Diverse Notes

The Monoposto Register

This club, which was formed to foster racing for single-seater cars, devoid of road-going equipment, held its A.G.M. recently and reviewed its first active season. A number of races had been included in various events, at Mallory Park, Snetterton and Brands Hatch. Not as many cars were raceworthy by mid-season as was hoped, but those that did compete indicated that the basic idea of the Club was right, namely to provide racing at Club-level for those people who are a hit more ambitious than 750 Formula racing or 1,172 Formula racing, but not able or interested in going into professional racing.

In view of the intense activity in Formula Junior in this country the Monoposto Register feel that many private-owners of Juniors, or home-built Juniors will get “left out in the cold” in big-time Formula Junior racing. In consequence, membership to the register has been extended with a Class B, for non-works, or non-works supported, or non-Scuderia, Equipe, Team or what-have-you people who might find themselves with a Forinnia Junior car and nowhere to race it. In purely club events there will be a number of Monoposto races for cars built to the original formula, as laid down in Motor Sport for January 1959, but private-owner Juniors cars can join in to form a sub-division. The original aims and intentions of the Monoposto Register remain unaltered for Class A, or full members.

Secretary: Frank Tiedeman, 185, Swakeleys Road, Ickenham, Uxbridge, Middlesex, will supply any further details required.

 

Lady Wigram Trophy (January 23rd)

The New Zealand season continued with the Lady Wigram Trophy held on the Christchurch airfield and Brabliam followed up his win in the New Zealand Grand Prix with another win in this event, leading from start to finish. Piper had his Lotus F.1 going well and did his best to hold on to the leader, while Burgess drove a 2.2-litre Cooper-Climax, but was slowed by losing fourth gear. In practice McLaren broke the engine of his works 2-1/2-litre Cooper and looked like having to be a spectator, until a New Zealand driver offered him his car, a home-built Lycoming special, which McLaren gratefully accepted and drove with great spirit to finish fourth.

 

The Dunedin Trophy (January 30th)

With the works Cooper drivers on their way to the Argentine, this New Zealand race was more of a private-owners battle, European opposition coming from Burgess (2.2-litre Cooper) and Piper (2-1/2-litre Lotus). Unlike the previous races of the New Zealand season, held on airfields, this was a true road race of the “round the houses” variety. Burgess led the race, as Piper had “muffed” his start, until his gearbox casing split, and this let Syd Jensen into the lead with his F.2 Cooper, while Piper retired with a broken drive-shaft before he could make up for his bad start. Jensen won easily from Hoare with the 3-litre Ferrari special, that rare bird built by Marenello using a four-cylinder engine in a single-seater chassis, with a Lancia tail tank. Following came Mansel in the ex-Moss Maserati 250F – old racing cars never die, they go “down under”!