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Title-winning cars to race at Wigram

Eoin Young reports that world champion Jack Brabham and Denny Hulme would bring Brabham-Repco cars to the 1967 Tasman series: Brabham at Pukekohe and Wigram, Hulme in all four NZ internationals. BRMs for Hill and Stewart and a 2-litre Climax V8 Lotus for Jim Clark are expected to challenge them since Tasman rules cap engines at 2.5 litres; Hill would only race Pukekohe in NZ. Clark's 1966 Tasman had been dismal after the Wigram shunt. Other notes cover Chris Amon, Bruce McLaren's F2 plans and Gordon Miles.

Facts

  • Brabham won four Grand Prix in a row in 1966 with the 3-litre Repco V8, producing 300 hp; for the Tasman series he had to use the 2.5 litre Repco version giving 250-260 hp.
  • BRM was enlarging its Tasman 2-litre V8 to 2.2 litres to raise power from 260 to about 270 hp for 1967.
  • Jim Clark had a dismal 1966 Tasman series, being shunted in the Lady Wigram Trophy.
  • Jim Redman, 250 world champion on factory Hondas, retired from racing in 1966.
Read the OCR text
22-9-66 Title- winning Cars To Race at Wi gram By Eoin S. Young WORLD champion Jack Brabham and Denny Hulme will be bringing their title- winning Brabhams to New Zealand for the Tasman series in January. Brabham will race at Pukekohe and Wigram, while Te Puke man Hulme will drive in all four New Zealand international races. form this "Down cars they have been racing Ender" pair have shown this this season, fully sorted season in Formula One racing, and rarin' to go. with Brabham winning four G.P.'s in a row on circuits! Clark will drive the 2-litre ranging from super-fast Reims Climax powered F.1 Lotus to tight and tricky Brands monocoque, which he was Hatch, could be in danger hammering Brabharn with in when they get out to New Zea- the Dutch Grand Prix. land. If the crankshaft damper "I think the B.R.M.s of had not broken loose in the Graham Hill and Jackie Climax V8 engine, bashing a Stewart and the Lotus of hole in the water pump, Jimmy Clark conld well think Clark's little 2-litre Lotus beat the Brabhams would have beaten Brabham's 3-bitre car. Brabham Clark will have between 245 too. At present in his theet and 260 horsepower, dependfactory Brabham is racing the small light-weight cars speci- Around 270 calendar to build a pair of ing on which engine he uses. ally for the Tasman series, but! in time ne wit bring pree fod B.R.M. engine wizards are mula One cars he has used working now to enlarge their this year. Tasman title-winning 2-litre V8 engines out to 2.2 litres, which 22 Litre should bump power up from 260 horse-power to In Formula One races, Brab- around 270. ham has used the 3 litre Repco But this increase V8 engine which gives 300 engine capacity could horse-power, but for the Tas well be a losing gamble, man series cars have to use for although the engines 22 litre engines, and this were reliable last year, means that Brabham will have this new move will be unto use the 2.5 litre version of tried and could well be a the Hepco engine, Which gives failure. a so far unreliable 250-260 So I look to Clarke to field horse-power. the challenge to the Brabhams, This is where Hill, Ste- with the B.R.M.s taking up wart, and Clark will score the battle should the Lotus fail for they are bringing the Clark had a dismal Tasman series last January being shunted in the Grand Prix and the Lady Wigram Trophy, and portunity to demonstrate his never really having an skill. But he will be flying next January. Brabham's View Brabham has said that he is basing his chances on the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, a circuit not unlike Teretonga Part, and reasonably typical of the Australian and New Zealand circuits. It was fairly obvious that he could not keep Clark's pace, but he won nevertheless, and this dogged devotion to keep hammering on even when chanees look slim is one of the reasons why Brabham is this year's world champion. Ferraris looked like romping away on the long straights at Reims and nobody really thought it was worth trying to keep up with the leading red cars nobody, that is, except Jack Brabham, who slipped into the lead as soon as Bandini's throttle cable snapped in the Ferrari. You cannot win if you are not there wait- All Nine Jim Clark will be doing all les Faces die, le Tin, Wigram Teretonga Warwick Farm, Lakeside, Sandown Park, Longford, and Surfers' Paradise) as will Denny Hulme in the sec. ond Brabham. Jackie Stewart is doing -all the races with the exception of Teretonga, but Graham Fill will only race at Pukesone for the Grand Prit, fly back to England for the Racing Car Show, and then fly out for all the Australian races. Dickie Attwood will take his place in the remainder of the New Zealand races. Attwood won at Levin last January, but left New Zealand limping after a first-corner crash when he was forced off the road at Teretonga and flipped his B.R.M. end over end. Chris Amon was anxious to bring a 2-litre Brabham-B.R.M. but his out for the series, late, and entry was filed too the budget for overseas driv ers had already been spent. This combination of the 2-litre 260 horsepower B.R.M. V8, and the lightweight Brabham chassis, couid well be a winner, and there is a chance that Jim Palmer may drive the car insteat. Bruce McLaren was forced to turn down the invitation to bring one of his own McLaren single-seaters to New Zealand as he will be fully occupied over the winter preparing a team of brand new baby racling cars for the coming 1600 ic.c. Formula Iwo. He has been promised three of the latest Cosworth engines, which turn out fantastic horsepower for their size, and his! chances look good with the new car which is still being built. Waiting List Already he has a waiting list of drivers anxious to buy this new F.2 car. New Zealander Gordon Miles, who raced a Morgan sports car and a Mini with some success on home circuits, has just started to hit the sporting headlines racing a Morgan in England. Miles worked as a mechanic on the McLaren team for a ¡few months, but left to devote cars. At Mallory • Park Morgan Plus Four, "Auto News" said that he was one of the outstanding winners of the day when he hammered Rootes works driver, Bernard Unett, in a factory - tuned 4.7 litre Sunbeam Tiger. Fastest Lap Miles averaged 81.67 miles an hour for his win, and also collected fastest lap at 87.72 miles an hour. Two top racing motorcyclists have suddenly retired. Jim Redman, 250 world champion for several years on factory Hondas, announced his retirement on the Isie of Man during the Tourist Trophy races there. Redman broke an arm in a crash during the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa while he was leading te 500 c.c. world championship, Honda! lost its chance in this big category. It is rumoured that Reaman's "golden handshake" may have been as much as £15,000- The other top man to leave was Frank Perris, who has been a factory rider for the Japanese Suzuki team led by New Zealander Hugh Anderson. No reason was given for his sudden retirement. : New world champion Jack Brabham (front) and his New Zealand team-mate, Denny Hume, on their way to a 1-2 win in the British Grand Prix at Brands Hatch this year. These may be the Brabhams that will race in New Zealand.

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