John are you guys racing that weekend ? if so what other classes .Originally Posted by John McKechnie
As you can see I am out of touch with meeting & classes....... most weekends taken up with my family , now that the girls are up & running I am freeing up a bit more time to be able to get a bit more involved......
Grant- it will be like the last meeting at BayPark- TACCOC.
Lovely period saloons, I definitely will be there with Smurf as Dale has got us in. Sunday 8th.
Anyone out there got more pics from the last meeting at BayPark ?-I dug out the last of mine from the dusty archives.
Since it was the very last meeting I even took 2 pics, must be others out there, cant blame Dale , he was out of the country.
I never met Peter Hanna, but one of my customers- now deceased- that bought the site informed me the seller told him that if the ground rent had been paid even a little bit more often, the track would have stayed
John thank you...... hey as for Bay Park there were all sorts of rumours floating around , I knew Pete quite well, a bit of a Jackel & Hyde , as we all know Peter was not well & probably had enough any way , one of his trick sayings [throat cancer ] we would all meet up at Tga CT Club on a thurs night he would say quote " just got back from doctors" they found some panty hose & ingrown pubic hair down my throat, & he would just burst out laughing , I knew how to handle him, as did most of his close buddies , he would always give us the key to bay park for private testing ...........but hey thats history as well . as for piks I sent one of anglia to Steve to add to links re last race there , pik taken on infield R/hander...... an other of Pete & I at Puke [having a few beers] before a pre 65 & GP meet in the puke local, Steve might post that one not sure......ok better do some work mate ....... Grant
Peter was a very generous guy although he and I didn't get off to a good start. My first race there in a FFord fell off the the sweeper and jumped the bank, unfortunately ran over several people. Peter was unimpressed (understatement), said if I wanted to F-g fly I should race a F-g Cessna. Later on, after I moved to Tauranga we became good friends and like Grant Sprague mentioned, often got to run testing for no charge.
At last! I was one of "those people" you ran over. Talk about heartless! You didn't even visit me in hospital to give an explanation or apologise. You wouldn't know what it's like to spend your life with a prosthetic leg and a prosthetic dick. It's miserable! I still feel it's there but when I look all I can see is a piece of plastic fashioned from a used coke bottle.
If I ever find out where you live I'll poison you with Waikato draught.
Russ how could you give some one that stuff world war one & two plus mustard gas are over .... wiakato... & .. lion red a close 2nd ..there is a new life out there now new beers , try drowning him in bliss ..........
Russ, Now I know why they call you "Coke Cunningham". I thought it was because you were a old hand dealer.
Definitely Easter 1995. The programme is headed The Final Motor Race Meeting Before Circuit Closure.
Practice Day - Sat April 15 - Race Day Sunday April 16 1995.
There were races for Holden HQ, NZ Truck Championship, Mazda RX7, Pre-65 Saloons, Muscle & Classic Cars, SS2000 Saloons, BMC Intermarque Classic Cars, Formula Vee, Sports Sedans, Minis and Superkarts.
Agree it was Easter 1995 I ran my Triumph Vitesse in the classic class. Also raced Formula Vee there for a number of years and from memory it was good when it was fine but not so good when wet. The problem with racing at Baypark it was usually on the long weekends and Saturday night was always party night so I never got to go well on sunday unless the family came and had to go to bed early and sober. Lyall Zohs has a great yarn about one of our trips there.
Milan- thanks for this posting. I do remember running pre65, Muscle and TACCOC Classics
I think I even remember talking to Dexter Dunlop who was running a RX-7.
Marwood was having dinner with us and I asked him what year he chased the Easter Bunny- didnt even twig what I was on about- sounds familiar.- so told him of the May 1971 Motorman racing article and how he was one of our heroes and one of the reasons we were racing our Mustangs.
And, no, we didnt go to Willow Park as they all did then.
Oh, yes, drove down to the airport to gas up, I think there were 8 of us.-Yes,sir we have 4 P-51Ds and they all need refueling...........
Just a thought- if Peter Hanna had charged for practices , there could have been more money to pay for the lease on the track
Last edited by John McKechnie; 11-08-2013 at 07:44 PM.
