23-9-60 Mrs Jack Brabham Will Be At Wigram Today . Australian-born world motor racing keen motorist hersel I'm just not cut out in Christchurch last Mrs Betty Brabl champion, Jack f. But drive in for that sort of evening. nam, wife of the Brabham, is a races? "Never. thing, " she said Driving a car for long distances she finds pleasant relaxation. But when her husband is with her she "automatically takes the other seat." Mrs Brabham and seven-yearold Geoffrey arrived in Christ- Ichurch yesterday from Rotorua to : see Jack Brabham compete in| the Lady Wigram Trophy race today. Nervous At Start It will be a big event for the three of them. As Jack Brabham goes to the start, his wife will feel "strung up and nervous." as! she always does until the race roars on its way. Then she will concentrate on her job of timekeeping. That takes her mind off a natural anxiety until she sees her husband cross the finishing line. Betty Brabham watches most of her husband's races. It is? ezsier on the nerves than waiting at home, listening to a race on a radio. There • is no point in asking Mrs Brabham if she would prefer her busband to earn a living in a less dangerous way. "I just can't imagine him doing anything eise." she said. "A • man must do what he wants to i do and though I worry about him at times. I have . absolute faith in his driving. He never takes unnecessary risks." At home in England Mrs Brabham does all her own housework and cooking. Cooking for her husband is easy. Nothing fancy, no sauces on anything. "Even when we visit Europe, and are faced with a menu of exciting dishes, Jack has a grilled steak and plainly cooked vegetables," she says. Mrs Brabham did not see her husband win the New Zealand Grand Prix at Ardmore two weeks ago. She and Geoffrey arrived in New Zealand only last Tuesday from Australia, where they all spent Christmas in Sydney. Next Tuesday they will fly back to England. B. MeLAREN TO DRIVE LYCOMING TODAY Only through a sporting gesture by the Auckland driver W. M. Gill, is the top New Zealander, Bruce McLaren, able to compete in the Lady Wigram Trophy race today. Gill has lent McLaren his 4733cc Lycoming for the race, as McLaren's Cooper Climax was eliminated from the event when a piston collapsed in his engine and tore a huge bole in the crankcase during the official practice at Wigram yesterday afternoon. The practice was held to determine grid positions and eliminate the slowest cars, but with the number of scratchings from the trophy race, no elimination was necessary to reduce the cars to a safe number for the circuit. Fastest time last evening was put up by Brabham in 1min 19.4 sec, and although this cannot be classed as an official lap record. it is almost three seconds faster than the fastest lap put up by Ron • Flockhart in the B.R.M. last year. Before his untortunate misnap, McLaren had put in severa: laps around Imin 22sec and a fastest lap at Imin 21.Isec. Lycoming late last evening McLaren did a round in 1min 29sec, and expects to improve this time by several seconds to- Brabham only appeared at the circuit for a few minutes last evening to drive a few practice laps. He then disappeared—probably to bed, for together with two mechanics, Colin Beanland and Tim Wall, he had stayed up all Thursday night to strip car and reassemble it for today's race. Brabham is indeed a busy man. for after competing in the Wigram race, he will leave for Engthen ty Argentine for the first round of the world drivers' championship there on February 7. McLaren will also take part the Argentine event, flying from New Zealand to New York next Saturday, and then to South America. Withdrawals The Australian, Ted Gray, who arove his Tornado in the New Zealand Grand Prix at Ardmore and was entered for Wigram, has failed to arrive in Christchurch and the promoters have heard nothing of his plans. He will not be competing today. and L. F Bulcraig (Cooper), F. Shuter ("laserati) and A. F. Moffatt (Tojeiro-Jaguar) have also withdrawn. Mclaren and Brabham dominated yesterday's practice. Mc- Laren's car was running periectly until the piston collapsed, and his car seemed as fast as Brabham's on the corners but a little lacking in speed in the head wind down the main straight. McLaren was attempting to gain the pole position with tastest practice lap when his engine gave up. He was just approaching the fast left-hander into the main straight close behind Brabham| when he coasted to a stop. One look at the large pieces of metal lying in his cockpit and the stream of oil from the engine was enough to tell the story in the engine compartment. *This is exactly the same trouble as I had at the Monza circuit in Italy last season," said McLaren afterwards. "We haven't got a spare engine here, and we certainly can't repair the present engine in time." Second Fastest Fastest time Brabham was Burgess, 28-yearchief instructor for the Cooper company His time in his Cooper Climax was lmin 23.4sec. Close behind was the other English driver entered the race, Piper, driving a Lotus. Mnis car was golne and best time of imin quick o mend 25.6sec . gave hopes that he may be to pre- Coopers of Brabham Burgess from reting terecte, the his car fring pertecty Christchurch driver, took his Ferrari round in 1min sec-a established by Aucklander, Johnnie Mansel, driving the 250F Maserati formerly owned by Stirling wioss. These two should have interesting today's Stanton Special of M. F. and Stanton another which only made practice after some frantic last-minute work. gine tine not yet developed, but it showed good turn speed yesterday without being particularly impressive on the corners. This car has signed with a compietely new design of rear and it may several races two brothers to problems which arIse. But present it represents over b the in out zediand every ever built in —every part of 1 Che suspension, chassis, dise brakes, designed locally. L. Gilbert. whose skill nechanic is equal to his skill as a driver waś most impressive in practice his Cooper-Bristol. new did Imin 31.8sec. Jimmy fastest , of Hamilton, min 31sec. Palmer, was driving in ane style to record The fastest which practised were:- Jack Brabham {Cooper Climax), Imin 19.4sec; lan Burgess {Cooper Imin 23.4sec; David Рірег (Lotus), (Lotas min 25.6sec; Mansell (Ferrara), min 227.5c. Patee (Ferrari) min 2T.6seC. R. J. Webster Palmer (Lotus), 31sec; B. ( Cooper Porsche). 1min 31.8sec; L. R. Gilbert (Cooper-Bristol), 1min 31.8 sec; W. Gill (Licoming), Imin Climax). 32.20 32, 6sec 1min M Lukey T Quit (Maserati). Imin 35sec. LADY WIGRAN TROPHY RACE COMIPETITORS at practice yesterday. The English driver, I. Burgess (top), is seen in a Cooper, and P. Hoare, of Christchurch, is in a Ferrari.