20-1-72 Austrahan racing driver Frank Matich (standing at left), with his international teani of mechanics checking over his Matich Repen 150 car in Christchurch loday. From left are American Bob Kube, New Zealander Scolty Me Naughton and Australian Don Engines. Mys tery split pin bl lamed for destruction of e ngine The leading Australian driver and top contender for the Lady Wigram Trophy race on Saturday, Frank Matich, and his pit crew of four assembled in Christchurch today still mystified by the wrecking of his car engine earlier on the New Zealand circuit. The engine of his Repco-but the changes will make it New Zealand last year, Matich Matich nearly|faster and add to the race's has raced successfuily in the chopped in two and the culprit appeal," he said. United States, winning a ma was found to be a split pin. So tar in the Tasman series, jor race at the Riverside cir- But there are no split pins; Natich has picked up a second ¡cuit in Los Angeles and comin the engine. in the Levin meeting, but wasling second to Englishman The only split pins in the forced out of the New Zealand David Hobbs at the Laguna car are two located in the Grand Prix at Pukekohe. circuit. gearbox, well away from the Since his appearances in Matich is also designing and engine. constructing his own cars and Matich's theory is that the is "selling cars to the United pin became lodged in the States as fast as we can build engine after a mechanic at a them. bench near the car had been He intends to race again in working with a pin which had the United States later this split and flicked the year. motor. Speaking on safety features However it got there, its on racing circuits, Matich said effect was disastrous. the day would come when all tracks would be surrounded by DESTROYED a l4ft wire mesh fence. He said racing clubs in Aus Matich said the engine was tralia were being asked to "just destroyed. The pin just spend thousands of doilars to chopped the motor in half bring tracks up to standard. "Somewhere. some how sometime it just found itself the engine." a rueful Matich said today. It was the second engine lost by Matich during the New! Zealand circuit. The first was lost through normal gasket: trouble which increased and blew • the engine." Matich arrived in Christchurch at lam today after a rush trip back to Australia after competing at the Levin meeting. He said the trip was a combination of business requirements. organising a few modifications to his car and completing some machinery work on a part for the Wigram race. LACKING? His car would be back to near peak condition for. Saturday's race, although he said it might he lacking in power for the fast Wigram circuit. He said he was looking forward to trying out the altered circuit. "It wasn't ton had before.