Winter racing

SOUTH AFRICA

The South African season of International races, held in December and January, had a small number of European contestants doing the “tour” of four events. The races were limited to 1,500-c.c. cars so can count as Formula One events, except that whereas the F.I.A. Formula puts a bottom limit of 1,300 c.c. the South African races allowed Formula Junior cars to participate.

RAND G.P.—December 9th, 1961—Kyalami Circuit, near Johannesburg

75 laps-307 km.—Run in heat wave

1st : J. Clark (Lotuss-Climax) 145.726 k.p.h.
2nd: T. Taylor (Lotus-Climax)
3rd : J. Bonnier (Porsche 4-cyl.)
4th : E. Barth (Porsche 4-cyl.)

Clark had a brand new 1961-type works Lotus, while Taylor drove the ex-Ireland Watkins Glen winning car. The two Porsches were late in arriving and, due to the last-minute flap, joined the race after it had officially started. Tony Maggs drove a Bowmaker-Yeoman Cooper-Climax but retired with overheating.

NATAL G.P.—December 17th, 1961—Westmead Circuit, near Durban

89 laps-322 km.

1st J. Clark (Lotus-Climax) 144.181 k.p.h.
2nd: S. Moss (Louts-Climax)
3rd : J. Bonnier (Porsche)
4th : E. Barth (Porsche)

Run on an entirely new circuit, only just finished in time for the race, Clark, Taylor and Bonnier were on the front row of the grid; Moss was on the back row with U.D.T.-Laystall’s 1960 Lotus, having arrived too late for official practice, while Masten Gregory was in the second U.D.T. car. Maggs and Bruce-Johnstone drove Bowmaker-Yeoman Coopers, the former retiring with a broken gear-lever, while Taylor in the works Lotus retired with broken rear suspension while lying second.

SOUTH AFRICAN G.P.—December 26th, 1961 East London Circuit

80 laps-314 km.

1st : J. Clark (Lotus-Climax) 148.382 k.p.h.
2nd : S. Moss (Lotus-Climax)
3rd : J. Bonnier (Porsche) 
4th : M. Gregory (Lotus-Climax)

Once again Moss was driving a U.D.T.-Laystall Lotus car, but he was unable to deal with Jim Clark in the latest works Lotus, and nor was Bonnier with the old 4-cylinder Porsche any match for the Scot. Trevor Taylor was lying second when he spun off the road and damaged the radiator of his works Lotus.

CAPE G.P.—January 1st, 1962—Killarney Circuit

60 laps-193 km.

1st : T. Taylor (Lotus-Climax) 131.162 k.p.h.
2nd: J. Clark (Lotus-Climax)
3rd : J. Bonnier (Porsche)
4th : M.-Gregory (Lotus-Climax)

Clark led for most of the race but spun towards the end, which let Taylor into the lead.

NEW ZEALAND

Starting on the first week-end in January, the New Zealand motor-racing season of Formule Libre events was troubled by terrible weather conditions, most unusual as it is their summertime.

NEW ZEALAND G.P.—January 6th, 1962—Ardmore Airfield, Auckland

75 laps-241 km.

1st : S. Moss. (Lotus-Climax 2 1/2-litre) 1 hr. 23 min. 14.8 sec.— 116.356 k.p.h.
2nd: J. Suttees (Cooper-Climax 2.7-litre) 1 hr. 24 min. 53.7 .sec.
3rd : B. McLaren (Cooper-Climax 2.7-litre) 1 hr. 25 min. 45.6 sec.
4th : B. Salvadori (Cooper-Climax 2.5-litre) 1 hr. 26 min. 20 3 sec.

Fastest Lap : S. Moss (Lotus-Climax), 1 min. 32.8 sec.—78.0 m.p.h.

Tropical storms swept the airfield and caused the race to be abandoned after 50 laps, at which time Moss was leading the race, complete master of the wet circuit. He was driving Rob Walker’s brand new 1961-type Lotus and heading Surtees, who was in a Bowmaker-Yeoman Cooper with enlarged engine. Salvadori had the other Bowmaker-Yeoman Cooper, with normal 2 1/2-litre engine, while McLaren was driving Tommy Atkins’ Cooper with enlarged Climax engine. Other European entries were two Centro-Sud Maserati-engined Coopers, Lorenzo Bandini driving one and John Mansel the other, both cars having 2.8-litre 4-cylinder Maserati engines. First New Zealander home was Pat Hoare in his front-engined Dino Ferrari with V12-cylinder 3-litre engine. Brabham retired with his own 2 1/2-litre Cooper.

