29-2-72 8-3-72 10-3-72 'Mike the battles Bike for the lead Mike ("The Bike") Hailwood is the in the Tasman Cup series with a ghost to Australia for the final four rounds of with more points than last year's c MieRae. - only racing driver of a show of going this season's series champion, Graham If Hailwood, who now has 16 points from two seconds and a third, can get his twitchy Surtees TSSA across the line first at Teretonga Park, Invercargill, tomorrow afternoon, he will round off the four-race New Zealand section with 25 points. As Tasman race points ar 9, 6, 4, 3, 2 and 1 for first to sixt table shows the strong position : re awarded on the basis of th places, the accompanying McRae already holds. Pukekohe Levin Wigram Points G. McRae (NZ, Leda G3I1) .. M. Hailwood (CK, Surtees TSSA) E. Gardner (UK, Lola T300) K. Bartlett (Aust, McLaren MIOB) . F. Matich (Aust, Matich A50) M. Stewart (Aust, Elfia) .. D. Hobbs (UK, McLaren M22) T. Pilette (Belgium, McLaren MIOB) D. Oston (NZ, Begg F314) ... E. Noyes (US, MeLaren M18) F. Radisich (NZ, McLaren M10B) • 18 } Wigram and Teretonga 'hair-raising' LONDON, Tues.—Former world champion racing driver Jack Brabham, consultant to a group which will inspect circuits in New Zealand and Australia has written that Wigram and T'eretonga were "hair-raising." The delegation, from the Controle Sporting Internationale - the body which controis motor racing throughout the world - will inspect circuits on which the Tasman championship races are held. Brabham could not be contacted for comment on the visit today, but in the March issue of "Open Road," official journal of the New South Wales National Roads and Motorists' Association, he said the visit was an indication that the Tasman championship had • become such an important title in the world racing year that the tracks were getting attention from the top. Brabham said he could noti prejudge prejudice thei findings of the delegation and it had been some years since he had raced in New Zealand. but he had to stay that somel tracks in both countries were years behind the times safety. "When they laid the surface on the Teretonga track they usea local river stone, most of which was round and smooth, but some was square and broken. "Between the odd race meeting they grazed sheep on the place and the combination of sheep droppings and shiny stones was incredible, particularly when it rained," Brabham wrote. He said he could not rememiber a more slippery surface and to top it off, the squareedged stones tore great chunks out of the tyres so that after 15 laps there was nothing left. Wigram was equally hairraising. "This track is on an airfield) and 44 gallon drums half-full of water were used to mark the edges. hit one of those and there would be nothing left of the car." Braoham said that when he complained officials had looked puzzled and said: "Well, the tea is not to he tem, isn't it?" Brabham 'out of date Racing driver Jack Brabham's comments about the Wigram circuit being "hair-i raising" were said by a race official yesterday to be several years out of date. "Jack's comments were fair enough when he last drove here, but a lot of things have changed since then," said Mri Jack Brewer, president of the Motor Racing Club, which promotes the annual Wigram ITophy race. Mr Brewer confirmed that! the former world champion! racing driver had complained to officials about marker drums used on the Wigram circuit during a practice session some years ago. Brabham wrote of the drums: "Hit one of those, and there would be nothing lent or the car." Mr Brewer said the drums Brabham referred to were 12-; gallon grease cartridges once: used to form a demarcatioa! between the circuit and a drain. Plastic "witches hat" markers as used for road works had now been used for this purpose for some years, and a car hitting these would not be damaged. Brabham is a member of a delegation from • the Controle Sporting Internationale, which will inspect New Zealand Tasman series circuits next month.