Motor Racing B. McLaren Wins Aust. Grand Prix

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29983, 19 November 1962, Page 13

Motor Racing B. McLaren Wins Aust. Grand Prix

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

PERTH. November 18. The New Zealander, Bruce McLaren, drove a fart, thrilling race to win the Australian International Grand Prix at Caversham, Western Australia, this afternoon.

Displaying the smooth driving technique that has brought him world fame over the last few years, McLaren led from the start and broke the official lap record of Imin 21sec, with a time of Imin 20.1 sec and an average speed of 92.5 miles an hour. The Australian champion. Jack Brabham, crashed on his 49th lap. He was rounding the corner into the Caversham straight when he was cut off by another Australian. Arnold Glass, driving a 8.R.M.-Scarab. Brabham was unhurt, but his car, the Repco Brabham, vas badly damaged. The fibreglass nose of the car was ripped off as Brabham hit a tyre marking the edge of the circuit.

A piece of wood punctured the radiator, spelling the end of Brabham’s drive. He was only a second behind McLaren's time. Provided A Motor

Brabham's Repot 17 litre motor blew up in prac-

tice yesterday, end the cn. gine Brabham used in the Grand Prix was provided by McLaren. Though it was only a 2.5 litre unit, Brabham was able to make up ground on McLaren right up until his crash.

McLaren's time tor the 123. mile event was Ihr 21 min 58.4 sec—an average speed of about 90.5 miles an hour. J. Youl (Tasmania), driving a 2.5 litre Cooper, waa second. 41.6 sec behind Me. Laren.

B. Stillwell (Victoria) came home third in a 2.5 litre Cooper Inter-continental. Preparations

McLaren and his pit crew worked until after midnight on Saturday to fix an erratic fuel pump. Brabham and his crew worked through the night at a local garage to replace his 2.7 litre motor, which slipped a gudgeon pin circlip in practice yesterday. McLaren took the lead from the start, and it was apparent that despite the slippery conditions of the track, he was out to win. The tail wag which had worried him yesterday in a Grand Prix heat had been mastered, and the Cooper performed faultlessly until after Brabham had been forced out, when it started to misfire.

On the 59th lap, McLaren spun out on Caversham’s notorious Bugatti corner, which bends three times Into a vicious apex. No damage was done, and McLaren sped on to receive the chequered flag well ahead of YouL