Roycroft 5 all go! [Archive] - The Roaring Season

Oldfart

02-02-2015, 07:22 PM

How time flies! The 2015 Roycroft is only 5 weeks away now. Formula Junior, Pre 1945, pre 60 sports and racing, and pre 60 saloons all feature on the programme along with classic motorbikes, sidecars, and the "jewel in the crown" the Roycroft Grand Prix of Yesteryear which will feature cars which actually raced in the period against each other in the time.
Northland Special, Gee Cee Ess, Cropduster (yes!!!) and up to 20 of those cars!!
More later.

Allan

02-02-2015, 07:28 PM

And V8 Supertourers........they're starting to look like a thing from the past.

ERC

02-02-2015, 08:29 PM

And the date has changed from my original calendar...

March 14th/15th - at Hampton Downs

Oldfart

02-03-2015, 07:16 PM

For those who wondered, it seems my pessimism about saloons might be a little misplaced. So far another 4 new cars not seen for a while so that makes more of a grid. Still a long way from a 2K grid but..
Rob Williams long serving V8 is an enthusiastic and very welcome addition, a Singer Gazelle which used to be in the Christchurch area, Sunbeam Rapier and the ex Denis Ganley A30 Speedwell will be in attendance.
There is still time (just) for you to drag out your.... (fill in the space) and come and play.

Oldfart

02-05-2015, 07:22 AM

And today news of more! We are likely to make this class work, at long last.

ERC

02-05-2015, 07:39 AM

Please keep us up to date with a list of entrants as this is what really generates interest.

Spgeti

02-05-2015, 07:43 AM

Good luck with it all Rhys....I am sure with persistence it will come together. Cheers, Bruce

Oldfart

02-10-2015, 06:02 PM

Sadly I had to decline a keen participant yesterday due to the agreement which VCC has with Motorsport over the dating of cars. We are hamstrung by the pre 31 December 1961 date. If it was a dual meeting with some races being under a MSNZ permit, and some under VCC the Speed Stewards by agreement may allow some later cars to run. As it's only VCC we can't do that. Potential competitor was not too happy, but that's the way it is.
Look out for the "Roycroft Grand Prix of Yesteryear" it's a special on the programme with only the cars which could have raced together in the period.
Terry Roycroft Bugatti Jag
Don Suckling GeeCee Esse
Fred Courtney Northland Special
Warner Mauger Stanton Cropduster
Peter Benbrook Buckler MkVI
Richard Anderson RA
Ralph Smith Lycoming
Roger Herrick A40 Special
Cooper 500
JBS
more?

Oldfart

02-23-2015, 07:42 PM

And the saloon class right now
Rob Williams V8 Coupe
John Ure Jaguar Mk 7
Jane Hill Standard 10
Ryan MacDonald Speedwell A30
Craig Harman Singer Gazelle
Stephen Wilkins Sunbeam Rapier
Ian Bradley MG Magnette ZA
TBA Vanguard

Oldfart

03-05-2015, 06:16 AM

Well I have been proven wrong yet again!
The saloon thing seems to be going better and better and with entries still open we have:
Alvis TC21 Alan Henry
Austin A30 Ryan MacDonald
Alfa Romeo Giulietta Keith Elliot
Ford Coupe (1938) Rob Williams
Jag Mk 7 John Ure
Singer Gazelle Craig Harman
Standard 10 Jane Ferris
Sunbeam Rapier Steve Wilkins

Some of those in previous posts have transferred their entries to other classes. Perhaps Rex Bentham in his XK150 could join the "closed car" group too.

ERC

03-05-2015, 06:31 AM

Ian Bradley MG Magnette ZA

Spotted at the compliance centre 7 days ago. The paperwork for the Triumph had one Ian Bradley's name on it...

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This is NOT Ian's Magnette - but it is now 100% road legal. Unfinished maybe, but road legal!

