23-1-65 Record Speed Scotsm In Big Race Lead JIm Clark Ror Win Wigr am THE Seottish farmer and 1963 world champion Clark, romped off with the 100-mile internat Trophy race at record speed this afternoon. Driving a 2.5 litre A valiant effort was made by the 1.5 litre Lotus-Climax, he took Brabham - Ford driver, the lead right from the Roly Levis, of Putaruru, who completed forty-two start and made the laps, to be sixth. whole thing look like a Masterton driver. Andrew Sunday afternoon drive Buchanan, with forty-one laps, was next in line. to win by more than 10sec from 2.5 litre 17 Starters Cooper-Climax driver Seventeen cars faced the: Bruce McLaren. starter and retirements came Clark's race-winning time of fairly early. G-min 19.3sec was well inside Last minute adjustments the 65min 0.ssec set by Me- on the starting grid delayed Laren last vear. Bruce Abernethy (2.5 Cooper - Climax). Although Lap Record he managed to get up to about eighth or ninth place, two pit stops to remedy In his preliminary heat this heating troubles kept him morning. Clark set a new lap out of contention. record of 1min 25.9sec. The first retirement came in McLaren equalied it in the second lap, when Auckhis twenty-sixth tour lander Red Dawson had the the circuit this afternoon. differential go in his 2.5 litre Cooper-Climax. Victor of a stern tussle for Minutes later Lower Hutt third place was the current driver Rex Flowers was among national champion. Hamil ton's Jim Palmer. He took his 2.5 litre Brabham-Climax through to that the spectators, the piston rings position in the thirty-third lap having broken in his Lola-Cliafter a wheel-to-wheel strug-max. gle with Australian Frank The 1961 world champion, Gardner. who drove a similar Phil Ail, McLaren's teamcar. These four were the only mate, did not make much of a snowing, running out the ones to go the full distance. greater part of his race well Next in line was Wellington's Kerry Grant i2.5 litre behind the duelling Palmer He com- and Gardner. Brabham-Climar!. He, too, retired in the twentypleted forty-three laps. ffth lap with a broken halfshaft in his Cooper-Climax. an Takes at Start nps to rophy racing motorist, Jim tional Lady Wigram WIGRA The smiling and garlanded Jim Clark (Scotland) wearing the winner's sash after his victery. Grid Positions this after-. : Trophy race were determined on thie elapsed race times of drivers in the two preliminary heats this morning. They were: Row 1- B. McLaren F. Gardner J. Clark K. Grant 12.5 Cooper) (2.5 Brabham) (2.5 Lotus) (2.5 Brabham) Row 2- A. Buchanan I. Dawson W. Thomases (1.5 Brabham) (2.5 Cooper) (2.5 Brabham) Row 3 J. Palmer J. Riley (2.5 Brabham) (2.5 Lotus) Row + P. Gillum P. (1.5 Cooper) (2.5 Rox 5 R. Flowers (2.5 Lola) G. Lawrence B. Abernethey (1.5 Brabham) (2.5 (eoper) R. Levis Cooper) (1.5 Brabham) K. Sager (1.5 Brabham) Shot About 18,000 people ringed the 2.25 mile circuit as the trophy race field completed its warm-up lap before the start. The weather looked threatening. with showers evident in most quarters. Fortunately Wigram escaped. From the drop of the flag, Clark shot to tie front, with MeLaren, Gardner, Palmer and Grant in close attendance. Hill was fairly badly, left and, when they had completed the first lap, Clark had opened up quite a gap on McLaren, who had Gardner and Palmer on his tail. Next in Line Grant was next in line and fairly well clear of Hill, who was followed by Levis and Buchanan. Clark completed his third tour 3.8sec ahead of McLaren who, in turn, had pulled away slightly from Gardner and Palmer. Hill, in sixth place now, began . to bridge gap Grant, but the Wellington driver • was having none of that and pulled away again. At this early stage, Dawson and Flowers were already out of the contest. Ilsec Lead As Clark completed his sixth round he began to lap the tail end of the feld, something which was to become a to Front at Start monotonous procedure for equalled the record set thishad oil pressure trouble and him as the race progressed. morning by Clark. had to ease off to make sure of With twelve laps gone, Clark! As the race ran into its Anishing." had established an lisec lead late stages McLaren began Clark has made every post a over McLaren, who, in turn bridge the gap to the winning post at this meeting. was well clear of Gardner and fying Scotsman. Palmer. The concluding laps were Hill at this stage had worrying ones for Clark - be been scraped by Grant, was concerned about falling oil who now began to lose a lot pressure. of ground. With thirty-six laps com- Next in line and a long way ¡pleted Clark had a 27sec lead back were the 1.5 litre Brab ,and from then on nursed his ham-Ford drivers, Levis and car to finish. Buchanan. Levis was doing much the Had No Chance better of the two. Even at this stage it was But even with the leader's certain that Clark, provided he diminished pace McLaren had kept going, would set a race no chance. record. In the last few laps the first three cars closed in on one Obvious another a little, ing back a trifle more. Even The model of consistency, be 'so, Grant-now a lap behind turned in lap after lap in 1min the first four-could do nothing 28sec, and it was obvious that,; about the more favourable though he might, Mc- situation. Laren could do nothing about! it. Popular Win Much of the interest now centred on the . Palmer- Clark came home a comfort- Gardner duel. Palmer be- able winner, crossing the line gan to bridge the gap by while McLaren was still negofractions of a second each tiating the hairpin bend at the lap and, finally, he made it end of the long back straight. in the course of the thirty-. fourth tour. It was a popular victory and a well-earned one. After that the Australian slipped back a little and it was Clark raced at Wigram once obvious when his manager, Alec Mildren, walked out on walk manager, before, in the rain in 1961, and was forced to retire. to the course and gave num a: This time he made up for it signal, that be was to be con-in no uncertain fashion tent by maintaining station. After the race he said: McLaren made his bid-—and "Everything went according to it was a very belated one-on plan. The first half of the race the twenty-sixth lap, when hewas fine, but in the second!