Brad Ward Photos

Brad Ward was a Kiwi race mechanic from Wanganui who set off on his OE in the late 1950s to the UK. He joined up with Graham Warner who ran the very successful "The Chequered Flag" group of companies. Graham raced Lotus Elites (most famously LOV 1) and bought the Moorland racecar company from designer Les Redmond. The latest Moorland was badge engineered into the first Gemini race car.
Brad looked after Warner's Elite and was involved with building the first real Gemini race cars - the front engine Mk2 and the rear engine Mk3 and Mk3A. Brad travelled through Europe with the team to the likes of Monaco and also looked after a NZ driven Triumph Herald at Nurbergring. He then joined John Sprintzel's team and subsequently returned to NZ in the mid 1960s. Sadly Brad died late last month but left a great collection of period photos. Last year, we got Brad up to Auckland to see the first Gemini race car which we had found in Texas. This was a car that Brad built so it was a memorable occasion to re-introduce Brad to the car he had built 50 years beforehand.
These are some of his photos.

On the way to Monaco 1960 with the works Gemini. Brad standing in front of the Zodiac (or is it a Zephyr?).
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Lotus Elite LOV 1 on pole.
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Monaco pits 1960.
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Oh my, these are outstanding!

Roger, what are the blue cars #46 and #4? in the last photo in front of the Yeoman-Credit Cooper? Are they Scarabs?

Your are right Steve. Car #46 is Chuck Daigh and #48 is Lance Reventlow both in Scarabs.
Here is another photo of the Scarab from Brad.
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Really great photos and so evocative too. Thanks for sharing these.

Here are a number of photos when Brad was race mechanic for a little known NZ entry in the 1960 Nurburgring 500km. Kiwi Richard Izard (more recently known for his involvement with saw blade manufacture in Wellsford - now sold) teamed up with Wolfgang Daewel and entered a Triumph Herald Coupe. The race was held on 4 September 1960 and the Hearld finished 16th in a field of 51 cars.

Izard on the right, Daewel on the left.
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Just brilliant Roger! This is already an incredible thread.

This photo is in the pits at Brands Hatch in July 1960? presumably on the introduction to the press of the new Gemini Mk3 (#45). It was driven by Geoff Duke on this occasion but other drivers in 1960 were Sir John Whitmore, Tony Maggs and Peter Ashdown. There was only ever one Mk3 Gemini made and the production cars were slightly modified and designated Mk3A. The sole Mk3 was sold in early 1961 to Charlie Kolb in the US (who later teamed up with both Pedro and Ricardo Rodriguez in Ferraris at Daytona and Watkins Glen and with Masten Gregory in a Ferrari 250LM at 1968 Le Mans) and in it's first race it decimated the field at Sebring in March 1961.
This car has quite a Kiwi connection as instrumental in its construction was Brad Ward from Wanganui. Although the car went to the US and resided in Florida for the remainder of its life, it was discovered earlier this year in somewhat changed form after being converted to a short track car with a Porsche engine and slicks. However the fundamentals of the original Mk3 remained intact. It has been purchased by a Kiwi historic racer and is currently on a ship bound for Auckland.

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Charlie Kolb after winning at Sebring March 1961

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Love the number on the Herald, nice photos.

Roger, thanks for sharing these wondeful photos with us. Am I correct in assuming that the fact you have these is evidence that arrangements have been made to preserve these for posterity?

Cheers
Lee

Hi Lee, these photos from Brad are among many photos that I have been collecting with the intent of preserving them for future generations. Unfortunately many significant collections of photos have been lost. Brad's photos have just been offered (for free) to the author of a book on The Chequered Flag when I understand the current price for each photo used in publications is around £70.

A couple more Brad photos - the FJ grid at the 1960 Monaco race preceding the F1 GP.

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These two photos are the works Gemini race car factory in London. Brad Ward is standing next to the car in the first photo. The cars are Gemini Mk2.

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This is a really sensational thread Roger, incredibly enjoyable. The Monaco Formula Junior shots are gorgeous!

Below is an evocative photo of work being done in the paddock at Brands Hatch on Boxing Day 1959. On the left is Les Redmond who was the designer and constructor of the Moorland race cars and the early Gemini race cars. Les went on to design many sports and single seater cars and should have more recognition for his work. On the right is Derek (Del) Taylor who was Les' nephew and he worked as a young gaffer at The Chequered Flag race team.

Del came out to NZ last year to catch up with the first Gemini Mk2 car built that had a great race history in the UK, Sebring, Cuba and El Salvador. Nigel Russell and I found it in Texas three years ago and bought it back to NZ and passed it onto Mike Sexton who has just about completed a superb restoration.

