
After some big game fishing
tin the North Island. he • will
Ron Flockhart
travel to the United States on
technical representation and
then return to the United Kingdom and his home in Bedford.
An engineering outlook was
not an essential for motor racing, he advised. " Ignorance
is bliss in this case. " he said.
17-1-59
Late Wigram Entry
Ross Jensen, New Zealand's
champion racing driver last season, has made a late entry for
the Lady Wigram international
trophy race on January 24. Jensen
will race the Piccolo Maserati
which he has been commissioned
to drive by the South American
state of El Salvador. He was in a
good position in the New Zealand
Grand Prix at Ardmore last Saturday when the car developed a
fault in the engine. This has been
rectified. and Jensen must
highly favoured on the faster
Wigram circuit.
Summaries and tables are machine-read from the scan and may contain errors: the scan is the record.