51 E. A. Cameron on his Suzuki 250 during the motor-cycle race for machines up to 500cc at Wigram today CA SSI US HA By PETER GREENSLADE What could have been a record crowd saw Wellington's Graham McRae win the eighteenth International Lady Wigram Trophy race with apparent ease this afternoon. Averaging 112,93 miles alt! hour in his Ledo GMI McRae grabued the lead within seeonds of the start and, in an armchair drive, went on to lap llie entire field with the exceplion of the Englishman, Mike Hailwood, who finished second in a Surless TSBA, 55sec in arrears. Mclae worked overnight and N this morning on his car with N his team of mechanics and reached the circuit only 30min/ before the race was due to slart. That was unnerving enough; for those who were wailing for hirn but "Cassius," as he is known in the business, lurned| up, cool calm and collected and remained that way for the rest of the afternoon.: The next three finishers ran out 46 of the 47 laps of the 2.13 circuit. They were the Australian, Kevin Bartlelt (Mc- Laren MIQB), American Dvan Noyes (McLaren M18) and New Zealander David Oxton (Begg FM4), Frank Radisich, who comes from Henderson and has been contesting Tasman races for many years, finally had the satisfaction of notching up a Tasman point when he drove his McLaren M10B Into sixth place and be had completed 45 laps to just head off the Beigian driver. Teddy Pilette, who also drove a. MeLaren M10B. From the rolling start Englishman David Hobbs (Me- Laren M22) and Hallwood out- accelerated MeRae but by the time the 15 cars had swept round to the back straight Me- Rae had hit the front and by the end of the first lap he had 100 yards on Hobbs, who was followed by Hailwood, Bartlett and Malich (Malich A50), Next in line were Noyes and Oxlon and there was a gap back to the Australian Max Stewart, who had only got his Bilin Repco to the line at the last minute after an engine change. Stewart pilted after two laps and was never in contention again. Al the end of three laps Me. Rac had opened up a gap of 3.Zsec over Hobbs, Who had tailwood hammering at bim while Bartlett, Malich, Noyes and Oxion were next in une. Then there was a gap back to Pilette, who was running in close company with Gary After eight laps, McRae, who hitting 180mph on the main straight, was about 5 sec clear of Robbs, who was less than a second ahead of Hailwood, and Barliett was right with them in fact, in the next lap Bartlelt took Hailwood. But in the course of lap 10 he spun his McLaren in the oop and Matich collected him. Bartiett kept on going, dropping back to sixth spot, but Matich was in the pits when the hose of his Repco engine car crumbled and a front tyre punctured. Matich resumed well out of contention and made a valiant effort eventually putting in a HIS lap in 66.6sec--115-135 mphlo share fastest lap of the race with McRae. After 15 laps McRae had lapped Radisich who was running eighth. Matich, right out of the race for a major place, stopped for a complete tyre change, after 20 laps, when McRae was 22sec clear of Hobbs and Hailwood, who were wheel to wheel. Then there was a gap of 23.5 sec to Bartlett, who was going great guns, Noyes, Pilelte and Oxton. A couple of laps later Piletle's engine turned sour andhe started to drift back. Noyes, lying fifth, was lapped by McRae on his twenty-fifth tour. Flat tyre In the following round Hobbs's chances came to nothing when he pilled with a flat tyre and this let Bartlett into third place with Noyes next and then Oxton, who slipped by Pilette. Henceforth it was just a question of seeing how many cars MeRae could lap before the finish. He knocked them off with monotonous regularily and in the final stages might even have lapped Hailwood if he had been foolish enough to really extend himself. However, "Cassius" was driving to win and not with the idea of being a hero, and eased off in the last few laps to coast home a comfortable winner. In lap 41 Radisich, who had been trying hard, slipped by Pilette to earn his first Tas- Graham McRae... armchair ride. UNTROUBLED TO WIN By DAVID CLARKSON fourth in the second. Brilliant Aucklander, In the open event, Perry moved from an unimpressive Geoff Perry, rodo his start to lake the lead on the 500cc Daytona Suzuki third lap. to an untroubled win in Ginger Molloy had pushed the open motor-cycle his three-cylinder 500cc Kawasaki into the lead from the race at Wigram today. start for the second time to- His win stopped Christ-day. church's Dale Wylie from Keith Turner, who finished repeating his double win of a second in this year's 500cc year ago. world championships, was Wylie won the first event|chasing him as Perry powered today, but could only manage past. From then on nothing could catch the flying Aucklander. Dunedin's Jim Lantry (350cc Yamaha) moved past thirdplaced Wylie late in the race and left him to hold fourth on his 500cc Suzuki. Wylie won the earlier