20-1-73 AVERAGE NEARLY 118 И.P.H. Pits moved The circuit has been slightiy changed since last year. The pits have been McRae fastest in qual ifying trials What was almost certainly the largest crowd to watch qualifying trials for the Lady Wigram Trophy race saw the i97l and 1972 Tasman champion. G. NicRae. finish the day with a lap of 117.969 miles an hour of the 2.13-mile aerodrome circuit vesterday afternoon. moved from the start-finish Straight to beyond the turn out of it. The tur is now much more acute. but the rate of development of the 5-litre : VS-engined cars is such that lap speeds have increased considerably. Last year. McRae was fasiest qualifier in 65.9sec. and in • the race he and Matich shared the fastest lap on a circult that had been made faster by the elimination of the hairpin bend at the end back straight, which the Tasman Formula cars reach speeds of 180 m.p.h. Ineir time was b6.6sec. which represented a speed of 115.35 m.p.h. ..Drivers will have an opportunity to improve upon their times in a final qualifying session early this morning. If it were not for that, MeRae would be assured of the pole position . in the rolling start for the 100-mile race today. The race will be the third round in the eight-race series. McRae did not achiere his figure of 65sec without cost. When the session had ended. it was found that something was amiss with the Bartz- Chevrolet engine in his 11c- Rae GMI. Water had found its way into places where it should not have been. and McRae immediately left the circuit to diagnose the trouble. Replacement engine Early last evening. seemed likely that he would fit a replacement engine. With only a brief qualifying period this morning, this means that he is unlikely to improve upon his time resterday, and, more important, get the car in the same state of tuning before the race as it mas yesterday. The race could be tride open. because in the 15 minlite final session, which Vic- Rae had to miss, a number of. arivers improred considerably upon their earlier times Burst sump The former Australian Gold Star champion, N1. Stewart (Lola 1330), burst the engine sump in the familiarisation runs yesterday morning, but had it repaired in time to finish the sessions second fastest, with a time of 65.5 sec. He appeared to be cap-. able of better things with a little more running on the circuit. The American driver, E Noyes, who has raced at Wigram twice before, posted his best time of 66.1sec in the first of the two sessions and apeared to be right on the limit in his mcRae Guil. He ¡allea to improve in the second timed sessions. Matich in 66.4spr K. Bartlett, another former: Australian Gold Star champion. and winner of the Aus-. tralian Repco Championship: senes last vear, recorded 66.2sec, and the present Austraiian Gold Star champion, / F. Matich (Repco iMatich A50) improred from 67.2sec, in the first timed run to 66.4 sec in the final one. He looked as though he had the capacity. to finish the day better than fifth fastest, but time was against him. The New Zealand Grand Prix winner, J. McCormack ‹Elfin Repco), finished the day with 66.6sec, and he was folloiwed by the soung Sydney driver, W. Brown (Lola T300), who subsequently made the same time. The English cousins, S. Thompson (Chevron B24) and A. Rollinson (McRae G.Vil). finished the day with 67sec and 67.4sec, respectivels. in workmanlike fashion. Equally steadr was the American. S. Posey (Surtees' Saloon-rar prents TSHIB). who improved from Lap records should also be 68sec in the first timed runs the order of the day in the to 67.6sec in the second and saloon-car events. which inso edged our the New Zea- clude rounds in the Bank of land champion, D. • Oston: New South Wales. Castrol (Begg FV5), who was unable GT and Ace-Osca series. to improve on his 68sec time The 1971-72 nations] in the first session. saloon car champion, P. There was no-one else, in Fahey (Ford Mustang) and what will probably be an 18- R. Coppins (Pontiac Firebird) i were the fastest qualifiers in the Bank of New South Wales series, with imin 22.3 i sec - an average fractionally better than 92 m.p.h. In the group 1 section of the Castrol GTX productioni Icar series, L. Leonard (Chrysder Charger, recorded Imin 26.3sec. to confortably head off the Australian saloon-car champion. A. Moffatt (Ford Falcon), whose best lap was in imin 27.4sec. Moffati. who was driving the car in which he won the! Australian Bathurst 500 pro-! duction-car race in 1971, tras obviousn impressed Leonard's effort. When he learnt that he was so much slower. he said: "You New Zealanders obviously have the fastest Chrysler Chargers in the world; I just could not go any faster." Although training : sessions MCRAE tor the two motor-ccie races. on the programme were not! car field, who approached the held yesterday. the Englishtimes of the front runners. bom American rider. R. Bui, as the main group fin- Grant (Suzuki, rode in a few ished the day in 3sec familiarisation laps and imbracket, it appears that the pressed with his riding style. nineteenth international Lady Wigram Trophy will be one of the most closely contested races run on the circuit. which • is by far the fastest in the Tasman Cup series. Australian Warn Brown in TRN passing the e trol lower in pInC todav for the l Wigram Proph ick ads LADY WIGRAM TROPHY RACE GUEST 20th JANUARY, 1973 -MOTOR RACING IS DANG BE CAREFUL MOUNT COOK AIRLINES EROUS - N° 113 -