19-9-60 WORLD DRIVERS TO COMPETE IN LADY WIGRAM RVE, and possibly seven, of the world's leading racing drivers, will compete in the Lady Wigram Trophy at Christchurch on January 21. Official confirmation of the eniries of world champion Jack Brabham, runner-up Bruce Mc- Laren, Stirling Loss, Innes Ireland and John Surtees was received by the sponsor of the event. the Motor Racing Club, in a cable from London this morning. In addition, Olivier Gendebien and Jim Clark of the leoman Credit equipe have indicated that they are also prepared to race at Wigram. The Motor Racing Club will probably make a decision on their entries within the next few days. For the first time in the his. tory of international car racing in this country, the drivers will come here fully equipped with a complete range of spare parts, including engines, team managers and trained pit crews. Cooper Entries Brabham and McLaren will be ariving Cooper-Climaxes entered by the Cooper Car Company. Moss will drive the Lotus-Climax with which he won this year's Monaco Grand Prix. It has been entered by his millionaire racing patron, Rob Walker. Moss will TROPHY have the services of one of the world's greatest racing mechanics, Tony Robinson. Innes Ireland, who now lies fourth in world championship series, will be driving a Team Lotus Lotus-Climax. This car has been entered by the Lotus Car Company, as also has ine Lotus-Climax which will be driven by world motor-cycle champion John Surtees. Moss will not be available for any of the other international races in the South iSland. Neither will Brabham and McLaren. The two Cooper works drivers will leave from Christcharch to race in Australia. Moss will not race in Australia, 8-10-60 LEADING DRIVERS SOUGHT Australia-N.Z. Circuit Arrangements for several of the world's leading drivers to compete in a circuit of four motor races in Australia and New Zealand early next year were discussed in Australia last week by Messrs R. Grierson and W. H Knox. of the New Zealand International Grand Prix in Auckland. and Mr F. G. Sheopard secretary of the Motor Racing Club in Christchurch. As a result of that meeting. the organisers of the four motor races hare appointed Messis Grierson and Knox io iy to Europe and make Personal approaches to the drivers to take part in the races. Besides the race at Wigram and Ardmore, the circuit will consist of the Australian races at Warwick Farm on February 5 and Ballarat. on February 11 or February 18. Ine organisers of the four races hare decided to act as one body and offer drivers a lump sum for appearance at all four events. "We are hopeful that at Wigram this year the public will see seven of the world's best drivers," said Mr Sheppard yesierday. The names of the drivers who had signed contracts will not be available until after Messrs Grierson and Knox return. However, Ireland and Surtess have indicated that they will be prepared to compete at the inter. national meetings in Dunedin and Invercargill. 10-9-60 Grand Prix, Lady Wigram for Moss • L.P A.- Reuter-Copyright LONDON, Fiving ace, September 10. The British Stirling Moss, will drive in the eighth New Zealand Grand Prix at Ardmore in January. Mr R. N. Grierson, chairman of the New Zealand International Grand Prix Organising Committee, said to-night that Moss nad contracted to drive in the Grand Prix and in the Lady Wigram Trophy Race at Christchurch on January 21. Mr Grierson said Moss would drive a Formula I Lotus owned by the British car racing patron, Mr Rob Walker-the car Moss drove to victory in the Monaco Grand Prix earlier this year. Mr Grierson said he had been negotiating with all leading Formula I drivers and expected a strong field of international drivers and cars for Ardmore. Open Minds The Belgian, Gendebien. and Scotsman, Jim Clark. have open minds about whether they race in the South Island after the New • Zealand Grand Prix at suchland. or go to Australia. If iht e are engaged for the Wigram race, they will almost certainly compete in the other South Island events. Gendebien and Clark will be handling Cooper-Climaxes in the red and green colours of feoman Credit. In this year's New Zealand Grand PrIx, Moss drove one of this team's cars and fought a wheel-to-wheel battle with the eventual winner, Brabham, for the first twenty-six laps. The Motor Racing Club. as soon as it received confirmatior. of the entries this morning anc an indication that Surtees, Ire land. Clark and Gendebien wer, prepared to compete in the Dunedin and Invercargill races. got in touch with the souther. clubs. It is expected that the question will be settled within the next day or so. B.R.M. Out As things stand at present the only overseas drivers who will not be competing at Wigram be the B.R.M. team men. They will race at the New Zealand Grand Prix and then head for Australia to compete at the Warwick Farm meeting on the new circuit near Sydney Racing As far as the Motor Club is concerned, this is the best line•up there has ever been for the Lady Wigram Trophy. Every driver who has been engaged or is likely to be engaged, is on this year's world champion rating list. When Stirling 1-10-60 LL BE A LAP IN Moss Comes... 