Wigram TrophyMotor racing at Wigram airfield · Christchurch · 1949–2000
Home › Archive › 1963 › McLaren wins main event in ailing racer
← 21 Jan 1963All 1963 pages23 Jan 1963 →
Scan of the clipping page, 21 January 1963
↗
Drag to move · scroll or pinch to zoom
race report

McLaren wins main event in ailing racer

Aucklander Bruce McLaren won his first long-distance race in New Zealand in the ninth Lady Wigram Trophy, covering 150.236 miles in 1hr 36min 4.7sec (about 94 mph) in his 2.7-litre Cooper-Climax despite falling oil pressure. Jack Brabham was 30.3sec behind and set a lap record of 1:18.3, just over 97 mph. Maggs, Hyslop, Histed and Green followed; Ireland, Shelly, Amon and Palmer were among the retirements.

Lady Wigram Trophy (71 laps)

1Bruce McLaren (Auckland)Cooper-Climax 2.7 litre1:36:04.7
2Jack Brabham (Australia)Brabham-Climax 2.7 litre30.3sec behind
3Tony Maggs (South Africa)Lola-Climax 2.7 litre70 laps
4Angus Hyslop (Hastings)Cooper-Climax 2.5 litre70 laps
5John Histed (Auckland)Lola 1.5 litre64 laps
6Ian Green (Wellington)Cooper-Climax 1.9 litre62 laps
retiredInnes Ireland (Scotland)Ferguson-Climax 2.6 litre
retiredTony Shelly (Wellington)Lotus-Climax 2.6 litre
retiredChris Amon (Bulls)Cooper-Climax
retiredJohn Surtees (England)Lola-Climax 2.7 litre
retiredJim Palmer (Hamilton)Lotus-Ford 1.5 litre

Lap times

  • Jack Brabham (Brabham-Climax 2.7 litre): 1:18.3 lap record

Facts

  • Bruce McLaren won his first long-distance motor race in his home country at the 1963 Lady Wigram Trophy.
  • McLaren covered 150.236 miles in 1hr 36min 4.7sec at the 1963 Lady Wigram Trophy, about 94 mph average.
  • Lack of oil pressure forced McLaren to slow to about 88 mph in the closing laps of the 1963 Lady Wigram Trophy.
  • McLaren, Brabham, Maggs, Surtees raced closely for the first 28 laps of the 1963 Lady Wigram Trophy; Brabham pitted on lap 44 to take on oil.

