19-1-65 son. wow :коак Former world champion Jim Clark in the 2.5 Lotus-Clim Wigram on Saturday. Orga nisation THE thousands of people who fock to Wigram each year for the international meeting cannot possibly realise the tremendous amount of organisation involved ensuring the smooth running of the programme and in the provision of safeguards for competitors and spectators alike. Almost as soon as one meeting ends, the Motor Racing Club sets about the task of organising the next. All the work is undertaken by club members and voluntary workers in their spare time. But it is during the week before the meeting that the tempo really quickens. To run any car race meeting the promoting club must comply with striet regulations laid down by the Sporting Commission of the International Automobile Federation, the world governing body for motor sport. In New Zea- 'land these regulations are administered by the Associaition of New Zealand Car Car Clubs. Issues Licences From the competitors' viewpoint the association is the most important body. It issues the competition driving lieences on the recommendation of its stewards have observed drivers in action in minor events beforehand. The association, in the first instance, issues a basic licence. After a driver has obtained this he must be observed participating in sprint or hillclimb events to obtain a speed extension. The next step is observation by stewards at minor race meetings for the racing extension. Once a driver has satisfied the association of his ability to race in close competition he obtains the racing extension, but he must carry on the rear of his car three horizontal white stripes to indicate that he is a novice. The length of time he must show these stripes will be largely dependent upon the association's assessment of his ability.. In this way the association ensures that competitors do not race at risk to themselves and others. Close Inspection The association also has a panel of scrutineers who ax he will be driving at Is Tre thoroughly check every competing car before a race meeting. These men are fully quali- fied automotive engineers and the checks they make are much more stringent than those made by the Government Transport Department and local authority traffic departments for warrants of fitness for ordinary road i vehicles. Banned Faulty assembly, lack of suitable securing devices for nuts and bolts, suspect components, of leaks, worn tyres and poor location of rear vision mirrors are but some of the things that can result in scrutineers banning a car from competițion. Drivers must also submit their crash helmets for a rigid inspection and they must also produce a valid Association of New Zealand Car Club's medical certificate giving a clean bill of health. Any driver found taking intoxicating liquor on the day of and before his event • is automatically excluded. In the races themseives the 2.25 mile Wigram circuit is LADY WIGRAM 1902 lotor Racing mendous Job policed by flag marshals whose job is. to warn drivers by flag signals of any hazards on the track. Their job is a most responsible one for they hold in their hands the safety of the competitors. This is a job that calls for absolute concentration split-second thinking. Signals The signals are international. The New Zealand flag signals the start of each race and the black and white checkered fiag the finish. In a race such as the Lady Wigram Trophy the race ends as soon as the first car crosses the finishing line, cars which do not complete the full distance of about 100 miles being automatically flagged off as they come round to complete the lap. The red flag, which is at the exclusive disposal of the clerk of the course, is seldom used, but if it is, then all cars must stop immediately. The yellow heid stationary indicates to drivers that a dangerous situation has developed somewhere around the circuit. When it is out drivers are not permitted to overtake nther comnatitors If the vel. low flag is waved it mea that there is danger in the immediate vicinity of the flag The yellow flag with vertica red stripes is the one racing drivers like to see least of all because it indicates that oi has been split on the course. Oil on the course is one of the most hazardous situations in motor racing. A blue flag held motionless will warn a driver that another competitor is following him closely. If it is waved it will tell him that the car behind is trying to overtake him. Defect A black flag is only shown accompanied by a white number. It is used when for one reason or another the observers believe that the car has developed a mechanical defect that could create a hazard or the driver is not complying with the rules of motor racing. The number shown will be the number of the car in ques tion, and any driver receiving this signal must stop at his pit the next time he reaches it. Pinally, there is the green flag. It indicates to competitors the disappearance of a pre- The Christchurch Star, Tues., 32n. 19, 1965 17 ANGE OF EVENTS AT WIGRAM OR anyone interested in motoring sport, the International Lady Wigram Trophy meeting on Saturday provides a programme offering something for everyone. Of course, the feature event is the trophy race itself, of about 100 miles, for Tasman Formula single seater cars which, to-day are reckoned among the fastest in the world. Two preliminary heats in the morning, each of about twentyfive miles, will give patrons al good indication of the form of the drivers. These beats are of considerable importance because the performances of the starters dictate the positions on the starting grid for the trophy race in the afternoon. Last year Denis Hulme, who finished third in the Wigram! Trophy, made fastest lap of; the day in his morning heat, returning a time of 1min 26.7 1 sec-better than 95.5 miles an hour. This time such drivers las former world champions Jim Clark and Phil Hill. to: , say nothing of last year's trophy race winner, Bruce will be vying • for ¡pole position on the starting. grid and the heats promise to be most exciting. Consolation For cars which do not qualify for • the trophy racel and other open cars not entered in that event, there will be the sponsoring club's 25-mile Motor Racing Club championsbip. This is the fourth event on the programme and it, too, shows promise of being keenly contested with major honours likely to be shared by local sprint specialist Maurice Stanton (Stanton-Corvette), Aucklander Jim Boyd (Lycom- ¡ing Special and Barry Porter (2-litre Lotus-Climax). A welcome Wigram innovation is the inclusion of a 30minute production saloon car race which will be run in engine capacity classes. This event is open only to unmodified or very slightly modified saloons and it should provide spectators with a very good idea of what can be expected from the cars they can buy off motor showroom However, some of the most thrilling racing that has ever been seen in this country has been provided by drivers of the "anything goes" type of saloon cars. These are the ones with the really "hot" engines and many and weird are the combinations employed. The "Allcomers" race will comprise two heats each of about twenty miles and a final of about sixteen miles. This is the event which will count to wards this season's New Zealand Racing Drivers' Club saloon championship and it shows promise of being one of the most exciting events on the programme. Motor-cycles For motor-cycling enthusiasts, the club, working in closely with local motorcycling clubs, has included to "invitation only" motor-cycle races which have drawn the Dominion's leading riders. These invitation events are part of a long-term project to raise the status of motor-cycle racing in Christchurch, for it is felt that now the city has Ruapuna Park, a permanent citcuit, there is no real need to cater for the local clubman rider as has been the case in previous years, as he can now race frequently on the Canterbury Car Club's permanent circuit. Two 25-mile motor-cycle races are programmed for Saturday. The first will be restricted to machines • with a maximum engine capacity of 500 c.c. and the second will be open to machines of any capacity. To add interest to these races an artificial corner, or chicane, will probably be set long back straight. This should up about the middle of the ¡provide some thrills for spectators who line this fast seco tion of the circuit and will be an added fast for the riders.