I have very fond memories of this, but don't seem to be able to find much.
Anyone?
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I have very fond memories of this, but don't seem to be able to find much.
Anyone?
How many years did they run it for Rhys? I don't think it was on the championship trail so didn't get the media coverage that other events did. There are a couple of great photos floating about of Red Dawson in his Willys coupe and Garth Souness in the Morrari from Matamata.
I believe it ran for 2 years. The old man was Town Clerk there. There were plenty of articles and photos in Motorman, Almost all the "names" took part with every class imaginable.
Yep, I remember these meetings. Saw my first E Type Jag and Gordon Keeble at the Matamata races. Must have been 63 & 64 I think
I am pretty sure it was not 63, as we did not live there then. 64 and 65 or 65 and 66. I could have confirmed this if the council official newspaper cutting books had not been sent to the Turnbull after Mum died last year, as she collated them.
Certainly Andy Buchanan and co were there as I remember that he won the feature one year in the Brabham (?)
Definitely 64 and 65. I went to the first one, but not the second
Ten points for whoever can identify the Spitfire driver:
The Spitfire Man. Perhaps someone who was more often seen in small saloons and bigger single-seaters?
Stu
I would think that description fits
The circuit appears to be the same for both years.
Attachment 12662
Fantastic thread, lets keep this going. Thanks for starting this Rhys.
I was there ,first time I ever saw a car with dual wheels, a Dodge or ???plus around the fuel tanks at Mt Maunganui was the same time Frank Matich in a Lotus 19 ?? and a Brabham?? cleaned up. Archibald in a Mk2 Jag also ran I think
I just have to ask but did Archibald ever race that MK11 Jag in the North Island? I am sure he was never at Levin as I remember allways wishing he was going to be there
Colin Lumsden in the Dodge Kingsway? I remember him coming out of the Loop at Puke, standing on it and the back of the car was hidden totally by tyre smoke!Quote:
Originally Posted by jim short
Archibald was in those 6hr races at Puke .Sadly I never saw him ,only wheels I had back then had Ped??? on the side a convertable top one or two pusher motors now fifty years ago.I did see him up close in 64 Ardmore reunion at Puke.had to look fast as he wasnt along side for very long plus Marwood was stuck to my bumper in stock standard v8 Rover ..No he woundnt BS me.Years later Ernie Spraque told me Ray changed his diff ratio to suit
I sure remember the dual wheel Dodge, imagine trying get past, it must have 8 feet wide! Also Rod Coppins Mark II battling with a
Mini Cooper, maybe Brian Innes? How good was that when the Motor Racing came to our hometown, seem to remember there was
so much anti feeling from the residents about noise, damage to property etc that it was canned after the 2 meetings. Nothing
changes! Does anyone recall the Matamata Airfield grass track meetings? Must have been 1956-57? You couldn't see much of
the racing, only the start, the rest of it was under a huge cloud of dust. By the end of the day the cars had dug a trench around each
corner. Some great old cars tho', I think the Lycoming was there on one occassion. My first introduction to motorsport.
The dual-wheel Dodge was a DeSoto. Ended up with a Corvette engine and disc brakes, IIRC
Ray Archibald raced his Mk2s at Ardmore, Ohakea and Pukekohe (GP meeting as well as 6hr)
There were also grasstrack at Waharoa in the 60s or 70s, I am not sure when but as we did not live there for long it had to be between 64 and 70. I remember the first Hillman Imp I had seen racing, apparently faster in 3rd than top according to the commentator. Lycoming was there with Jim Boyd.
Of course there was Raglan grasstrack around the same period
Well I must have seen Ray at Ardmore as I only missed the first year 54 ,I clearly remember Tom Clark big Mk 7 Cantwell running out of petrol in blue XK 140 ,Bob Gibons in the pale blue D Type plus the two Ferrari sport cars that I have so many debates over the years NOT the same Jenson had a 3.4 motor . a 860, whartons was a 750, different bonets and grills ,yet most reports say they were the same ,strange I do remember Ray he had the whole front covered with tape looked ugly I think??
