17-1-70 McRae Breaks 1 In Prel Rac e at Iminary Wig ram By Peter Greenslade WELLINGTON'S Graham McRae gave Wigram Trophy race intentions when 11.5-mile preliminary to-day from end to end of 104.94 miles an hour. He set a new lap re circuit of 105.34 miles an hour. He looked a winner from the first turn after the rolling start when the Australian, Frank Matich, the fastest qualifier yesterday afternoon, spun his McLaren M10A and dropped to the middle of the field. McRae, in his big, black Crown Lynn McLaren M10A, had built up a 4.5sec lead over Englishman Derek Bell ·2.5 Brabham Cosworth Ford V8) i after one lap. Second Place Bell held second place all the way and finished 10.8sec behind McRae. The American, Ron Grable (McLaren M110A), was third, 7.4sec behind Bell. Next in line was Sweden's Uf Norinder (Lola T190), 2.fsec further back, and only 0.Isec separated him from the fifth man, Graeme Lawrence (2.4 Ferrari V6). Sixth was Max Stewart, of Australia, who drove a 2000 c.c. Mildren Waggott. The race was used to determine starting positions for the 101.2-mile Lady Wigram Trophy race this afternoon. The result did not alter the front row positions, for Matich was fastest qualifer with 1min 18.2sec—105.88 miles hour-yesterday afternoon and McRae was second fastest with Imin 18.4sec. As these times were not improved upon, the front row positions remain the same. place. Unlucky Another unlucky one was the Sydney millionaire land developer, Neil Alien, who damaged a wheel rim on his McLaren M10B early in the race and was never in the hunt. The Englishman, Kaye Griffiths, was another one in for a rear wheel trouble, parted company 'from his B.R.P. Ford. He brought it to a stop safely. McRae's new record of 1min 18.6sec was an 0.2sec improvement on that set jointly last year by the Austrian, Jochen Rindt (2.5 Lotus Cosworth Ford V8) and New Zealander Chris Amon (2.4 Ferrari V6). The Manurewa driver, Paul Fahey, powered his F.V.A. Ford Escort to an exciting win in the first heat of the $1000 Mercury saloon car series. In doing so, he equalled the saloon car record for the circuit. After edging out the 5-litre! Ford Mustang of Red Dawson, | Fahey went on to complete: the seven laps in 11min 26.1 sec. His fastest lap was 1min 35. 4sec, which was consider- , ably faster than his Imin 39 isec fastest lap last year in a ¡Ford Mustang. Fahey's sizzling lap equalled the 86.5 miles an hour lap set by Spencer Martin, who was: driving a Ferrari, in fact not a genuine saloon car. notice of his Lady he won the five-lap, • at an average speed cord for the 2.3-mile Took Lead The tiny Escort slithered through the corners in hot pursuit of Dawson's Mustang for much of the race, unk ibe second Fahey took Dawson on the hairpin. Dawson finished in 11min 27sec and Rod Coppins in the 5.5 Chev. Camaro, was several lengths back third. Fourth, some distance back, was John Riley (Ford Mus- :tang) who finished in 11min 48.6sec. The first South Islander Gary • Sprague "Twin- -cam come Ford Escort) finished fifth in 11min 50 Isec. Other South - Island drivers in the twenty-tree starters, anished well back, many of them being lapped in the early stages. Increased Fahey increased his hold on the South Island saloon car series when be romped home in the second heat of the Mercury races. After tailing Dawson's Mustang for about three parts of the race, Fahey edged him out going into the . Hangar Bend and when the big Mustang pulled off the track it was all Fahey. He coasted home 12.5sec ahead of Coppins in the Team Cambridge Camaro. ap Rec Dawson was forced to retire with spark plug trouble. Results: Lady Wigram Trophy Race Pre. liminary 5 laps, 11.5 miles)-G. McRae (New Zealand, McLaren 'M10A), fmin 36.4sec: I; D. Beil (United Kingdom, 2.5 Brabham Cosworth Ford V8), 6min 47.3sec,, 2; R. Grable (United States'3: D. Laren M10A), 6min 54.6sec. Norinder (Sweden y awrence New T190). 6min 57.2sec, 4; G. Zealand. e: M. Stewart (Australia. Ferrari 6min 57.35 Mildren Waggott). miri 10.6sec. Fastest 105.34 miles an hour (record). cord Australian Frank Matich goes lato a spin at the first bend just alter the start of the Preliminary Race for the Lady Wigram Trophy Race at Wigram to-day... Trophy Race To Matich Australian driver Frank Matich, in a McLaren MIOA, won to-day's Lady Wigram Trophy race. Second was American Ron Grable in a similar car, and the Australian Max Stewart, in a Mil dren Waggott, was third. Fourth was American Bill Simpson, in a 5-litre Eagle Chevrolet, followed by Mike Goth (V.S.) and Michael Campbell (U.S.).