It was definitely May 1995, I took my Blue/White trans am Mustang to run in Sports sedans and my pre 65 mustang to run in pre65s which was the last round for the series and I was in the lead for overall points and class with Derek Mitchell in 2nd spot. During practice for the sport Sedans I came out of the long left hander onto the straight and once I was able to get back on power it pulled the top center arm of the 3 link on the diff right off the chassis putting me out for the weekends Sports sedan races. Next thing I know there is Rick Cooper holding out $200 dollars in his hand and telling me go home tonight and get your Camaro and run it in the Muscle car race tomorrow. Well you didnt have to ask me twice, I was gone and I raced the car the next day in the handicap race and I just love handicap races as I had done so many at Baypark in Sports sedans and managed to win the Muscle car race on the Sunday. The last race of the day was a Handicap flying farewell and on the second to last lap I got into the lead and had Owen Evans German dust cart behind me and we both nailed it out of pit corner on the short straight to champion and the Camaro shimmered under hard braking and ran slightly wide, Evans tucked the Porsche in tight and as we both nailed it out of champion I could see the crowd serge forward to the fence and bugger me if the old girl didnt smoke his ass down the front straight till we got to the sweeper and boy did they like that, anyway he darted by as we turned in, the better brakes/suspension making its mark. Mean while in the pre 65 Mustang I won the first race on the Saturday and clinched the overall and class title for the season, but the Mustang had developed a bad steering to the left under braking and with the trip back to Auckland and everything else that was going on I didnt have time to fix it so I thought I will just have to be careful on braking. So on Sunday race 2, the last race for pre 65 I started off the back behind Derek Mitchell and we just went for it, we carved thru the field and on about lap 5 we caught up with Peter Butler in his EH holden as we got close to the braking area to pit corner, he was in the middle of the track and holding his line as Mitchell was on the left and I was on the right of the track, Mitchell went down his left and I hesitated long enough to make sure he had seen me and wasnt going to come across on me so I went to dive down the inside and across he came. Not being a person that likes to biff and bash I jumped hard on the brakes and it just turned hard left and put me straight into the tractor tire and boy she hit hard. I would have been better off not braking as hard and would have dated him and doubt if there would have been much damage to either of us but then I dont do that, so there we are. Anyway the consolation prize was that I broke the lap record in that race and lowered it to 65.26. and that record can never be broken. Pretty cool I thought.
Last edited by George Sheweiry; 11-09-2013 at 09:32 AM.
This is the results of the meeting from the Auto Trader Magazine
George I remember that well.....I think that was a year or two before the last meeting ....... as I would be running with you in little Anglia [yellow one ex todd & pollick car] the reason I say this I was in the hill stand watching yr big hit into the tyres.. felt very sorry for you & the beautiful mustang....... was a big big hit...... so what I am saying is I had been racing the last pre 65 race , unless you crashed the car prior the last race in an other class , ..at the end of the day it matters diddley squat, but good to have the facts..amazing how we don't forget lap times shows how dedicated we were ...... we got the 4 cyl class down to 67 an a few tenths lol.....was so cool ......hard to head off the v8,s....then I woke up & joined the v/8 brigade boys.... hey I might be wrong that date but did watch the tyre hit from the stands we all genuinely felt for you my friend ............. Grant... ps .... tried to read the news paper cutting above date but no date ?......our door panels use to shake when the big v/8s went past , great years great fun........enjoyed the bantering .....
Last edited by Grant Sprague; 11-09-2013 at 10:17 AM.
Memorys are a funny thing alright Grant, but if you look at the result sheet just above where my lap time is circled you will see your name. No worrys mate I am quite partial to rum and cokes to!! lol
ha ha was waiting for the reply nononoononnoo I am not really a spirit drinker just good beer. not lion red or wiakato lol ,,, jokes aside was not sure that was the same meet ......... & does not really matter , was trying to work out how I watched the tyre hit ... but hey I might well be wrong .... did not drink beer between races lol ...waitiinnggggggggg lol
I definitely remember that race when you took the tyre out as I won it on count back to the previous lap!, My one and only time to race at Baypark.
I love yr Z28 brings back memories , Ernie ended up with a gold one imported from USA I think the plan was for super car races, Gary had the privilage to use it as a road car , it got sold & years later I found it , was then painted blue [properly], I had some fun with it around the town [Tauranga] then sold it to a guy down Wellington , I remember had plenty of grunt , & a big tall 1st gear ...... a good old super car , Do you still own it George????not like me I seem to have fun & move them on ....
