18-1-75 Living with uncertainties Whate as the man to "make it." of motor ver is in store for the New Zeala watch in the future — his wife racing nd racing driver, Jim Murdochi-picked Clare has every confidence that he will "He has the dedication to succeed in whatever he does," she said yesterday. Today Clare Murdoch will be in the pits at Wigram, timing the practice laps for the 1975 Lady Wigram Trophy race on Sunday. After his brilliant driving gained him second placing in the New Zealand Grand Prix at Pukekohe last Sunday, Jim Murdoch, who is 28 has moved into the motor racing spotiight. Wigram is predicted to be the crucial race of the Peter Stuyvesant series. Success will be important to Murdoch, who has been invited to race in the four Australian rounds of the series on! the strength of his display at Pukekohe. Probably no followers of the sport will be watching: Murdoch more keenly than woman, Ciare murdoch des- Everyone, says Mrs Murhis young wile. She will cribes herself as a confirmed doch, takes a personal interkeep the times as she country girl. Keri • Keri is est in the progress of the always does. Being in the her home town. She met Jim car, and the team that is pits keeps her mind off what Murdoch in Auckland three determined to make it a is happening os the back years ago when she was in winner. straight. her final year at Teachers' Mis Murdoch particularly "I couldn't bear to watch training college. values support from the stands, ," she admit- That year Murdoch friendship of George Begg, ted. runner-up to David Oxton in and his wife Freda, Formula have become adopted family Top mechanis series, driving a Titan For- to the Murdochs. mula Ford he brought back The uncertainty of the fut- As yet Clare Murdoch from Britain, where he had ure does not bother her. She shows no signs of feeling workea lor Lotus and MCLa- accepts that with motor racthe pressure hus- rens. , *you just band's new-found fame. A Although she says she son to season: 3o from world-class mechanic, does not know much about Jim Murdoch built his Begg i motor mechanics, Clare Mur- Undecided 018 with its designer, doch had bought herself a George Begg, of Southland. | car while she was at train-? As yet she does not know Knowing that her husband is ing college and always took Whether she will be able to familiar, to say the least, an interest in it She also accompany her husband • to with Australia. The last-minute car helps reassure Mrs Mur- the mechanics of the started following motor rac- invitation came when ing. doch. She followed Jim Mur-was expecting to return to An unaffected young doch's fortunes during the ber teaching job. 16 months he spent on his "I'd love to go, " she said, return trip to Britain, It was "but I'll "just have to wait then Murdoch met Georgeland see. Begg, an internationally-re Her husband's absorption spected car designer. theylin motor racing and tnings returned home to New Zea- mechanical does not bother build land together, and decided to her either. She knew, she a Formula Ford in said, what was in store Begg's home town of Drum- when she married. mond. "I wouldn't like to say ] was married to motor rac- Partnership ing, because that would ¡upset Jim," she said. "He is that has resulted in the new as dedicated So began the partnersnip dedicated to it, but he's just Begg U18, and possibly al to his marnew New (riage." Zealand motor At present the life of travracing star. elling round the circuits is Six months after doch's return home, he and Mur-fun, although it is, she said, always nice to get home. Ciare were married. She settled happily in Drummond, And she has no illusions taking a teaching job and about big money, There's enjoying a return to small- not much money to be made town country life. in motor racing, except for "Jim's a confirmed coun- big names. with a smile. try boy now too," she said coutant do it oz his own, les And What of racing over- The people of Drummond ¡seas? "We'd like to go, but it's up to George," she said. of motor racing cars in their apparently take the building "It's his car" stride. This is the eighteenth car George Begg has built, and "they are used to it noW." NUNA news & vierus... MRS MURDOCH