BEST WIGRAM FIELD AND G.P. NO GUIDE By l'eter Greenslade A DISAPPOINTING showing by a number of the oversens cars in the New Zealand Grand Prix last Saturday inevitably leaves room for plenty of speculation about the result of the Dominion's other classic race, the Lady Wigram Trophy, which will be held in Christehurch next Saturday. It, could be that the New Zealand Grand Prix provides no yardstick with which to forecast the Wigram I'C- It is true that world champion Jack Brabham made a double last year and won the Ardmore race last Saturday. But have not worked out that way in the past. Grass Better In any care the condition of the two-mile Ardmore circult last Saturday was such that any self-respecting pedestrian walla prohably have preferred 10 walk on the grass verges. It had been patched only recently and the palches had been coated with extremely fine screenings which the spinning • wheels of toe cars mied into all intakes as well as drivers' famen. Brabham, 4113 401) emotional mun at even the WOINt. times, denribed the Hurduce of the elrentt an baring "gone rotten." That was praising It. In any case inc result war that, apart from the extraneous matter that wag flying about much to the consternation of all, there were bumps and irregularifies in the surfaces every• where. Poor Surface It: was not the sort of surface that Grand Prix drivers like to risk thelr necks on. And it was certainly not surlace Nuitable for racing Grand trix cars. All this adds up to think: The Armote resuit cannot be taken indilention what will happen at Wigrun. In: any case the tight. ind short straights at Ardmore make it a ellcult poles apart from Wig ram, with 1ts billiards table surlace and last sweeping bends. Proved Worth It would be sly to dincount the chance of Brabham and Mclaren with the robuit, fast works Cooper- Climaxes. They proved their worth in no uncertain fashion lost Saturday. Ate the some • time the Lotus drivers whose cars packed up with transinission troubles could make a really good showing at Wig ram.i These eurs appear to bo: lairly fragile, but they are also extremely fant: and Wigram they should be in their element. Moreover, the circult should be much kinder to their transmissions than Arumore. Brabhain freely admitted he had no chance of hold- Ing Moss while Mous was racing. His Rob Walker Lotua proved to be much faster thun the No. works Cooper. Main Threat There geoms ittle doubt that Surling Mose will be the main threat next Satur duty will be a case of whether the car will aland up to what Moos will inevitably demand from it. Mons hansolf everything regnized fore Wigram win, but everything will 110pend upon his cotta Brubham and MoLaren are coins to be a tough combination. themselves i le and roved again and these drivers appear to take a longer term view of a motor race than does Moss. 'They; must never be discounted, Team Lotus, the works equipe, consisted of Scotsmen Innes Ireland and Jim - Clark, with the motor-cycle ace John Surtees last Saturday. Next Saturday Surlees and Clark will be carrying the banner as Ireland is heading for Australia. Neither Surtees nor Hark had much of a chance • to show their ability at Ardmore Their cars were very seedy. Wigram should be kinder to the transmissions of the Lotuses. The fast sweeping bends of the circuit should Stil both driver's much better than Ardmore's glow colners and rough surface. Ignominious End The Yeoman Credit Racing Stable came to nominious end at Ardmore, Sweden's Joachim Bonnier was exceptlonally fast in the training sessions, bul the gearbox of his Cooper packed up in Saturday's qualifying heat. his appearance in the race was only momentary. Roy Salvadori once again showed himself to bo a first-clans driver. It was only the fact that his botus was just as brittle ay the others that prevented him from finlahing in one of the mujor places. He lasted longer than Ireland and Surteeg and was well ahead of Clark when he retired tall handsome, Lon- This doner looks a likely Wigram prospect. The circuit should suit his driving style and unlike many of the better known drivers, he seems to have a real sympatby with the machinery. Local Pick Of the New Zealanders, the local driver Pat Hoare looks the ple of the unno. Dino-framed legla Rossa-powered f'el rari, unlike the Coopers and Lotuses, looks and sounds like the schoolboy's idea of! a racing car. What is more it has the performance to match. It proved to be slightly over geared for Ardmore, but should be just right for Wigram. Houre settled down in it very qulekly last Saturday and it would he surprlaing it he did not better Grand I'rix plucing of sixth. John Mansel, who hạd guch an excellent season in 1960 with a race-weary 250F Maserati, showed he . had lost none of the old touch in the last twelve months when he drove a few laps in Australian • Doug Whiteford's 260F Maserati in the final Ardmore tralning segsion. Faster Ultimately he drove his lold car in the race as he was definitely faster than ite new owner Bob Wade. For Wigram, Mansel: should have his new Italian Tec-Mec. This car is an unknown quantity although it has the reputation of being one of the fastest front-englned cars racing to-day. If thin is right, Man- Hel should force ut Wigram. Malcolm Gill, the young Auckland engineering student who drives the Lycoming Special, in another New zealander not to be discounted. Last year McLaren brought this car home in fourth place. Gill Anisned in ninth place with it at Ardmore, having won the sports cur race earler in the day. Not Impressive Wigram ahould be more to the liking of Gill and the wycoming. Bob Dade with the 2501 Maserati and Brian Pree cott with the ex-Ross Jensen Piccolo Maserati were not very impressive at | Ardmore and could not be conceded more than ruNners' chances at Wigram. Both dilvers appear to need more experience. Unhappily, Hamelion's Den Gilbero blew up the engine of his extremely well prepared 200 disc-braked Magcrati at Ardmore. He must be considered a doubtful starter not only at Wigram, but also for the rest of the season. This is a great pity Gilbert is a topflight driver who would have had chance of taking some money on the southern circuits. Prospect Denis Hulme, the young New Zealander who did so well in Durope last yea, Is a probable Wigram starler. Will his formula 1 Cooper he is definitely place prospect. Hulme has developed into , extremely scully and heady driver. With Feo Stanton, his manager, to alrect hiva would not be sur. prising to see him repeat his Ardmoro performance and finish in the first alx. The Hamilton 19-year-old Jim Palmer performed well with his Forinula Junlot Lotus at Ardmore, but he did not get a start the Grand Prix although he won two the minor events on the programme. Reliable It is unlikely that the Palmer car will be able to foot ll with the bigger ma. chinery , at wigram, but its reliability should good chance of sive It a minor place if the faster cars break up under the cracking pace which is almost inevitable. A newcomer to singleseat racing cars is Angus Hyslop of Hastings. Jack Brabham Inclines his head as he corners at spoed in his Works Cooper during the Ardmore Grand Prix last Saturday. Hyslop has put up some 4001 var sports car over the Just two SeasOns now rums the 1960c.c. Cooper that earned Syd Jensen his road racing Gold Star last season. He colla easily finish well in the pleture. Better Here" Christchurch's Frank Shuler, who looked better thail most when he won the race at Renwick early In the December, was not very impressive Ardmore with the ex-Hoare 625 Ferrarl. Wigram shoukt prove nore to • its liking and to Shuter's who knows It like the back of his hand. . The Lady Wigram Trophy field gives every prospect of closely run and extremely fast open race. 'The field includes the world's fastest drivers as well &8 New Zcalanders with real talent. However, with the prospect of if speces in the vielnity 100 miles all hour anyihing can happen. In what will inevitably be a last-run race Hoare must be considered as 4 major place-getter and it could be that he will give Hulme i run for his money 100. This year's Wigrain feld adls up the best ever and the New Zealand Grand Prix was no yardstick.