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race report

Brabham won race at just under 90 m.p.h.

Jack Brabham won the sixth international Lady Wigram Trophy in his works Formula I Cooper-Climax at just under 90 mph, from David Piper (Lotus) and Ian Burgess, with Bruce McLaren fourth in Malcolm Gill's Lycoming Special and Pat Hoare fifth. Burgess led at the start of the 16-car race, but Brabham took over on lap 1; Mansel's Maserati retired on lap 1 with a sheared universal joint bolt, and Brabham set a new lap record of 1:20.8 on lap 50.

Lady Wigram Trophy

1Jack BrabhamCooper Climax
2David PiperLotus
3Ian Burgess (England)Cooper Climax
4Bruce McLarenLycoming Special
5Pat Hoare (Christchurch)Ferrari
6Jimmy PalmerLotus
7GilbertCooper-Bristol
8JensenCooper Climax
9ThomasenFerrari
10RoycroftFerrari
11WebsterCooper Porsche
DNFDenis HulmeCooper Climax
DNFJohnny ManselMaserati 250F
DNFLes MooreR.A. Vanguard
DNFQuirkMaserati 250F
DNFMaurice StantonStanton Corvette

Lap times

  • Jack Brabham (Cooper Climax): 1:19.4 qualifying
  • Pat Hoare (Ferrari): 1:27.6 qualifying
  • Johnny Mansel (Maserati 250F): 1:27.6 qualifying
  • Jack Brabham (Cooper Climax): 87.56 mph other
  • Jack Brabham (Cooper Climax): 1:23 other
  • Jack Brabham (Cooper Climax): 1:20.8 lap record

Facts

  • Brabham took pole for the 1960 Lady Wigram Trophy with a practice lap of 1:19.4; sixteen cars started.
  • Bruce McLaren had been faster than Gill in practice in the Lycoming but insisted on starting from Gill's third-row grid slot.
  • Hector Green's new R.A. did not start the 1960 Lady Wigram Trophy because its pistons from Auckland had not arrived.
  • Brabham set a Wigram lap record of 1:20.8 (about 95 mph) on lap 50 of the 1960 Lady Wigram Trophy, while lapping Burgess.
  • Stanton spun at the hangar bend in front of Piper in the 1960 Lady Wigram Trophy, costing Piper time.

