They're off... the 20 starters in the first Lady Wigram race. PETER STUYVESANT R serles FIFTH ROUND AND LADY WIGRAM TROPHY RACE MEETING 301h JANUARY, 1977 MEMBER Motor Racing is Dangerous - Persons attending the Meeting do so entirely at their own risk. FAILURE TO WEAR THIS PASS WILL RESULT IN YOU NOT BEING ADMITTED TO THE CIRCUIT OR BEING REMOVED FROM THE INFIELD. Nº 0094 - 77 29- The tirst a dri Lad ver agram recalls With a thunder a solitary Invicta shot And almost 30 c the driver of that classic victa can still recall the t of that tirst Wigram race For Frank Bennett, no nancial editor of the ('h c'hurch "Slal," Cane ond won about. S To prepare for the 20-car ice, Mr Bennett "tunerl-up le carourettor and bought me new tyres," And after two laps. he did "ground loop" at the en the straight. dle smules at tic aKOry* "My brakes had failed. as hadn't bothered lo re-líne of exhausts, the huge Bentleys, Lagondas, Coopers, MGs, Rileys, and • off from the packed Wigram grid. There were straw bales to cater for the drivers who made excursions off • the lack, and the cireuit was kenerally safe, he said ""There was no sponsorship in those days, of course, and oily i smal entrance fee, recalls Mr Bennett 'The racing fuei wAs a special mixture: "made up of all sorts of goo." But there was nothing very special about the tyres: most drivers did not change tyres for the gruelling races of aboul 50 laps. Subsequently, spectators Lady S Wigram pecial could often see the rubber coming off in strips from the ortured tyres. And Mr Bennett's Inviela? I was smashed by the new owner. But rumour has it that the open-wheeled old beatly has been restored to i's prit one former. Wigram racer, that is nostalgia indeed: And this was typical of the cra when drivers raced for the fun of it, without expensive preparation, or big prize money. "Helmets were made of cardboard, and there were no seat bells." says the former car racer. FASTEST ven so. his fastest lay time stood for many years. Aceording to Mr Bennett, his 4.5 litre Invicta could do 200kph down the back He maintains that car racing in those days was not really dangerous. "Bul some of the drivers were not very skilful, so if someone charged at you, caps oay." of like other Braking was another matter: the drivers mostly put their cars into a slide lo scrub off speed. Mr Bennett remembers Wigram as "a hell of a good circuit" Frank Bennett, second in le big race, crosses the finishing lir Frank Bennett at the wheel of his long, low Invicta.