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news · Sydney Daily Telegraph

Grand Prix courses are under fire

Australian team manager David McKay, quoted in the Sydney Daily Telegraph, attacked the organisation at Pukekohe and Levin: he said Australians were way ahead of New Zealand, criticised the clerk of the course directing from the infield, practice timetables not followed, no marshal at the signalling pits and the rough Levin track, and blamed the Association of NZ Car Clubs for issuing permits.

Facts

  • David McKay criticised the organisation of the 1966 NZ Grand Prix at Pukekohe and the Levin international, saying Levin had been running for more than ten years.
  • A first Tasman practice at Levin in January 1966 was called off because Clark and the BRM team were not ready.
preview

Motor-cycle stars for city events

Preview of the two motor-cycle events at the 1966 Lady Wigram meeting, with a record entry: Hugh Anderson (Suzuki), visiting Ginger Malloy (Bultaco), Brian Scobie (Norton, captain of the NZ Isle of Man team), Tommy McCleary jun. (Norton), Neville Landreth (who had beaten Anderson at Pukekohe and Levin), Kevin McCleary (Greeves), Don Damiano and Johnny Hubbard.

Facts

  • The 1966 Lady Wigram meeting had a record entry in its two motor-cycle events.
feature

Jackie Stewart profile

Profile of Jackie Stewart (given as 25 in other articles) from Dumbarton, tipped as a future world champion: Tyrrell Formula 3 in 1964 (11 international wins), BRM number two to Graham Hill in 1965, third in the world championship. Early racing in a Marcos GT in 1961 was anonymous because of parental opposition; Denis Jenkinson praised him as a natural high-speed driver.

Facts

  • Jackie Stewart won 11 international Formula 3 events in 1964 with the Tyrrell team and finished third in the 1965 world championship.
  • In the 1965 season Stewart finished sixth in South Africa, won the Silverstone International Trophy, third at Monte Carlo and second at Spa, French and Dutch GPs.
feature

Spencer Martin profile

Profile of 25-year-old Australian Spencer Martin of Scuderia Veloce (David McKay): started with a home-built fibreglass sports car, won 12 of 16 saloon races in a Holden in 1962, drove a Repco Brabham from the end of 1963, was Graham Hill's mechanic in the 1964 and 1965 Tasman races and won the NSW road racing championship in 1965. He first raced in NZ at Pukekohe in 1966, qualifying on the front row before spinning out on lap one.

Facts

  • Spencer Martin won the 1965 NSW road racing championship, Governors' Trophy and Queensland Tourist Trophy.
  • Martin scored 12 wins and two seconds in 16 saloon starts in a Holden in 1962.

