Lawrence wants change of luck The fastest qualifier for t racing series at Pukekohe and about attempting lo take pole race on Sunday. By PETER GREENSLADE he opening rounds of the Peter Stuyvesant international motor Manfiekl, Hamilton's Graeme Lawrence, has some reservations position man in the rolling start for the Lady Wigram Trophy Shell 16-1-76 Gicoff Basher, manager of the Owen racing leam, replaces the fibreglass hell of their Pormula Ford racer afler serulineering loday. Tasman champion in 1970 Currently leading the series, opinion of his opposition is that' and runner-up in the 1975 although he has yet to win a he should make the third or series, Lawrence has been race. the 1975 Australian fourth row of the grid for the dogged by minor mechanical Driver of the Year, Bruce rolling start, and, given some troubles in his Lola 1332 this Allison, is another who should luck in the running, should add time and has yet to score a be among those in the first to the nine points he has alpoint. two or three rows of the start- scored in this series ready Also, Wigram coull hardly ing grid after times are posted which, at the moment, has him be described as kind to baw- following the final session at on level pegging with Smith rence. In seven , trophy race Wigram tomorrow afternoon. and Stewart. starts he has finished only Another Australian who saloon car' mce. That was in fifth place Ishould also be in contention is A shorl, sharp Sydney's Kevin Bartlett, match race featuring Canad-' last year. ian-born Allan Moflatt, of Melwhose Lola T400 has been "Of course, I'd like to fin- fitted with a specially built bourne and Auckland's Red ish up fastest qualifier to- Dawson, in new Chevrolet norrow," he said. "But un- Chevrolet engine which features a flat plane crankshall. Monzas, and leading New Zealess 1 can do it fairly easily landers Jim Richards and Leo I'll be content with a lesser SPARKLING Leonard, in Ford Mustangs.| place on the grid for the roll- has been added to Sunday's ing start." Although he is not as confi- race programme, Mollati, Lawrence intends to play dent as Stewart, Bartlett reck- after putting in some very this one cool, but it's a safe ons that he will be among the quick laps at Ruapuna Park bet that given lair weather top qualifiers tomorrow and a yesterday, is confident that he tomorrow he and a number front runner on Sunday. can head off Leonard in the of other drivers will better Already labelled the i giant- Christchurch-based PDL the 1min 7.65sec (117.073mph) killer because of his sparkling team's car and Richards, who lap record set last year by performances in his 2-litre has been cleaning up in Aus- Graham McRae in his MeRae Englishman tralia over the last five months GM2. Chevron BMW. has not Brian Redman yet in the Sidchrome sponsored Lawrence's main opposition seen the 2.2-mile flat-out Wig-car. in tomorrow's qualilying runs ram circuit, but he knows The Wigram saloon car is likely to come from Auck- enough about it lo be well record, held by Australian lander Ken Smith, who was aware that his under-powered John McCormick, stands at second fastest qualifier in the car will be at a severe disad-umin 199sec (99.124mph) and opening rounds and drove his vantage. it is certain to take a beating; Lola T332 to a win in the New Redinan is looking forward in tomorrow's trials and again Zealand Grand Prix, Australian Max Stevard whale the race and the cornamen rare das. won at Manlield last Sunday. CONFIDENT Stewart is oozing confidence and he said that he intends to win on Sunday and is hopeful that his young team-mate, Paul Bernasconi, who has not exactly shone in his races to date, will figure more prominently at wigram. Both are driving Lola T400s and Stewart's car is now handling far better than it did last season. Bernasconi, the 1975 Formula Ford champion, is having, his first season in a Tasman Formula 5-litre V8 car and has yet to come to terms with the 500 or so brake horsepower it produces. Wigram lap re cord will go-Leonara HMAKU-A lap time of about Imin irsec-usee under the lap record-will be needed t win the international saloon car race at Wigram on Sunday, according to leo Leonard, the Pou Mustang driver who had three wins in the first round at Bay Park, Mt Maunganui. Whether the 35-year-old hours and Leonard said thelof Paul Fahey, Inow retired),! Timaru driver can win on the top five cars would be no with Moffatt third. sweeping Wigram circuit is more than 0.5sec apart. Since then, fuel injection has debatable. boosted the power output of DETERMINED the 351 cubic inch Ford Cleve- On the tight Bay Park track he bad the advantage of quick- Australian Allan Molfatt land engine in the Mustang. er acceleration out of the cor- cor- (Chev Monza) will be deter- In a sport where cars bebers. Al wigram, this will be mined to reverse the positions come uncompetitive after a nullified by the long straights with Leonard. year of hard racing, the Musand slip-streaming by his chief The Monza is the fastest car lung is a tribute to the PDL rivals. of its type racing in America mechanies who have kept it in The meeting promises to and has been timed at 204mph the front line. provide spectacular racing. at Daytona. Jim Richards (Sydehrome To break the lap record of Leonard has beaten Molfatt Mustang) has changed Imin 19.9scc, set. last year by on the six occasions they have narrow wheels he used at Bay Australian John McCormick, clashed. Park and with more rubber on by 3sec, the cars will have to At Wigram last year, Leon the track he will be making a average about 100 miles anard finisbed behind the Caprilstrong challenge. With its polent McLaren motor, the Vauxhall Victor of Jack Nazer could be the car to! watch at Wigram, according to Leonard. Nazer is leading the New Zealand championship series by a point from Leonard. Aucklander Red Dawson makes up the live expected 1o be vying fot the major plac-