15-1-69 N.Z.. The famous New Zealand racing team of Bruce McLaren and Denis Hulme is not racing in the Tasman series this year, but the team will be represented in some way at. Wigram on Saturday. The young driver, Graeme Lawrence, who spent several months in Britain with the McLaren team last year, will race the latest McLaren Formula II 1600 c.c. car in the main erent. The last season has been the most successful one ever for the Mclaren racing team and its cars. Phil Kerr, joint managing director of Bruce McLaren Racing Limited, sees his company's world-beating M8A Can-Am cars, and the Formula I cars which gained second place in the World Constructors' Championship plex year as "simply com- Although highiy advanced technically, simplicity, finding and using the easiest way of designing and building, is a digoly sougat atter objective at the . headquarters of Mclaren Motor Racing, near London's Heathrow airport. In 1967 Bruce McLaren won the Can-Am series of races driving a McLaren: M6A, whilst Denny Hulme gained Tea m's Best Sea son ¡second place. Last year the positions were reversed with ilme first and Bruce McLaren second and the team gained four wins in the . SiX events. These two successes earned the team a total of S337,000 in prize money in the last two years-money which goes a great deal of the way towards subsidising the far less lucrative Formula I racing. Phil Kerr feels that the success which companies like McLaren, Lotus, Brabham and Cooper gain casts the spotlight of victory on to the whole of the British motor industry. It is with this in mind,: well as the advanced technological development which motor sport fosters, that many British companies "go racing" through organisations like McLaren Racing. SUPPLIERS Last year's M&A used parts and components manufactured by many of Britain's leading component suppliers, includ- Lucas fuel injection, Lockheed brakes, Goodyear tyres, Hewland gearboxes, Ferodo brake linings and clutches, Armstrong shock absorbers and Champion spark plugs. "Without these components the whole of the British international racing effort would grind to a halt. But, as far as the companies who supply are concerned, development potential and the results. fully justify the efforts and expense," Phil Kerr says. McLaren Racing lacks the backing of a major manufacturer unlike Lotus, Ferrari, Houda and Matra. Further, there is no Government support in Britain for even the most successful of racing teams. However, Mclaren is supported by three major concerns closely connected with motoring: Shell, who provide the petrol and lubricants, for Grands Prix; Gulf, who provide them for Can- Am; and Goodyear, who manufacture the tyres. MORE WINS During 1968 the team gained more victories than ever before and, like their list of successes, their reputation has grown. At 31 Bruce McLaren has been racing in Formula I racing for ainiost 11 years; first with Cooper and since 1964 with his own team. As president of McLaren Racing, he is closely connected with design and testing as well as competition driving. The joint managing directors, Phil Ker, an associate of the New Zealand Institute of Management, and Teddy Mayer, a lawyer, 100k after the day-to-day running of the organisation. Kerr manages the Formula I team whilst Mayer oversees the Can-Am organisation. McLaren Racing was formed in 1963 to race two Cooper cars in the Tasman series. On his return from Australia and Formula I racing ade- ¡MeLaren bought an American quately fill all of the 25 man sports-racer, the Roger Penske team's available design, designed built "Zerer development and production Special," raced it with great capacity and time. success and then built the FUTURE PLANS first true McLaren car, won convinced a number of races, and steady development of the started building replicas for company is essential for its By the beginning of future prosperity. Since 1968 more than 80 McLaren Denny Huime joined at the sports cars had been beginning of the 1967 season, duced the heavy responsibility for i driving success FIRST G.P. CAR shared. When McLaren even- At the beginning of the tually decides to retire from 3-litre Formula I in 1966 the active race driving, competiteam built its first Formula Ition will remain the team's car, powered by a destroked objective with other contrac 42 litre Ford V8. This wasited drivers. followed in 1967 with a new Company expansion car powered first by V8 been closely geared to cir- B.R.M. engine and later by cuit success. This season the B.R.M. V-12 unit. (Trojan will be selling B.R.M.