race reportSaloon car race a thriller
The second heat of the all-comers saloon race at the 1965 Lady Wigram meeting was a thriller between Aucklanders Coppins (Zephyr-Corvette), Fahey (Lotus-Cortina) and Franicevic (Ford Cortina). Coppins, touching 140 mph on the back straight, retired with suspension trouble; Fahey won the heat and the seven-lap final, with Coppins second after a charge from the back. Langley and Innes in Mini-Coopers finished neck and neck in the other saloon race, while Tom McCleary was robbed of a motor-cycle win by engine trouble on the last lap.
Half Hour Gold Leaf saloon car race
| 1 | R. B. Langley | Austin-Cooper S | 16 laps |
| 2 | B. Innes | Morris-Cooper | 16 laps |
| 3 | P. Lock | Morris-Cooper | 15 laps |
| 4 | F. Turner | Morris-Cooper S | 15 laps |
| 5 | H. J. Zelas | Morris-Cooper | 15 laps |
Motor Racing Club Championship (25 miles)
| 1 | B. Porter | Lotus-Climax | 18:20.8 |
| 2 | J. Boyd | Lycoming | |
| 3 | R. Rutherford | 260M Zephyr | 18:47.8 |
| 4 | M. Stanton | Stanton-Corvette | 19:24.4 |
| 5 | R. Caldwell | Lola | 19:30.4 |
Lady Wigram Trophy (100 miles)
| 1 | Jim Clark (Scotland) | Lotus-Climax 2.5 | 64:19.3 |
| 2 | B. McLaren (NZ) | Cooper-Climax 2.5 | 64:29.5 |
| 3 | J. Palmer (NZ) | Brabham-Climax 2.5 | |
| 4 | F. Gardner (Australia) | Brabham-Climax 2.5 | 66:11 |
| 5 | K. Grant (NZ) | Repco-Brabham-Climax 2.5 | 43 laps |
| 6 | R. Levis | Brabham-Ford 1.5 | 42 laps |
All-comers saloon, second heat (20 miles)
| 1 | P. Fahey (Auckland) | Lotus-Cortina | 16:15.6 |
| 2 | R. Franicevic (Auckland) | Ford Cortina | |
| 3 | C. J. Nazer (Auckland) | Lotus-Anglia | 16:49 |
| 4 | J. Ward | Lotus-Cortina | 16:56.6 |
| 5 | I. Doyle | Ford Anglia | 17:33 |
All-comers saloon, final (7 laps)
| 1 | P. Fahey (Auckland) | Lotus-Cortina | 12:22.6 |
| 2 | R. Coppins (Auckland) | Zephyr-Corvette 5.4 litre | 12:34.4 |
| 3 | C. J. Nazer (Auckland) | Lotus-Anglia | 12:52.7 |
| 4 | J. Ward | Anglia | |
Motor-cycles (second event, Norton 500 class)
| 1 | B. Scobie | Norton 500 | |
| 3 | J. A. Wales (Petone) | AJS 350 | |
| 4 | D. J. Mortimer (Takapuna) | BSA | |
| 5 | R. B. Clarke (Christchurch) | Norton | |
Motor-cycles (first event)
| 1 | T. McCleary | Norton | |
| 2 | J. Landreth | Matchless | |
| 3 | R. Clarke | Norton | 20:18 |
| 4 | L. G. Williams | NSU | 20:21 |
Lap times
- R. Coppins (Zephyr-Corvette): 140 mph top speed
- Bruce McLaren (Cooper-Climax): 1:25.9 fastest race lap
Facts
- Fahey (Lotus-Cortina) won both the second heat and the final of the all-comers saloon race at the 1965 Lady Wigram meeting.
- Coppins's Zephyr-Corvette was timed at 140 mph on the back straight at Wigram in January 1965.
- Coppins, Nazer and Ward drove Molyslip team Anglias and a Zephyr-Corvette in the 1965 all-comers saloon races.
- Langley and Innes in S-type Mini-Coopers raced neck and neck to the end of the 1965 Gold Leaf saloon car race.
Photos
- The field gets away to a good start at the beginning of the Lady Wigram Trophy race. F. Gardner (Australia) leads G. Lawrence (Wanganui), left, and J. Palmer (Hamilton) out of the S bend during the race.
Read the OCR text
23-1-65
lay S
ram
ud
Race
The field gets away to a good start at the beginning of the Lady Wigram Trophy race this afternoon.
F. Gardner (Australia) leads G. Lawrence (Wanganui), left, and J. Palmer (Hamilton) out of the S bend during the race.
Saloon Car
Race a
hriller
The second preliminary for
the All Comers Saloon Car
Race was a thriller.
