Brabham does it again
World champion Jack Brabham led from start to finish in a Cooper to win the Lady Wigram Trophy in appalling wet weather, the race being cut by 50 miles to about 100 miles. Bonnier challenged early before dropping out after 18 laps, and Jim Clark spun off after 20 laps; Frank Shuter's Ferrari crashed into a timekeeper's box after colliding with a saloon car.
Lady Wigram Trophy (shortened to about 100 miles)
| 1 | Jack Brabham (Australia) | Cooper | 77:18.5 |
| 2 | Stirling Moss | Lotus | |
| 3 | A. Hyslop (Hastings) | Cooper | |
| 4 | Bruce McLaren | Cooper | 1:22.3 behind |
| 5 | Denis Hulme | Cooper | |
| 6 | Len Gilbert | 2.5 Maserati | 44 laps |
| 7 | Hec Green (Christchurch) | R.A. Special | 43 laps |
| 8 | Malcolm Gill (Auckland) | Lycoming Special | 41 laps |
| DNF | Joachim Bonnier (Sweden) | Yeoman Credit Cooper | |
| DNF | Jim Clark (Scotland) | Lotus |
Lap times
- Jack Brabham (Cooper): 1:33.0 fastest race lap
- Stirling Moss (Lotus): 1:33.2 fastest race lap
- Jack Brabham (Cooper): 1:20.8 lap record
Facts
- The 1961 Lady Wigram Trophy was cut by 50 miles to about 100 miles because of appalling weather.
- Jack Brabham led from start to finish to win the 1961 Lady Wigram Trophy in a Cooper.
- Brabham's fastest lap in the 1961 race was about 1:33, an average of 81.9 mph, well short of his 1:20.8 record.
- Frank Shuter's Ferrari crashed into a timekeeper's box in the 1961 Lady Wigram race; Shuter escaped with cuts and abrasions.
Photos
- Bruce McLaren leads John Surtees into the Hangar Bend soon after the start of the Lady Wigram Trophy race at the aerodrome this afternoon.
- Jack Brabham sits in his car surrounded by other drivers before the start of the Lady Wigram Trophy race today.
