So there we have it, 20 years have passed with fond memory's by all no doubt. RIP to Baypark(the track), Peter Hanna and Graham Pierce.
Dale M
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So there we have it, 20 years have passed with fond memory's by all no doubt. RIP to Baypark(the track), Peter Hanna and Graham Pierce.
Dale M
I was probably there. I lived about 10 minutes away from the track and often popped over to see what was happening. Now my nearest track is an hour 50 away - 300km round trip.
Taking a nervous pee, then getting ready to start a reverse grid race that I'd end up winning at my only time to race there.
First weekend in April 1995, was secretary/timekeeper for the MGCC Otaua Hillclimb...
First National Meeting at Bay Park programme cover. 1967.
Attachment 28582
Fifty years ago, here!
http://www.progcovers.com/motor/mallory650419.jpg
Yep remember that weekend as if it was yesterday ........was fun , exciting ,& cold as the party continued late into the night & a little sadness .....we move on ........
I was there. Some awesome racing and a whole lot of burnouts to say goodbye.
I was there too in my Cooper S which I still own. Started the last race ever at Bay Park in pole position, (reverse grid) and by shamelessly jumping the start lead onto the back straight before getting passed by everyone. I shared my car with Steve O'Donoghue. Saw and had some great racing there. Raced my Fiat 125T in a Glenvale 500. Flipped a FF there at the right hander when it rode over someone elses wheels. My fault. A great series of pictures in Motorman.Quote:
Originally Posted by CobraV8
Man I miss that circuit, it just had a magical aura to it and I kinda liked running the old sidchrome and the pre65 mustang there being left hook it was good being by the inside of the corner for a change. I can still remember the HQ boys when we camped at the track, man did they party hard and would go till 2 in the morning. It would have been interesting if they had been breathalised before they went out for their race that day. Usually the racing got stopped for a few minutes in the day while the fire crew put out the toitois atop the front straight bleachers to the cheers of the "Fridge Club" lol. Golden days!!
How would a new( old Bay Park) go down today.Quote:
Originally Posted by George Sheweiry
Would be great eh Custaxie.....we all know the story [stories] of the old circuit closing , I personally love the shape of track..... but as we move on [evolve] the old track was soon to become too small ......a larger version would be great ......there were a lot of rumpty dumpty building not to mention the drainage & flooding,new toilets, ....roads needed sealing etc etc... BUT hey it worked did it not , Pete had a band of friends helping out , even Denny would bring his new ride on mower & cut the grass on embankment......Tauranga & the Mount did not realise how much revenue Bay Park was generating until it was gone , perhaps give MQ a ring ????????????
Good point Grant, the revenue that flooded into the accommodation and hospitality establishments of Tauranga and the Mount over the Xmas/New Year period when their big meetings were on would have been massive, I actually worked at Willow Park for a couple of summers in the early '80s (so after their real boom years) and on race weekends the joint was hopping even then. Let alone the Oceanside, Bayfair pub etc, bottle shops all over town and all the motorcamps. And for all the summer fun in the sun of a race day and gallons of grog consumed, I never saw a punch thrown, it was just folk having fun.
Something I doubt the dickheads of today could manage...
I was told by someone who was involved with the tourism industry that it was a million dollars plus for a big meeting. That was 20 years ago when a million dollars was a lot of money.Quote:
Originally Posted by GD66
Well said GD66....love your response.......Willow Park ...a few pubs on the strand [St Amand] etc etc were all iconic before I arrived in Tga .. The stories are not as prolific as they used to be but there were some beauts......Bay fair was the one after practice ....there is a new one there now , have visited it probably twice in ten years called invibe .....as for the St Amand that was a biggy I managed to have a game of pool there & a beer or 3 with Dad in mid 70,s while racing GTX ........Tga being the draw card for Gary [the weather] to move up north ..later on I came up to be with Gary... If it was not for Bay Park we would not have met up with Peter & the lovely people here in Tga
You say you never saw a punch thrown, I thought I read somewhere that Grimme had to sort out a few attitude problems at the park, I don't know if he knows any other way to do that.Quote:
Originally Posted by GD66
The last time I went to Bay Park was at the end of 1975, almost 40 years ago. After being in England, at tracks with limited visibility,I thoroughly enjoyed being close to the track and watching cars all the way around the circuit. It was great to see the big banger saloon cars come out but my old photos do not do justice to the occasion.
This was the first time Allan Moffat was not driving a Ford.
More information on his white # 7 DeKon Monza can be found at this site.
http://www.transamcars.com/content/200/200history.pdf
My photos from that day are a bit rough but they do show the crowd size etc..great memories.
Attachment 28747
Attachment 28752
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[
( Ken Hyndman photos )
Then...
