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race report

Fastest Wigram lap goes to Clark

Wet qualifying for the seventh Lady Wigram Trophy meeting saw Jim Clark (Team Lotus) set the fastest time, 1:39.6, ahead of Brabham, Surtees and Moss. Johnnie Mansell (Tec-Mec) overturned into a ditch after a bump on Bomb Bay Bend, involving Brian Blackburn (Maserati) and Bob Smith (Ferrari); Mansell had a shoulder injury only.

Motor Racing Club Championship (about 42 miles, 20 laps, provisional)

1D. Lawrence (Wanganui)Cooper35:33.6
2A. Hyslop (Hastings)D-type Jaguar
3Ron Rutherford (Christchurch)R.A. Zephyr37:12.9
4D. G. Young (Timaru)C-type Jaguar37:13.8
5W. R. Gardiner (Christchurch)Tojeiro Jaguar19 laps

Lap times

  • Jim Clark (Team Lotus): 1:39.6 qualifying
  • Jack Brabham (Cooper): 1:41.0 qualifying
  • John Surtees (Team Lotus): 1:42.1 qualifying
  • Stirling Moss (Rob Walker Lotus): 1:43.1 qualifying
  • Bruce McLaren (Cooper): 1:45.4 qualifying
  • Malcolm Gill (Lycoming Special): 1:46.6 qualifying
  • Jack Brabham (Cooper): 1:20.8 lap record

Facts

  • Qualifying for the 1961 Lady Wigram Trophy was held in heavy rain on January 20, 1961, with pools of water on the track.
  • Jim Clark (Team Lotus) set fastest qualifying time of 1:39.6 for the 1961 Lady Wigram Trophy.
  • A three-car crash on Bomb Bay Bend in qualifying involved Johnnie Mansell (Tec-Mec), Brian Blackburn (Maserati) and Bob Smith (Ferrari); only Mansell was hurt, with a slight shoulder injury.
  • Doug Lawrence, in an 1100cc Cooper, led the 20-lap Motor Racing Club open-car race from start to finish; Angus Hyslop (D-type Jaguar) was second.
  • Wet conditions made the motor-cycle races at Wigram treacherous because of water on the straights and misted goggles.

Photos

  • Helpers lift B. Blackburn's car from the ditch where it finished with those of Mansell and Bob Smith.
  • M. Gill, of Auckland, with umbrella, while waiting to start his trial; A. Coutts is beside him.
Read the OCR text
20 61 fastest • Wigram Jua Lap Goes to Clark Lan seventh international Lady Wigram Trophy meeting went away to a damp and disconcerting start when drivers, including seven overseas stars, put in their qualifying laps for group positions for the 150 mile South Island classic. The track was still very The other or Team Lotus Christchurch driver. Ron wet with pools of water in driver, John Surtees, man- Rutherford (R.A. Zephyr) many places and some aged imin 42.1sec and then and David Young, of limaru drivers were soon in trouble came Stirling Moss with with a Ctype Jaguar, nad on the Bomb Bay Bend. 1min 43.1sec. a good duel for the greater Johnnie Mansel When he came in part of the distance, but bump from another driver complained that he was un- Rutherford that shot his Tec-Mec off its able to use fifth gear in the front by the narrowest of line and into the rough. The! margins--0.95ec. car overturned in a _ ditch Rob Walker Lotus and the car also appeared The rain showed no signs Mansel was thrown suffering from carburettor of diminishing at this stage i troubles. but people were still arrivhe got to his feet However, Moss's mech-ling at the circuit and by several other cars got into anic was quickly on the job. trouble. Among them was! Bruce viclaren, the other ¡midday the car parks were Brian Blackburn, a Cooper works driver, quali- quite well filled. Christchurch and fied in Imin 45.4sec—about Provisional results: 72 miles an hour. Notor-racing Club Champion- Bob Smith, of Waitakururu. ship (about 42 miles).—-D. Law Blackburn's Maserati Wanganui, and the Smith Ferrari (Qualified 33.6sec, I; A. Hyslop (Jaguary Rutherford (R.A. Hastings, over the top of Zephyr ) Mansel's car and Mansel Other qualifiers were: Christchurch, 37min 12.9sec, received a bump on the Angus (Cooper D Young (Jaguar), Timaru, shoulders. (min 13.8sec, 4; 1960 c.c.) Imin 46.5sec, Mal- (Tojeiro Jaguar), Christchurch. taken to the colm Gill (Lycoming Special) 19 laps completed, 5. ambulance tent but within Imin 46.6sec, Jim Palmer five minutes was cheerfully (Lotus Formula Junior) 1/ smoking a cigarette and 47.450 50.8sec, Franki Green H. To to 1500 c.c. Lawrence 2. Canley (Lotus) Hamilton, having a cup of tea and more (R.A.) Imin 1501 c.c. to 3000 c.c.-Rutherconcerned about the condi- Shuter (Ferrari) .1min 54.2iford 1. of the Tec-Mec than D. Mackenzie (Cooper 3001 c.c. Upwards-Hyslop 1, anything eise. 1500 c.c.) Imin 54.4sec, D. Young z 42-mile Sports Car Race,- Actually the car was in Evans (Cooper c.c.) m. G1II" Special) better condition than the other two, the drivers of (Ferrari) Imin 55sec. escaped Roy Salvadori (Lotus) 544sec, and Pat Hoare A. Hyslop (Jaguar) 2. 40U25 (Jaguar) 4. (Cooper) Time 33min scathed. talled to complete during the qualifying Slow Time session Tough Going for thought that he would The qualifying trials went have to start from the Motor-cyclists on and fastest of them all back of the groap. was the Team Lotus driver. Heavy rain made condii cr fame had no qualifying time fo The officials by 10.45 a.m tions treacherous for the Imin 39.6sec. This was very Tony Shelly for the (Cooper) and motorcyclists • Wigram at Imin 20.8sec- ,Brian Prescott (Maserati). The first event, a race fo the back Water lay in the pools on 91.28 miles an hour—in the open cars timed to start a straight and world champion, 10 am. was not under wal corners particulariy Jack Brabham. Clark's time was equalied an hour later. Riders also had trouble Swedish driver, with the fierce rain misting Joachim Bonnier. Dictated Terms up their goggles. Yeoman Credit Cooper. Results: Next in line was the Wig- Wanganui Section.—R ram lap record holder and broke 1, k. NeCleary 2, D. King with imin 41sec. world champion, Brabham, tated the terms in the openil, c.c. Cooper sports car, dic Doug bawrence, In an 11* 250 c.c. Section -K. NeCleart VeCleary Then came a surprise ing event, the Motor-racing 3, A. Thomas 4. in the championship. Boyd, in an old H.W.MI. From the drop of the flag he took the lead and held He managed 1min 41.4 it sec. comfortably for the twenty laps. Angus Hyslop, with D-type Jaguar, moved up to second place once the field had sorted itself out a little, and was never challenged again. Three cars were involved in a smash at Wigram this morning but apart from a slight shoulder injury to Johnnie Mansel, no one was. hurt. LEFT: Helpers lift B. Blackburn's car from the ditch where it finished with those of Mansel and Bob Smith. RIGHT: 1í. Gill, of Auck-: land. with umbrella, while waiting to start his trial. 4. Coutts is beside him. An official wearing a black Homburg hat and boiler suit, and paddling about bare-footed, set the fashion for a hard core of enthusiasts. Some went to the otner extreme, wearing ishermen's waders. Some drivers wore crashhats set off by gailycoloured women's plastic raincoats. Christchurch driver B. Blackburn's wife got a large plastic bag and made a hole in the end of it for his head to go through.

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