-powered cars McLaren Formula A/5000 were followed, at the begin cars, single-seaters powered ning of the 1968 season, bylby American 5-litre produc- - the car which gained second ton engines, which will place the. Constructors' closely follow the design of Championship; the McLaren last year's Formula I cars. powered by the Cos-! It is this type of car which worth - designed, Furd- many connected with motorfinanced, engine which sport feel would be ideal for the Tasman Formula when and Ken was also used in Lotus cars, the term of the present 2.5- Tyrell's privately litre formula ends. entered Matra. In spite of the enormous Formula Although McLaren A car is yet money, series is still an extremely reputation that many orders the Can-Am unraced, such is the team's expensive undertaking. team prepared three cars and engines and addition shipped them to the United designed a racing • coupe States tngether with spares. which will also be homologa. Ited, with a 5-litre engine, for In addition, the Can-Am team and Group 4 events. travelled length Construction of a bigh breath Alte ca Grand quality, low volume, produc tion McLaren road car too team transported and is not impossible, prepared the Formula I cars and judgthe Canadian, American ing by the sales of Lotus and and Mexican Grand Prix. Ferrari, which developed alongside a suc- 'PRODUCTION CARS cessful racing reputation, Production versions of the there is clearly a market in which such a car could sell. This year the team drupaetired and 2a, ted are series to be used az developed by Am Series to those used last by the racing division of year, and they do not expect Trojan Limited. Last year cars to be ready until Trojan sold 90 percent halfway through the series, of its total production of cars waich will be 10 races. McLaren sports racing The team will also have an outside the United Kingdom entirely new Formula I car "on-sale" The were powered by the same Ford designated M6B's: tion versions of the MA's produc-lengine used this season. with which the team won the Can-Am series last year. This year Trojan will manufac- M12s, which feature suspension, brakingi and mechanical modifications and improvements used last year on the team's M8As, in conjunction M6B chassis. The future derelopment of McLaren Racing Kerr's responsibility. team would like to enter the Indianapolis 1500, tne richest prize in world quator GRAŁME LAWRENCE WORKING ON HIS McLaren-Ford in the workshops of Bruce McLaren Racing, Ltd, last year. In this car he has been first New Zealander to finish at both Pukekohe and Levin. OTHER In addition to the two main-race heats and the main event itself, there will be a full programme of the popular saloon and sports-car events at Wigram on Saturday, as well as motor-cycle races. The third race of the day will be for sports cars, and this is likeiy to produce a battle royal among G. Harvey (Elfin 4950 c.c.), Brent Hawes (Begg Corvette 5700 c.c.) and the North Island expert Jim Boyd in the spectacular 5360 c.c. Stanton Corvette. Another interesting car expected to be ready to race after being damaged at Levin last week-end is the lightweight aerofoll equipped type Jaguar of Scott Wiseman. EVENTS BENEFIT OF Wiseman is not likely to RACING challenge the top three, but Good old Aunt Matilda. She • a very good chance of buys a car just to putter holding of the rest of the field. B. B. Keen in the 5400 round the neighbourhood- C.C. Begg should also be to take her shopping, to the worth watching. dentist, to bridge club, to The next race will be for sports-cars, speciais, and P.T.A. and to church on Sunsingle-seaters, and will include days. What does she care such well-known cars as about racing? Keen's Begg, L. J. Tosh's Begg Whether she cares or not, Daimler, M. Cooke's U2, and is the similar car of G. Williams. motor racing helping to There will be two races fori make ber neighbourhood group five saloons, and this Charlot more rellable than seems likely to be dominated ever before, says Mr Leo by the big Ford Mustangs of Levine. Paul Fahey and I. W. Daw- Mr Levine, the former son, altbough the Chevrolet motor editor of the New York "Herald Tribune" and Camaro of S. Black may press them hard. The big entry of contributor to many auto! Minis can be relied on to pro motive publications in: the vide some close racing, and United States and abroad, it includes such top names as says the things learned in R. B. Langles, R. A. Sellens, racion choland fue result L. W. Neilson, R. Stewart, C. Collins, A. K. „Prattley," B. is a better car for everyone." Writing in "Ford Times" Philips, R. W. Andersonyear's champion-plusimagazine, Mr Levine credits son. T Care and fister. lesson are eare racis i ford. from counter-bored holes for bolts in will be a free foreveas then elinder blear, to the son event, featuring the popular bench"- an apparatus used all-comers. As well as many for designing more efficient of the group five cars, the intake manifolds. entry includes N. Doyle in the Mr Levine notes that en- Anglia Corvette, R. McPhail in gine improvements are not the Lotus Farina, G. Sprague the only kind to come from in the Anglia, B. C. Lee in the racing. General design and A40, A. Dickie in the Wat-testing methods, disc brakes ford, and R. Silvester in the and "a lot of things, most of Chevrolet Corvette coupe. them small and not apparent to the average buyer, " also have been improved through