Mc Rae neeas win to be in ru битии tor Tas man se ries By PETER GREENSLADE In the sometimes frothy but almost always hazardous world of professional motor racing, there is an old saying that goes something like this: "When the flag drops the bull stops." Such proved to be the case when starter Walter Laing sent the 18-car New Zealand Grand Prix field on its way af Wigram last Sunday afternoon. Even before qualifying trials began for the third round of the Peter Stuyvesant $100,000 international series had started, triple Tasman champion Graham McRae told anyone who was interested that he was prepared to start his McRae GM2 from the back of the grid for $1000 and accept a five-second handicap for yet another $1000. : No one took him up for, following a searing 121.714mph lap in the final minutes of the final qualifying session, he look up his rightful pole position on race day. As had been the case al Levin and Pukekohe, he finilsed the afternoon with a sick car and not a cent of the stake in his pocket. The race is history. Highly rated Englishman Peter Gethin took his Chevron B24 to the front and remained there with McRae snapping at his exliausts until he was slowed by a deflating tyre. MrRae took the lead in lap 15. Gethin stopped for a tyre replacement in lap 23 letting Jolun McCormack (Elfin MR5 Kepco) into second place. McRae retired with broken valve springs in his Chevrolet engine in lap 28 when McCormack automatically inherited the lead and proceeded to a much easier win than his 1973 G.P. effort at Pukekohe were he was harassed by Englishman Allan Rollinson. McCormack, a 35-year-old father of four children, has 26-1-74 the looks and style of a man more likely to be at home at the controls of a harvester than cramped in the cockpit of a racing car capable of speeds of more than 180 mph. FLUENT SPEAKER It is only when one draws him out that it is apparent that he Is not only a fluent speaker but also one well worth listening to. After his Wigram win, which placed him runner-up to Gethin in the series (Gethin has 16 points, McCormack 15) he pointed out that what is basically a stock engine is used in Tasman Formula racing and it must be treated rather more sympathetically than a pure racing engine. A driver who thinks that way and acts accordingly must have a right royal chance of pulling off this eight-race series. In any event, last year he emerged as Australia's champion racing driver and that must mean something. McRae is now going to have his work eut out to make it four in a row in this series. Last year he had his third successive Wigram win and went to the final New Zealand round at Teretonga Park, Invercargill with 21 points, 11 more than his nearest rival. The long and short of it is that Mcfae desperately needs a win at Teretonga Park tomorrow If he is to get into contention in this Stuyvesant series in the four Australian rounds. DRIVING TO BLAME A great deal was made of the excessive tyre wear at Wigram and it was this that undoubtedly put paid to Gethin's chances, as well as those of his Belglan teammate Teddy Pilette. Both were delayed by punclures and that they were able to climb back to finish second and third respectively says much for their expertise. But a good tallor cuts his suit according to the cloth and, as Frestone's racing man, New Zealander Bruce Harre, whose normal occupation is looking after the rubber on Grand Prix cars in the world series, said after the Wigram qualilying sessions: "The outcome ol this race wlll depend upon the way it is driven." There is no doubt that McCormack drove it the right way. The first Australian round will be at Oran Park, near Sydney, next Sunday and there two intangibles will come into the picture. It seems likely that McCormack will be running his new lightweight Elfin MR6, powered by the Repco-based Leyland, P76 V8 engine, while Frank Matich, a big name in motor racing in Australia, will debut his new lightweight Repco Matich A53. Matich has not raced in the New Zealand section and he could cause an upset or two on the Stuyvesant score- •board JOHN McCORMACK . a right royal chance of winning the eight-race series.