15-1-60 72 "THE PRESS, FRIDAY, JAN. 15, 1960. JACK BRABHAM, the world champion motor racing driver, coasts in to the pits after his win in the New Zealand Grand Prix at Ardmore last Saturday. Brabham is also entered for the Lady Wigram International trophy race on January 23. OTO RIN Brabham A Favourites For nd Mc Wigra Laren Are Surling Moss's former Maserati 250F at Wigram, and should again m finish in a high placing barring. mechanical troubles. the more interesting Drivers 1o Europe HAVING taken the first three Among entries at Wigram will be the Interest will also centre on placings at the New Zealand Grand Prix at Ardmore last|Tornado V8 of Ted Gray, which George Lawton and Denis Hulme, Saturday, the British Cooper cars is the fastest special in Australia. two young North Island drivers are almost certain to repeat their not last long who will be making their last performances at the Lady Wig- the cracking pace set at Ardmore, appearance in Christchurch ram International trophy race on but may fare better at Wigram. , before leaving for overseas under January 23. At this stage, five So too, may the Lotus of David the New Zealand Grand Prix overseas drivers have contracted "Drivers to Europe" scheme. If they have the same success as to drive at Wigram, including the reigning world champion and Bruce McLaren, this trip could winner last Saturday, Jack Brab- well set them on the road to ham, and New Zealand's own world championship ranking. world record title contender, Len Lukey, of Australia, and Bruce NcLaren. Ian Burgess (Great Britain) Brabham and McLaren, driving should keep their Coopers well works Coopers, will naturally be up in the beid at Wigram, and top favourites for the Wigram Jimmy Palmer and P. M. Hoare, race, and McLaren may derive both of whom have been prominsome satisfaction from the know- ent at Wigram before, will be ledge that Wigram is a circuit driving potent cars. Ron Royon which Brabham has had little croft will again be seen in the success in the past. On the last V-12 Ferrari. three occasions he has raced there, Brabham has been denied vic- Arrival of Drivers tory, and last year he was headed off only by some spirited driving Most of the drivers and their by Ron Flockhart in the B.R.M. cars will be arriving in Christ- With faster cars this year, Brab- church on Monday of next week. ham and McLaren-who will The cars will be housed in city driving as a Cooper team-should motor showrooms, and the drivers have the rest of the field at their will practise at Wigram next mercy. Friday. There will be no prac-i tice on the day of the race. Team Aspect With the world's champion Although Brabham and Mc- driver and champion cars com- Laren apparently forgot the team peting, this year's Wigram race aspect towards the end of last BRUCE MCLAREN should certainly be one of the Saturday's grand prix, it is to quickest. Bruce McLaren is a and top New Zealand drivers will Piper, which had to withdraw at driver who likes the Wigram cir- be hoped that the other overseas Ardmore because of drive shaft cuit, and provided his is not te be able to harry the works Coop- failure. Hector Green's new R.A./ strained by any team instructions, ers and prevent a procession at special came to grief through the handsome Lady Wigram tro- Wigram. If either Brabham or Mc- piston failure, but showed a great phy this year has a grand chance Laren drops out through mechanical failure, the other will have turn of speed before its mishap. of being won by a New Zealander This will be Green is no stranger to Wigram. for the first time. a much harder task, and Ian Bur- having been one of the original the sixth international race at gess or David Piper (Great Bri- drivers there when the circuit Wigram, and on the last five occatain) or Len Lukey (Australia) was first opened to motor racing sions the laurels have gone to should prevent a runaway win. in 1949. overseas drivers. Even so, it is difficult to see any One of the outstarding perforof the other entrants seriousiy challenging •the works Coopers. mances at Ardmore was the fifth placing of Johnny Mansell, of which have proved their worth by winning the world racing car con- Auckland, who is a driver who structors' title for 1959. and tak- has shown great promise ing Brabham to his world drivers' recent years but has not had luck title. on his side. Mansell will drive