12-7-69 PETER GREENSLADE $14,000 Wigram TOr Race Sixteen drivers will race for a $14,000 stake -1 in the internationai Lady Wigram Trophy at Christchurch in January.. The winner will collect $3500, but each of the qualifiers for the race will be guaranteed a minimum of $400. Detaiis of the prize money scheme, which has been adopted by the eight New Zealand and Australian international race: promoters for the coming season, were announced today by the president of Christchurch's Motor Racing Club our. J. A. Brewer). "Between them the promoters are putting $114,000 in prize money and our pay-out at Wigram will be $14,000," said Mr Brewer.. •The sixteen fastest qualifiers in pre-race trials will constitute the trophy race field. "Prizes for from frst to sixth places will be $3500 $2500, $1500, $1000, $800 and $700. "The remaining ten drivers will each receive $400 irrespective of the number of laps they compiete or the positions they fill" he said. Drivers: who failed to qualify in the pre-race trials would be permitted to start in the race in order that they could participate in the various champion ships associated with the event. But, irrespective of their race placings, they would not be engible for prize said Mr Brewer a In the past the -Motor Racing Club has paid out what might be described as taten prize money for the trophy. Tace and entrants have been ieimbursed with appearance money: caleulated upon their performances and standing motor racing. Appearance Money Promoters of Tasman Championship events have. contributed to an appearance money pooL understand that overseas drivers; or their entrants, have received ip: to $20,000 for appearing in = the New Zealand-Australia international series in the past. The prize money system has been in vogue in: the United " States for many years and more recently r .. E $11 has been introduced for the World Drivers' Champion ship series. of Grand Prix races for which it will be universalty. adopted next Seven of the eight international races next season will count for. the Tasman Championship, the championship race being that which will open the international season at Bay Park Mount Maunganui, on Raceway pecember 29: Conditional: The new system is conditional upon guarantees from overseas entrants that they will contest all the races. Mr • Brewer explained 4.00 that, with so much money at stake, New Zealand race promoters required assur ances that they would have fuly representative internatonal fields: for. their eyents.. don't anticipate : any major problems in this re spect as overseas raemg interests have already displayed a lively interest in the new system, especially as the Tasman Champion ship. Formula has been altered to include the Formula. A/5000 5 litre' stock block V8engined cars for the first time, along with the 2.5 litre pure racing-. engined cars. New: Zealander: Bruce McLaren and former world or CIrC uit champion John Surtees are manufacturing Formula A/5000 cars. and both have evinced - interest in the series. Interest I also understand that the 1968 United States Formula A champion Ron Grable has indicated that be will cor test the series and that a States: drivers are 'also in terested. The British based Church Farm racing team, which is contesting European and American Formula A/5000 races with a works-spor sored Mclaren, driven by Peter Gethin; will also field one or two cats, the drivers probably being Gethin and Deres Bell The latter raced a Ferrari in the last Tasman series. The president: of the Motorsport Association New Trost) is now in Brian negotiating entrants, while an agent is acting on behall of New Zealand and Australian promoters in the ....... United States: The prize money system should be weleomed by New Zealand and Australian drivers, most of whom command little appearance money under the old system. Provided they can quality for each of the eight events they will each be guaranteed a minimum of $3200. On the other hand, the leading ; overseas. drivers, Bito may be expected to gain major placings in the races, should take höme just as müch if not more than they have under the appearance money system.: Attraction But from the viewpoirt of motor facing followers, the mam attraction in the new system is that for the first time results will realty = There is no denying the fact that, there have been occasions in the past when highly-paid entrants have been content to turn in mediocre perfotmances be cause they knew their ap péarance: moneyi: 7785 assured. * 1: