Wigram TrophyMotor racing at Wigram airfield · Christchurch · 1949–2000
Home › Archive › 1966 › Stewart sets record in first run
← 20 Jan 1966All 1966 pages21 Jan 1966 →
Scan of the clipping page, 21 January 1966
↗
Drag to move · scroll or pinch to zoom
race report

Stewart sets record in first run

In the first practice session for the 1966 Lady Wigram Trophy, BRM driver Jackie Stewart set an unofficial record of 1:25.1 in team-mate Attwood's BRM, expecting to reach the 1:24 range. Jim Palmer got down to about 1:26 in his Lotus-Climax and Attwood went similarly well; Gardner and Martin in Brabhams were just under 1:27. Jim Clark's Lotus-Climax lost all its engine bearings and he went back into the city to change engines. Syd Jensen scratched because the wrong parts were flown from Italy for his Brabham-Climax.

Lap times

  • Jackie Stewart (BRM 2-litre (Attwood's car)): 1:25.1 practice
  • Jim Palmer (Lotus-Climax): 1:26 practice
  • Frank Gardner (Brabham): 1:27 practice
  • Spencer Martin (Brabham): 1:27 practice

Facts

  • Jackie Stewart set an unofficial Wigram lap record of 1:25.1 in his first practice session in January 1966, beating the 1:25.9 record.
  • All the bearings failed in Jim Clark's Lotus-Climax engine during the first practice for the 1966 Lady Wigram Trophy.
  • Conditions for the first practice were warm and calm with overcast skies.

Photos

  • Reigning world motor racing champion Jim Clark in speed practice run at Wigram today. His Lotus had just clipped two half tyres marking the edge of the track.
  • Clark supervising the replacement of the engine in his car after a mechanical defect was found during the run. With him are Lotus mechanic Leo Wyrott (left) and Denz Downs, of Christchurch.
Read the OCR text
Stew New art Sets Record In First Run WHILE inishing touches put to track facilities for ternational Lady Wigram T young Scottish BRM driver were still being to-morrow's in- rophy race the Jackie Stewart set an unofficial new la sec in his first training It was a grand start for BRM but the morning was one of despair for world champion, Jim Clark. After a few brief training : laps in his 2,5 litre Lotus Climax be was in real trouble. All the bearings trad gone in the engine and as soon as the practice ended Clark and his mechanies headed back into the city lo change engines. ap record of lmin 25.1 ; session this morning. Ibe able to get down into the 1min 24sec range. The current national champion Jim Palmer also went well this morning getting down to lmin 20sec in his Lotus Climax. Most of the others including the Australians Frank Gardner and Spencer Martin in their Brabhams were just under the Imin 27sec mark. "You ust wondh't be. leve it," said Clark as he hurried off to try and make arangements for a late practice sesslon. Clark has been dogged by misfortune since the start of his New Zealand tour although he did manage to finish second at Levin last Saturday. In Mate's Car Stewart set the new unofficial Wigram record driving the BRM of his team mate Dickie Atlwood. He found his own car was not handling particularly well. After the practice session BRM mechanics set up his car in the same fashion as Attwoods. Stewart said he felt sure that with the car right he would Unofficial Attwood went very well to get down to a simiar sort ol ngure. All the times taken this morning were unofficial and the real story would not be known until aller the qualifying trials late this alternoon. The hoped-for appearance of former national champion Syd Jensen has come lo nothing. The parts flown out from Italy for his Brabham Climax are the wrong ones so he was compelled to scratch from the race this morning. Conditions at Wigram could - not have been belter this morning. There was no wind and the day was warm with an overcast ABOVE: Reigning world motor racing champion Jim Clark in speed practice run at Wigram (0-day. lis Lotus had just clipped two half lyres marking the edge of the track. LEFT: Clark supervising the replacement the engine in his car alter a mechanical lelert was found during the run. With him are Lotus mechanie Leo Wylrott (lett) and Denz Downs, of Christ- Church.

Summaries and tables are machine-read from the scan and may contain errors: the scan is the record.