Wigram TrophyMotor racing at Wigram airfield · Christchurch · 1949–2000
Home › Archive › 1961 › Big Wigram race: Brabham first, Moss second
← 23 Jan 1961All 1961 pages23 Jan 1961 →
Scan of the clipping page, 23 January 1961
↗
Drag to move · scroll or pinch to zoom
race report

Big Wigram race: Brabham first, Moss second

Jack Brabham won the 1961 Lady Wigram Trophy in a works Cooper in appalling weather, after staving off three serious challenges. The race was cut from 150 to just under 100 miles (47 laps) and Brabham's average of about 78 mph was the slowest on the 2.116-mile circuit since 1952. Moss, driving most of the race with a bent steering arm, was second and Angus Hyslop third; only these three finished all 47 laps.

Lady Wigram Trophy (reduced to 47 laps)

1J. Brabham (Australia)Cooper77:18.5
2Stirling MossRob Walker Lotus
3A. Hyslop (Hastings)Cooper (1960cc)
4Bruce McLaren (New Zealand)Cooper
5Denis Hulme (New Zealand)Cooper
6L. R. Gilbert (Hamilton)Maserati 250F
7H. Green (Christchurch)R.A. Special
8M. GillLycoming Special
9R. LevisCooper

Motor Racing Club Championship (20 laps outright)

1D. Lawrence (Wanganui)Cooper35:33.6
2A. Hyslop (Hastings)Jaguar
3R. Rutherford (Christchurch)R.A. Zephyr37:12.9
4D. G. Young (Timaru)Jaguar37:13.8
5W. R. Gardiner (Christchurch)Tojeiro19 laps

Sports car race (20 laps outright)

1M. Gill (Auckland)35:52.7
2A. Hyslop (Hastings)Jaguar
3D. LawrenceCooper36:48.8
4D. Young (Timaru)Jaguar37:26.9
5W. R. Gardiner (Christchurch)Tojeiro19 laps

Saloon cars (fastest times)

1H. J. Heasley (Rangiora)Humber 8018:34.7
2R. Jensen (Auckland)Jaguar18:39.5
3F. E. Sprague (Timaru)Zephyr18:53.3

Lap times

  • Jack Brabham (Cooper): 1:33 fastest race lap
  • Stirling Moss (Lotus): 1:35 fastest race lap

Facts

  • Brabham's average speed of about 78 mph in the 1961 Lady Wigram Trophy was the slowest on the 2.116-mile Wigram circuit since 1952.
  • The 1961 Lady Wigram Trophy was cut from 150 to just under 100 miles (47 laps) because of weather.
  • Brabham, Moss and Hyslop were the only three of the twelve starters still running to complete all 47 laps of the 1961 Lady Wigram Trophy.
  • Moss drove most of the 1961 Lady Wigram Trophy with a bent steering arm and a misfiring engine.
  • Len Gilbert's Maserati 250F was the first Continental car home, sixth, three laps behind.
  • Hec Green's R.A. Special, the first New Zealand-built car, was the only Christchurch driver to finish the 1961 Lady Wigram race.

