18-9-64 McLAREN WIGRAM DOUBLE NEW ZEALAND'S No. 1 racing motorist, Bruce McLaren, won his second Lady Wigram Trophy to-day on the 2.3-mile aerodrome circuit, after the most tremendous tussle with the Repco-Brabham-Climaxes of Jack Brabham and Denis Hulme. Driving the special light-weight Cooper- Climat with which he wOn the New Zealand Grand Prix last Saturday, Melaren cut out the 100-odd miles in 65min 0.8sec. to beat Brabham by 8see dead. Hulme. who was always to the fore nursed home a car with an ailing engine to finish third. comfortably ahead of the Tasmanian John Youl (2.5 litre Cooper-Climax). The young Hanuilton driver Jim Palmer compieted forty-three of the forty iour laps to be bith in his 2.5 Cooper-Climax. Another lap back came Wellington's Tony Shelly (2.5 Lotus-Climax) and Rex: Flowers (1.5 Lotus-Ford). Lost Ground Eighth place went to Mc- Laren's Cooper team mate, American Tim Wayer. He had lost a lot of ground early with throttle trouble, and completed forty-one laps to just head the Masterton driver Andrew Buchanan (1.6 Brabham-Ford). Of tre thirteen starters eleven were still running at the end. Roiy Levis (1.65 Lotus-rordy compleiing forty laps, and Ken Sager (1.5 Lotus-Ford) competing thirty-seven. The two retirements were Chris Amon, whose 2.5 Lola- Climax went out with suspension trouble after iwentyone laps. and David Young who spun out his Cooper-Ford after forty laps. Fastest Lap In winning the race JI Laren made fastest lap Imin 26.9sec. Next best was Hulme wit 1min 97 15pp A record crowd of mo than 20.000 saw га: which was in contentic from start to finish. Brabham led from ti start until he har complete thirty nine tours of the ci cuit. For the first twentytwo of those laps he had his team mate Hulme right behind him and McLaren ever much more than 22sec away. McLaren moved into second place on the twentythird tour and then pressed Brabham right through to the fortieth lap, when Brabham, hampered by a slower car in the tricky loop. provided McLaren with the op portunity he needed. Hulme also slipped by his team leader and for lour laps harassed VIcLaren. but in the last lap McLaren had things much his own for the bearings in Hulme's engine went, and he had to slacken pace. Second Again That lap let Brabham back into second place and Hulme nursed his ailing car home third, well clear of the Tasmanian driver, John Youl. who had run for most of the war quite comfortably in his 2.5 Cooper- Climax. The early stages raw a tremendous tussle between the leading New Zealandresident drivers, Palmer and , Shelly. HITS AWAy THEY G The position of the leaders just atter the start of the Lady Wigran Trophy race. In front is Brabham. followed closely by Vic- Laren, Shelly, and loung at left rear. Wore picture- They raced witel to wheel the dintance changing on two orrasions, for thirty - tirr tours of the circuit. Then selly hal * 1 while in front of Prime and it cos: him a lap. he could moi retrieve Exciting Finish To Great Race Brabham. McLaren, Hulme, and foul shared the front row of the starting grid, and Maver, who had! been forced out of his qualifying : heat this morning, was right at the back. •Toul made the best of the: starts, with Brabham and Hulme in close attendance: . Bút when : they came round for the first. time Brabham and Hulme were in front, with Mayer. Foul. Palmer, and McLaren all close. Next time round Me. Laren was up in third place, but then he had gigantic spin, and dropped several places so the order at the end of four tours was Brabham, Huime, Joul, and Palmer. McLaren did not get back into fourth piace until the start of the tenth lap. A lap later he was third. ahead. of Your. and he remained in that position until he finally took Hulme in the twenty fourth tour. Thought it a Tough Race. The No. 1 driver for the Cooper stable, Bruce MIc- Laren, was delighted with his second consecutive win in the Lady Wigram Trophy race, but the 100 miles were not without their heartburning for the. Auckland ace. McLaren was strangely slow over the first few laps. and it was during . this crucial period that a sticking throttle almosi put paid to his chances. But when the race was all a beaming McLaren over: * It was said: one of the hardest races I have ever driven it, and. naturally am pleased 1 got nome " It was a bit annoved a first when the throttle stuck open. but everything came right," he said Not So Happy There was little delight, however, in, the, Brabham camp. The top driver for the Brabham car and a former world champion, Jack Brabham, held the lead until a few laps from the checkered flag. Asked . what Clear-cut Win when cLaren slipped past: Brabham said: nearly the ran over the top of a slower • Brabham rounded off. car. I did not know which day when he ron the. way he was going, and that Wigram Invitation Rece most .convincing put me over on the marble ¡fashion;: from McLaren, from the side of the track Shelly; Flowers, and on the stupid. little corner ¡leading New Zealand sports they call the Loop." " Barry. Porter, Denis Hulme. Tho set out car - driver, on a chase of McLaren when who drove his ? litre Lotus. Brabham droppea back, was Chimax.* set for an all out challenge The Australan took the on the last lap, when he ran Head from the start, and Mea hig end on hís car Laren could ust not get "It is debatable whether near him, 2 I could have taken Bruce, - Shelly ran third- all but I was certainly getting and Flowers, and Porclose to him," he said. ver the only ocher starters. iter, did not change their posi that stage less: thao. tion either? 3sec separated first: Brabham covered the 13.8 cars. intles. in 9mini Kept Cool fastest lap in min 2nsec. McLaren was now definitely the. Cooper meat in Reoco-Brabham • sand wich, but he was not at all furried, and circulated with not more than a. couple of car lengths separating him. from first and third men, McLaren now really pileo on ihe pace and it was at inis stage that he put in his imin 26.9sec lap. but try as he did he just could. shake Brabham into making a mistake, and all the time Hulme holding watching brief. pattern finally changed when Brabham struck trouble while lapping a. slower car, in the loop. got on to the loose metal at the edge of the; track and Alelaren Hulme were able jo slip. by-l Huime, tried' all he knew to catch the flying Cooper, and it was in the last four laps thät his engine gave up the unequal. struggle. He eased off and his team leader sailed through in the last lap to be second. Never. before has there been• • such an exciting trophy race at Wigram. Excitement • was. a feter pitch. There srere several races within the race. motably those between Shelly atid Palmer, ănd the smallet-engined cars of Flowers, Buchanan and Young. The American Tim Mayer. whoi had • lost. so •much) ground, drove exceptional y weil to get back into eighth place at the end