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race report

Austrian driver sets Wigram lap record in heat

Gold Leaf Team Lotus laid a strong claim to the 15th Lady Wigram Trophy when world champion Graham Hill beat team-mate Jochen Rindt by a tenth of a second in the 11-lap preliminary heat. Rindt set a new Wigram lap record of 105.08 mph. Amon, Courage, Bell and Gardner followed, well clear of the New Zealanders led by Laurence Brownlie, Roly Levis and Graeme Lawrence. Support races included a sports car race, a Motor Racing Club championship won by Wayne Murdoch, and a Rothmans saloon heat in which a crash between Dawson and Black ended with the Camaro catching fire.

Lady Wigram Trophy preliminary heat (11 laps)

1Graham Hill (United Kingdom)Lotus-Cosworth-Ford 2.5 V814:41.7
2Jochen Rindt (Austria)Lotus-Cosworth-Ford 2.5 V80.1sec behind
3Chris Amon (New Zealand)Ferrari V614:43.3
4Piers Courage (United Kingdom)Brabham-Cosworth-Ford 2.5 V814:45.6
5Derek BellFerrari V6
6Frank Gardner (Australia)Mildren-Alfa Romeo V8

Sports cars (11 laps)

1Brent HawesBegg-Corvette 5700cc
2Jim Boyd (Auckland)Stanton Corvette
3G. Harvey (Auckland)Elfin

Motor Racing Club championship preliminary (25 miles)

1Wayne Murdoch (Otematata)Brabham 1.5 litre15:04.4

Lap times

  • Jochen Rindt (Lotus-Cosworth-Ford 2.5 V8): 1:18.8 lap record
  • Jim Clark (Lotus): 1:19.6 lap record
  • Wayne Murdoch (Brabham 1.5 litre): 1:36.8 fastest race lap
  • G. Harvey (Elfin): 155 mph top speed

Facts

  • Jochen Rindt set a new Wigram lap record of 1:18.8 (105.08 mph) in the 11-lap preliminary heat for the 1969 Lady Wigram Trophy, an improvement on Jim Clark's 104.02 mph race average of 1968.
  • Graham Hill beat Jochen Rindt by one-tenth of a second in the 1969 Lady Wigram preliminary heat.
  • In the first Rothmans Group V saloon heat at Wigram in 1969, R. Dawson and S. Black crashed; the Camaro caught fire but both drivers were unhurt and fire crews quickly brought the blaze under control.
  • Christchurch motor-cyclist John Stuart (Yamaha) was taken to hospital after a crash in a Wigram motorcycle preliminary on 18 January 1969.

