Wigram TrophyMotor racing at Wigram airfield · Christchurch · 1949–2000
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Chief scrutineer checking Brian Redman's 2-litre BMW engine.

Photos

  • The chief scrutineer, Mr B. O. Williams, checking the 2-litre B.M.W. engine of Brian Redman's car, which is the entry with the smallest capacity in the Lady Wigram Trophy race tomorrow.
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Rolling starts for all races

Rolling starts used for all races at the 1976 Lady Wigram meeting: fields do a lap of the 2.13-mile circuit before the pace car leaves them and the race begins. The pits were moved from the infield to outside the circuit near the end of the long back straight, and spectator entrances reduced to four.

Facts

  • The 1976 Lady Wigram meeting used rolling starts for all races, with pits moved to outside the circuit near the end of the back straight; spectator entrances cut to four by closing the main entrance to the air force base.
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The man at the top

Bruce Allison, 22-year-old Australian leader of the Stuyvesant series, aimed to reward his team, who made three engine changes in the last few days, with a win at Wigram. He was one point ahead of Smith, Stewart and Redman. He geared the car for 180 mph and sees Lawrence and Smith as main rivals.

Read the OCR text
17-9-76 The chief scrutineer, Mr B. O. Williams, checking the 2-litre B.M.W. engine of Brian Redman's car, which is the entry with the smallest capacity in the Lady Wigram Trophy race tomorrow. preced borand starts Rolling starts will be used for all races at the Lady Wigram Trophy motor racing meeting tomor..*. Spectators will be able to see the fields in each race do a complete lap of the 2.13mile circuit in their mobile start positions before the pace car leaves them along the front straight and the race begins. From the competitors' point of view, there should be less wear and team on cars. Punishing standing starts can cause mechanical failure, and stalling on the grid can result in "traffic jams" at the start. Another change for the 1976 airfield circuit meeting is the : removal of the pits from the infield to outside the circuit near the end of the long back straight. The number of spectator entrances has been reduced to • four with the elimination ef the main entrance to the air force base. THE MAN AT THE TOP Lawast Bruce Allison (above): current leader of the Peter Stuyvesant series, will he out to reward his maintentance team, who have made three engine changes on his car in the last few days, with a win in the Lady Wigram Trophy race tomorrow. Allison, a 22-year-old Australian, finished second at Pukekohe and third at Manfeild, placing him one point ahead of Ken Smith, Max Stewart and Brian Redman, all on nine points. Allison is confident he can win the Wigram race because he prefers the faster circuits. "I feel my car can bandle the track better than the others and l'll be out to prove it, " he said. "I won't be puliing any heroics but I'm not going to hang round the middle of the field like at Manfield, where I was happs to finish. The 1975 Australian Driver of the Year, Allison began racing when he was 17 and is competing in this, his first series in New Zealand, to gain experience racing against top international drivers. His car has been geared for 180 miles an hour — the speed he expects to reach down Wigram's back straight. Allison sees previous Lady- Wigram winner Graeme Lawrence and Auckland's Ken Smith as his main rivals.

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