N.Z. GRAND PRIX

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28981, 24 August 1959, Page 12

N.Z. GRAND PRIX

Brabham And McLaren Entered

Jack Brabham and Bruce McLaren, drivers for the Cooper works motor racing team will compete in next year’s New Zealand Grand Prix at Ardmore, and it is probable that Graham Hill and Innes Ireland, of the Lotus team, will also compete. This was announced in Christchurch yesterday by the president of the Auckland International Grand Prix (Mr W. H. Knox).

Mr Knox has been attending the annual conference of the Association of New Zealand Car Clubs. "If Brabham wins the world championship this year, it will be the first time that a world champion has been seen in this country,” said Mr Knox. The confirmation of the two Cooper entries had been received by cable this week-end. Negotiations with Hill and Ireland depended only upon completing negotiations for starting money, said Mr Knox, for they had already indicated they were available. There was also a strong possibility that the Woolworth heir, Lance Reventlow, would bring a team of Scarab cars from the United States. An order for a pre-fabricated grandstand holding 15,000 persons had been placed in Wellington, said Mr Knox. This would be the biggest stand of its type ever ’ used for a single'day’s event in New Zealand. The number of programmes to be printed had been raised to 40,000.

Mr Knox confirmed that Mr J. A. Brewer, of Christchurch, had been appointed liaison officer for the engagement of overseas drivers for the South Island.