Photos

  • Graham Hill takes the lead.
Read the OCR text
18-1-69 Austrian Driver Sets Wigram Lap Record in Heat GOLD LEAF team Lotus laid a strong claim for the fifteenth international Lady Wigram Trophy when the world champion, / SRAHAM Graham Hill, led team-mate Jochen Rindt home by a tenth of a second in the Il-lap preliminary heat to-day. The Lotus - Cosworth drivers! At the end of the first lap, the record of raced each other all the. way, New Zealanders, headed by 105.08 miles an hour was a big and Hill had to pull out all the Laurence Brownlie (1.6 Brab- improvement on that stops to win. ham-Ford) were already quitelin the trophy race last year Rindt, although second, set a a long way back. and the late lap record of 105.08 miles an Hill took Amon in the third Clark, returned 104.02 hour. Jap, but there was very little miles an hour. Third was the No. 1 Ferrari between the world champion, By comparison, the other driver, Chris Amon, who led Amon and Courage as they heat, in which all the New for the first two but started the fourth round. dropped back when the Zealand 1.5 drivers competed, Graham Hill takes the lead In addition to being the out - 1: Results: men threw in their challenge. Took Lead in the second preliminary right Murdoch also winner, Trophy Race. Heat 1-G. Amon finished 1.5sec behind to-day for the Lady Wigram took Canterbury A honours for (Wellington), 1.5 McRae-Ford. Spectacular Rindt, and next in line the Easy Win Trophy race. He hung UNLON (AUCK- Englishman, Piers and won narrowly from single seaters. 12145C. rabham-Ford. 16min ‹Brabham-Cosworth-Ford Courage front, Rindt took Courage Austria's Jochen Rindt. Category B, sports cars, Smith 2u35land) Crash in V8), then The young Wellington driver, was won by Ross West, from 11.5 Lotus-Ford, 16min 21.3sec. 2.3sec behind Amon. A. McCully (Drummond), 1.5 Brabsecond spot. At half-way Rindt Graham McRae, in his home- Harvey had reached fourth Tokoroa, with his Lotus. ham-Ford. 17min Fast. The No. 2 Ferrari driver, ¡position down the long back There was another division, lap: McRae, 1min Tie 26.6sec 15 Wigram Race Derek Bell, was next up, The two Lotus drivers could built McRae-Ford, won from but spun out again carrying points towards 'miles an no. Hill (United not draw out very much from start to finish in complete com- at the hairpin to lose gaid South Island championship for Heat a VS and he was followed home dom), 2.5 Lotus-Cosworth-Ford A spectacular crash involv-i by the Australian, Frank was harassed by fort. New Zealand-built single seat- [14min 41.7sec. KEEL ing the two leaders, R. Daw- Gardner (Mildren - Alfa tria). 2.5 V8, By the third lap, the ers, and this class was won by! 14min (New son and S. Black, marred the Romeo V8). fairly Bert Hawthorne, and the young Lindsay Tosh, driving a 232- (Zealand), 14min first heat of the Rothmans The first six finished well comfortably Elfn was up in fifth place litre Begg-Daimier V8. 43.3sec. wouldst (United Group V saloon car race. and a lap later he seemed Kingdom), 2.5 Brabham-Cosworth- For the first half of the race clear of the resident drivers leading Ferrari. to be closing on Boyd and 14min 45 6sec. Tastes: Roly Levis (1.6 Brabham-Ford) Bell raced very much on his Fords for four laps, but Haw- Hawes. At this Retired + Lap: 1min 18.8sec (105.08 Black had to pour on the pace Lawrence (16 own after Gardner took to the thorne dropped out after that stage, miles an hout). : in his immaculate 5.7 litre and Graeme Hawes had used the power Race (11 laps)B. outfield in the fast left-hander and Oxton was able to continue sports Chevrolet-Camaro in an efiort McLaren-Ford). of the 5700 c.c. Begg to Murdoch had an easy win Begg-Corvette.. Ide to see them to beading to the pit strange. and withstand a strong good advantage by remp- after Barry Keen retired his Hawe Boyd J. (Auckland). ito keep ahead of Dawson's hand to trophy Corvette, Harvey (Auckland), ? Ford Mustang. to lead him over ing past Boyd down the new Begg at the end of the din); Lotus, Armstron (Dunerace contenders line up for the over the rest of the resi- back. first lap. Keen was driving the din), 4. ime- 16mir 34.91 Each driver was forced preliminaries, result sixth the line at the finish. sec to drive close to the limit dents in the lap, The lead remained un- Lotus twin-cam engine car on Motor Racing club Championwhich determined grid positions it Levis Fourth, and a long way lurdoch (Ote. and, two laps from home, for the feature race this after- leaving to and back, was the Drummond dri- changed, with the Elin 44 sec-ling for a briet spell on its first outing, and after leadship (25 miles) w. Lawrence to fight out the "ameron Black went into a slide and noon. ver, Alan McCully, in another Honds behind the two leaders. (Dunedin), Lotus, Tosh (Tape crashed through the hay Rindt was left a bit at the honours. Brabham-Ford. There was a furious struggle first lap a broken battery leadi 3; between the fourth and fifth put paid to his challenge. (Christchurch). bales lining the side of the start and Amon just headed Levis took Lawrence in thei The sports car race, over cars, those of Armstrong. Christchurch rider Johni Stuart track. Hill to lead for the first two ninth lap and that was the way eleven laps. was a tussle be- in Stapleton (Yamaha) was taken! Corvette, (Tokoroa), laps, with Courage next, Rindt they finished, with the rest of tween Jim Boyd's Stanton Cor-his Lotus, and Williams, in his crashed, Lotus, 6. Time 15min 4.4sec. Fast- The hay went flying into the ito hospital after he iest lap-Imin 36.8sec, Murdoch. au, several bales landing on! hot on his heels, then Bell and the New Zealanders trailing a vette and Brent Hawes in his U2. Gardner. long way behind. Begg-Corvette. With his chances slipping in a motorcycle preliminary. the track. forcing Dawson, Aucklander Grahame Har- away, Harvey was putting thei following close behind to take vey had the misfortune to spin Elfin up to 155 miles an hour the same route as Black, hitout in his Elfin only seconds down the back straight. But ting the Camaro a glancing after leaving the grid. with Hawes recording blow. These three powerful cars miles an hour and Boyd 150 Both drivers climbed out unshould have been the only ones miles an hour, his efforts were hurt, but flame spurted from; in vain. The order remained! underneath the Camaro. Fire. in the race, but the Lotus of J. tenders and a fire control exwith Hawes crosthe 402 drone (unedin) and ung arst a Christchurch sing first ahead of Boyd and pert in a special asbestos suit! driver, ¡Harvey. Armstrong beat Wil arrived on scene within G. Williams, were right the blaze was. up until the final laps. lams to the line. minutes and Harvey's Elfin completely The Oternatata driver, Wayne brought under control. turned around on the first had little trouble corner and Jim Boyd shot in- winning 25-mile Motor : to the lead, with Brent Hawes Racing Club championship i close behind. event with his 1.5 litre Brab-

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