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race report

Bruce McLaren wins exciting Lady Wigram Trophy race

McLaren won one of the closest Lady Wigram Trophy races, his second in succession, at an average of 93.1 mph. The first three cars (McLaren, Brabham, Hulme) were rarely more than five seconds apart; McLaren had a sticking throttle early, passed Brabham on lap 40 and won by 8 seconds, with Hulme's engine failing on the last lap. Brabham recorded 141 mph on the back straight to McLaren's 147 mph; the crowd was about 19,000.

Lady Wigram Trophy (44 laps, about 100 miles)

1Bruce McLaren (Auckland)Cooper-Climax
2Jack Brabham (Australia)Brabham-Climax
3Denis Hulme (Te Puke)Brabham-Climax
4J. Youl (Australia)Cooper-Climax
5J. PalmerCooper-Climax43 laps
6A. ShellyLotus-Climax
7R. FlowersLotus42 laps
8T. MayerCooper-Climax41 laps
9A. BuchananBrabham-Ford41 laps
10R. LevisLotus-Ford40 laps
11K. SagerLotus-Ford37 laps

Lap times

  • Bruce McLaren (Cooper-Climax): 1:26.9 fastest race lap
  • Bruce McLaren (Cooper-Climax): 147 mph top speed
  • Jack Brabham (Brabham-Climax): 141 mph top speed

Facts

  • McLaren's winning average in the 1964 Lady Wigram Trophy was about 93.1 mph, with a new race record fastest lap of 1:26.9, about 96 mph.
  • The 1964 Lady Wigram Trophy crowd was estimated at about 19,000, slightly bigger than the year before.
  • Grid positions for the 1964 Trophy were decided by two heats of 25 miles each in the morning; Tim Mayer spun in heat one, damaging front suspension, and retired.
  • Ken Sager's Lotus-Ford ran the 1964 main race with only first, second and top gears after he dismantled a stuck throttle.
  • McLaren's throttle stuck open and he went through the straw bales rather than spin, losing about 20 seconds early in the 1964 Trophy.
  • Only the first four finishers completed the full 44 laps in the 1964 Lady Wigram Trophy.
race report

Saloons: heats and final

The saloons matched the main race cars for interest. R. Langley's Austin Cooper S won heat one; in heat two K. Grant's ill-advised pass damaged his Lotus Cortina and P. B. Fahey's, and Archibald's Jaguar 3.8 won easily from Segedin's Anglia. Grant won the final in the Lotus Cortina from Archibald and Sprague.

I.G.A. Saloon Cars, Heat 1 (9 laps, about 20 miles)

1R. Langley (Napier)Austin Cooper S17:48.6
2A. J. Lawrence (Wanganui)Ford Anglia
3S. Taylor (Te Awamutu)Austin Cooper
4J. MullinsMorris Cooper S
5HensleyFord Anglia

I.G.A. Saloon Cars, Heat 2 (9 laps, about 20 miles)

1R. Archibald (Christchurch)Jaguar 3.816:35.4
2I. Segedin (Hamilton)Ford Anglia
3C. M. HoganAllardette
4DowJaguar
5R. StewartSunbeam Alpine
6A. F. MoffattLotus Cortina

I.G.A. Saloon Cars, Final (7 laps, about 16 miles)

1K. Grant (Palmerston North)Lotus Cortina
2R. J. N. Archibald (Christchurch)Jaguar 3.8
3F. E. Sprague (Timaru)Zephyr

Lap times

  • R. Archibald (Jaguar 3.8): 1:48.6 fastest race lap
  • F. E. Sprague (Zephyr Mk III): 1:49.6 fastest race lap
  • I. Segedin (Ford Anglia): 1:50.8 fastest race lap
  • K. Grant (Lotus Cortina): 1:47.1 fastest race lap

Facts

  • In the 1964 saloon heat two K. Grant's passing movement damaged his own and P. B. Fahey's Lotus Cortinas, leaving A. F. Moffatt's the only undamaged Lotus Cortina.
race report

M.R.C. Championship, motor-cycles and Wigram Invitation

The Motor Racing Club championship was dominated by B. Porter's Lotus and J. Riley's Lola in the heats and final, with J. Boyd's New Zealand-made Valour winning heat two by about 20 seconds. In the motor-cycle event D. Burns (BSA) led from lap two. The invitation race for the 10 fastest cars drew only five, finishing Brabham, McLaren, Shelly, Flowers and Porter.

