Inside the camp of a champion racing At the Lady Wigram Trophy Race meeting last veek-end I recelved an in teresting insight into what it takes to win this prestigious event. I was a guest of the successiul. Dwayne Anderaon Racing Enterprises team. Swift DB4 car under the Panasonic banner for the Japanese driver, Hiro Mateushita In the 10-race Peter Jackson International Formula Paclfic serles. For this partleular team, the build-up began on Saturday morning at the rather unsociable hour of 6 a.m They woke to find the sky overcast, and the accomanying drizzle and biting old southerly wind had no abated when they arrived at the circult a little over ar hour and a half later. Alter unloading the sleek, state-of-the-art from he transporter the team en ineer, Murray McLaren. ar expatriate Kiwl now domielled In the United States, the mechanics Sandy" Steve Liddall and Steve ›anastrom, began the task of reparing their car for the wo qualifying sessions that vould determine the grid positions for the following lay's races Because of the unseason• able weather, the water and oll radiators were partl! aped over to quickly get the engine up. to running temperature. were checked Aked red correes correct gear ratlos sorted out, the quietly spoken driver prepared to venture out onto the circult that untll late the previous afternoon, he had never seen before. Matsushita, aged 27, was helped immensely in coming to grips with the fast, flat circuit by the New Zealand ace, Ken Smith. The Auckland veteran, with almost 30 years racing experience be. hind him, agreed to allow the Japanese novice 10 follow him around to learn the correct lines to take. After setting a faster time than Smith's ageing Ralt RT4, the Aucklander jokingly demanded that the Japanese fit a tow-rope to the two cars for the first of two officlally timed sessions. Later in the day, Matsushlta set the second-fastest time behind the race favour- Ite, Paul Radisich (New Zealand), also driving a swilt DB4, but before the session concluded water-pump seizure necessitated an engine change in the Panasonic car in time for Sunday race, keeping with the Wigram tradition, race day dawned fine and sunny and fter an overnight telephon all to the car's designer David Bruns, in the United States, it was decided to make some minor changes to the set-up of the Swift. 'he designer is frequently nformed of his car's per formances in this series. Matsushita Is in regular contact with his family Japan, reporting to them his, progress down under. team MOTOR SPORT George Tanner As a result of the change In wind direction, the gear ratios were altered yet again, and the usual pre-race checks were carried out with methodical precision under the watchful eye of the colourful and Jovlal team manager, Dwayne Anderson. As the cars lined up for the first heat, Anderson Instructed his driver on the race strategy and all went to plan until @ braking indiscretion brought the relatively Inexperienced Matsushita into the pits for repairs. The team manager gazed in horror as his driver limped into the pits, and after quickly observing that nothing could be done he sent him back out into the fray. A superb drive into second place did not prevent Matsushita from receiving a hall-hearted reprimand from his boss, but everyone in the ream appeared quietly confident for the race later in the afternoon. Quick repairs were made to the front sectlon of the car after the first-heat incldent. The main race turned out to be a dream come true for the Panasonic team with Matsushita, clearly the underdog, emerging triumphant after 30 gruelling laps. All the homework done by the team and the meticulous preparation over the two days paid handsome dividends in the end, and the team was Justly rewarded for its efforts. The win was particularly satisfying for a former local, Murray McLaren, who had returned to Christchurch determined to win this race. The taste for him of the victory champagne, sprayed about in the traditional manner, was indeed sweet. Everyone involved felt happy for the team manager, Anderson, and bearing in mind the bitterness that has plagued the series since the unfortunate : "Radisich incident" at Pukekohe, it was a welcome change to see smil- Ing faces up and down the pit lane. When the vletory celebratlons ended the team began the task of packing everything up, and as they did so, one could not help but gain the impression that they would relish the fact that in a few days time, they would begin the procedure all over again.