N.Z. GRAND PRIX Pukekohe lap record goes in practice

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33739, 11 January 1975, Page 3

N.Z. GRAND PRIX Pukekohe lap record goes in practice

(New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND. Chris Amon, of New Zealand, and Warwick Brown, of Australia, broke the lap record yesterday in the first two official practice sessions for the New Zealand Grand Prix at Pukekohe tomorrow. Brown expects that practice today should see a big tussle for pole position between Amon, fellow-New Zealander Graham Mcßae, and himself.

The grand prix is the second race in the Peter Stuyvesant Tasman series. The Lady Wigram Trophy race in Christchurch is tomorrow week.

Mcßae holds the Pukekohe lap record for Formula 5000 single-seaters at 61.6 sec. Brown wasted no time in getting his Lola T 332 down to 61.5 sec early in the second session yesterday, before pulling in to watch how his rivals fared. He said he could get down to 60.8 sec today—all going well. Amon, shortly after Brown’s quick lap, scorched around the circuit in his Talon MRI in 61.3 sec. If the track is good today he thinks he can get down near 60sec.

Mcßae was unable to do a really quick lap in his CBA Mcßae GM2 because he had the wrong gear ratios, which he said he would have to change. He said his engine needed more tuning because he had put in a new camshaft. The Gold Star champion, Graeme Lawrence, was still having troubles with the cylinder heads on the engine of his Lola T 332, and they were to be removed later to see if cracks in them could be made to seal. His new ones have not arrived from the United States. Jim Murdoch’s Begg 018 developed a front suspension problem which had not been traced at the end of practice. Murdoch recorded a best lap of 63.35ec. Clutch trouble Kevin Bartlett (Australia), badly injured in practice at Pukekohe last year, was far from happy. The clutch in his new Lola T4OO refused to operate properly and will have to be changed, and the engine had fuel-pressure problems. John Walker (Australia) admitted to driving cautiously because he was anxious to

conserve his Lola T332’si engine. He said he had prob-| lems with the steering and a| broken gearbox housing.; “But we are getting there,” i he said. “I am trying to save myi other engine for Australia j and the tracks I really know; well,” he. said. His other! engine was an exceptionally! good one, he said. i John McCormack (Australia), twice winner of the grand prix, had trouble with soft springs on his Elfin MR6.

The winner of the big race tomorrow will receive $3500 in prize money, the New Zealand Motor Cup, and nine points towards the Peter Stuyvesant - sponsored Tasman championship. The raCe will be run over 58 laps of the 12.81-kilometre (81.75 miles) long track—a distance of 161 kilometres. Warwick Brown has predicted that practice times could be as low as 59sec a lap and that the record would be broken during the race by more than one second. Saloon cars Earlier sessions at Pukekohe yesterday morning saw the saloon-car records well beaten. Jim Richards (Ford Mustang) and Red Dawson (Camaro) both recorded laps of Imin Msec, which were nearly a full second inside the Pukekohe record. Reg Cook, in the Schick Datsun, also unofficially lowered the 0-1300 c.c. record by four tenths of a second. He very nearly missed practising because he was late and the track gate was locked. Undaunted, he sneaked around to the back of the circuit and appeared quite suddenly, much to the surprise of the officials. His unofficial entry to the circuit cost him a fine, but stewards allowed him to continue despite his unconventional methods of making the circuit.