Photos

  • Stirling Moss waves to the crowd as he makes what could be his slowest lap ever of the Wigram circuit in a station wagon on Saturday afternoon; Moss was in Christchurch to see the ninth international Lady Wigram Trophy race.
  • Stirling Moss, last year's winner of the Lady Wigram Trophy race, talking to Jack Brabham before the start of Saturday's race. Brabham was second.
  • All out after Bruce McLaren: John Surtees (No. 1) and Jack Brabham in hot pursuit of McLaren during the Lady Wigram Trophy race. Surtees was unplaced because of a long pit stop after twenty-seven laps; Brabham finished second.
  • Three high-powered racing machines roar round a bend. From left: Putaruru's R. A. Levis in his 1.5 litre Cooper; former world champion Jack Brabham in his 2.7 litre Cooper-Climax; and New Zealand's Bruce McLaren, the eventual winner, in his 2.7 litre Cooper. First time McLaren had ever won the big race at Wigram.
Read the OCR text
McLAREN WINS MAIN EVENT IN AILING RACER Rampionship in 190 and third oers championship in 1960 and third on the ladder in 1902, Aucklander Bruce McLaren won his first long-distance motor race in his home country on Saturday when, driving his 2.7-litre Cooper-Climax, he took the chequered flag in the ninth international Lady Wigram Trophy. McLaren covered The Scotsman, Innes Ire- 150.236 miles in ihr 36min|land, in the 2.6-litre Fer- 4.7see to set a new race re- guson-Climax started from cord of about 94 miles an the back of the grid and worked his way through to second place, 30.3sec fifth place in four laps. benind winner, But all was not well Australian Jack Brabiam: (2.7-Litre Brabham-Climax), with the revointionary four-wheel drive who set yet another Wig- and Ireland drifted back ram record of Imin 18.3sec lap of the through the hell. ceptionally fast, power-ariv- However, others retired ing circuit. This time Te-! and he found himself back presents a speed of fraction- in fifth place, more than a ally more than 97 miles an behind leaders, hour. when he was finally forced into his pit after thirty- Maggs Third eight laps. The Ferguson eventualy Completing seventy of retired with over-heating the seventy one laps troubles. South African, Tony Maggs Two of the most favoured (2.7-litre Lola-Climax) came New Zealand drivers, Tony home in third place about Shelly, of Wellington, three car lengths ahead Chris Amon, of Bulls, were the Hastings sheep farmer, out of luck, too. Angus Hyslop (2.5-litre Cooper-Climax). Shelly Retires Next in line were Aucklander John Histed Snelly, with his 2.6-litre litre Lola) who completed Lotus-Climax, made a sixty four laps, and Welling stop in a vain attempt. ton driver lan Green (1.9 remedy gearbox trouble Cooper-Climax), who after completing ten laps. completed sixty two laps. The stop cost him three It was the most ex- laps. citing and interesting Amon made a valiant! trophy race held on the attempt to keep in the race, circuit From start to He was lying sixth finish the issue was al- with 2.a-litre ways in doubt. Cooper-Climax at McLaren must have coun end of twenty-one laps ted himself extremely lucky when the gearbox, to win. which had been giving Lack of oil pressure crouble from the start concluding of the race, packed up. race caused The Hamilton 21-year-old, miles an hour and nurse the in the contest. His 1.5-litre slacken his pace to about 88 Jim Palmer, took no part car along, while Brabham, Lotus-Ford was shunted by who had made a pit stop on forty-fourth Lionel Bulcraig's big 3-litre Aston Martin in the first take on oil, made a desper-lap ate bid to overtake and both drivers were Laren and so win his third out of the race. trophy race. Result: For the first twenty- Wigram International eight laps McLaren, Brabham and the Englishman, Climax), raced in close com- John Surtees (2.7 litre Lola- En Braba Man South 29 Lola Citmass, During this Ryse 7 Hasps completed 3, A they (Hastings, Cooper Maggs, feld with the exception of fourth. Then Surtees made a long lapped the rest of the im sola, 7es cooper pleted, (Wellington, 62 laps 4; J. Histed (Auck- completed, 96: pit stop and abandoned 22.6sec, 6. Fastest lap: Ji 21-1-63 SLOWEST LAP EVER BY STIRLING MOSS? Stirling Moss waves to the crowd as he makes what could be his slowest lap ever of the Wigram circuit in a station magon on Saturday afternoon. Moss was in Christchurch to see the ninth international Lady Wigram Trophy race. (Race, 22 STIRLING MOSS (left), last year's winner of the Lady Wigram Trophy race, talking to Jack Brabham before the start of Saturday's race. Brabham was second. ALL OUT AFTER BRUCE McLAREN John Surtees (No. 1) and Jac the ninth international Lady noon. Surtees was unplaced laps. k Brabham in hot pursuit of Bruce Melaren during • Wigram Trophy race at Wigram on Saturday afterbecause of making a long pit stop after twenty-seven • Brabham finished second. Three high-powered racing machines roar round Irophy race at Wigram on Saturday. From left, in his 1f litre Cooper; former world champion Brabham; and New Zealand's Brace Mclaren, t in his 2.7 litre Cooper. This was the first time race at Wigram. a bend during the Lady Wigram they are: Putararu's R. A. Levis, • Jack Brabham, in his 2.7 litre the eventual winner of the race, McLaren had ever won the big

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