Photos

  • F. Shuter's wrecked Ferrari and an official car which was badly damaged in the crash. No one was injured.
Read the OCR text
23-1-61 F. SHUTER'S WRECKED FERRARI and an official car which was badly damaged in the crash. No-one was injured. Trophy, A. Scott- Browa Memorial M. Gill: Motor Assemblies Trophy, Brabham First, H. Green; D. W. Wild Trophy, R. Levis; Brooklands Irophy, Green Invitation motor-cycl face, • Wentzel Moss Second in 18sec, 1; B. 7318 AJS-)enke (290 Norton) Wellington 12min • Imit Rush Amat.S.), 3 Christ church, 12min 39sec, 3. Saicon (10 der 1300 Mullins Big Wigram Race (Simaca) 30sec, A40) Paimerston West se North, act 20st 20min SCI, 2Imin 11.9sec 1300 .c.C.-2000 c.c.: H. J. Heas AFTER staving off three serious challenges, the world champion racing driver Jack Ley 2sec, • 20min 36.72, 20min 7Sec, ora 2. 2min B. Mills (Humber) Blenheim, 2min Brabham won the Lady Wigram Trophy in a 2sec, Over 20min 2000 56 sec 2. works Cooper in appalling weather conditions c.c.: Jensen (Jaguar) Auckland, 2min 22sec, on Saturday. 2amin 1.5sec, 7; F. (Zephyr) E. Sprague, Because of the weather, 21min Timaru, 22sec, The only Christchurch 15.3sec, the race was reduced from Fastest time: Heasley, 18mim 100 to tractionally less than flec Green, driver to finish the race was 34.7sec, Jenser *:18min 39.5 miles length and his R. came home/sec, 2; Sprague, 18min 53.3sec, seventh in his R. A. Special, Brabham's average speed of having completed 43 laps. about 78 miles an hour madel J. Mullins.! the race the slowest one run him the Motor on the 2.116-mile Wigram Challenge circuit since 1952. frst New Zealand built car, held But it was spectacular and and the Brooklands Trophy! the interest of about for being the first right to trenched spetators facing Club member to fin- right to the end. man was Stirling Loss in the Rob Fastest Lap Walker Lotus. He drove virtually Brabham made fastest lap the whole race with a in Imin 33sec-81.9 miles an bent steering arn, Moss put in a lap! which made the car dif- only 2sec slower ficult to handle, and Joachim after half distance the • Clark and McLaren all spun' engine appeared to be off the track. McLaren was misfiring also. the only one able to con- Moss never constituted a Results: threat to Brabham, Motor Racing Club Championgained places as other con- ship (20 laps outright)-D. testants fell out of the race Lawrence (Cooper), Wanganui, made mistakes. 35min 33.6sec, I; A. and the first New Hastings, 36min Zealander home, was Angus sec, черпут) (Jaguar 'Fabristchurch, Rutherford 37min (R.A.- Hysiop, of Hastings, in a 12.9sec, 3; D. G. Young (Jaguar) 1960 c.c. Cooper. Timaru, 37min W. Gardiner (Tojiero), with a car with a His was a brilliant effort churass smaller 19 laps, to 1500 capacity than C.S), Hamene (Lo thing else that was in the picture at the end. 3000 c.c.: Rutherford Johnson, Auckland, 18 3001 c.c and over: Hyslop Three Completed Young 2 -NO's (20 laps outright) Auck- Brabham, Moss, and Hys- lan Jamary 35min 52.7sec lop were the only drivers of Hastings, the twelve who were still 35,ec. engani, D. Lawrence (Coop er) 36min 48.8sec, running at the end of the Young (Jaguar) Timaru race to complete the forty- 3 min 26.9sec, 4; W. R. Gardseven laps. iner (Tojiero) Christchurch, 19 Brabham's Cooper team- flaps Class Winners.-Ünder 1500 g mate, Bruce McLaren, and c.c: Lawrence. Over 1500 c.c.. the other Cooper Formula I Gill. driver, Denis Hulme, each Lady Race completed forty-six laps, Mc-outright).-J. (reduced to ed to at map5, 9945 Ries, 47 laps, Laren just shading Hulme. Brabham The first Continental Moss Tomin 7sec, 2. car to finish was Len Hystop (Cooper) Hastings, Gilbert's 250F Maserati, 178min 40 sec, i (Cooter) which finished sixth, Zealand, 46 laps, 7 rain 46.4sec, McLaren New! three laps behind the winner. and, min 1425 7a laps, 78min 14.2sec. L. R. Gilbert (Maserati 250F) Hamilton, 44 laps, 6. h. Green (R.A. Special) 7, M. F (Lycoming Special) Levis _(Cooper) J. (H.W.M.) 10. Fastest lap: J. Brabham, 1min 33sec. _ Lady Wigram Trophy, J

Summaries and tables are machine-read from the scan and may contain errors: the scan is the record.