17-1-74 NEW ZEALAND'S GRAND PRIX WIGRAM Jan. 19th & 20th 20th INTERN S PEER STUYVESANT $100000 STRALASIAS RICHEST MOTOR RACING SERES Incorporating the Award of the ATIONAL LADY WIGRAM TROPHY J. McCormack John McCormack will he pruved his abilities by Iead Australia's challenge taking pole position in ine Adelaide round of the 1970 for the 1974 Stuyvesant Gold Star. series. Since then he has moved McCormack, aged 35. has on in the sport, but the come to New Zealand as best more he has made so Australia's new champion tar is the joint effort he racing driver, complete has with Garrie Cooper in with two cars: the MR5 building the Elfin-Repco and MR6 Elfin Repos. MR, which was construc- He won the five-race ted in 1971. Australian Gold Star Series The VR5 is now in its for the first time in No- third season. and is still vember, three points ahead winning races. However, of his licCormack feels that it nearest rival, Johnnie Walker. cannot go on for ever so he and Cooper have devel- The quiet modest McCor- oped the vet unraced MRG. mack IS Australia's most This car is unusuar in improved driver. In the that it has a Repco devel- 1973 series he won the uped Leyland VS engine, New Zealand Grand Prix the same engine that and also the final round at powers Levland's Austra- Close work in mid-field: Reg Cook (Lola 1330) holds a narrow lead over R. Booth (Begg FNI) and N. Doyle (Surtees) during Adelaide to put him second lan P76 saloon. the Levin race. to McRae the climbs, gymkhanas and championship. Virtually un- trials. known a few years ago, he He won the Australian has reached the top Stewart Formula 2 title in 1967 and through sheer determina- tion. M rie Cooper. shared it in 1968 with Gar- Alter that, for. Married with four child- Lanky Max Stewart is distinctive emerald-colour- mer champion Alec Mildren, McCormack comes never hard to spot among ed driving suits made by ren. then running Austra• from Burnie, Tasmania. It a group of racing drivers. the Australian Wool Bu- lia's biggest racing stable, was here that he caught He stands head and reau. invited him to 101n his the motor racing bug and houlders ove most of He comes to New Zea- team for 1969. bought motor-cycle as hem because of his tower- land as regular com- Stewart jumped the soon as he was old enough ing 6ft 4in and needs petitor, this time in a red chance to drive new to ride. In 1963 he bought fairly big cockpit in which and white Lola T330, run- 1600c.c. Formula 2 car, the Formula Junior racing to stretch out. ning a modified Chevrolet Mildren-Waggott and back car and drove it at minor one of the V8 engine. the team's number one meetings in Tasmania. better stewart nova drivers Speed has been a way of driver Kevin Bartlett. But it was 1969, when among the Australian con- life for Stewart for many Stewart won the Formula McCormack sold up and tingent. years, starting with motor- championship for the moved to Adelaide, that Stewart, Austraila'S 19/1 cycle racing, at which he third time and Bartlett marked the start of his champion racing driver, excelled. again claimed the Gold total dedication to the won the nickname of the Like so many other Aus- Star. sport. He bought an Elfin "jolly green giant" when tralians, he first raced an They ventured to New 600 and installed a 2.5-litre he raced for the first time early model Holden and Zealand for the 1970 series. Climax engine. It was not last year in the rich United also tried his hand at all Bartlett had mixed luck, but nearly as competitive as he States Formula 5000 forms of car club activities, Stewart scored some major had hoped, so he put in a championship. attired in including sprints. hill- places. 2.5-litre Repco-Brabham V8 engine. The Southland driver. Allan MeCully. now a member of the P.D.L. Racing Team. This gave him his first Of Christehurch. surprised many when he took his McLean FJ5 into second really competitive car and place at Levin.