VIII LEVIN INTERNATIONAL
 Location - Levin NZ  Laps - 43  Distance - 83.03 km  Date - 14/01/67  Weather - Fine
ENTRY LIST
No. DRIVER ENTRANT MAKE ENGINE
? Jack Brabham Brabham Racing Org. Brabham BT23A Repco V8 2.5
3 Denis Hulme Brabham Racing Org. Brabham BT22 Climax FPF
5 Red Dawson Red Dawson Brabham BT7A Climax FPF
7 Frank Gardner Alec Mildren Racing Brabham BT23B Climax FPF
8 Kevin Bartlett Alec Mildren Racing Brabham BT11A Climax FPF
? Feo Stanton Rorstan Motor Racing Brabham BT7A Climax FPF
12 Roly Levis Roly Levis Brabham BT18 Ford 1.5
14 Graeme Lawrence Graeme Lawrence Brabham BT18 Ford 1.5
15 Ken Sager J.H. Sager Brabham BT16 Ford 1.5
16 Grahame Harvey Grahame Harvey Brabham BT9 Ford 1.5
20 Laurence Brownlie Laurence Brownlie Brabham BT6 Ford 1.5
24 Bill Stone Roly Levis Brabham BT6 Ford 1.5
27 Kerry Grant Kerry Grant Brabham BT11A Climax FPF
29 Don McDonald Don McDonald Brabham BT10 Ford 1.5
36 John Weston John Weston Brabham BT2 Ford 1.5
41 Jim Palmer Jim Palmer Racing Brabham BT22 Climax FPF
122 Jim Boyd Syd Jensen Brabham BT4 Climax FPF
1 Richard Attwood R.H.H. Parnell BRM P261 BRM V8 2.1
2 Jackie Stewart R.H.H. Parnell BRM P261 BRM V8 2.1
18 Dennis Marwood Ecurie Rothmans Cooper T66 Climax FPF
6 Jim Clark Team Lotus Lotus 33 Climax V8 2.0
19 Dene Hollier Dene Hollier Lotus 27 Ford 1.5
Jim Clark, in his Lotus Climax V8, made no bones about setting the pace right from the start to win the Wills International race at Levin on January 14. In doing so, he set a new lap record of 47.5s and averaged 86.4 m.p.h. to win by a slender three seconds from the works BRM V8 of Jackie Stewart, which was the only other car to complete the full distance. First Kiwi home was brilliant Graeme Lawrence in his 1.5-litre Brabham, who finished fifth behind Richard Attwood and Frank Gardner in the event which did not qualify for points in the Tasman Championship.

The brilliant fine weather for Friday's practice was a little on the hot side for some of the tar on the circuit began to melt, making some sections slippery. Following considerable comment in the press and elsewhere regarding baulking by slower cars at Pukekohe, a drivers' meeting was called during practice. The overseas visitors advised more use of rear vision mirrors and that some drivers were not fully recognising the great speed differentials which had been a hazard during the Grand Prix.

Clark was soon out bedding in brakes and transmission, while Denny Hulme was having difficulty with his Repco Brabham V8 jamming in top gear. This was the car which Jack Brabham had driven at Pukekohe, and the Kiwi driver soon had the Brabham circulating around the 50 second mark. Ken Smith's BT11A Brabham sucked a rock in through one of the carbs and the result was bent valves and a broken cam follower.

In the second session the internationals were really flying and Clark finally set the fastest lap at 48.6s, just one-fifth of a second better than Jackie Stewart's 48.8s. Third fastest time was clocked by Hulme's Brabham (49.6s), followed closely by Attwood (49.7s), and then Kevin Bartlett's Brabham Climax (49.9s), Frank Gardner (50.1s) and Jim Palmer's Brabham Climax (50.2s). The immaculate blue Brabham of Lawrence recorded 51.6s, which was fastest of the 1.5 litre machinery by almost a second. Next was Dene Hollier's Lotus 27 (52.5s), Roly Levis in his Brabham (52.9s), and Laurence Brownlie's similar car (53.2s).

Race morning was raining but by the time the cars came out for the first preliminary heat the track had dried and the weather remained fine and hot for the rest of the day. The 2.5-litre machinery made up the grid for the first heat, and it was Clark who headed Stewart, Hulme, Gardner, Attwood and Bartlett into Lake Bend for the first time.

Jimmy Clark leads Jackie StewartThe 2-litre Lotus and BRM were neck and neck as the field came around to complete the first lap, and on the second round Clark set a new record of 48.9s. This was to be broken four times during the 14-lap race and finally left at 48.2s by the Lotus driver. After four laps the two Scots had pulled out a margin over Hulme, while Gardner and Attwood were fighting out fourth spot in front of Bartlett and then a gap to Palmer, Dennis Marwood (Cooper Climax) and Red Dawson's Brabham Climax.

Soon after, Jim Palmer began to slow with ailing brakes and on lap 7 he stopped at the pits. Meantime Denny Hulme's throttle jammed open on the Brabham Repco at a most inconvenient part of Cabbage Tree Bend, and the number two works Brabham driver quickly found himself pointing in the wrong direction, causing Gardner to take to the infield to avoid a collision, so after eight laps the order was Clark, Stewart, and a ten-second gap to Attwood, Bartlett, Gardner, Marwood and Dawson.