This meeting at Waharoa was held on March 4 1961.Quote:
Originally Posted by Oldfart
Attachment 12776
Attachment 12777
Attachment 12778
The 3.8 Jaguar that ran at the Mount the year Matich competed (1963) was driven by John Ward from Gisborne.Quote:
Originally Posted by jim short
So did Archibald race there at all I think perhaps Jim Palmer may have won instead of Matich???? Met Matich at a cycle Fair in LA about 17yrs. ago joined a group to ask about his cycle helmets{headway brand} when my turn came I asked hin about racing around the fuel tanks at the Mount ,He was pleased to remember!!
Hi Gang Raced there 2 times good fun Jamie A
Thanks for that programme Milan, clears up a few things with Bucklers too!
Do you have any programmes for Mid 60s at Waharoa? I know they happened, and of course Raglan too!
Sometimes my spelling is so crap! Changed now. My english teacher at school would be turning.
Well done Milan, some great names and cars on that programme, thanks for having the foresight to keep a piece of paper most of us
threw in the bin the next day! My apologies for calling it Matamata Airfield (as it is now) back then it was always called Waharoa
Aerodrome.
The Car Club calls it the Waharoa Aerodrome but the Piako Aero Club disagrees.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rex Bentham
"The Piako Aero Club once again welcomes the Hamilton Car Club to Matamata Airfield. We hope this day will be as successful and safe as all previous meetings. G. Fromm, President, Piako Aero Club.
Outstanding thread. I'm really enjoying this. Thanks Milan for your postings. You never cease to amaze me with what you have in your collection.
The driver of the silver 3.8 Jaguar at the Matamata and Mt Maunganui street races was Chris Keehan, from Central Hawkes Bay, a popular member of the local Car Club. Chris and other club members shared car rides and motels to keep costs down while trekking to race meetings from HB. I've got a photo somewhere of group members sharing a meal before Sunday racing started at Matamata. Included in the photo is Angus Hyslop's race engineer/mechanic Bill Hanna, Nigel ? (raced a fast dark green Fiat saloon), the Cooper single-seater driver Bruce Webster and a young motoring writer from The Napier Daily Telegraph. It was an extremely cold Winter morning!Quote:
Originally Posted by jim short
I think Mt maunganui street races ran for 2 yrs??? I think Archibald took part, also prety shure Dennis Marwood as well in a Humber 80
Not sure I saw a definitive answer on this - Is it Reginald Cook?Quote:
Originally Posted by David McKinney
Sorry that's the only Waharoa programme, but I do have this one from another Hamilton Car Club Grass Track Meeting held in 1970.Quote:
Originally Posted by Oldfart
Attachment 13336
Attachment 13337
Attachment 13338
Yes two years 1962 and '63. Alistair McBeath in '62 and John Ward in '63 drove the only two Jaguar saloons that raced at that circuit.Quote:
Originally Posted by jim short
Attachment 13339
Attachment 13340
I've just noticed my scanner has chopped off the top line of the 1963 list.
52 Fuller, R. W. Wellington Humber 80 Fuller Motor Bodies Ltd
There wasn't. Just someone with an answer being secretive. Newspaper report said "K.Grant". Drove A40/Lotus Cortina? Brabham 2.5.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lurker
Don't know if he ever drove a Spitfire at other meetings. Someone who lived at the other end of N Island might.
Stu
Chris Keehan did race the Jag at Matamata (and Ahuriri) but not, I think, ay the MountQuote:
Originally Posted by David Manton
Kerry Grant raced the Spitfire at Ruapuna and then Matamata, then sold it to my mate Ian PinkertonQuote:
Originally Posted by stubuchanan
norm agnew
Quote:
Originally Posted by David McKinney
No, it's Kerry Grant
Are You Sure????
Yes he is sure!Quote:
Originally Posted by rogered
Agnew drove a Spitfire numbered 23 in 1965.
Grant drove the Spitfire pictured, numbered 31, in 1964.
The answer - somewhat late is ... Kerry Grant in the Spitfire.Quote:
Originally Posted by David McKinney
as seen in this photo
Sadly David cannot award the ten points [ RIP David McKinney and RIP Kerry Grant recently ].
This is a Morrie Given photo as found in the Scott - Given Studio archives on the events in Matamata.
Attachment 67617
and this photo from Bob Homewood archives. Think the same photo that started the question in the earlier post..
Attachment 67618
The car is also in this group - photo by Alan Boyle
Attachment 67619
I posted the Scott - Given series of photos on my Dunedin Thread - but perhaps they could be repeated here.
This thread was started in 2012 before I joined TRS and I don't think I have looked at it before.