20-1-68 Clark Achieves 101 m.p.h. Race Ave rage Speed THE first 100 mile an hour race average in the 14-year history of International Lady Wigram trophy meetings came up to-day when flying Scotsman Jim Clark averaged 101.7 miles an hour in his Lotus Ford V8 to win his preliminary heat for this afternoon's Lady Wigram Trophy Race. Just one second behind him and still over the 100 miles an hour mark was the young Ferrari V6 driver Chris Amon, winner of the first two Tasman Championship rounds at Auckland and Levin. The first six finishers all broke the 100 miles an hour lap barrier of Imin 22.8sec in the course of the 25-mile, 11-lap race. Third home was Australian Frank Gardner in his Brabham-Alta Romeo V6, some 16sec behind Gardner. World champion Denis Hulme brought his Brak ham FVA home in fourth spot, just 1,4sec behind the Australian. The English private entrant, Piers Courage, in his 1.6 litre McLaren Ford, held Mexican B.R.M. driver Pedro Rodriguez and took fifth place. Rodriguez in sixth was followed home by New Zealanders Brian Haloon (2.5 Brabnam Climax) and Jim Palmer (1.6 NicLaren Ford). Retired Most notable retirement was thai of Bruce MeLaren. who was never really in the picture in his B.R.M. V12, and dropped out with a recurrence of fuel starvation troubles after seven laps, and when running in sixth place. Amon Gardner made the moest no of the start with Clark next in line and followed by Courage and Palmer. Amon hit the Iront, under-braking into the hairpin at the end of the long back straight and Clark found himself sitting in behind the Australian well within striking distance. However, it was not until the second lap that the Scotsman moved past the Australian to challenge the Ferrari driver. Amon had put in the second lap at 102.22 miles an hour, but he could not hold off the Lotus Ford V8 and Clark hit the front towards the end of the third lap, taking Amon before the hairpit- From then on it was a neck and neck struggle between Clark and Amon with Gardner drifting back slightly but well clear of the rest. Hulme and Courage ran in close formation, the chamfinally asserting his authority in the course of the fifth lap. Rodriguez ran very much on his own for the whole race and Faloon and Palmer raced together whole Faloon fatty getting past Palmer in the sixth lap. Smaller Cars The other preliminary was for 1.5 litre cars, and counted in the National Formula championship series. Winner was last year's national champion Roly Levis (1.5 Brabham Ford) from Bill Stone, who was. similarly mounted. Levis took over the lead in the course of the fifth lap, and Stone ran him close the rest of the way, with the Auckland Lotus Ford driver! the rest. Ken Smith doing the best of! Currently_ leading in this: senes, Wanganti driver Graeme Lawrence led out from, the start and looked as though he would run away with the! race, but before the first lap was completed he coasted toi the in-feld with engine trouble in his Brabham Ford. After yesterday's wintry conditions the weather was perfect at Wigram this morning, and the ground quite dry. When the eleven-race programme opened at 10 a.m. the car parks were filling rapidly and there was a large crowd thronging all vantage points around the 2.3 mile circuit. There was a great tussie among the leaders in the Motor Racing Club championship for single-seaters and sports cars. The Il-lap race over 25 miles was a sizzler for Barry Keen lof Invercargill in his Begg 1600 c.c. single-seater and Christchurch's Ron Rutherford in his new Lotus 23v. Keen led out but was quickly challenged by another Invercargill driver, L. J. Tosh in his more powerful Begg Daimler. But a lap later rutteriora had moved into second place and so they battled to the last. When they crossed the line Rutherford was where he had been for almost the entire race, right on Keen's exhaust pipe, a mere 0.4 of a second behind. Keen's time for the event was a reasonably fast 18min 0.08 sec. Tosh had to be content with third place and not far behind him was Christchurch competitor N. F. Stuart in his 4932 c.c. Stuart Corvette. The pace was too much for most of the twenty-odd compeators and only thirteen finished the race, tve completing the full eleven-laps. The over 1500 c.c. elevenap sports car race providec Andrew Buchanan of Masterton with an end to end win in his Bitin 400. Christchurch driver Geoff Mardon tried at he knew to grab the lead, but the Stanton Corvette lacked the power of the Australian-built Elfin, and there was nothing he could do about it. Third place went to Timaru's Brent Hawes in his Begg-Corvette. He held the place all the Fine Driving The first Rothman's Saloon car race saw a superb exhibition of driving by the expertenced Hastings driver, Angus Hyslop, in a 1293 c.c. Austin- Cooper. Hyslop, although in the front line of the group, away and relinquished the early lead to W. H. Kettleweli, of Auckland, in another Austin- Cooper. This position was soon reversed and Hyslop drew away for an untroubled victory. At times he was up to 100 yards in front of the Christchurch driver, R. J. Stewart, who had shuffled his Mini- Cooper to second slot. Kettlewell had a dicey few laps with another Cooper driver, L. W. Neilson, of Dunedin, one or the other passing on the hairpin from time to time. Kettlewell eventually took third place. Ford Mustangs dominated the second saloon car event, with a 1, 2, and 3 victory. For champion Paul Fahey (Auckland), it was an opportunity to chalk up another easy win. One who went down righting was W. Collins (Christchurch! in a Ford Lotus. Indication of his performance was the fact that while Fahey was just tipping 140 miles an hour on the back straight, Collins was pushing his car up to 120. But this was not enough among extremely fierce competition. Results: Lady Wigram Tropy Race. First Preliminary (11 laps): R. Levis (Repeo Brabham) 16min 21.5sec, 1; B. Stone (Brabnam Ford) 16min 21.2sec. 2; K. Smith (Lotus), 16min 31.3sec, 3, D. Oxton (Brabham) 16min $3.6 sec. 4: G. McRae (Braonam) 16 min Macdonald (Brabham), 17 min 38sec, 6. Lady Wigram Tropny Race Second Preliminary (11 laps): J. Clark (Lotus) 14min 55.3sec, 1; C. Amon (Ferarri) 14min 56.3sec, 2 Romeo) F. Gardner (Brabham-Alfa 15min 10.2 sec, 3; D. Hulme (Repco Brabham) 15min 11.6sec, 4; P. Courage (McLaren Cosworth) 15min 19.6sec Podriguzz , (B.P.M.) 15min 21.2sec, 6. Motor Racing Club .Championship (11 laps) - B. Keen (Begg) 18min Ssec, 1; R. Putherford (Lotus) 18min 8.4sec, 2; L. Losh (begg), 18min 21.6sec. 3: -Y. Stuart (Stuart-Corvette) 18min 32sec, 4; G. Baker (LottIs) 5: P. West (Lotus) 6. Sports Cars over 1500 c.c.- A. Buchanan (Ettin) 16min 47.8sec, I; G. Mardon (Stanton) 16min 50.6sec. Hawes (Begg) 17min 23sec, 3; J. Armstrong (Lotus), 4; WV. Colins (Farina Ford). 5: N. Doyle (Corvette), 6. Fastest lap: Buchanan, imin 30sec (a record). Rothmans Saloon Car Race- Up 1300 C.C.: 4. Hyslop ( Austin Cooper), 17min 37.9 sec, 1: R. Stewart (Austin Cooper). 17min 38.4sec. 2: WV. Kettelwell (Morris Cooper), 17min 50sec. 3; L. Neilson ( Austin Cooper). 17min 54 sec, 4: B. Benzie (Morris Cooper S), 18min 32.2sec, 5; R. Anderson (Austin Cooper), 18min 32.5sec, 6. Fastest lap: Hyslop, Imin 4lsec (a record).