Jim Clark was having to lap at almost 88 m.p.h. to keep his nose in front of the rapid Jackie Stewart, but he managed to win the heat by 0.8 of a second. Jackie, in turn, was 17 seconds ahead of Attwood, who was ten seconds clear of Bartlett. As the sun was not so intense as on practice day, the track was standing up to the treatment better, although a few drivers complained of "ball bearings" in places.

The second preliminary race, reserved for the 1.5 litre cars and counting towards the New Zealand 1500 cc championship, proved a more exciting affair than the first heat. At the fall of the flag it was the red monocoque Lotus 27 of Hollier which led the way to the four Brabhams of Levis, Lawrence, Bill Stone and Brownlie. Ken Sager's Brabham Ford came to a halt with a nasty big hole in the block, which sure put him out for the day. Meantime Don McDonald was negotiating Castrol Curve when a rear suspension upright snapped on his Brabham and he stuffed himself backwards into a bank with fortunately only minor damage to the car.
Lawrence attacked Levis for second place, but Roly is a Levin veteran and he was having none of it. The three leaders roared into the Hairpin hammer and tongs, and when they emerged Levis led Lawrence, Hollier and then a gap to Stone, Brownlie, Grahame Harvey (Brabham) and John Weston (Brabham).

Now Lawrence made his challenge to Levis, showing his enthusiasm to increase his lead in the 1.5 litre championship points score but Roly kept his black Brabham a whisker in front, and he received the chequered flag 0.2 of a second before Lawrence, followed by Hollier less than a second behind and a ten-second margin to Stone, the last-named having driven a steady race for a comparative newcomer.

There were 17 starters for the Wills Tasman race, and the front row consisted of Clark on the pole position, accompanied by the two BRMs of Stewart and Attwood. Only minutes before the start an oil line on Kevin Bartlett's Brabham broke and the car caught fire in the pits. The car suffered only minor damage but the Australian was relegated a non-starter for the big event.

Hardly a cigarette paper would have slipped between Jimmy and Jackie as they roared into the first corner followed by Hulme, Gardner, Attwood, Lawrence and Palmer. Before the Hairpin the last-named moved into sixth position. Denny Hulme held his third spot for barely more than a lap when he dropped to fifth behind Gardner and Attwood.

On the third round everyone gasped when Palmer spun his red Brabham just after Wills Corner in front of a snarling pack of cars. Levis thumped on the brakes but one of his wheels rode over the top of Hollier's Lotus. Some other good avoiding action averted what could have been a drastic situation. Fortunately all cars managed to stay on their four wheels but the race order had changed in the minor placings.

Stewart was still snapping at Clark's heels, and five seconds later came Gardner, Attwood, Hulme, Lawrence, Hollier, Levis, Marwood Stone Brownlie and Palmer. After only six laps the two leaders were lapping the tailenders and as the two negotiated the tricky Cabbage Tree Corner the Lotus and BRM were so close that they looked as one car. Stewart's orange nose snipped in front but it would only have been for about two seconds and Clark regained the lead.

At the ten-lap mark Clark and Stewart were 13 seconds in front of the close pair of Gardner and Attwood followed by Hulme and young Lawrence, who was driving impeccably. Watching the leading contenders power slide out of the Hairpin was a delight and the 17,000 spectators were witnessing an excellent race. Denny Hulme and the Brabham Repco just didn't appear to be switched on, and he was now ten seconds behind Attwood's BRM. Only nine seconds behind Hulme was Lawrence, while Levis had overtaken Hollier and now lay second in the 1.5-litre class. Attwood was again making challenges to the yellow Gardner Brabham, and on the 17th round the Englishman slipped the BRM through to third place. One lap later Levis lost his position to Hollier and Marwood when he nonsensed his Brabham, but he was soon under way again.

On lap 21, Dennis Marwood, lying in eighth place, shuddered to a halt on the main straight in his Cooper. The four-banger Climax had let go in a big way and a "leg out of bed" was evident! Two rounds later Levis regained his position from Hollier. At the 25-lap mark Clark and Stewart were still circulating as if tied together and almost 40 seconds in front of Attwood, Gardner and a 20-second delay to Hulme, Lawrence, while Levis had dropped behind Hollier again. Soon after Hulme faded from the scene and the ill-sounding Brabham retired.

After 32 rounds, Clark and Stewart were the only two cars on the same lap, and the three-second gap between the two Scots was constant. There were no further changes before the finish and Clark completed a first-class drive not far in front of Stewart. Jim said after the event that it had been a tough race, and Jackie had kept up the pressure throughout. The elimination of the prominent New Zealand 2.5-litre cars meant that the first Kiwi home was Lawrence in his 1.5 Brabham, a rare occasion when a small car has taken this honour.
 
RACE RESULTS
POSITION LAPS TIME
1. Clark 43 34'59.4 FL:47.5
2. Stewart 43 35'02.5
3. Attwood 42 .
4. Gardner 42 .
5. Lawrence 41 .
6. Hollier 40 .
7. Levis 40 .
8. Stone 40 .
9. Brownlie 39 .
Hulme 27 DNF:Chronic Misfire
Marwood 21 DNF:Engine
Palmer 15 DNF:Suspension
Weston ? DNF:?
Harvey ? DNF:?
Dawson ? DNF:?
Bartlett 0 DNS:Fire
Written by Donn Anderson for Motorman Magazine. Article submitted by Milan Fistonic

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