20-1-86 American Lady Wig By JOEN HAWKINS The American driver, Jeff MacPherson, clinched New Zealand international Formula Pacific series with two emphatic victories at the Wigram airfield circuit yesterday. After a comfortable win in the preliminary beat over his team-mate, Paul Radisich, it was the Rait Australian duo which once again dominated the Pailip Milis Luxury Cars Lady Wigram Trophy Race, with Mac- Pherson thirteen seconds ahead of Radisich's similar Ralt RT4 at the finish. It was a decimated field which faced the starter for the trophy race. An Australian, Bob Creasy, and the Canterbury man, John Crawiord, played no part in the meeting after engine failures during practice and on the warm-up lap the American, Steve Bren, an expected iront-runner, pulled off the track with a malfunctioning fuel pump. Ted Prappas, of the United States, who was expected to provide MacPherson with his biggest challenge, struck distributor probiems on the grid and barely sputtered away at the back of the field. Although Radisich was fast off the grid, MacPher- son gave him no chance, and quickly established a lead he was never to lose At the end of the first lap of the 30-lap race, biacPherson led from Radisich, who held an already comfortable second position ahead of the battling trio of Cary Bren, Ken Smith and Brett Riley. Smith seized his opportunity to pass Bren on the fifth lap. Always the master under braking for the hairpin, Smith slipped cleverly down the inside of the American to take third place. Riley tried an ambitious move on Bren at Polytechnic Corner on the same lap, but was forced to drop back. He eventually overtook Bren on lap nine, and driving well, demoted Smith to take third on lap ten, which was the final passing manoevre of the race. At about half distance, Radisich closed the gap to MacPherson, but the American was well in command and in spite of difficulty selecting third gear he eased away from Radisich again. On the fifteenth lap, Cary Bren retired from the race atter cupping marker tyre. He lett the field to run out the race well spaced out in the order MacPherson, Radisich, Riley, Smith and dominates ram Dave MacMillan, with Peter Haskett in his elderly Chevron a further lap down. • delighted MacPherson appologised to the crowd after the event for the "boring" race and said that apart from the gear selection problem everyining nad run to plan. What did it feel like to have his name added to the likes of Jim Clark and Jackie Stewart on the Lady Wigram Trophy? "Just great, but there is always another race next week. Try to make it to the Wellington street race, that should be a really great race," he said. A nine-car field came to the grid for the earlier 20lap preliminary event which produced a more absorbing race. Although MacPherson got away cleanly to head the field at the end of lap one, Prappas was well in touch followed by Steve Bren, Cary Bren, Riley and Radisich. Steve Bren was in for the first of a series of pit stops to try and cure a misfire on lap two and it was only on the sixteenth lap, when the battery was changed, that the car ran cieanly, although many laps down. Meanwhile, Radisich quickly moved past Smith and Riley while these two race took up the battle with Cary Bren in an interesting struggle for fourth place. As MacPherson settled in at the front, Prappas mounted an unsuccessful challenge from laps eight to thirteen thereafter looked to have settled for second position, will clear of Radisich. Having repulsed the Prappas challenge, Mac- Pherson held a steady but never comfortable lead over ais compatriot, walie most interest was in the battle for fourth position between Cary bren and the New Zealanders, Smith and Riley. Smith finaliy succeeded in passing