Rex Bentham

03-06-2015, 11:05 AM

If its good enough for Muscle Cars to be classed as 'saloons' why not an old 2+2 Jag.

Oldfart

03-06-2015, 06:18 PM

I am more than happy to include an XK150 as a saloon Rex as per the post a couple back. It will make John Ure have to work for his keep.

ERC

03-06-2015, 10:23 PM

Handicap race required I think...

Oldfart

03-07-2015, 06:26 AM

Handicap race required I think...

Yes, and some innovative thinking too. In our classes the chocolate fish are given out at documentation. Come along and see how we/I resolve this. :)

khyndart in CA

03-07-2015, 09:45 AM

Old Fart.
When I saw this comment " We are hamstrung by the pre 31 December 1961 date. " I wondered if these race programme listings from the 1962 Ardmore NZGP meet on Jan 6 1962 would be of help for entrants to know if their cars met the standard.

27894

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Sorry the quality is not too clear.
( Ken Hyndman)

Oldfart

03-07-2015, 07:41 PM

Thanks Ken. It would be really great if some of the potential "victims" could see past the need to have the fastest, most competitive cars and just be there for the pure fun of participation. I am not saying all are like that. Of course even a Mark 1 Consul is perceived as a very valuable car, and "too good to race".
Finger error there too, pre 31 Dec 1960 (not 61) unless they are a continuation of the same model produced prior.

Oldfart

03-08-2015, 02:59 AM

I have just been advised that the Cropduster won't be joining us, largely as a result of Phil Mauger's horrendous accident while on the way to Bathurst. Get well soon Phil.

ERC

03-14-2015, 07:13 AM

Just a few pics from Saturday. Others may appear on my "Just a mix of pics" thread. I didn't catch the Formula Juniors this time.

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nigel watts

03-14-2015, 08:20 PM

The usual foggy start!!
Off to a hot rod shot shortly so no time for processing - more to follow

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nigel watts

03-15-2015, 03:04 AM

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nigel watts

03-15-2015, 03:06 AM

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nigel watts

03-15-2015, 03:08 AM

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nigel watts

03-15-2015, 03:10 AM

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nigel watts

03-15-2015, 03:12 AM

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nigel watts

03-15-2015, 08:27 AM

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nigel watts

03-15-2015, 08:32 AM

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Oldfart

03-15-2015, 08:59 AM

I hope someone got a few of me in the RA Lycoming! Also drove the McLaren "shop hack"! What a weekend. Time for bed, but cool photos so far guys. Thanks

BMCBOY

03-15-2015, 09:15 AM

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BMCBOY

03-15-2015, 09:21 AM

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Oldfart

03-15-2015, 06:05 PM

Clarity of those photos is magnificent Ross. The top one of your set has 3 rather historic cars all together. I must say it is quite flattering of the patina of the RA Lycoming (nearest car). Good news is that this car will be seen again at selected meetings (after a bit of a birthday on some bits) but the patina will remain.

Michael Clark

03-15-2015, 08:21 PM

What is the pale blue single seater?

BMCBOY

03-15-2015, 09:12 PM

What is the pale blue single seater?

BMC Mk2 Formula Junior often called a Huffaker in the US as they did much of the development work on the cars.
This was its first outing I believe. Nice restoration.

RogerH

03-15-2015, 09:14 PM

Presume you mean the blue rear engined car - not Allan Cattle's blue front engined Volpini?

The rear engined blue FJ is Terry Collier's BMC Mk2 which Terry bought up from Wellington for it's first competitive outing. BMC stands for British Motor Car Distributors Limited from San Francisco and the car followed on from the Mk1 version which was front engined. The cars were built and designed by Joe Huffaker and are sometimes referred to as Huffaker-BMC. It is powered by a BMC A Series engine with a single DCOE 40 and a Volkswagen "Hewland"gearbox. It runs the original Huffaker-BMC cast wheels.