Photos

  • With two laps to go J. M. Windleburn of Maungaturoto streaks past the camera in the scratch race, the first event at the sixth international Lady Wigram Trophy meeting; driving his Lotus he finished second to Hastings driver A. Hyslop in a Jaguar.
Read the OCR text
23-1-60 BRABHAM WON RACE AT JUST UNDER 90m.p.h. TACK BRABHAN, the world champion racing driver, won the sixth international Lady Wigram Trophy at a speed fractionally under 90 miles an hour, in his works-entered Formula I Cooper Climax this afternoon. He was followed home by the two Englishmen, David Piper (Lotas) and lan Burgess (2.2 litre Cooper Climax). Like Brabham they held their positions for most of the race. Driving Malcolm Gill's Lycoming Special, Bruce McLaren came home fourth, and he was followed in by Christchurch's Pat Hoare (Ferrari). There was what may well prove to be a record crowd to see the race, which was comparatively free of incidents. After a morning of exciting racing, the cars were brought out on to the grid right on timc for the trophy race. When the field lined up there were sixteen starters, and Brabham, by virtue of the fastest lap, of 1min 19.4sec, in last night's training session, took the pole position on the grid. Outside him were the Englishmen, lan Burgess (2.2 Cooper) and David Piper (Grand Prix Lotus). Pat Hoare, who had made Imin 27.6 sec in practice, had the fourth poston. The Aucklander, Jonnny Mansel, who had equalled his time, was in the second row. Back in the third rOWE was Bruce Mclaren. In the training session, McLaren had actually bettered Gill's time, driving the Lycoming, by about four seconds, but he insisted that he should hold the third-row position earned by Gill. The most notable absentee was Christchurch's Hector Green. His new R.A. could not be prepared in time, as the pistons for it, made in Auckland, had not arrived. The Start As the starter (Mr TV. W. Laing) dropped the flag it was Burgess who shot to the front, with Brabham, Piper, and Mansei next. Hoare was just a little bit slow, but there was really nothing much in it, and it was one of the best starts that has been seen at Wigram for a long time. Brabham and Piper managed to get through the hangar bend first and the rest were pretty well bunched, with Burgess at the head. With a sizzling averaged speed of 87.56 miles an hour Brabham completed the first lap. Burgess had dropped back to second place, then came Piper, Jensen, McLaren, Hoare. Huime, Palmer, Gilbert, and Roycroft. There was no sign of Mansel. His black 250F Maserati had come to a stop near the hairpin bend with the transmission gone already. A bolt had sheared in the nnirersai joint. Next time round Brabham led from Piper and there was the narrowest of margias to Burgess. Then there was a gap to Jensen with the red 1500 C.C. Cooper, who was followed by lic- Laren, settling down quickiy in the Lycoming. Hoare was next and he was followed by Hulme. Already the field was starting to string out, and at the back of it were Les Moore, with the R.A. vanguard, and Maurice Stanton, having his first outing in the new Stanton Corvette. The positions had not changed at the end of three laps, although McLaren had closed up a little on Jensen. Next time_round. Brabham, Piper, and Burgess were running in that order, as indeed they were to do for the rest of the race, but McLaren had taken Jensen to be fourth and Hoare had dropped back to behind Hulme and Palmer. At that stage, Brabham was still lapping round about 87 miles an hour. Moore Out Second man to go was Les Moore. He came in after six laps with a defiated tyre. It was about this stage that Burgess began to lose little ground to piper. de had lost his fourth gear and from then on could make no impression on the two leaders. With twelve laps gone, nevertheless, the leaders-Brabham, Piper, and Burgess—were still pretty close and they had opened up a good margin on McLaren, who in turn was well ahead of Hulme, who had slipped by Jensen. Next in line was Hoare. who had made UD ground. Then came Palmer, Gilbert. and Roycroft. Boycroft's big. Ferrari was already sounding very rough in the motor and it was pretty obvious that he was not going to take any serious part in the race. Even now, the leaders were lapping the stragglers. Piper Close Brabham got down to work a bot be reary seein binet. With twenty laps gone, he lapped Hulme, the fifth man. Piper was still sticking to him and Burgess was not so far behind. McLaren was going like a train and driving the Lycoming faster than it had ever gone before, but obviously he was outclassed. At this stage the margin from Brabbam to Burgess, the third man, was a mere 14sec. Mclaren was fourth. Hulme, with • the 1960 c.c. Cooper was a lap back, then came Hoare, who was going exceptionally well with the 3 litre Ferrari, lapping round about 1 min 27sec. In fact, Hoare was now following Brabham, who, of course. vas a lap ahead of him. Then came young Jimmy Palmer, going well with tne sports Lotus, Thomasen, who things very gently with the Monza Ferrari. Brabham now went to work. He did the twenty-second lap in imin 23sec - 91.11 miles at hour and Piper was only 1.2sec behind him. Burgess was slipping a bit and McLaren was about to lap Hoare. Hulme was still in fourth place. Stanton Spins There was really very little excitement until a little while later Stanton spun his Special at the hangar bend just as piper was about to lap him. The Englishman took violent evasive action and lost a lot of ground to Brabham. At that stage the race had rUn more than half its length and everyone was more or less keeping station. Jensen had stopped to take on water and Quirk was out wtih a hole in the cylinder block of the 250 F Maserati. Stanton had stopped to check his fuel and Webster, with the little Cooper Porsche, had made the first of two stops to refuel. With fifty laps gone, Brabham lapped Burgess and be celebrated the occasion by setting a new lap record for Wigram at 1min 20.8sec. This meant that he lapped at about 95 miles an hour. Brabham completed his fiftyeighth lap and at that stage Piper was not far behind him. Burgess had finished 57 laps, McLaren 56, Huime 55, Hoare 54, Palmer 53, Gilbert 52, Thomasen 51, and Roycroft 50. It looked as though it was all over, bar the shouting, and when sixty-seven laps had elapsed there was a different of eleven laps between the first car and the last. About this time Stanton went out with transmission trouble. Piper Moves Up Piper was doing his best to bridge the gap to Brabham and he cut down the margin by sec in four laps. However, he had no chance of catching Brabham. Then just when it looked as though everything was settled Holme, in fifth place, pulled into the pit, complainof lack of oil pressure. That let Hoare into fifth place. And so they finished: Brabham, Piper, Burgess, McLaren, Hoare, Palmer, Gilbert, Jensen, Thomasen, Roycroft, and Webster. WITH TITO laps to go J. ME. Windleburn, Maungaturoto, streaks past the camera in the scratch race, the first event at the sirth international Lady Wigram Trophy meeting at Wigram this morning. Windleburn, driving his Lotus, finished second to Hastings driver, å. Hyslop, in a Jaguar.

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