26-1-94 26-9-94 Washout at Wigram By Lindsay Kerr The running of the 1994 Lady Wigram trophy race last Sunday will be remembered as one of the more bizzare in the race's long and proud history. It should leave a memory of an historic occasion, after a new class of racing was merged with the established formula of 18 years, but the rain arrived shortly before the 25-lap race and disappeared not long after it had finished. Many of the Australian drivers had never driven their Formula Brabhams in the rain. One-time leader, German driver Michael Graf, tried to get the race stopped by waving his arms at officials on more than three occasions and the acknowledged master of single seater racing in New Zealand, Ken Smith, found himself lapped by one of his pupils after he elected for a wrong car set-up. History will however show that Paul Stokell became the first Australian since 1978 to win the Lady Wigram Trophy. He seized the lead from Graf in a display that defied his previous limited experience in driving in such wet conditions. The programme was also about the support races, most of which counted towards national championships. Christchurch drivers were to feature prominently. Andrew Neale and Shane Drake mixed with the leaders in the Motorcraft Formula Ford championship, with Neale recording a secona and Drake fifth and Shell Michael Graf gets crossed up in the preliminary race at Wigram. Photo: Ross Kiddie. fourth. Neale is now in third place in the championship. Don Grindley was the leading South Island driver in the Tranzam class. Driving his Oldsmobile Cutlass, he came home with two thire and -proned lacichi New Zealand touring car championship was dominated by out of towners in BMWs and Holden Commodores but the performance of Christchurch teenager Michelle Kogers dnving a Ford Laser 1X3 was noteworthy. In race one she finished 10th in the 22-strong field and was third in her class. Next time out, she didn't let the wet conditions affect her determination to succeed and in a reverse grid affair cam home 13th and fourth in the class. The national Mini / championship races provided some of the weekend highlights and as the field moves to Auckland in two weeks for the decising races, South Island champion Jeff Brook leads Wayne limms by eight points. Defending champion Robin Wilkinson was supposed to have retired at the end of last season but could not resist the temptation to try to defend his title. He duly ended the weekend with 59 oints, 14 behind Brook and in ourth piace. While the racing producing mind to seres on the track, drivers were preparing for a scrap of another kind. Unhappy with much of the treatment dealt to competitors following a $262,000 loss from last year's international series, a lobby has deciared its intention to eform the New Lealand Racing rivers Club tor the purpose ot giving the drivers a united voice. Baird chases four GP wins by John Hawkins Competition in the Peter Jackson International motor racing series will step up a gear at Manfeild this weekend when last year's champion, Craig Baird, joins the fray for the New Zealand Grand Prix. Baird decided not to contest the series this season, after gaining the past three Peter Jackson titles. Instead, he is racing a BMW in the Hitachi Touring Car Series, which he now leads. The incentive to gain four New Zealand Grand Prix titles has spurred Baird to race at Manfeild, where the Grand Prix will be raced on a newly extended circuit. Baird, aged 23, will drive a 1989 Swift DB4 Toyota Formula Atlantic car owned by Graeme Lawrence, whose team is another not contesting this year's international series. The car was raced in last year's series by Dutehman, Jos Verstappen. "We tested the car for two days last week and arrived at reasonably good set-up. I think 1 have as good a chance as anyone, but the Formula Brabhams are a little bit of an unknown" said Baird. The seriousness of Baird's attack can be judged by his move to bring the race engineer, Stefan Dwornik, who assisted him during his previous Formula Atlantic campaigns, out from the United States for the meeting. Baird tested the car on the old circuit and has yet to try the new track. He will therefore start the meeting on a level footing with his rivals including Michael Graf, who will be at the wheel of the Reynard Baird used to win his most recent two titles. While at Wigram contesting the touring car series, Baird watched this season's field, which inciudes six of the new Formula Brabhans, with interest. "If anything it left me more confused. You never know until the race, but they were one-and-ahalf seconds off my last years times at Wigramn," said the Hamilton-based internationa driver.