HUDSON TROPHY—January 13th, 1962—Levin, Wellington

28 laps-6o km.

1st : J. Brabham (Cooper-Climax 2 1/2-litre)
2nd : S. Moss (Cooper-Climax 2 1/2-litre)
3rd : J. Surtees (Cooper-Climax 2.7-litre)
4th : B. McLaren (Cooper-Climax 2.7-litre)

Torrential rains continued to ruin New Zealand racing and the Levin meeting was washed out, the main event over 28 laps of the tiny 2.1-kilometre circuit was brought to a stop by worried officials after only eight laps. For this race Moss had the Walker 1961 Cooper-Climax used last year in Inter-Continental Formula races, keeping the new Lotus for more serious events. This meeting contrived to have 19 races in the programme, so that it was a wet speed-fiesta rather than a Grand Prix.

LADY WIGRAM TROPHY—January 20th, 1962 Wigram Airfield, Christchurch

71 laps-241 km.

1st : S. Moss (Lotus-Climax 2 1/2-litre) 1 hr. 36 min. 38.7 sec.
2nd: J. Brabham (Cooper-Climax 2 1/2 litre) 1 hr. 36 min. 55.0 sec.
3rd : J. Surtees (Cooper-Climax 2.7-litre) 1 hr. 36 min. 56.4 sec.
4th : B. McLaren (Cooper-Climax 2.7-litre) 1 hr. 37 min. 33.5 sec.

After the two wet meetings this third event was blessed with sunshine that turned into a heat wave, and Moss showed that intense heat has as little effect on him as intense rain. He led a whole string of Coopers home, driving the new Walker Lotus.

INVERCARGILL TROPHY—January 27th, 1962 Christchurch

50 laps.—120 km.

1st : B. McLaren (Cooper-Climax 2.7-litre)  1 hr. 07 min. 16.0 sec.
2nd: S. Moss (Lotus-Climax 2 1/2-litre)  1 hr. 07 min. 56.0 sec. 
3rd : J. Brabham (Cooper-Climax 2 1/2-litre) 1 hr. 08 min. 34.0 sec. 
4th : J. Palmer (Lotus-Climax)

Driving Tommy Atkins’ green Cooper, Bruce McLaren at last had a win in his home country.

DUNEDIN TROPHY—February 3rd, 1962—Dunedin

30 laps-83 km. 

1st : P. Hoare (Ferrari V12) 48 min. 35.8 sec.—102.380 k.p.h.
2nd: J. Palmer (Lotus-Ford) 1 lap behind
3rd : B. Cottle (Lola-Climax sports) 3 laps behind

With all the stars having left for Australia, to race at Warwick Farm on the Sunday, the Saturday race in New Zealand, the last of the season, was left to the locals, and was won by Hoare in his special Ferrari.

AUSTRALIA

WARWICK FARM RACES—February 4th, 1962—Sydney

45 laps—160 km.

1st : S. Moss (Cooper-Climax) .. 1 hrr. 14 min. 36.6 sec.—131.130 k.p.h.
2nd: B. McLaren (Cooper-Climax)
3rd : B. Stilwell (Cooper-Climax)

Fastest lap : S. Moss (Cooper-Climax), in 1 min. 37.5 sec.

Practice was rather upset when Roy Salvadori crashed violently in the Bowmaker-Yeoman Cooper, fortunately not sustaining serious injury. The Warwick Farm circuit is the one modelled on Aintree and ministered by ex-B.A.R.C. official Geoffrey Sykes, and he certainly drew a star entry for his meeting.

LAKESIDE RACES—February 11th, 1962—30 laps-72 km.

1st : J. Brabham (Cooper-Climax) 144.810 k.p.h
2nd: B. Stilwell (Cooper-Climax)
3rd : A. Hyslop (Cooper-Climax)