M.R.C. Championship, Heat 1 (9 laps, about 20 miles)

1B. Porter (St Andrews)Lotus15:24
2J. Riley (Auckland)Lola
3P. Preston (Timaru)Buckler

M.R.C. Championship, Heat 2 (9 laps, about 20 miles)

1J. Boyd (Papatoetoe)Valour15:03.6
2R. Rutherford (Christchurch)Zephyr 260M
3N. F. Stuart (Christchurch)Stuart Special

Motor-cycles (25 miles)

1D. BurnsBSA
2N. Landreth (Dunedin)BSA
3T. McClearyBSA

Wigram Invitation (6 laps, about 14 miles)

1Jack BrabhamBrabham-Climax
2Bruce McLarenCooper-Climax
3A. ShellyLotus-Climax
4R. FlowersLotus-Ford
5B. PorterLotus

Lap times

  • Jack Brabham (Brabham-Climax): 1:28 fastest race lap

Facts

  • Only five cars started the 1964 Wigram Invitation race, which was open to the 10 fastest cars of the meeting.

Photos

  • J. Brabham (right) about to lap K. Sager in the Lady Wigram Trophy Race; following is D. Hulme. Brabham finished second to B. McLaren, and Hulme was third.
  • The winner of the Lady Wigram Trophy race, Bruce McLaren, in his Cooper Climax during the race; his average speed was 93.1 mph.
Read the OCR text
20-1-64 Bruce Lady McLaren Wigram Wins Tro Exciting 1y Race Bruce McLaren won one Trophy Races yet at Wigram on time in succession he had won the speed was about 93.1 miles an hour. of the closest Lady Wigram Saturday. It was the second race, and his winning average Although the first three places in the 1 seventeenth caught Flowers finally Buchanan, and took event, which went to MeLaren (Cooper eighth. By the eighteenth (imax), Jack Brabham (Brabham Climax) Palmer, Shelly and Amon • were all very close, and a change in and Denis Hulme (Brabham Chmax) changed positions seemed very likely. hands several times during the event, the three The gap between Hulme and McLaren had opened slightiy. cars were rarely separated by more than five but the 1.ssec seconds. covered the three leading cars. McLaren took Fourth place went to the row was Palmer, Shelly and nairpin on the twenty-first, but Australian, J. Youl Cooper Amon, the third was Buch- Climax), fith to J. Palmerianan, Flowers, Young and He dropped to ,3sec be- (Cooper Climax), Levis,. and on the back row next places went to A. Shelly were Mayer and Sager. On the twenty-third he made (Lotus Climax); R. Flowers: When the fag fell Youl was to third spot. McLaren then set (Lotus); I. Mayer (Cooper first through the hangar bend after Brabham. In the ex- Climax); A. Buhcanan (Brab- Ford); R. Levis Lotus dosely followed by the rest of the pack, but first time had been lapped by the leaders, Ford); and K. Sager (Lotus! out around the order of the first with a broken universal in a three was Brabham, Huime: Only the frst four and McLaren. By the second six By the twenty-fourth the first completed the 44 laps. Paimer lap Brabham, completed Flower 42, Mayer and Buch- Brabham, "little, and the order was Shelly. shelly. things had settled down Shelly. Then Paimer spun. bee- , Huime, McLaren, enan 41, Levis 40 and Sager Youl, Palmer, Mayer, Amon, pressing hard. through. By the the finish MoLaren Shelly, Buchanan, twenty-seventh McLaren was &sec ahead of Brabham Yolung, Levis Flowers, Brabham shelly. was closing who was 16sec of Sager was already falling Brabham was fast through the well back. corners, but McLaren was faster The weather during the day next lap Brabham corded 141 m.p.h. on the back good, although during checked at 10 mo velaren , straight to McLaren's 147 m.p.h. the latter part oi the after- straight-and By the thirtieth the noon a cold wind sprang up. had stuck going into throttle ers had pulled out a lead on The crowd was slightly big- and the loop, ger than last year, and was through the straw bales rather record lap at 1:26.9, about 96 estimated at about 19,000. than spin