17-1-64 HULME PLEASED W LOOP AT WIGRAM BUT McLAREN NOT I THE views of the major contenders in the tenth international I about the changes in the circut were very mixed this morning a training session. Some of them were not at all keen about the 100P which has been added bevond the control tower bend, but if the drivers were not at all certain about it spectators who turned up large numbers to see the trials were most enthusiastic. 2.3 Miles Long The loop has brought the length of the Wigram circuit up to 2.3 miles and this morning in their first trials the overseas drivers such as Bruce McLaren, the American Tim Mayer, the former, world champion Jack Brabham, and his team mate Denis Hulme, were circulating about 92 miles an hour. Micharen Tras not very happy about the loop; he considered that it was sioming him down considerably. In practice last year,! MeLaren, driving a 2.7 litre Cooper Climax, turned in a lap of the old 2.116 milesi circuit at fractionally less than 100 miles an hour. There is no doubt that i the cars here to-day hac been using last year's cir cuit the 100-miles-an-hour lap would have come up this morning. But is seems likely that ¡the fastest lap will be about miles an hour for this year's race. Hulme was one of the happiest about the changes. He felt that this slow section would suit his 2.5-litre • Repco - Brabham - Climax ¡rather better than the 2.5- ¡litre Cooper Climaxes of Mc- Laren and Mayer. But he pointed out that ithe lighter Coopers would probably gather him in again once they left the slow section. One thing that became immediately obvious this morning iras that the loop will be a good equaliser and should make for a very interesting race. The cars were becoming airborne as they approached the loop and • some driversi found this rather unnerving! but it certainly pleased the spectators. McLaren, an old hand at Wigram, spent a fair amount time • leading his team mate, Mayer, around the cireuit, and Brabham, whose car has been repaired since his crash in the Grand Prix at Pukekohe last Saturday, spent a lot of time going round the circuit and methodically re-learning it. Gear Trouble The only driver who had trouble in the early stages was the young international Chris Amon. After a couple of laps in his 2.5 litre Lola Climax he pulled into his pits with the bottom gear selector broken. However, his mechanies had it replaced in time for the qualifying trials this ¡afternoon. The Tasmanian, John Youl, circulated steadily in his 2.5 litre Cooper Climax, a heavier and older car than those being used by McLaren and Mayer. The resident New Zealand contenders, Jim Palmer (2.5 litre Cooper Climax) and Tony Shelly (2.5 litre Lotus Climax), were content to take things fairly quietly this morning. With saloon car honours very evenly divided among Kerry_Grant (Lotus Cortina), Ernie Sprague (Ford Zephyr) the 1962-63 champion Ray Archibald (3.8 Jaguar) and Paul Fahey (Lotus Cortina) there was 3 great deal of interest when the saloons had their first trial. Grant, who has won two races to Archibald's and Sprague's apiece, tucked in behind Archibald, another old hand at Wigram, to see how he tackled . the circuit. They were both motoring fairly quickly. Sprague did not put in an appearance in the first ses- TAPPY Lady Wigram Trophy fter they had their first He drove his car slow! with a great smoke scree behind him. Nearly Ready Motor Racing Club officials started preparations for to-morrow's meeting at 5 p.m. yesterday and when main race cars went out at 11 o'clock this morning they were just putting the finishing touches to the facilities required for the smooth running of the meet- The grandstand opposite the pits was erected and fairly full of people out to watch the time trial. There was a good crowd right round the circuit and a light wind, with at times bright sunshine, made conditions pleasant. • NEW GETTING READY A busy time for mechanics at Wigram this morning 2s Tyler Alexander makes adjustments to the Cooper Climax car to be driven to -morrow's Lady Wigram trophy race by American Tim Mayer. Bruce McLaren's mechanic, Wally Wilmott, listens attentively to the. sound of the motor. Mayer and YcLaren are racing as the official Cooper works team. The session proved to be a rather expensive one for the North Island Jaguar