Bren in a brave passing move at the hairpin, and Bren then came under renewed pressure from Riley, who locked up his brakes on more than one occasion at Polytechnic Corдег. MacPherson's victory was made certain on lap 18 when Prappas suffered the cruel misfortune of breaking a battery lead only two laps from home and coasting to a halt. This left Radisich 21 seconds behind MacPherson at the chequered flag with Smith leading a still-scrap ing Bren and Riley home in third place. Close begi The 15-race programme at Wigram yesterday started with the first heat of the Avon City Ford Moto craft Formula Ford championship, a race which produced an exciting slipstreaming battle between four top drivers. Craig Coleman (wanganui) driving a Van Dieman, won the race from the young Ashburton driver, Andy McFirea, in a Reynard. An Aucklander, Glenn Clark, also driving a Reynare, was third. In the second heat, it was MicEtrea who won from Coleman and Clark. The total Coolwool 2.5 GT series was run in two heats. Both were won by Geoff Burrows (Auckland), driving a mazda axi, from nis fellow Aucklanders, Kieran Wills, also driving a Mazda RX7, and Philip Henley, in a Nissan. Much attention was fo cussed on the Kelford Kams New Zealand Touring Car championship. An Aucklander, Graham Bowkett, drove his Sleepyhead Commodore to victory in the first neat ahead of the local star, Trevor Crow, in the Archibald's B.M.W. An Aucklander, David 08ton, finished a distant third in his Ford Sierra. Bowkett's win clinched the championship for him. in the second heat, however, Bowkett fought a race-long duel with Crowe after the early leader, Oxton, dropped off the pace. Ford contest ns meeting The lead swapped several times on each lap and Crowe just edged his front bumper across the line ahead of Bowkett and Oxton. The Mini 7 series event was won by Stephen Jones, of Christchurch, from Allan Milligan and Doug Drake, also from Christchurch. The O.S.C.A. Supercars series event was won by Avon Hyde (Christchurch) in a Commodore V8 from his arch-rival, John Osborne, (Christchurch) in a Mazda and Ian Munt (Christchurch) driving his Ford Capri. Results.von city forma cor heat one C. Coleman war ganui, Van Dieman) I; A. Metirea (Asaburton, neynard) 2, G. Clark (Auckland, Reynard) 3. (Heat two) McElrea 1; Coleman 2; Clark 3. Tootal Coolwool 2.5 GT Series (Heat one) G. Burrows (Auckland, Mazda) 1;_K. Wills (Auckland, Mazda) 2; P. Henley (Auckland, Nissan) 3. Lady Wigram preliminary J. McPherson (U.S.A. Rait RT4) I; P. Radisich (N.Z., Ralt RT4) 2; K. Smith (N.Z., Ralt RT4) 3. Kelford Kams N.Z. Touring Car championship (Heat one) G. Bowkett_ (Auckland, Commodore) 1; T. Crowe (Christchurch, B.M.W.) 2; D. Oxton (Auckland, Sierra) 3. (Heat two) Crowe 1; Bowkett 2; Oxton 3. Select Autos Mini 7 Series: S. Jones (Christchurch, Austin) 1; A. Milligan (Christchurch, Austin) 2, D. Drake (Christchurch, Austin) 3. O.S.C.A. Supercars: A. Hyde (Chris borne, Contristonerch, *Osborne Mazda) 2 L Munt (Christchurch, Capri) 3. AGC Ford Laser Sport Championship: D. Stater (Auckland) I; W. Hisiop (Palmerston Norto) 2; R. Heffernan (Auckland) 3. Ray Parke Autos Pre 65: G. Milligan (Christchurch, Falcon) 1; R McDonald (Ashburton, Anglia) 2, S. Donaldson (Christchurch, Cortina) 3. Quinn's Fashions Trophy: D Lester (Palmerston North, Rover) 1; McFarlane (Dunedin, Capri) 2; S. Inns (Christchurch), Valiant) 3. Lady Wigram Trophy Race (30 laps): J. MePherson (U.S.A, Ralt RT4) 1; P. Radisich (NZ., Ralt R14) 2 B. Riley (NZ, Ralt RT4) 3; K. Smith (N.Z., Ralt R14) %; D. MicMilan (NZ-, Ralt B19) 5; P. Haskett (Na, Chevron) 6. Radio Avon Flying Farewell: A. Hyde (Christchurch, Commodore) 1; J. Osborne (Christchurch, , Mazda) 2; I. Crowe (Christchurch, Toyota Starlet)