From the start three Aucklanders, R. Coppins :5.4 litre
Zephy-Corvette), Fahey
(Lotus-Cortina), and R. Franicevic (Ford-Cortina). sorted
themselves out as the main
contenders. For the first few
laps they continuously swap
ped places in a hair-raising
display of driving
Had to Retire
the third time round
Coppins's car, which had been
touching 140 miles an hour on
the back straight. developed
supension trouble and had to
retire.
This left Fahey and Frantcevic out in front to fight out
the lead.
Franicevie's car soon began
to drop behind and after six
of the nine laps had a 20sec
deficit.
Applied Pressure
At the half-way stage,
Nazer (Lotus-Anglia', another
Aucklander, began to apply
the pressure and with the gearbox on Franicevic's car beginning to pay up, Nazer made a
bid for second.
With two laps to go Nazer
was 20sec behind and as the
cars entered the final lap, the
margin was down to 10sec.
Whittled Down
Gradually the distance was
whittled down until both cars
were level pegging as they.
roared into the home straight
for the chequered flag.
Franicevic had the better
line and managed to stay in
front-by inches.
In the seven-lap final of the
all-comers' race it was Fahey
all the way, although Coppins
made a tremendous effort, bitting 140 miles an hour on the
back straight to move through
the field from the back to be
second.
Coppins was followed home
by his Molyslip team-mates,
Nazer and Ward, in the two
Anglias.
Most Stayed
Normally at Wigram the
crowd starts to wend its way
home before the last event, but
most people stayed put to see
the saloons averaging traction
ally less thair eighty miles an
hour.
The Stype Mini-Coopers of
Langley and innes were neck
and neck all the way, Langley
Anally getting
narrowest of margins.
Results:
Robbed of Victory
Tom McCleary was lined up
for another win in the second
motorcycle event.
gine trouble on last lap
robbed him of certain rictory.
able lead over B.
riding a Norton 500.
When McCleary's motor
went. he tried to push his machine up the straight to but the task was too
finish,
much and Scobie swept past to
win.
J. A. Wales •Petone: riding
a 350 c.c. A.J.S. was third.
D. J. Mortimer •Takapuna)
on a B.S.A. was fourth and
Christchurch's R. B. Clarke
on a Norton, fifth.
Wigram Results
Half Hour Gold Leaf Saloon
Car Race-R. B. Langley (Aus
tin-Cooper S1. 16 1; B.
Innes (Morris-Cooper 16!
laps. 2: P. lock (Morris
Cooper 15 laps, 3: F.
Turner (Morris Cooper SI, 15
laps. 4: H. J. Zelas (Morris
Cooper;. 15 laps. 5.
Motor Racing Club Champion
ship (25 miles)-B Porter
‹ Lotus-Climax), 18min 20.8sec.
1: J. Bord (Licoming, 13min!
24sec. 2: R. Rutherford {260318
Zephyr), 18min 47.Ssec, 3; AL.i
Stanton (Stanton-Corrette) 19:
min 24.4:0c. R. Caldwell!
( Lola), 19min 30.4sec. 5.
Lady Wigram Trophy
(100 miles) = Clark 10h., 2e
Lotus-Climax. 64min 19.3sec.
B McLaren (X.Z.),
Climax. 64min 29.5:ec.
Palmer (N.Z.). 2.5
ham-Climax, 65min
Gardner {Australia). 2.5
Brabham-Climax. 60min lIsec,
4; K Grant (\.Z.). 2.5 Repco-
Brabham-Climax, 43 laps completed, 5: R. Levis 1.0
Brabham-Ford. 12 laps.
est lap: B. MuLaren. 1min 23.9sec
a record.
All-comers saloon
Second Heat (20 miles)-P.
Faher (Lotus Cortina', 16min
15.6sec. Franicevic (Ford:
Cortina). 16min' 1Ssec. 2;
Nazer (Lotus Anglial, 16mia 49;
sec, 3: J. Ward (Lotu:-Cortinal,;
1imin 56.6-ec. 4: 1. Doyle!
‹ Ford Anglia). 17min 33.fsec 5. 1
Final-P. Faher. 12min 22.61
R. Coppins, 12min 34.4
see. 2: 1. sec. lazer. 12min 52.7sec, i
3: J. Ward, 12min 25.Эsec, 4:
I. Lotore, 137*
Motor-rycles-T.
(lorion), ISmin
J. Landrete • Matchless;
37 2-5ser, 2: R. Clarke
ton). 20min 18:ec. 3: 1.. G. Will
liams iNSt) 20min 21:ec. 4.
Summaries and tables are machine-read from the scan and may contain errors: the scan is the record.