Racing Cars To Miss Practice

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30951, 6 January 1966, Page 10

Racing Cars To Miss Practice

(N.Z. Press Association > AUCKLAND. Many cars appear certain to miss the first session of official practice at the Pukekohe circuit today for the New Zealand international grand prix meeting on Saturday.

Of the 140 cars entered about 40 had not arrived when the gates of the Auckland City Council heavy vehicle testing station closed at 4 p.m. yesterday to mark the end of official scrutineering. And about 50 of the 98 checked did not comply in some respect.

Until they are cleared the cars cannot take part in practice.

The chief scrutineer for the Grand Prix Organisation, Mr E. Anderson, said last night: “Certainly many of them won't get in a morning practice." This would leave cars with only a relatively short practice period in the afternoon in which to set up the lap times on which grid position for the races are based.

Likely to be affected are some of the top contenders

'as not one of the overseas [cars entered for the grand [prix or other races has yet ; passed scrutineering.

The 2.5-litre Lotus of the [ world champion driver, Jim [Clark, made no appearance [at scrutineering. Two B.R.M. [ team cars, to be driven by (Graham Hill and Jackie Stewart, arrived on a truck at the testing station early in the afternoon. But they had not been reglistered or issued with warI rants of fitness—pre-requis-|ites under New Zealand i motor racing regulations | The B.R.M. 's were taken | away again, still on the truck I and unchecked.

The Australian driver. Frank Gardner, turned up but the 2.5 litre Brabham he will drive was still in the hold of the liner Ellinis, which did not berth until mid-afternoon. Gardner departed to try to speed up customs clearance and other formalities.

In the same position was the David McKay Scuderia Veloce team. McKay, his driver, Spencer Martin, and

their cars—a 2.5 litre Brabham and a Ferrari 250LM sports car—arrived in the Ellinis also.

J The cars were not unloaded [until after 4 p.m. and McKay said the team might have an all-night session fitting a new engine—due by air—to the Brabham for practice today.

Also unscrutineered are the 1.5 litre Lotus and 4.7 litre Ford Mustang of the Geoghegan brothers, of Australia. Their cars are at a Pukekohe garage. Although every detail appeared to be in order the Geoghegans arrived at the testing station without the cars to explain that they had been unable to obtain trailers for them.

A former top New Zealand driver, Sid Jensen, was still at the Palmerston North airport yesterday afternoon waiting for Brabham gearbox parts from Australia. He was unsure of his chances of getting to the meeting for what he had planned as a comeback to major racing. Although some New Zealand

single-seater drivers missed attending scrutineering. the top contender, Jim Palmer, of Hamilton, had his 2.5 litre Lotus passed early in the day.