event when Molloy, leading by sec, had to pull out after a minor collision with Perry, who was a lap behind. Molloy injured his ankle and for the start of the second event was allowed a pusher. Trevor Discombe finished close behind Wylie and Lantry took third. Two motor-cyclists were injured during practice. Dennis Raymond crashed his 250cc Suzuki into a line of drums and •vas laken to hospital, where he was treated and discharged. Mike Sinclair cut his face in a separate incident and was taken to hospital with concussion. Fahey and PDL make clean sweep of Bank of NSW races By LYN RILEY Christchurch's PDL racing team made a cleour sweep of the prestige Bank of New South Wales saloon car championship races at Wigram today. Turning on the sort of per. The Maristshured wonsored formanes which has made hand Ford Mustang surged 1o the national saloon Champon. load of the grid nd lood the leam driver Pau Palry lef the result in no doubt as hepack as they burtled into the thundered bome lo a resound first bend. ins victory in both five lip Fabey steadily opened mit championship beats. Pahey was slightly tardsd Rip on Coppins in the sold coloured CAmaro and afler off the start line in the first four laps was a length of the Aucklander Rod heat, letting (pits' straight ahead. Coppins stay in front for ther in was tremendous molor carly laps. bul he soon asserted his authority. racing as these lwo, followed In the second heat Fahey's by the two other giants of the dominance was never in ques- saloon car scene, Demis Mar- Auckland (Camtion. wood, from arn), and Red Dawson, from Otahuhu in a similar car, battled it out for the lop plac- Ings. And this was the way tliey frished, except for the fourth runner Dawson. who pulled out on the last lap, appareally with transmission problems. AY man joint and that was really the finish of the trophy race action bar the cheering for Mckae. One noleworthy effort was that of the Rotorua racing driver, Baron Robertson, who drove 1.8-litre Brabham into ninth spot to head off some of the Formula 5000 cars. Lady Wigram tronny (47 labs) —di. MeRae (New Zealand), Leda IGM 1. 53min 1t.6sec (113maph), 1: M. Hailwood (Britain), Surtees T° 8 2: K. Burt• let Mustraliar McLaren M 1Q B Noyes (U.S.), Mclaren MI8 (46 lups), 4; D. Oxton (New Zealand). Begg FM4 (46 laps), 5; F. Radich (New Zeatand). Mclaren MIQB (45 laps). 6; Pillelte McLarett MIOB (45 laps), 7; (Belęluoy koberson _B. (New Zealand), Brabham FC (13 Inps) Cooper (Australia). Ella Repco (43 laps), 9; R Prancevic {New Zeuland), Mclaren MI0B (42 laps), 10. Tasman polnts-Mckie. 1X: Hailwood, 16; F. frardner (Bri- (ain) Lola T300, 9; Bartlett, 7; 1• Malich (Australia), Matiet A50, 6; M. Stewart (Australla). Eln Repco. 5; D. Hobbs (Britaln), McLaren M222, 4; Pillette, • Oxton and Noyes 3 each. Fastest Lap-McRae and F. Matich, G6.Gsec (115.135mph), Auckland Mini driver Barry Phillips caused a bit of a stir as he overconked it through Club Corner and . took an excursion on to the grass. Phillips was headed for a group of ollicials, but brought Mini screeching halt just in lime. One of the great duels of the ¡race was between the lwo Ford Escort ICs of Aucklanders Jim Richards and Don Halliday. These two were seldom more than a few feet apart and thrilled spectators as first Richards then Halliday moved ahead. Finally it was Halliday, his Escort's tail wagring as il entered the straight tor the last time who made it lo finish fourth, with Richards close behind. Some distance back sixth was Aucklander. Allan Boyle in the two litre Vauxhall Viva GT. Victory to Coppins By LYN RILEY After having to settle for second place in two earlier events, Aucklander Rod Coppins won the Winfield free formula saloon car race at Wigram today. But it was only a failing clutch in theFord Mustang of PDL team driver Paul Pahey that allowed Coppins to bring his Camaro through for the sweel taste of victory. Paley looked as :...h he would make it three in a row as he stormed off the grid lo lead the mixed field into the first corner. Although hard pres ! by the determined Coppins, Fahey held on to his lead until the sccond to last lap. Then, with Coppins breathjing down his neck as they swept through Club Curve, F'ahey's clutch trouble struck and he walched from die side- line as Coppins took the chequered flag. Pilty yards bchind was the olier Camaro driver from Auckland, Dennis Marwood, tafely in second spot. Some distance bark was Aucklander .Jitn Richards I Ford Escort TC), who finished a creditable third alter a tremondous hissle wilt Aucklander Doo Halliday in a similar car and Christehurch's Alex Dickie in the familiar C'orvette-powere Anglia. Winfeld Free Formulo Saloon Car Rice (six laps)-k Coppins (Auckland. Camaros. #nlin :3.5 4ec. 1: B Marwood (Auckland, amaro) 2: J. Richards (Auckland, lard liscort Auckland, Ford ord buco "10% Escort TC A. Dekle (Christchurch, Anglia (Curvette) 5