Photos

  • The two leading New Zealand drivers in the two single-seater categories. On the left is Jim Palmer, picked to be first New Zealander home at Wigram on Saturday. On the right is Roly Levis, last season's Australian and New Zealand 1.5 litre champion. Levis has a reputation for fast, neat driving, and he often finishes his 1.5 litre Brabham in front of many of the 2.5 litre cars.
Read the OCR text
19 - 1-66 GRAND PRIX COURSES ARE UNDER FIRE P.A. THe motor ra Levin, and grand prit event motoring writer. "Daily Telegraph" SYDNEY. To-day. cing tracks at Pukekohe and the organisation of recent is there. were attacked by a David MeKay. in the Sydney 'to-day. Mckay said Australians often grumbled about the was some of their motor races were run. "but. believe me, we are way ahead of New Zealand in every facet of the sport-cars, drivers and organisers. "The Australian contingent at the New Zealand Grand Prix meeting was critical of the slap-dash organisation at Pukekone. "It'll be better at Levin,' we were toid "If anything. it was worse! "How on earth Levin circuit gets a permit to run an international meeting for Tasman championship points has confounded us all." said MeKay. "The clerk of the course directs operations from the middle of the infield, quite out of touch with the competitors. "Practice periods are listed in the regulations, but bear no resemblance to what actually takes place. "There was no marshal at the signalling pits to control cars calling in for minor adjustments. ''They just shot out into the fiow of traffic again. "It would appear that the trouble lies at the top. "The top is the Association of New Zealand Car Clubs who. presumably. issue the permit to stage a race meeting." "Levin has been running for more than ten years and has, doubtless, been a veritable gold mine for its promoters. "Local drivers have complained for years of the state of the track - a chassis and transmission - buster if ever I saw one. "They have been continually ! fobbed off with promises which • never materialise. Called Off "The first practice for Tasman cars was called off because Jim Clark and the b.r.m. boys weren't ready and it would not be fair to practice without them. "When practice did get under way. and Clark's suspension broke, it was cut short because it was not fair to keep practising when Jimmy was immobilised. Motor-cycle Stars for City Events Talent-stacked motor-cycle events at Saturday's Lady wigram will provide tremendous interest. Competing stars are: Hugh Anderson, world light-weight champion (Suzuki). Ginger Malloy, international competitor back in New Zealand on a holiday, who will be up on a Bultaco, Brian Scobie, captain of the New Zealand Isle of Man team (Norton), Tommy Mc- Cleary jun., a ten-time winner of national road racing titles and New Zealand representative (Norton), Neville Landrebe, an Otago surprise packet with two shock wins over Anderson at Pukekohe and Levin. Kevin McCleary (Greeves), Don Damiano and Johnny Hubbard are three local competitors who will do really well if the going is lively, and McCleary could well make a bold bid for the New Zealand airfield title in the light-weight division. Other North Island riders. and most of the better South Islanders, will make up a record entry in the two motorcycle events. With Anderson, Scobie, Landrebe and McCleary of the Mercury team lining out favourites, racing will be really competitive, but to add the skills and no quarter riding of Malloy, the field hots up zo end. in the last year in Euros Stewart took the one driver has rocketed around the Snetterton cirfrom reiative obscurity to cuit within a second of the the very front line of pre- lap record, and it was not sent-day drivers. long before he was getting JACKIE STEWART, a 35year-old Scot from Dumbarton. and a driver who is picked as a future world champion. In his first season with the B.R.. team Stewart has some drives îrcin the Ecurie Ecosse team. tewart became known in 1964. when he drove formula three cars for the Tyrrell team. That wear he won 11 international events and set amassed a formidable record, and he finished third in the world championship-this racing often on circuits he had never seen before and against numerous new lap records. Before long Stewart was signed up by the B.R.MI. tean as number two driver to Graham Hill, and it was with this team he spent grand prix stars who had been established for yea Stewart's interest in racing started early. and his older brother was consid- 1965. alo driving the Rover BRI turbine car at Le Man: with Graham Hill and driv ing several races in sport cars and saloons, as well a ered one of Britain's most formula iwo cars. promising drivers until an In the first world chamaccident caused him to re pionship race of 1965, in tire. Sour Africa, Stewart was JACKIE STEWART Stewart's first race was at Chartherball in 1961, when be drove a Marcos GT. During the 1961 season, racing anonymously because of parental opposition, be gained two wins and was placed at each meeting in which he competed. In 1962 he gained three wins from four meetings, and in 1963 he was asked to test a Tojeiro Jaguar for the Ecurie Ecosse team. sixth aiter a smooth and steady drive. He was first ir the Silverstone international trophy race, third at Monte Carlo, second at Spa, second in French G.P., fifth in the British G.P., second in the Dutch G.P., and at most meetings was on the front row of the grid. Expert observers say of Stewart that he shows all the attributes of a world- ADING DRIVERS champion d. he mat soon be giving Jim Clark serious opposition: Britain's leading. motor racing writer. Denis Jenkinson, says of Stewart: "There is no doubt about the fact that he is a natural high speed driver, born with all the faculties required of an outstanding driver. Like Fangio, Moss and Clark he is obviously blessed with good judgement. sharp refiexes, outstanding eyesight, and sense of balance." Before he took up motorracing Stewart was an expert at clay-pigeon shooting, and was in the running for a place in the Olympic clay pidgeon shooting teamn in 1960. Stewart was married in 1962, and has one child. The Australian driver SPENCER MARTIN is aged 25, and drives for the Australian Scuderia Veloce team run by David NIcKay. Martin joined the motor trade when he left school. He started in racing with a small fibreglass sports car he built himself. Later, when racing a "Prad" sports car, was noticed by David McKay. In 1962 he drove a Holden in saloon car races with great success, scoring 12 wins and two seconds in 16 starts. Mckay offered Martin a drive in a Repco Brab. ham at the end of 1963, and it was not long before his driving was keeping him well up in the fields. Martin was mechanic for Graham Hill in the 1964 and 1965 Tasman races and in 1965 he won the New South Wales road racing championship, the Governors' Trophy, the 1965 Queensland Tourist Trophy and several major sports car races. Martin may go overseas and try racing in Europe soon. New Zealanders saw Martin in action for the first tune at Pukekohe this year, when his practice time was fast enough to place him on the front row of the threecar grid. Unfortunately he spun off the track and out of the race on the first lap. гор THE TWO LEADING NEW ZEALAND DRIVERS in the two single-seater categories. On the left is Jim Palmer, picked to be first New Zealander home at Wigram on Saturday. On the right is Roly Levis, last season's Australian and New Zealand 1.5 litre champion. Levis has a reputation for fast, neat driving, and he often finishes his 1.5 litre Brabham in front of many of the 2.5 litre cars.

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