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Scan of the clipping page, 16 February 1980
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feature · Colin Bryant

Part-time winner...

Profile of 57-year-old Ray Archibald, whose rare C-type Jaguar was a late entry that led all but two laps and won the historic race at the 1980 Wigram meeting. A part-time racer since 1946 who won six races from six starts at Ruapuna in 1974 in a Camaro, he had won NZ saloon honours in a 3.8 Jaguar and raced a Jaguar XK120 at Wigram in 1954. The C-type, brought to NZ by the late Peter Whitehead, had spent years in storage and a motor museum before Wigram, where he spun and nudged Brian Middlemass's Cooper Bristol.

Facts

  • Ray Archibald won the historic race at Wigram in January 1980 in a C-type Jaguar, leading all but two laps.
  • Archibald won six races out of six starts at Ruapuna in 1974 driving a Chevrolet Camaro.
  • The C-type Jaguar was brought to NZ by the late Peter Whitehead and later passed through several owners including Jack Tutton and Garth Forsythe; it had sat in storage and a motor museum before Wigram 1980.

Photos

  • Ray Archibald sets up his very rare C-type Jaguar for a corner.
  • Twenty-two years ago Ray Archibald was racing a 3.8 Jaguar saloon. This shot was taken at Wigram.
  • Ray Archibald blasts around Wigram in his Jaguar XK120 in the 1954 race.
  • Ray Archibald in winning form at Ruapuna in 1974, driving a Camaro.
Read the OCR text
PART-TIME WINNER... By COLIN BRYANT the Historic Race at Wigram recently. There A rare "C" type Jaguar lined up for Ray was no mention of it in the programme. The car was a late entry, 57-year-old Ray of racing our we used to smothered with leaves Archibald, who once again Wthi the younger holding was not drivers withi his winning good. Cradlee Ray At Ruapuna, Archi- them He did the same thing six bald heard the years ago. wnen ne won six younger drivers making races out of six starts in a derogatory remarks about great Chevrolet 4.e/22, 011 them all. vircuit. At Wigram, he led all but That was six years ago. for dead Iwo of the laps. RARE Ray Archibald is some- At Wigram this year, lie emerged in the comes to motor racing C"' lype Jaguar. It is the - every and stil may lie New Zealand, and there ire thou it to e one dormant for years, then will icklenly decide 10 a few left throughout and blast the only the world. The special rac- six pants off all comers. ing model was built in very all started back in limited numbers. 1946. when he thrasir a Citroen Light 15 The Jaguar was brought around steep bittelimbs. here by late Peler was inte when Jaguar he finished 120 racing, "aboul British racing 1953 model reached Ray Ar driver. The years! chibald via Jack Tulton, in the Wigram Garth Ray Archibald sets up his very rare "C" type Jaguar tor a corner. David Young and 'It was probably the sec- Forsythe. been ond or third race ever held the Archibald motor racing Here, " he recalls. stable UL the Later, he took part in the years. six hour race at Pukekohe 00 twice. the racing car has been restorea, but it has led a se CHAMPION dentary life in storage and a molor museum. ~ Then, in 1901 and 1902, he hal. New Zealand draint At Wigram, it blasted the cobwebs of time away. pi. driving a 3.8 Jaguar saloon. which he still owns says the somelime racing 12 years before the driver. But was getting irficent driver when the 00 the circuit brakes started to go. cene again That was when he spun. and nudged the Cooner anger talked me into il" Bristol of Brian Middlesmiles Ray Arelribald: We mass. hig Camaro, and It made a bit of a dent in he thought would be the bodywork: that's good idea for me to race it, have NCYCL had a I agreer. bad accident in racing," he 5-211 gave it a run, and says. lound • was doing a lap 10 not, part-time seconds faster than I conid molor racer Ray Archibald in ine Jaguar, HUl waiting least com- or 10 years before he gets centive. on to the track again. '"The 'sticky" rubber will be racing al Wigthe tyres made quile a dif- ram again next ference, In the carly days ABOVE: Twenty-two years ago Ray Archibald was racing a 3.8 Jaguar saloon. This shot was taken at Wigram. 2 Ray Archibald blasts around Wigram in his Jaguar XK 120 in the 1954 race. Ray Archibald in winning form at Ruapuna in 1974, driving a Camaro.

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