The photo below is particularly significant as it shows the first ever Ford Cosworth engine used in competition. The engine was put into the team bosses (Graham Warner) car but it threw a flywheel in practice and the engine was transferred to the works Lotus 18.

This race at Brands on Boxing Day 1959 was very significant as it was :

- the first race for a Ford Cosworth engine
- the first race for a rear engine Lotus
- the first single seater race for Jim Clark
- the first outing for a Lola single seater (a car I now have)

Not bad for one race.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by RogerH

Below is an evocative photo of work being done in the paddock at Brands Hatch on Boxing Day 1959. On the left is Les Redmond who was the designer and constructor of the Moorland race cars and the early Gemini race cars. Les went on to design many sports and single seater cars and should have more recognition for his work. On the right is Derek (Del) Taylor who was Les' nephew and he worked as a young gaffer at The Chequered Flag race team.

Del came out to NZ last year to catch up with the first Gemini Mk2 car built that had a great race history in the UK, Sebring, Cuba and El Salvador. Nigel Russell and I found it in Texas three years ago and bought it back to NZ and passed it onto Mike Sexton who has just about completed a superb restoration.

The photo below is particularly significant as it shows the first ever Ford Cosworth engine used in competition. The engine was put into the team bosses (Graham Warner) car but it threw a flywheel in practice and the engine was transferred to the works Lotus 18.

This race at Brands on Boxing Day 1959 was very significant as it was :

- the first race for a Ford Cosworth engine
- the first race for a rear engine Lotus
- the first single seater race for Jim Clark
- the first outing for a Lola single seater (a car I now have)

Not bad for one race.

http://img820.imageshack.us/img820/5816/dia0050.jpg

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..Just Brilliant,the sentiment is not wasted on us out here,look forward to more..............................regards thunder427:)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RogerH

Below is an evocative photo of work being done in the paddock at Brands Hatch on Boxing Day 1959. On the left is Les Redmond who was the designer and constructor of the Moorland race cars and the early Gemini race cars. Les went on to design many sports and single seater cars and should have more recognition for his work. On the right is Derek (Del) Taylor who was Les' nephew and he worked as a young gaffer at The Chequered Flag race team.

Del came out to NZ last year to catch up with the first Gemini Mk2 car built that had a great race history in the UK, Sebring, Cuba and El Salvador. Nigel Russell and I found it in Texas three years ago and bought it back to NZ and passed it onto Mike Sexton who has just about completed a superb restoration.

The photo below is particularly significant as it shows the first ever Ford Cosworth engine used in competition. The engine was put into the team bosses (Graham Warner) car but it threw a flywheel in practice and the engine was transferred to the works Lotus 18.

This race at Brands on Boxing Day 1959 was very significant as it was :

- the first race for a Ford Cosworth engine
- the first race for a rear engine Lotus
- the first single seater race for Jim Clark
- the first outing for a Lola single seater (a car I now have)

Not bad for one race.

http://img820.imageshack.us/img820/5816/dia0050.jpg

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Amazing Roger, have you checked those claims with the unquestionable knowledge of DM?

Whenever old Cooper and McLaren mechanics talked to me about dirt floor workshops where they built the cars I found it hard to truly relate to. Not any more seeing those shots of the Gemini "factory".

What a thread! Thanks Roger.

Digressing slightly from Brad's photos, in 1959 Brad was involved with the construction of the first Gemini race car - a Mk2 front engine Formula Junior powered by an A Series BMC engine. This car ran at Brands Hatch in October 1959 but was then entered by the US Gemini agent at Sebring in the FJ race at the US F1 GP meeting in December 1959. This necessitated the Gemini to be air freighted to Sebring where it was driven by local "hot shoe" Joe Sheppard for the owner Duncan Forlong. Forlong subsequently raced the car at Daytona, Havana Cuba and El Salvador. It then was sold on but put into storage in a rose nursery in Texas for 40 years where Nigel Russell and I bought it in 2008. We then passed it on at cost to Mike Sexton who is restoring it to race.

Gemini at Brands Hatch - October 1959
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Gemini Mk2 at Sebring December 1959.
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Gemini in Cuba just after Castro had taken over.
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Racing in El Salvador.
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Arrival in NZ.
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2010 - Brad Ward, Nigel Russell and me with the Gemini Brad built over 50 years ago.
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A fantastic thread and some really evocative photos. Thanks for sharing these.

I have read about the old lockups that were used by the early car builders - but what a dogs breakfast to try and work in and build top class race cars. A couple of these photos show that graphically. I'll bet they were damned cold in winter - like an old refirgerator.

