22-1-60 BURNING THE MIDNIGHT OIL MECHANIC Tim Wall and Jack Brabham checking over the gearhox of Brabham's Cooper Climax. Mr Wall worked all night on the car in an effort to get it ready for to-morrow's Lady Wigram Trophy race. MECHANI PREPARE CS WIN RACE TO BRABHAM'S CAR TACK BRABHAM, the world champion racing driver, reached Christehurch from Australia last night to find his Cooper-Climas Grand Prit racer partially dismantled in a city garage and his mechanic. Tim Wall, assisted by Bruce McLaren's mechanic, Colin Beanland, preparing ; the car for the 150-mile Lady Wigram Trophy race to-morrow. The car had been sent down he would be out of the racing from Auckland by ship and tras to-morrow. not unioaded until yesterday However, David . Piper, the afternoon. Then a desperate race Englishman, who will be driving against time began to strip the the Formula I Lotus lent him a car and check it over thoroughly. set of pads this morning. This morning, Brabhana Although final arrangesaid he hoped the car would ments had not been conbe ready for this afternoon's cluded eariy this afternoon, training session. Wall and it seemed almost certain that Beanland had worked on the Roly Levis, a Vorth Island car all night. driver, trould be handling have been a Piper's second Lotus. Brabham must worried man when he learnt the Rain would cut the speeds news last night that work had down to-morrow, but the general the seri barely started on the car. But feeling that drizzie he did not show it when he would clear and this was bolarrived at the Motor Racing stered by the weather forecast, Club's reception. which is for fair and mild con- He mingled with his many ditions. Christchurch friends and modestly accepted their congratula- Ambulance Men tions on his winning of the 1959 world championship. To Attend Plans Changed Last minute preparations were At Wigram being made by most drivers this Forty members of the St John morning. Ambulance Brigade will. be in McLaren will now attendance at the Lady Wigram Cooper-Climax on aviation Trophy Race at the Royel as he has not been able to secure Zealand Air Force Station. enough methanol to give him a ram, to-morrow. One ambulance reasonable margin of safety. will also be present to assist— if necessary-the ambulance to Gavin Quirk will definitel be operated by the Air Force. driring his own 250F headquarters. under Maserati to-morrow. It was chief medical officer (Dr R. G thought previously that Ross Mathieson! will be staffed Jensen would be handling other doctors. dental this car. specialist and members of the Hulme, the St John nursing staff. Pure driver, who will drive in Radio Link Europe this year, will race his Cooper-Climax with its A radio link is to be estab- 1960c.c. motor. lished with four first aid posts Thus Jensen will be using only around the course so that a 1500 c.c. motor at Wigram. the event of an accident aid Although he is a fine driver his from the headquarters staff can car will be tell down on per-be obtained immediately. formance compared with some of Mr G. H. Dunlop, the corps the other Coopers. ¡superintendent. said to-day that •casualties among the specta-l tors have been light over the Sporting Gesture last few vears. and cases of fainting and fatigue are not ex One of the luckiest drivers to pected in great numbers since day was 18-year-old Jim Palmer. people are generally dressed for He did noi have replacement; the day and spend much of their pads for the disc brakes of his time sitting down." Lotus and it looked as though