ERC

03-15-2015, 09:43 PM

Great to see a car that most of us had never heard of before. It is what makes this and other classes of VCC racing or even displays, so worthwhile. So what country should be credited with the build?

My only photograph of the S.C.A.R.S in Hamptons, didn't come out very well, so I had to delete it, but hopefully Nigel or Ross will have one. Another car I'd never heard of.

AMCO72

03-16-2015, 12:11 AM

Didnt manage to get there this year.....first one I have missed. How did it all go. While I appreciate the quality of the photgraphy of the individual cars and bikes, is it possible to see some track action with several cars together. The owners might appreciate a nice study of their machine, but to the rest of us, what is happening around them is also interesting.

So far very little comment on the weekends racing. Maybe The Roycroft is suffering like the rest of NZ motoracing.....its all getting too hard and too dear.

Oldfart

03-16-2015, 01:00 AM

Well Gerald, it all went very well from our point of view.
Numbers were down a little, motorcycles had another meeting so that took a number away.
Saloons had nine on most grids. Some attrition which is only to be expected, oil surge created a run bearing for the Singer Gazelle, wrong SU needle for the supercharged A30 and the Alvis did Saturday only.
Saturday saw a few minor "bingles" largely as the track became a little less grippy than some expected.
Sunday was incident free. I don't think there is an expense issue, just that a few were feeling a bit old (the people) and some feeling a bit vulnerable after the A7 incident last year. We had more people asking about joining than anything else.

Alan Hyndman

03-16-2015, 01:25 AM

Terry Collier is keen to run his BMC Formula Junior at the MG Charity Classic Race Meeting at Manfeild on Sunday 17th May - if enough historic racing cars enter to make up a grid. If anyone is interested, regs and entry form should be out later this week.

I see results from the Roycroft meeting are here: http://www.marktime.co.nz/results/roycroft-trophy/2015/03/14

ERC

03-16-2015, 03:16 AM

is it possible to see some track action with several cars together. The owners might appreciate a nice study of their machine, but to the rest of us, what is happening around them is also interesting.
Missed you AMCO...

Very often, the fields are spread out and personally, I am building up a library of individual cars anyway, so unless the action is in front of me, most of my pics by choice will be single car. What little I saw of the Roycroft meeting Saturday, apart from Roman Schiff's Riley doing battle with the Jaguar, there wasn't much else that was close.

See post #540 in my "Mix of Pics" thread.

Despite our full ERC grids at the Ganley Festival with bags of overtaking, I have yet to see any pics other than YouTube videos showing what a crowded series of 4 handicap races it was!

Steve Holmes

03-16-2015, 10:45 PM

Wow, outstanding photos Nigel and Ross! Thanks so much for posting

AMCO72

03-17-2015, 01:14 AM

Rhys, Jim has got some footage of some old fart in the car......well his Son has. Could be worth enquiring. Maybe text on Jims FB page. Thats Jim Short.

nigel watts

03-17-2015, 10:32 AM

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Nodiff

03-27-2015, 09:24 PM

Sky sport clip from last Wednesday night
http://youtu.be/m-blzIA0cTU

And before someone corrects me. The RA Vanguard won the 1952 South Island beach racing championship, not the NZ Beach championship. The car in fact never raced in the North Island.
In 1951 it was timed over the standing quarter at 13.8 and it won the Canterbury Car Clubs sprint championship in 1952 at 15.24 seconds.

ERC

03-11-2016, 10:22 PM

Roycroft Tropy 2016 - tomorrow (March 13th) - one dayer.

nigel watts

03-12-2016, 02:23 AM

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ERC

03-12-2016, 03:08 AM

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ERC

03-13-2016, 09:04 PM

Sad to say that from a great beginning, this event hasn't really grown as much as I would have liked.

Not too sure why, given the obvious enthusiasm from the organising club, but maybe next year, it would be more suited to the new short track at Hampton Downs?

A long(ish) track and sparse grids are not a good mix, when much of the track is out of sight.