Great to see one of the old Gemini front engines cars here in NZ especially with so much local association.

A couple more photos of the Gemini works "factory" - Brad holding the garage cat.

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At John Sprinzel's garage where Brad worked after The Chequered Flag. Sprinzel built up race Austin Healey Sprites. Far left is Australian race driver Paul Hawkins who went on to race F1 in a Brabham and Lotus. He was killed in 1969 in a Lola T70 crash. Middle is a race mechanic from Jamaica, who according to Brad could lift an A Series engine out of the engine bay without a hoist.
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Roger, these photos are just stunning. Thanks so much for sharing. Paul Hawkins was quite a character. He was extremely outspoken in a press conference at the 1968 Sebring 12 Hour race when his John Wyer GT40 was eliminated by a Javelin driven by Janet Guthrie and Liane Engeman. Engeman had outbraked herself and nearly stopped on the track, and was hit by a Porsche 911, right behind which was the Hawkins/David Hobbs GT40 which was comfortably leading the race.

Hawkins was quoted as saying: "The bloody awful girls are not remotely qualified to go motor racing. The bloody birds were all over the bloody road. Birds belong either in the bloody kitchen or the bloody bedroom, and if they're no good in the kitchen, send them back to the bloody bedroom. They were only in it for the publicity".

Hi All, Inoted the photos on this thread of Richard Izard at the 1960 Nurburgring. I have known Richard for quite some time so I sent this link off to him to catch up with. He was really interested and would be interested in joining but is flat out at the moment with another project. However he passed on some notes that I will post here for members.


Richard. "I am still a car nut and take cars onto the Taupo track whenever I get a chance. I was quite heavily involved in motorsport in the early fifrties through to my last race at Pukekohe in the 1963 Wills 6 hour race driving a Triumph Vitesse Six saloon. My exploits in England and Europe included the Nurburgring 500 km international race and as reserve driver for Standard Triumph in the 1960 Le Mans 24 hour race. I could not drive in this race due to the tragic loss of life of 2 employees in a Canadian race. I was sidelined by the Directors of Standard Triumph because of the potential litigation as an employee if I had an accident. I should have resigned as an employee of the company for that week. I did not think of it at the time. I subsequently raced for them under sponsorship.

I must admit I had a hell of a lot of fun in those days and won a number of rally and mionor racing events in mostly entirely unsuitabke machinery. Probably my main claim to fame was driving Triumph swing axle products in the most unorthodox manner.

I would really like to meet up with enthusiasts again. It was sad about Brad. I will never forget our trip to the Nurburgring with him as my mechanic. There are some real stories to be told".

Hopefully we can get Richard to join in and sdhare his experiences.

Some more photos from Brad's collection :

Graham Warner (owner of The Chequered Flag and still around aged 82) with Jim Clark at Brands Hatch Boxing Day 1959 leaning on Warner's Elite 147 VMK which turned into LOV 1.
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In the paddock - Gemini Mk2 in the foreground.
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A line up of Lotus Elite and XK Jaguars
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In the paddock - Gemini Mk2 in the foreground.
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....Spot,under the 'Dunlop' sign, a 'Genuine' Lotus 'Super Seven' ,young lady body language seems to be saying .."and how many laps is this race,because I'm getting cold,Bradley!!, are you listening to me?,I don't want to be driving home in the contraption ,with its noisey exhaust,I couldn't hear for two weeks last time,I'm only telling you this becuase that lovely,handsome Myles Johnson has offered me a ride home and his Blue Jag thingy it at least has a roof...Bradley are you listening to me"!!!!?

Sequal to the story; young Bradley,who came from fine monied stock ,Knowing Johnson was usually broke and probably had the Jag on HP,promptly traded the 'super Seven on the Jag with a Guarantee to pay out the loan company,wisked young Audrey away to a life of Maritail Bliss,where after many years of 'Nagging' they divorced,she got the Estate,Sadley,Bradley went looking for the 'answer to life' in the bottom of the regular Red Label Johnny Walker Bottle.

Mean time Johnson, working hard to make a quid,with which to impress 'The Lovely' Audrey',married to that rich 'pratt', hit on a plan to make 'replica' Lotus Super Seven's,thus affording the average enthuisast the chance to 'Race or Rallye',a World wide success!!!!,'money in the bank 'as they say...been years since he thought about That Young...."What was her Name,Nice arse!!.........then one day while looking for a Estate property to buy,who do you think he bumped into!!!!!!!!!!!?:cool:.......................regards thunder427/MJ.................PS,would you buy a Replica 'Super Seven from this Man!!??:p

Quote:

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Originally Posted by kiwi285

Hi All, Inoted the photos on this thread of Richard Izard at the 1960 Nurburgring. I have known Richard for quite some time so I sent this link off to him to catch up with. He was really interested and would be interested in joining but is flat out at the moment with another project. However he passed on some notes that I will post here for members.