up. losing about 20sec thirty-fourth, Grid positions for the main in the process. The gap between .6sec from the first two was Brabham. races were decided by two and Mayer had moved pushing Shelly hard. The next heats, each of 25 miles, whid secon tourth, McLaren row be- time were run in the morning. In ing eighth. There was a further the first heat Mayer took the change next lap: Mayer dropped lead from Hulme at the loop back to eighth after spinning at 2sec covered with a seized engine. Less than in the first lap, and then fell McLaren moving up to! cars. Shelly rejoined the field back to last place on the sec- McLaren a lap behind. ond lap after spinning Positions were the ing his front suspersion. bomb bay bend and damag- the his i Mayertue linkage the thinkard. men, trouble. He lost two laps. the fifth McLaren then retired. taken Palmer for fourth, and Meanwhile reappeared McLaren edged past Brabham moved from fourth to sec-i Sager, Did at laped in the loop, and as he did so behind Huime, with McLaren was Shelly in third Brabham was being hounded by to third behind Amon and Levis following. Who was only a car's Five seconds now cov- The first four positions then length away at times. the first three cars. remained the same to the end. the ninth McLaren was McLaren When Sager dismantled his , some magnificent driving and Hulme, but Hulme's downa throttle that was still tending fall came on the last lap found the third stick at small openings, Within yards of stripped. As he could not get on Shelly. Brabham took the tenth the chance and shot past, a replacement ke ground it third with Youl fourth, going Huime coasted in, third, with a down and ran the main race well against the dead engine. with only first, second and hounding the race Mc- -top gears. Buchanan, and there was only the race had been seconds between tough one. From the spectator's The second heat was won and Hume. point of view it was iby Brabham, from McLaren The pace was fast and furi- one of the best and most •and You. Molaren was oniyi ous, and the crowd interesting Lady Wigram's yet. sec ahead at the end. andi toes all the time, for it was anyone's guess who would come was a further 15.5sec around marst position The saloons were the equal Not only of the main race cars as far: The main race, of slightly battle being joined witt spectator of the field, but concerned. there were more than 100 miles, started further back two heats and a final. inamediately after lunch. The On case welsh Proses The first heat was won by R grid was Brabham in pole Langley (Austin Cooper position, MeLaren, and Young was with A. J. Lawrence (Ford An Huime and Youl completing lapped also. McLaren was 2.5sec glia) second, S. Taylor (Austin the first row. J. Mullins The second Mayer the (Morris Cooper S) fourth. *Hensley and lord Anglia) was fifth. J. Zelas (Morris Cooper) last. The second saloon heat was much more interesting, and also brought an ill-advised passing movement by K. Grant i Lotus ortina), resulting in damage to both Grant's car and the ¡ Lotus Cortina of P. B. Fahey, leaving A. F. Voffatt's similar car the only undamaged Lotus Cortina on the circuit. Only skilful driving by Fahey averted a bad accident. • R. J. N. Archibald won nearly three-quarters of a minute from I. Segedin (Ford Anglia) and drove his Jaguar 3.8 beautifully inroughout. His fastest lap was 1a6, compared with 1:49.6 F. Sprague (Zephyr Mk. III) and 1:50.8 oy Segedin. The order at the end was C. M. Ho- An Allar Seedin. Dow. gan (Allardette), Stewart F. Moffatt (Lotus Masters, Sprague, (Zephyr). Marwood, s N. Armstrong Pethig (wolseley 1500), and N L. Morriss (Hillman). The final of the saloon event was aiso exciting. Grant won in the Lotus Cortina