18-9-71 W:000 ON HIS WAY TO VICTORY IN THE LADY WIGRAM TROPHY RACE.-The New Zealand driver, G. McRae, has both right-hand wheels of his McLaren-Chevrolet off the ground as he hurtles across the notorious Wigram "bump" on the way into the loop. In spite of having an engine which he said fras down on power, MeRae pulled away to finish more than 27sec ahead of the Australian driver, F. Matich, in a McLaren-Repco. Odds against McRae's engine lasting out series By PETER GREENSLADE Lady Wigram Trophy race winner Graham McRae now leads the Tasman Championship series, after three of the seven rounds, with 22 points--seven more than his nearest adversary Niel Allen. But he will need a fair share of luck as well as his undoubted ability to retain his advantage. Unise the other serious con- NO ENCOURAGING tenders for championship honours, lickae does not have a But even if McRae drives the spare engine for nis Ncbaren remaining races as immacu- *10B. This means that a major prospect of running out ¡lately as he did Wigrant o blow-up could put him out of Imore races and probably _ putcontention. ting in as many miles, it not Moreoever, the Chevrolet V8 more, in the practice and qualiengine which helped him to lying sessions with only one engain lap and race records on gine is not encouraging. Saturday must be regarded as! In tact, at this stage the Tasman series Is Silli very open. After carrying him to victory The Australians, Allen: in the Levin International. it (McLaren M10B Chev) dropped a valve in the first Frank and Matich (McLaren practice session for the New V210B) Repco have turned in kohe. Zealand Grand Prix at Puke-isome very good performances already and, although they will be having their first race on the FORTUNATE Teretonga Park, Invercargil, McRae was fortunate in being circuit on Sunday, both should able to borrow an engine from go well there. In fact this is the circuit that: the Belgian VDS Racing Team, could bring Matich more into Although it lacked the power of repco engine he is using, al- whose driver is Teddy Pette, contention, for the Australian i his own, it took McRae to third though lacking top end power, place in the Grand Prix. ¡nas plenty in the middle range For Wigram, McRae had his and this is where it is needed: own engine running again, on the southern circuit. thanks to the know-how of his chief mechanic Murray unarles, who was able to modi- ADVANTAGE fy and lighten a piston to re- MeRae won at Teretonga place the one broken when the and Surfers' Paradise valve dropped at Pukekohe. rast year, but the Australians ram practice session on Friday their home tracks because they Charles told me at the wig- should have an advantage on that his main concern was the know them well. possibiiity of Mckae missing a Matich, who now has 12 Tasrace and over-rerring the en- gear change in the heat of a man points, is seven ahead of gine with dire resuits. Graeme Lawrence, the 1970 champion who, or Saturday, managed to finish at Wigram, with a well-merited third, for the first time in the eight years he has contested the race. The three-year-old 2.4 litre Ferrari V6, with which Chris! Amon won the championship in 1969, is going just as well now, and Lawrence, who has ob- Viously learnt a great deal from his CanAm sports car racing foray in North America. is driving better than ever be. fore. Although the title looks beyond his grasp, he should improve his position with good minor places in the races ahead. UNLUCKY The Canadian John Cannon has scored four points from fifths at Levin and Pukekohe and was unlucky to be shunted out of the Trophy race when he was left with no option other than hit a barrier and severely damage his McLaren M10B Chey, when Don O'Sullivan (McLaren 1110B Repco) chopped across in front of him in the approach to the Loop. Cannon led McRae briefly in the first Wigram lap and seemed assured of third place, happy ending. until his race came to an un- Yesterday Cannon was trying to obtain replacement parts for • the car from other members of the Tasman "circus" with a view to starting at Invercargill If he makes it, he should add to his Tasman score, as also should American Mike Eyerly who has shown spasmodic flashes of real ability with thei TS& Surtees, which let him down in the Wigram warm-up lap when apparently something went awry in the rear suspension. So although McRae holds the championship lead now, the! picture could easily change at Invercargill. UNFORGIVING Teretonga Park is an IIn-: forgiving circuit, for if a driver! gets a wheel off the track he almost invariably strikes real trouble because of the soft,! sandy shoulders. McRae won there at 95.426 niles an hour last year, failing o beat the race record set by the late Piers Courage in 1969, but in the preliminary heat he equalled the 99.48 miles an nour record of the late Jochen Rindt, also set in 1969.