100 M.P.H WIGRAM RACE By Peter Greenslade AWAY back in 1949, when Stirling Moss was talking the family into a Cooper 500 and Jack Brabham was swirling the cinders on Australian midget car tracks, a Wellington fire engine driver, Morrie Proctor, driving an ancient Brooklands Riley, won the first car race at the Royal New Zealand Air Force Station, Wigram, at slightly more than 66 miles an hour. It was a sweltering Christchurch day and the smiling chubby-faced Proctor had work hard to wear down the opposition. And. let's face it. although the cars looked a bit odd by to day's standards, the competition was just about as keen as it has ever been at Wigram. Recognised Since times hare changed. To-day the Lady Wigram Trophy, run over 150 miles internationally recognised as one of the classic car races ine Southern Hemisphere. Year by year speeds have Ilsen. This year world champion Brabham with a works Cooper. Climax averaged about 90 miles an hour and set a new lap record of about 95 miles an hour to win Wigram at his fourth attempt. Taken br and large, he did not have to try too hard. The next race in the series, which will be held on January 21, next year. should knock all orerious records right off the board. Forecast A couple of years ago, Ron Flockhart, who may not be the fastest in the international car racing set, but is nobody's fool. told me that the aces, if pressed, could lap Wigram at 100 miles an hour or better. Well, next year the aces will be at Wigram. Flockhart will not be here to say "I told you so," but in rier of the calibre of the drivers entered for Wigram it looks as though Flockbart's forecast will be right. Brabham, supported by New Zealand's Bruce MeLaren, will be once again representing the Cooper Car Company ano hoping to make it a Wigram "double." First Time Here Then, • for the first time in the South Island, , there will be Stirling Moss with Rob Walker's Lotus-Climax. This is the car with which Moss skittled the held the Monaco Grand Prix this year. If anyone can top 100 miles an hour for the Wigram circuit it is moss. Colin Chapman, the brilliant young designer of the Lotus- Climax is entering two cars which will be driven by Innes Ireland and world motor - cycle champion John Surtees. Two other overseas possibil- ities for Wigram are the Belgian Olivier Gendebien and the young Scotsman Jim Clark. If they come here they will drive Yeoman Credit Cooper- Climaxes. These cars have the full suppore of an extremely powerful racing organssation and are just about as good as the works Coopers. Genedebien has shared a Le Mans-winning Ferrari and has notched some fine sports car wins in the Ferrari stable. Clark is in the Surtees cate. gor—a brilliant up - and - coming driver. No Predictions This strong overseas line-up is going to make things hard for the local drivers and would be expecting more than any of them are capable of to suggest that they tween them. provide a con Lade Wigram Trophy Winner. It is difficult to make pre. dictions because some the more prominent local mexa hare not announced their plans for the season. Frank Shuter, relentless and brilliant local driver will be handling the ex-Pat Hoare 3litre Ferrari. Hoare is expected to be racing a new Ferrari. Auckiander Ross Jensen is reported to be negotiating for a new • Maserati, and the Tuatau driver Johnnie Mansel, perhaps the best New Zealander in the game today except Me- Laren), is also. negotiating for a new car which may consist of a Tech Mec chassis and short stroke Maserati engine. Lennie Glibert, from Hamil ton, who nas shown up well a Cooper-Bristol during the last few seasons, will be handling the ex-Gavin Quirk 250F Maserati. Proctor Won The First At 66 m.p.h. The young Auckland student. Malcolm Gill will have a more powerful engine in his Lycom ing Special and disc brakes to help him on the way.. But the drivers mentioned look the most likely ones so contest the 4860 ciation of New Zealand Car Clubs' road • racing Gold Star. On paper at least they cannot expect in head off the overseas drivers ability. It simply is that the cars they can obtain are really not quite a match for those of the overseas drivers. Anything can happen in motor racing and it would not be at an surprising to see some these New Zealanders well in the hunt when the leaders head into last quarter of the trophy race. Wigram may not be too kind to the low-slung Lotus racers. There is a bad bump by the chicane just beyond the control tower and there is not a great deal anyone can do about it. The Lotus is not a particulariy robust machine and this bump could easily be its undo ing.