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And now :(
Attachment 28750
Gallons of grog consumed? I went to the big New Year 1971 meeting with a mate Laurie and his girlfriend. We were in our early twenties, so docile looking we would have fitted in at a bible class camp. At one point Laurie asked if I wanted a beer and pulled a couple of cans out of his bag. Before we even opened them a teenaged prat in a white coat was standing in front of us and demanding we get rid of it or he would have us evicted. Laurie had to take his cans back to his car.Quote:
Originally Posted by GD66
Yea Weeeeeeelll you see motor racing & beer seems to go hand in hand , as for the d....k heads [TOO PC] some I feel spoil it for others , some times back then my crew were very in control & had a few & laughs and plenty. of innocent fun ... perhaps as a bit older now I look back we pushed the boundaries , but we were all business men & were responsible........ I am a person that does not like to be dictated to by a d....k head, but I nod my head .....[under my breath I say wake up son ...get back in the real world] BUT by saying this there must still be some rules in place to stop drink driving etc.even if it saves one life as you cant put a price on that can you ????...... we have all done it.......its the young [some older] blind drunk ones the need their wings clipped....... HEY I love the NOW photo of Bay Park.. the way the new housing has all different coloured roofs to show the old area
hey Grant,
That is your uncle Leo in the # 4 PDL Mustang. How are you related ? Did you ever get to drive this magnificent machine ?
Geez they were great days at the Mount and Bay Park, although my wife thought the racing was boring after the first 2 laps and took a nap in the stands !
Perhaps it was all the racing fumes !
( Ken H )
LOL , Hi Ken from a beautiful crisp Tauranga morning, The connection with Leo ..... he & Maureen use to baby sit us kids , Leo was Dads apprentice at Sprague motors.. & it all went from there Leo is a close friend indeed, as for the PDL mustang I would have been a young teen , or starting out doing club events...at that point & time Gary was to go to UK & work for F1 , Ernie had about enough of motor racing & needed a spell , Leo was in line to be asked to drive the PDL mustang along with Graeme Baker etc a few were lucky enough to get a drive , now good friend Roy McDonald owns that car , ex SI pre 65 champ.....from Dunein....hope you & wife all good over there my good friend ........... GrantQuote:
Originally Posted by khyndart in CA
..
Hey Grant,
Here is one just for you. Thank you for thanking Peter and all those who gave us Bay Park. ( You will never know all the "stuff" I have packed in my suitcase over the years and dragged back here to Los Olivos !... I hope you don't mind me doing this.)
Attachment 28796
( Ken Hyndman )
April 1995. The end of an era.
Attachment 28797
(Scrapbook cutting from Bay of Plenty Times)
(Ken Hyndman )
Thank you Ken...... I love the coloured photo of Bay Park . I could melt into it .....I am just sitting at home with my girls .& the big one lol .... having a cup of T after a beautiful meal & a red ........ Reminiscing on that pik of Bay Park .......just so cool ......Hey isn't F1 interesting at present ....... very exciting .......Thank you Ken
We were all spoilt back then. No comments are needed from me.
Attachment 28799
You can add Beechey, both Geoghegans, Moffat, Davy Jones, Roberto Moreno, Keke Rosberg, Frank Gardner, Phillipe Streiff, Allen Berg etc, all were great names at international level.
Not to forget Mike Thackwell & Jos Verstappen .....coming here to sharpen their pencil .... during their winter [seat time ] here in NZ ...
Some more cuttings from the Bay of Plenty Times of the last day at Baypark Raceway. April 1995.
Attachment 28800
Attachment 28801
Attachment 28803
(Ken Hyndman scrapbook )
I was at this meet in Dec. 1971 and watched Graeme drive this Lola T 300. It had so much potential but sadly the Pukekohe accident ended all that.
Attachment 28804
( Ken Hyndman )
If only I had a crystal ball ! Here are some Honda prices in April 1995. I could have spent $ 30,000 to buy a decent car that would not be worth much today. Apple stock at that time was about $ 5.00 per share. If I had brought 6000 shares then instead of the Honda they would have been worth about $ 4.5 million US today @ approx. $ 800.00 each before splitting etc..! I did neither, I just dream ..what if !
Attachment 28805
( Ken (the dreamer ) Hyndman )
April 1995. The final flag.
Thanks to Peter and Graham and all others involved in making Baypark and all the great memories that will never be forgotten. ( note what Graeme Lawrence said about the condition of the track )..a job jolly well done !
Attachment 28806
(Ken Hyndman ..with cuttings from the Bay of Plenty Times 1995 ))
[QUOTE=khyndart in CA;46531]We were all spoilt back then. No comments are needed from me.
I am always amazed at where my old photos appear....
Attachment 28807
I remember after receiving a press pass for Baypark we had to supply about six 6" X 8" prints to Peter Hanna for future press releases. His final collection must have been worth seeing!
Ross,
I am always amazed at your wonderful photography. This photo is so clear that my wife looked at it and said it proves that she is not the only woman that gets bored at the races because your photo shows about 4 women and approx. 30 guys in the background crowd.
So there you have it, your great photos are used for all sorts of reasons. The camera never lies ! (You have fans all over the world )
(Ken Hyndman )
Cheers Ken,Quote:
Originally Posted by khyndart in CA
If I remember rightly these Baypark meetings were usually during the height of summer at "the Mount" so most of the girlfriends and wives were happy to laze around on the beach and watch the "surfies". The lads filled a chilly bin and took off to Baypark to watch the racing, eat hot dogs and chips and generally have a good day. There wasn't a lot of shade at the track so the first thing to do on the way home was to jump into the sea for a cool off!!
I can remember a lot of competitors ending up in swimming pools also after the racing - but that's another thread all on its own......