LAP RECORD UNBROKEN

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30348, 25 January 1964, Page 8

LAP RECORD UNBROKEN

Final Motor Race Today (From Our Own Reporter) TN V IRC? AT? GIT .1, J an, 24. Drivers contesting the final international motor race of the New Zealand season at Teretonga Park, Invercargill, failed to better the lap record at the qualifying trials today. The record, set last year by the former world champion, Jack Brabham, in a 2.7 litre Brabham-Climax, stands at Imin 3.6 Sec for the 1.5mile lap. This afternoon the Te Puke internationally-rated driver, Denis Huhne, who has been entered by Brabham in a 2.5 litre Brabham-Climax, was fastest with Imin 6.3 sec. The Southland Sports Car Club, which has organised tomorrow’s meeting, had the circuit resealed late last year and drivers today found there was a lot of loose grit on it and it was very slippery. At the other international circuits this season, with the exception of Wigram, where the track was altered for this year’s race, drivers in the training sessions have inevitably improved on last year’s lap figures. But the general opinion of all who drove at Teretonga Park today was that Brabham’s figure would most likely stand for another year. However, it is possible that the race record set by New Zealand’s leading driver, Bruce McLaren, last year, will be improved upon. In 1963, McLaren, driving a 2.7 litre Cooper Climax, covered the 75 miles in 55min 43.1 sec.

Hulme appeared to be driving very much within himself as he consistently carved down his times. Second fastest was the American driver, Tim Mayer, who drove a light-weight Cooper Climax which has been entered by Bruce McLaren Motor Racing, Ltd. His time was Imin 7.ssec.

The wealthy Tasmanian grazier, John You! (2.5 litre Cooper Climax), was next with Imin Bsec, just heading off Mayer’s team leader, McLaren, who managed Imin B.2sec. Tomorrow’s fixture marks the final race in this country for the Tasman Cup series which consists of eight rounds, the final four of which will be run in Australia next month. Currently McLaren leads with 22 points from Hulme, who has 19.