16-1-60 Page 8-The Christchurch Star Sports, Januory 16, 19.60 Your Turn To-day, Bruce' -No, After You, Jack' EITHER WAY FOR the first time in its history the La race will almost certainly be won by a Saturday. WIGRAN has not proved kind to the world's most successiul racing ear, Last rear Jack ' Brabham nearir pulled it off when he had a breathtaking duel the whole 150 miles with the roung Scotsman Ron Flockbart. But Flockhart with the B.R.M. muscled Brabham out by a fraction of a second. Brabham and Bruce Me- Laren must go out favourites with the 2!-litre works car next Salurday. The only matter for conjecture-provided that neither car breaks down-is which driver will win. These works drivers should finish first and second, and although this might sound a little irregular, it seems likely that the determination of the first and second placegetters might be worked out by Brabham and MeLaren on the "old chums" basis. "You won at Ardmore Jack... What about making it my turn at Wigram?" or "Bruce it's your turE today!" UNLIKELY Of course, as Brabham and McLaren know as well as any other topflight driver, you cannot always sort things out that way. There is always a possibility that one of the cars will pack up. harring troubles, But, it seems extremely unlikely that Brabham and McLaren will race their cars to death in individual attempts to secure the laurels. The Cooper Car Company, which employs them, would not be pleased about that when everything looks set fair for a 1-2 works Cooper finish. MANSEL? The rest of the Coopers at Wigram will be fitted with smaller engines, and as • Wigram is a much taster circuit than Ardmore it is unlikely that Coopers with smaller engines will get away with third and fourth places, as they dia at Ardmore last Saturday. It is quite probabie that Continental cat will get among the English pigeons and secure one these places. The most likely man to do it is Johnnie Mansel with his 250F Maserati. He finished a good fifth at Ardmore. Another possibility is Christchurch's Pat Hoare who did not give of his best at Ardmore, probably because his Ferrari was afflicted with brake trouble. Yet another possibility is Gavin Quirk's Maserati. But that is only if Ross Jensen drives it. Jensen was given the drive by Quirk at Ardmore, but he was not in a position to tell of his plans for the rest of the COOPE dy Wigram Trophy Cooper-Climax next international season after that race. ENGLISHMEN Then the Englishmen, Ian Burgess and David Piper, 100k good place propositions for Wigram. The cash customers did not see Burgess at his best at Ardmore as his 2.2 litre Cooper-Climax was suffering from a slipping clutch. Nevertheless, he did hold fourth place for a while. Burgess is the type of driver who shoald do well at Wigram. He is tremendously fast and rather spectacular. David Piper settled down comfortably in fourth place but quite a distance behind Mc- Laren at Ardmore and remained unassailable till he went out with transmission trouble in his 2}-litre Lotus. He and Burgess with one or two of the New Zealand drivers of Continental cars could provide the real tussle of the day. UNKNOWN The Australian contingent will consist of Len Lukey. the 1959 national champion, with a 1960 c.c. Coopeh-Climax, and Tea Gray with the Corvette-engined Tornado. Lukey was not so very impressive at Ardmore and it would not be surprising if either Denis Hulme or George Lawton, the young New Zealanders destined to spend a year racing in Europe under the International Grand Prix Organisation's sponsorship, saw him off. Hulme and Lawton are exceptionally fine Joung drivers, but much will depend upon the may their PETER CREENSLADE LOOKS AT WIGRAM RS WILL WIN! older and smaller 1960 c.c. cars stand up to the terrific pace that-should be the feature of Wigram this time. Gray and his Tornado must be regarded as unknown quantities. The training session times of this large Americanbased car were not impressive. But Ardmore is not the ideal circuit for and it could well be that Gray will turn out to be one of the surprises of the race. He went out very early in the Grand Prix before anyone had a chance of assessing the worth of car or driver. SPECIALS A great deal of interest will centre round the two specials that will be making their first appearance at Wigram. Hector Green took his beautitully prepared sleek little rearengined R.A. to Ardmore, but he never really raced as the car kept breaking up its pistons. Green. doubt, will have that problem sorted out in time for Wigram, and it will be interesting to compare the car's performance with the Stanton Corvette which has been built by Charles and Maurice Stanton. This car is of fairly orthodox design having a front-mounted. Chevrolet Corvette engine which is capable of considerably more development. But this season the Stantons intend to run it with the motor more or tess in standard form. It would be asking a lot to expect a great deal from it at Wigram and the same can be said of Green's car. PROM The rest of can hardly be more than rur although the 21 land engineer Malcolm Gill, m of the more something to th his Lycoming Sp ISING the large field accorded much nners' chances, 1-rear-ola Auckring student, night give some voured starter's ink about with 1ul. Like Hulme and Lawton, Gill -is a most promising young driver. And to give him something to think about there will be 18-year-old Jimmie Palmer who drove an exceptionally fine race for a minor place in the Grand Prix with his 1960 c.c. Lotus sports car. Palmer is a youngster who could easily better that performance at Wigram. A big question mark lies over the 1960 c.c. single seat Lotus that Piper has brought out with him for a New, Zealander to drive. • Christchurch's Frank Shuter put up some creditable practice times with it before the Grand Prix but went to hospital an appendicitis operation on the eve of the race. He will not be fit enough to drive it next Saturday. But in the right hands this car could easily finish in the first half dozen. RECORDS? It is almost certain that Brabham and McLaren will set • cracking pace simply to ensure a new lap and race record. Between them they could eas ly send the lap record up to 95 or 96 miles an hour if they have the mind to do so, and it would be no surprise if the winner averaged something like 92 miles an hour. B.R.M. driver Ron Flockhart averaged about 89 miles an hour last rear and set a lap record of 92.5 miles an hour. In any case, the sponsor of the event. the Motor Racing Club is taking no chances. It has amended the lap time-speed table in • this year's programme to include readings for speeds in excess of 100 miles an hour!