by a con- Vincing margin from Archibald and sprague. The first time round Sprague led, Grant, with Archibald second and who started from the third TOW of the grid, third. M.R.C. Championship The Motor Racing Club championship events were not particularly Porter (Lotus) impressive, J. and Bailey (Lola) generally dominating the held. the first heat Porter led the entire race, and was not pressed at any stage. Riley second 455c with P. Preston (Buckler) Been third These three held their places throughout. Preston finishing 6sec behind Riley. In the second heat things were more interesting. J. Boyd led in the New Zealand-made single-seater from start to winning by about 20sec. Rutneriord (250M Zehpyr) took second trom 2. J. Shuter {Fond Special) on the second and held the end. Shuter last third to Not. stuar (Stuart Special) after a good tussle, and sitti. Bunce (Aid Special) was fifth. Motor-Cycles The motor-cycle event brought some close competition in the body of the field. but at the front D. Burns (B.S.A.) took the lead on the second from T McCleary (B.S.A.) and held it to the end. McClears eventually finished third after holding second several Landrebe (B.S.A.) Passed Ds N. eventually being Invitation Event The entry for the invitation event, open to the I0 fastest cars, was and only five cars lined sane Line These up. Wow Bs had Porter. McLaren, Shelly. Flowers, and This was the order they finished in at the end of six laps, after starting from one row of the grid. Resulis:- Lady Wigram Trophy Race (44 laps, about 100 miles) -Bruce McLaren (Auckland). Cooper Climax, 1; Jack Brabham (Aus- Brabhamn Climax, 2; Denis tralia) Huime (Te Duke) 63:008. Brabham Climax, 3. Time: Fastest lap: McLaren, 1:25.9 (race record). Frophy Race, First Heat tEl laps, about 25 miles) : Denis Hülme, I; J. Palmer (Hamilton), Cooper Climax, 2; A. Le. (Wellington) Lotus Time: 16:22.6. Fastest Hulme, 1:26.7. Trophy Race, Second Heat itt about 25 Brabham; McLaren, Youl (Aus- Time: 16:12.5. 1:272. first heat (9 laps, 20 Langley (Napier). Austin A. Lawrence (Wanganui), Ford Anglia. 2: Taylor (Te Awamutu). Austin Cooper, lay. Time: 17.48.6. Fastest lap, Lang- 1:55. Saloons, Second Heat (9 laps, about 20 miles): R. Archibald (Christchurch), Jaguar 38 i; I. Seedin Hamilton Bogan Ford Anglia, 16:35.4. 1:48.6. J. BRABHAM (RIGHT) ABOUT TO LAP K. SAGER in the Lady Wigram Trophy Race. Following is Saloons, Final (7 laps, about D. Hulme. Brabham finished second to B. McLaren, and Hulme was third. 16 milesi. -K. Grant (Palmerston North), Lotus Cortina, # R. J. N. Archibald. 2; Sue Time 12: 75. Zephyr F ME Time: Fastest Grant, 1:47.1. Motor Racing Club Championship-First beat (9 laps. about 20 miles): (St Andrews). Lotta, 2p. A Prey Pore Rilet (Auckland), Lola, ton (Timaru), Buckler, 3. Time: 15:24. Fastest lap: Porter, I:41.2 M.R.C. Championship.~ Second heat (9 laos. about 20 miles): J. Boyd (Papatoetoe),/ Valour, 1: Rutherford 2: (Christe say 260M Zephyr. Stuart i Christchurchi. Stuart 3. Time: 15:03.6. Fastest lap: Boyd. 1:45.3 M.R.C. hampionship._Fina 16 miles): B. Porte 12 Re Riexi2.102. Porter. 1:43.1 Time: Fastest lap: Rutherford about (Christchurch). Landrebe (Dunedin;, Me Ceary Time: C.c.: Damiano A.J.S., i; K. Bain, A.J.S., 2; (Ps.ed) McCleary, 250 Greeves. Time: 22.40. 250 с.c.: K. McCleary, Williams (Christchurch). church: 22.45 Simridge Chime: Time: Wigram Invitation (6 Laps, about 14 miles): Jack Brabham. 3. Brune VeLaren, 2: A. Shelly. Time: 9.00. Fastest lap: Brabham. 1:28. THE WINNER OF THE LADY WIGRAM TROPHY RACE, Brace McLaren, photographed in his Cooper Climax during the race. His average speed for the 1012 : miles was 93.1 miles an hour.

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