16-1-87 Australians ready for Wigram By Lindsay Kerr The 38th Lady Wigram motor racing meeting on Sunday will feature a two-race clash between six of Australia's sports sedan drivers and six leading New Zealand drivers, together with the final two races of the 1987 Mita Copiers international formula Pacific championships. White the winning of the Lady Wigram Trophy Race, the final . race ni the formula Pacific championship, appears to be drawing to a battle between four drivers, the outcome of the Handy Hire Exhaust Systems sports sedan challenge is more difficult to assess. The Australian cars come from a rule framework which is considerably more liberal than that of the Open Saloon Car Association cars which look likely to make up the New Zealand challenge. On the other band the New Zealand drivers have all had first-hand experience at racing on the Wigram circuit.: The Australian team is made up of Sydney drivers Laurie Attard (Capri V8 turbo), Bill Attard (Mazda R$7, Bob Tindal and Des wall in Torana Vas. Keith Carling from Dubbo and Greg Crick from Tasmania will be at the wheels of their Mazda RX7S. It is likely that the New Zealand team will be headed by Trevor Crowe (Toyota Starlet V8), Jobn Osborne (Mazda V8), Ian Munt (Capri V8) and John Fisher (Capri V8), Rob Kennard (Cortina V8) and Steve Vigurs (Commodore V8).. Tasmanian Crick, after watching four of the OSCA drivers in action against the North Island drivers at Manfeild, was suitably impressed. "It didn't show that the more conservative rule regulations meant much in those races," he said. "They were all in the top bunch against cars muci like ours. As for Trevor Crowe, he looks to be really on the pace, no matter who he comes up against. we will have to wait until Sunday to find out." The showdown for the Mita Copiers Grand Prix series will see the run to the final wire between expatriate New Zealander Mike Thackwell and 22year-old American Davy Jones. Thackwell has a slim 4-point advantage over his rival but Jones has won the last three races and must be favoured to bead off his more fancied opponent. New Zealanders Kenny Smith and Paul Radisich, while in no position to win the series, have both shown dramatic improvement in form at Manfeild and must have every opportunity of adding their names to the impressive list of drivers who have won the very prestigious Lady Wigram tropby. Other overseas drivers who will be at Wigram include Australians David Brabham and Bob Creasy along with Americans Calvin Fisch, Tony George and Dave Kudrave. The supporting races will be headed by the South Island Mini 7s, where series leader Steve Jones will be hoping for a return to the winner's platiorm after being tipped out of the placings at the last outing. The seesawing battle between Palmerston North drivers Shane Higgins and Richard Lester will continue in further races towards the Motorcraft Formula Ford championsnip, while in the Ford Laser 1X31 series Murray Starnes, also from Palmerston North, will be hoping to extend his lead over Brian Hartley. Christchurch driver Nevilie Agass (INitsubisni Cordia turbo) will nave his hands tut in trying to keep his advantage in the South Island Production Saloon championship with Dunedin driver Bill McFarlane and Central Otago's Frank Ryan in similar cars his major threat. Brotherly rivalry forgotten Bill (left) and Laurie Attard with Bill's hot Mazda RX7, one of the speedy lightweight sports sedans to line up against New Zealand's best in Sunday's test. Brotherly co-operation and consideration are not normally a part of the motor racing careers of Sydney's Bill and Laurie Attard. They are frequent rivals for line honours back home, and when they meet in the race situation, it is each man for himself. But that will change on the Wigram track on Sunday when the Attards line up as members of the Australian team in the sports sedan teams event. Bill, 29, will drive his Mazda RX7 13B, and Laurie his Capri V6 turbo, in a bid to give their country the edge over a New Zealand sixstrone test et ries serested series, sponsored by Handy Hire and Exhaust Systems, will be over two races. The one-off event is expected to be a feature of the weekends wi grant racing te tival. The Australian line-up. powerful one, headed by another driver from New South Wales, Bob Tindall (Torana V8), who won the NSW sports sedan series and the Abel Tasman" series last year, beating Laurie Altard into second place in the former. 3: 2 Others in the visiting team are Des Wall (Torana V8) and Keith Carling (Mazda RX7), both from NSW, and Tasmanian Greg Crick, in another Mazda RXT. Against them will be a New Zealand team selected after Saturday's timed practice. Drivers such as Trevor Crowe and Ian Munt are expected to line up in the event on Sunday. For the Australians, it is a first : 0 =5 visit to New Zealand tracks, but Laurie Attard sees no great prob lem posed by this unfamiliarity. "Itll be interesting and a challenge, but I don't see it working to our disadvantage," he said. We. have all raced on many tracks in Australia, some only on & lef occasions. This happens to many drivers, and if youre am good, learning the track showa be no obstacie." The drivers they are likely to lace are new to the Australians, with the notable exception of Christchurch's Crowe. "I have heard of him, though only a little," said Bill Attard, 'bat this will make the racing more absorbing, as will racing as a team rather than looking after yourself, as we usually do."