Emergency Led To Use Of Wigram Circuit

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28800, 22 January 1959, Page 16

Emergency Led To Use Of Wigram Circuit

Two Canterbury men have good reason to be proud to be associ. ated with the race on Saturday, for the tenth time —since it was largely due to their efforts that the Wigram circuit was obtained in the first place. Mr C. Mclver will again be in charge of the admission arrangements, while Mr P. M. Hoare is driving in the race again—with R. J. Roycroft, the only starter on Saturday who took part in the original race on February 28, 1949. The l first race of its kind to be held in the Dominion, the original race was to have been held on a road circuit at Waimairi, near Christchurch Airport. Permission had been obtained from the Transport Department and the Waimairi County Council to stage the race, but a fortnight before the day the Canterbury Car Club was told by the Police that an objection had been laid, and the race could not be held on the road circuit.

In desperation, Messrs Mclver and Hoare flew to Wellington. They went to the Commissioner of Police,' but could not see him

at short notice. Mr Mclver thought of an old friend, Sir Howard Kippenberger, who was at that time Dominion president of the RJS.A., and the desired interview with the Commissioner was soon obtained. Alternative Circuit The Commissioner was sympathetic, but the law was the law, and he could do nothing. Mr Hoare suggested an alternative circuit—Wigram aerodrome —and an interview was arranged with the Minister of,Defence (Mr F. Jones) and the Prime Minister (the late Mr P. Fraser). These gentlemen listened with interest to , the pleadings of Messrs Mclver and Hoare, and at the end of the meeting agreed to the use of Wigram. A shdrt night’s sleep, in lodgings arranged by the Commissioner of Police, apd the next morning the two men, mission accomplished successfully, returned to Christchurch—with about 11 days to prepare for the race on the new circuit. Hard work ensured the track was ready in time, and all the! arrangements > were made—and more than 20,000 people saw . the first, highly successful race at Wigram. The circuit has been used each year since, except for 1955, when it was being resealed.