Top drivers likely to be faster at Wigram

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32819, 20 January 1972, Page 20

Top drivers likely to be faster at Wigram

(By

A. J. PETRE)

Christchurch’s annual short season of international motor-racing started last evening with a drivers’ reception organised by the Lady Wigram Trophy Race organisers, the Motor Racing -Club.

Most of those who will race on Saturday were there, but two of the top drivers in the main race were absent for good reason:

The leading Australian driver, F. Matich, has been In Sydney for the last few days supervising the manufacture of some special new suspension components for his Matich Repco A5O car, and the defending Tasman champion, G. Mcßae, was in Wellington, fitting a new engine to his Leda-Mcßae GMI. McRAE FAVOURED Mcßae’s new engine is a aormal precaution: the engine being removed from his :ar already has been used for two races, Pukekohe and Levin—about the average iistance between overhauls.

With the winner of the New Zealand Grand Prix, Australian driver F. Gardner, unable to start in the Wigram and Teretonga races because of the damage to his Lola T3OO suffered in a crash at Levin last week-end, Mcßae

is the favourite for Saturday. But Matich is likely to be one of his main challengers, and the Australian’s transTasman trip for new suspension parts could lead to his car being very much faster at Wigram than it was at Pukekohe and Levin. Matich, who retired at Pukekohe and came second at Levin last week-end, now has six points towards the Tasman championship, and will clearly be looking for a win at Wigram to put him up with—or eVen ahead of—the championship leader, M. Hailwood, of Great Britain. Hailwood (Surtees TSB) has 10

points, to the nine of Mcßae and Gardner. Two other Australians, K. Bartlett (McLaren Ml OB) and M. Stewart (Elfin Repco) have taken advantage of the two races already held to im- ■ prove their cars, and they are . also expected to be more i competitive at Wigram than , they have been in the series so far. Stewart has five points in the series. > Mcßae and Matich are ex- : pected to arrive in Christ- • church today. The main official function for the drivers : today will be.a Mayoral re- : ception in the morning, : although some will also attend the annual pre-race cocktail party held by the Jaguar Drivers’ Club this evening. For all the teams, however, today will be a busy day: making final adjustments, alterations and preparations to cars for the practice day tomorrow. TRACK CHANGED Mechanics may have a hectic time changing gear-ratios when practice starts, for this year the Wigram circuit has been altered by the deletion of the hairpin and the modification of the loop: two things which will make the track much faster, and may require different gear ratios to those used in previous years.

Wigram, the third race of the eight-race Tasman series, is always regarded as a vital one by the drivers. With two races’ experience behind them, many have come more to terms with their cars, and competition is often closer than in earlier events.

The race offers any driver near the top of the points table a chance to consolidate his lead, and perhaps leave room for a low placing in a later race without all chance of the title being lost. For those further down the ladder, it offers a chance to catch up early in the series, and-to be in a good position to overtake the leaders should they strike trouble in later events. GARDNER ABSENT This year, another factor is that with Gardner out of the contest for two races, others have a chance to build up a points lead on him before he returns to the fray for the ■ four Australian events. This is important, because the Australian’s chances of gaining points in the Australian races are very good, and he already shares second place in the standings with Mcßae. Both Mcßae and Matich I have won at Wigram before,!

but Mcßae has been fastest in practice at both Pukekohe and Levin, and his chances of being fastest at Wigram as well seem good. But with the way things are shaping, it seems that drivers such as Matich, Hailwood, Bartlett, Stewart, and the Englishman and United States Formula A champion, D. Hobbs (McLaren M 22) will not be tar behind. '