97-9-94 .. INTEI SUBINE PHOTO: DEAN KOZANIC Racing cars promote what may be last meeting at air base Roy Beecroft, right, the chairman of the Motor Racing Club, wheels in a Ralt formula Brabham/Atlantic for display at Linwood Mall after removing its nose-cone and fitting narrow tyres to squeeze it through the door. The car is the first of its type seen in New Zealand. Five racing cars and a Britten motorcycle are on display until today to promote next weekend's Lady Wigram Trophy meeting, which could he the last heid on the Wigram air base track. Economics threaten future Wigram races Speculation is rife again this year that this Sunday's 45th annual Lady • Wigram Trophy Race will be the last. Considerations about the future of the base aside, the costs of running the event rise annually and it is becoming more difficult for the Motor Racing Club to keep the event economically viable. This year the Wigram meeting will open the P'eter Jackson International single seater series, reduced this season to three rounds. There has been a format change for the main competitors, with the Austraiian Formula Brabham cars joining the Formula Atlantics which have provided New Zealand's premier motor racing class since the late 1970s. The Formula Brabhams are driven by five Australian-based drivers. The fastest is likely to be Paul Stockell, a highly rated 24-year-old from South Australia. Greg Murphy from Hastings had leased one of the Australian cars for the series and the 21-year-old is expected to compete well Lady Wigram race • From Page 6 money at this year'sevent Other Australians in the field include Steve Cramp, Graham Watson, Kevin Weeks and Chris Hocking. American driver Buzz Calkin, German Michael Graff and Englishman James Taylor are also in the line-up. Club president Don Craighead says a big effort has been put into ensuring more value for There is a good variety of races from Trans Am, Formula Ford, Touring Cars, Nissan Sentras, Mini 7s, Holden HQs, Pre-65s and Classic cars, as well as motorcycles. Twenty-two races are scheduled for Sunday's meet and three during Saturday's practice. Racing starts at 9.15am on Sunday.