Today's lucky number First at Wigram Car No. 22, driven by Graham McRae, won today's Lady Wigram car race.-Story Page 11. won First at Wellington Horse No. 22, Simon de Montford, today's Wellington Cup paying 22 $180.10 for a win and $32.80 for a place. —Story Page 13. 22 22-9-72 Graham MeRde heading for his second successive win in the Lady Wigram Trophy this afternoon. IT'S ALL Drop NZ McRAE car ser les By LYN RILEY Drop the eight-race Tasman series world championship race a year in both New Zealand. and have one Australia and This is the way to make mutor-racing "happen" in this part of the world, according to the wealthy English backer of some of the world's top drivers, Mr Rob Walker. Mr Walker, whose famous racing team included such names as Stirling Moss, Jack Brabham. Graham Hill and do Siftert, echoes the sentiments of many when he says the Tasman series has lost a great deat of interest. He said at Wigram today: "People have already seen a good many of the drivers racing here un those thcy haven't scen. lo put crudely. probably worth secing anyway „tren't Where have all the big names gone! The grand prix stars who used to regard the Tasman scries as an enjoyable brcak between world championship events no longer have the time available and most of then wouldat be interested in racing Tasman cars in any casc. Mr Walker, a man with a lifetime of motor-racing exit would be quite feasible to have one world championship event on each side of the Tasman. All the resources now used ROB WALKER for eight races could go into two. They would have to run in late November or December, however, to ft inlo the world motor-racing calendar. The main problem as Mr Walker sees it would be lo make the cireuits safe enough, not for drivers but for spectators. Looking across the crowa from lhe pits at wigram, he said: "Crowd safety is bad. Think of 150 miles an hour and out of control. "A hundred yards of bare grasS is nothing. It has been said there's nothing between the cars and spectators but their grandstand tickets, and it's lrue. But Mr Walker, once a racing driver himself and stil part-owner of Mike Hailwood's Surtees formula one car, believes that from driver's point of view, Wigram is the pick of the Now • Zealind Tasman circuils. - AGAIN By PETER GREENSLADE Tasman championship history is repeating itself. Last year, Graham McRae dipped out in the New Zealand Grand Prix at Pukekohe and then went on to win the international races at Levin and Wigram. And that is exactly what he has done this year to now lead the Tasman championship series with 18 points to be two points ahead ot Englishman Mike Hailwood After being the fastest qualifier yesterday, McRae looked the best of good things for a Lady Wigram Trophy race win, but he could have been a loser because the engine he Used yesterday over-heated badly and when it was replaced this morning the new one was losing water. McRae reached the circuit barely half an hour before the trophy race field lined up for the rolling start. When the starter, Mr Walter Laing, dropped the flag, McRae planted his fool hard on the acceleralor pedal and hit the front when the race was only seconds old. He romped away to lap the entire field in his Leda GMI, with the exception of second-placed Mike Hailwood (Surtees TS&A), who was 55scc in arrears at the finish. McRae's race speed of 112.93 miles an hour made the race the fastest ever in New Zealand or Australia. McRae shared fastest lap of 115.135 mph with the Australian, Frank Matich (Malich A50).