New Zealand Hillclimbs

[RogerH]

Yeah I would have chosen the bank and rocks too Roger! Neat car by the way. Is it a Stanguellini or Volpini? What is its history? How about creating a thread about it? Would love to know more.

It is actually a 1959 Taraschi FJ built by Berardo Taraschi in Teramo, Italy. He built about 60 race cars but many were bike engined sports cars that ran in the likes of the Mille Miglia in the late 1940s and early 1950s. There were around 20 of the FJ cars made and about 6 are currently active worldwide. Mine raced mainly in the US at the likes of Watkins Glen, Sebring etc and it didn't have any notable drivers except for Kirk White who was a US Ferrari distributor and Brock Yates who originated the Cannonball Run and was involved with "Car and Driver" from memory. Brock contacted me a couple of years ago and wanted to buy the car back - he said it was his favourite race car although it had made him deaf in the right ear with the megaphone exhaust.
I have another single seater with a lot more history (currently with Bob Homewood getting it's engine tweaked) so I may put together a thread on it sometime.
Link to the Taraschi site : http://www.squadrataraschi.it/

[Steve Holmes]

It is actually a 1959 Taraschi FJ built by Berardo Taraschi in Teramo, Italy. He built about 60 race cars but many were bike engined sports cars that ran in the likes of the Mille Miglia in the late 1940s and early 1950s. There were around 20 of the FJ cars made and about 6 are currently active worldwide. Mine raced mainly in the US at the likes of Watkins Glen, Sebring etc and it didn't have any notable drivers except for Kirk White who was a US Ferrari distributor and Brock Yates who originated the Cannonball Run and was involved with "Car and Driver" from memory. Brock contacted me a couple of years ago and wanted to buy the car back - he said it was his favourite race car although it had made him deaf in the right ear with the megaphone exhaust.
I have another single seater with a lot more history (currently with Bob Homewood getting it's engine tweaked) so I may put together a thread on it sometime.
Link to the Taraschi site : http://www.squadrataraschi.it/

Thanks Roger, that is interesting. Those Italian cottage industry race car manufacturers certainly made some beautiful cars. Its interesting Brock Yates had the car. Do you know if he had it when it was still a period race car, or was it something he owned for historic racing? He has owned for many years the Duffy Livingston 'Eliminator' T-bucket bodied hot rod road racer that Livingston had quite some success with in the '50s against the Ferrari's and Maserati's etc. He actually wrote a book on this car, and has been a prominent motoring/motorsport journalist for many years.

[RogerH]

Thanks Roger, that is interesting. Those Italian cottage industry race car manufacturers certainly made some beautiful cars. Its interesting Brock Yates had the car. Do you know if he had it when it was still a period race car, or was it something he owned for historic racing? He has owned for many years the Duffy Livingston 'Eliminator' T-bucket bodied hot rod road racer that Livingston had quite some success with in the '50s against the Ferrari's and Maserati's etc. He actually wrote a book on this car, and has been a prominent motoring/motorsport journalist for many years.

Brock Yates owned it pretty much in period. I have records of him racing it in 1962 at Watkins Glen, Redding and Dunkirk (the US version). He advertised it for sale in "Road and Track" in June 1963 as "Taraschi F-Jr.One of the most beautiful, most competitive front engine Juniors in the nation. Fresh engine with all latest modifications. Goodyears, spares. Reasonably priced". He also wrote a column for "Competition Press" called "Brockbusters" and he mentioned racing the Taraschi in the 12 October 1963 edition.

[andrewlister]

Nabbed a few pics from my father recently. His name is Roger Lister and was very involved with the hill climbs and grass track races as well.
Haven't got too much info on when and where so will just post up the pics i have. He had Zephers and 30s chevs at the time.

[andrewlister]

[andrewlister]

[andrewlister]

[andrewlister]

[andrewlister]

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[andrewlister]

this isn't in action but someone may remember it racing

[andrewlister]

lucky last, I've got more but they aren't racing ones

[andrewlister]

[andrewlister]

[Steve Holmes]

Nabbed a few pics from my father recently. His name is Roger Lister and was very involved with the hill climbs and grass track races as well.
Haven't got too much info on when and where so will just post up the pics i have. He had Zephers and 30s chevs at the time.

Andrew, thanks for sharing your Dads pics. His cars are just fantastic! I'm guessing he has a bit of hot rodding blood running through his veins judging by the look of those cars, and the pinstriping on the dark coloured Chevy. I'm trying to figure out what car the extra side trim on the Zephyr came off.

[andrewlister]

Andrew, thanks for sharing your Dads pics. His cars are just fantastic! I'm guessing he has a bit of hot rodding blood running through his veins judging by the look of those cars, and the pinstriping on the dark coloured Chevy. I'm trying to figure out what car the extra side trim on the Zephyr came off.

Ill try to get him on here but i don't like my luck. The black Zephyr 6 was bought in Australia and bought back to New Zealand hence the different chrome strip. Those pics were taken probably up north on the Hikurangi hill climbs or the Waipu South Road Hillclimbs.

[Chris Read]

From Chris Read, Queenstown NZ -first post. Although I started in Gold Star Hillclimbs in the 1960's it was a more recent one in the 90's that I remember the most. No one had done the long course in under 100 seconds, I think it was, so as a veteran of Coronet Peak a couple of us gave it a go. So why not use the Chevron B29 on wets-that would do it!
The hairpin was not armco at that time just bent timber with cables on the back at head height. The first single seater went off and through the barrier and he broke his leg and I was next car and fractured my neck. Thank goodness for the Chevron cockpit side bars as the wire went up over the nose and stopped short from topping me. My old school friend Dick Bennetts when looking after the car in NZ for Brian Redman said the bars would save someone's head one day and little did I know I would own the car and it was mine it saved.
Not sure how to post a photo yet so will try this as a post and if my first go is successful I will post a photo of the incident for posterity.

[Chris Read]

Chevron at Coronet Peak
See if this works. Attaching a photo is a mission.

[Russ Cunningham]

Chevron at Coronet Peak
See if this works. Attaching a photo is a mission.

Don't worry Chris. That's why I have'nt posted any pics. I blame it on not being young and computer savvy.