I think there is a good story with the #15 TVR in post #40. Very high top speed on the front straight at Teretonga was reported in the local paper.
https://www.google.com/url?q=https:/...lwClCSL11GSvIh
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I think there is a good story with the #15 TVR in post #40. Very high top speed on the front straight at Teretonga was reported in the local paper.
https://www.google.com/url?q=https:/...lwClCSL11GSvIh
Snapped in 2005 in the rain at Teretonga and in the dry at Hampton Downs 2010.
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It is only fair to say that this race TVR, which is a great car, and a couple of others in the Sports/GT races (scratch only), were part of the reasons several of us pulled out of the Hampton Down's Festivals after a couple of years.
When you are getting lapped after about 4 or 5 laps, wet or dry, by a race car capable of 265kph+, the speed differential between those faster guys and those with slower, road spec cars, did not make for enjoyable racing for drivers, especially in the wet at Pukekohe (the original Festivals had one weekend at HD and one at Pukekohe).
Scratch racing when there is such a huge variation in performance within a grid feels very much like a track day - but at a far greater cost.
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Pity the weather was dreadful at Teretonga, as I was very impressed with the organisation and the fields and would have enjoyed spending more time there. Travelling with my wife and a friend, it wasn't fair on them to stay longer than we did, as I don't think it stopped raining the whole time we were there, but I'd love to do Teretonga again.
I don't know if this is the real Red Dawson Willys, or the replica that was built recently.
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I never get tired of looking at this car.
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Agree Steve,
The 635csi is such a nicely proportioned car, as was the earlier model. I remember watching the these on the Wellington waterfront race. What a sound they made, ringing it out down Customhouse Quay.
I also remember the Ford Sierra Cosworth Turbo (Dick Johnson drove one) they were impressively quick, and light, I seem to recall they were approx' 500hp+ and were cleaning up everything at the time, but had reliability problems, sadly, a lot of DNFs.
Cheers
P
This is the Willy’s that was bought by Harry Oppwood from a deceased estate in Christchurch a couple of years ago. This is the real car and has been sympatheticly put back together.
The 635 was a highly successful car in Group A trim, particularly in Europe where Group A was introduced much earlier than Australia and New Zealand.
It was less successful in Australian Group C trim, as per the car above, but according to many sources, that was because CAMS tried hard to hobble it. I don't know how true that is, but regardless, in Group C trim with those big wheels and flares, it looks amazing.