It was definitely May 1995, I took my Blue/White trans am Mustang to run in Sports sedans and my pre 65 mustang to run in pre65s which was the last round for the series and I was in the lead for overall points and class with Derek Mitchell in 2nd spot. During practice for the sport Sedans I came out of the long left hander onto the straight and once I was able to get back on power it pulled the top center arm of the 3 link on the diff right off the chassis putting me out for the weekends Sports sedan races. Next thing I know there is Rick Cooper holding out $200 dollars in his hand and telling me go home tonight and get your Camaro and run it in the Muscle car race tomorrow. Well you didnt have to ask me twice, I was gone and I raced the car the next day in the handicap race and I just love handicap races as I had done so many at Baypark in Sports sedans and managed to win the Muscle car race on the Sunday. The last race of the day was a Handicap flying farewell and on the second to last lap I got into the lead and had Owen Evans German dust cart behind me and we both nailed it out of pit corner on the short straight to champion and the Camaro shimmered under hard braking and ran slightly wide, Evans tucked the Porsche in tight and as we both nailed it out of champion I could see the crowd serge forward to the fence and bugger me if the old girl didnt smoke his ass down the front straight till we got to the sweeper and boy did they like that, anyway he darted by as we turned in, the better brakes/suspension making its mark. Mean while in the pre 65 Mustang I won the first race on the Saturday and clinched the overall and class title for the season, but the Mustang had developed a bad steering to the left under braking and with the trip back to Auckland and everything else that was going on I didnt have time to fix it so I thought I will just have to be careful on braking. So on Sunday race 2, the last race for pre 65 I started off the back behind Derek Mitchell and we just went for it, we carved thru the field and on about lap 5 we caught up with Peter Butler in his EH holden as we got close to the braking area to pit corner, he was in the middle of the track and holding his line as Mitchell was on the left and I was on the right of the track, Mitchell went down his left and I hesitated long enough to make sure he had seen me and wasnt going to come across on me so I went to dive down the inside and across he came. Not being a person that likes to biff and bash I jumped hard on the brakes and it just turned hard left and put me straight into the tractor tire and boy she hit hard. I would have been better off not braking as hard and would have dated him and doubt if there would have been much damage to either of us but then I dont do that, so there we are. Anyway the consolation prize was that I broke the lap record in that race and lowered it to 65.26. and that record can never be broken. Pretty cool I thought.
Yes, I still have the Zcar Grant and now and then run it in Production Muscle cars, still with all its interior and without a cage. You and your brothers were certainly lucky buggers having a guy like Ernie as your dad. My dad didnt like me racing and so I was left to do it myself, and of course building my own cars and the engines and panel/painting them etc was a real learning curve for an electrician especially with everything being so secretive. But always the high lite was going to Baypark where the "officials" were human.
Bay Park officials were good to me at the last meeting- my brake light switch wasnt working.
The guy who checked my car, asked me if I had a replacement one , told him no.
He then said come back after scrutineering and he would help me out.
There was a trailbike near the office, said it was his, took the brake light switch off it and fitted it to the Mustang for me
I fitted back on the bike at the end of racing.
Dont know who he was, but was very kind, if he is reading this, -A big thumbs up.
John , this is the way it is supposed to be , as for Pete handing keys to gate for practice.. we all thought bay park was strong & took them with both hands like a circle of understanding people all pitching in .
George they are nice words , but not always as it seems....... my first race was in a fiat hr half hour production race , Ruapuna ,, the only thing Dad said [TRUE STORY] "see yr right foot it stays hard down" & that was it . Leo said to me the shortest way was the quickest I got confused thinking I must drive a round the in side of all corners .... lol a long story but did very well in first race found my own way around , but really George I am like you learnt my self , Gary was first of peaking order & Ernie was younger I have no problems at all with that we are a very close family as they did lots of B&H & Gary did 4 Bathursts, Ernie was an inspiration for sure a master mind & love him to bits, we had so much fun...... thanks for people like Kevin Ban , Grant Fitzpatrick , alby Collier, Roly Levis..&., supply sevices . other wise I would have been a spectator dreaming.
George I [we had dramas at Puke] really could not understand the silly things that went on like a bad energy thing when we arrived , lol, every one was out to be not happy & make yr day not happy , Pat was always good in documentation , always smiling loved that attitude , one or 3 others must have not had a good day lol , but respect them for being there regardless of their attitude , woow Ive gone on lol.....but always seemed same old same old walking on egg shells ........ could tell u more but lets move on some of them have ??
Last edited by Grant Sprague; 11-11-2013 at 08:41 AM.
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