Richard. "I am still a car nut and take cars onto the Taupo track whenever I get a chance. I was quite heavily involved in motorsport in the early fifrties through to my last race at Pukekohe in the 1963 Wills 6 hour race driving a Triumph Vitesse Six saloon. My exploits in England and Europe included the Nurburgring 500 km international race and as reserve driver for Standard Triumph in the 1960 Le Mans 24 hour race. I could not drive in this race due to the tragic loss of life of 2 employees in a Canadian race. I was sidelined by the Directors of Standard Triumph because of the potential litigation as an employee if I had an accident. I should have resigned as an employee of the company for that week. I did not think of it at the time. I subsequently raced for them under sponsorship.

I must admit I had a hell of a lot of fun in those days and won a number of rally and mionor racing events in mostly entirely unsuitabke machinery. Probably my main claim to fame was driving Triumph swing axle products in the most unorthodox manner.

I would really like to meet up with enthusiasts again. It was sad about Brad. I will never forget our trip to the Nurburgring with him as my mechanic. There are some real stories to be told".

Hopefully we can get Richard to join in and sdhare his experiences.

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Good to hear that Richard enjoyed the photos from the Nurburgring 500. Here are a couple more from Brad. the first is the Triumph dealership in Germany associated with Wolfgang Daewel and the second are some people Brad said were connected with the team.

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Fantastic - Great to see and can imagine there would be some really great stories to go with some of those shots

Some more Brad photos from his trip to Zandvoort in 1960 as part of the Lotus Elite "The Chequered Flag" team.

The fastest Porsche driven by Wim Poll.
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Loading the team Elite onto the ship for the trip.
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In the paddock (or should it be the sandhills).
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At the Nurburgring 500. A Fiat Abarth 750. Appears to be the car of Carel Godin de Beaufort and Inge Pawlowicz.
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Wow Roger these photos are mesmerising. I'm really enjoying this thread. Each photo is so rich with detail, even the backgrounds are fascinating. Thanks so much for posting these.

When Brad was at Brands Hatch at the Boxing Day meeting 1959 there was a motorised bathtub that was raced around the circuit by Graham Hill - his quickest lap was 2 min 59.7.

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Graham Hill at Nurburgring 1962 in the same bathtub.
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Photo by Ted Langton-Adams, copyright Eric Faulks

These are just gold Roger. That thing looks seriously dangerous. Love the fact it has a rego number and lights. I take it Hill didn't do a full lap of the Nurburgring?

I just wanted to bump this thread back to the top, for anyone who hasn't had the pleasure of seeing these pics.

Another photo from the Brad Ward collection.

This is a Lister Costin Jaguar but I'm not sure what the Castrol contraption is behind the car. It seems a bit "over kill" for an oil dispenser.

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Roger, stunning photo! I wonder if it was an oil dispenser used at race meetings by Castrol for teams?

Were those Costin bodied Listers any more effective than the standard bodied cars?

When I talked to Brad he thought he had taken the photo at the docks as he use to deliver sports cars there that had been sold by The Chequered Flag to the US (I have some photos of these).
If you look carefully, the car seems to be sitting on a weigh bridge and I wondered if the Castrol machines were used to purge oil out of the car prior to shipment?

Yes it does look like a weigh bridge, now you mention it. But that Castrol machine just looks too clean and shiny for its surroundings to be a permanent fixture. But you could well be correct. Maybe it was just newly installed.

I'm looking forward to seeing more photos.

Some more photos from Brad Ward - cars delivered by him and his mates to the docks - sold by his employer The Chequered Flag to buyers in the US.

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Thanks Roger, these are just magic! I wonder how effective that cover on the Alpine was at keeping the rain out. Some of those Austins and Hillmans I didn't even know were sent to the US. Can't have been exported in large numbers?

Wow, awesome thread!

Brad must have been over the moon to be reunited with the Gemini he built!

Some more photos from Brad.

Graham Warner in LOV 1
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Monaco 28 May 1960. Graham Warner Gemini Mk2 #102, Geoff Duke Gemini Mk2 #98, Kurt Lincoln Cooper T52 #60 (this car is now in Australia)
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Working in the paddock on a Gemini Mk2 - Les Redmond (car designer) and Del (the gaffer).
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Another paddock shot - warner's Elite LOV 1 in the foreground.
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Paddock at Brands?. Graham Warner getting into the Gemini Mk2 - Les Redmond in the front.
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Roger, these are stunning!