Two more photos - another of Frank Hamlins " sprint " type one [ rear view ].
and what happens when you are hit by the wheel of a Triumph 2000, at the club circuit Sept 1968, the whole half shaft and wheel came off and bounced down the track as the Triumph slid towards the stables .. next car was this mini driven by a Michael ???, cannot remember his surname.
Last edited by Roger Dowding; 09-01-2015 at 07:50 AM. Reason: dyslexic typing No # 47.
Donington September 1977 - The driver later bought the ex Gerry Marshall Baby Bertha - and later still, I saw he was selling the Lola GT, the forerunner of the GT40.
Whenuapai 1990
Bernie Hines 'Minisprint' denied a CoD so converted to the Broadspeed Replica...
Last edited by ERC; 09-02-2015 at 03:20 AM.
Dunedin Revival Street Racing January 1984. Otago Daily Times photo.
and from 1967 Pukekohe, watched by the boys in blue - very close to the track.
Pukekohe again, under the Dunlop bridge 1967.
A racing Imp, at a 1/8th mile Drag race meeting at Wiri in 1971,[ Anzac Day 25/4 ] the slowdown / runoff area was curved, which made it a bit exciting. Dr Zhivago - A Ford Popular and Baloo A Fiat Topolino both 8 powered also ran.
Imagine Drag Racing in an industrial road today !!.
I was there in this crowd- great atmosphere.
Brian Patricks Imp
My favourite run-
Kawasaki Mach 3 doing a run in sub13 seconds dusting Ed Lamont and other Falcon GTHOs.
Last edited by John McKechnie; 09-04-2015 at 01:34 AM.
John M, no action shots but do have returns by "Dr Z" and " Baloo ", maybe not on this thread but yards and yarn, .. yet they were originally Mini type cars.. !! Do you have any pics. ??.Originally Posted by John McKechnie
The Road was called Dalgety Drive, see the name on the building and believe they helped pay for the whole development.
This was back in Wiri, and Dalgety Wool store days.
Now its all Manukau City.
Pretty sure Council and Hot Rod clubs were the driving force.
As you say-here are pics from these couple of events on other threads.
Dennis Marwood was there with the Camaro, John Windleburn , other circuit cars
After this strong interest in drag racing, Meremere land was developed into a permanent dragstrip.
Cant remember any other Imps there- memory tells me the gearbox got broken after the big rev and dropped clutch on the startline. Sure there was a Mini also
From memory John the drags were held there from 1967.
Baloo, the Fiat Tipolino was owned by Pete Lodge in those day and still is around today and fully restored.
The Pop, Dr Zihvago I think was Butch Reid and I believe it exist but is just the body
Bruce- In 1967 they were at Kopuku I remember Baloo was there , also Spinner Blacks partner Jon Patton winning in his GMC Dragster described as 'a tatty wolf in sheeps clothing" in NZ Hot Rod Mag- I was a member of Papakura Rodders. Jon still has the dragster.
I remember seeing Butch do a wheel stand with it at Hastings.
In 1970 Manukau Council, nZHRA and Pukekohe Rodders had 6 meetings there.
There was a dragster made by B&N Engineering with a flat 12...2x MK1 Zephyr engines joined at the hip.
How long will it be before it is bought to our attention this is not on the subject............
Last edited by John McKechnie; 09-05-2015 at 07:42 AM.
John M and Bruce ;
How long will it be before it is bought to our attention this is not on the subject............ I thought so too !, but surely it is about motorsport, and small cars - and now I will post the Zhivago and Baloo photos, just give me a little time - should I put them under yards and yarns.
Rodger-Keep them here- we can always say the good Doctor had a Mini steering rack, or Baloo had an Imp steering wheel.
After all Graeme Addis was seen on TV saying his highly modified Charge had an 1100 gearlever.............
Best part of that day was watching Jim Richards and Jim Palmer power sliding around the bend at end of run, no lift off until through bend.
John M, Bruce and others .
here are two other Mini's - well small cars with huge supercharged V8's..
Interesting to see a number of TRS members were there and a good number of the Circuit racing drivers of the day. thanks for the details guys, anyone else got photos ??
From probably 1976 I used to trip down to Meremere to watch these things. Last saw Baloo run at Thunder Park with the old man of drag racing Mike Gearing doing the spanner work. Garth Hogan had just run 5.3 seconds that day in the rail. Pete lodge said Baloo had never run so straight....
I am sure these things had Mini or Imp parts...
Rodger- I left Papakura Rodders and joined the Triumph Sports Car club 4 months later for club gymkanas.
Hot Rod magazine had a fantastic action pic of Marwood blasting off the line in his Camaro- anyone got it and want to post it>
Thunder Park, Napier, ahh !! memories, ran there in '84 in a Healey,
We, AHCCNZ inc. the " Healey Club " had use for an afternoon, with a couple of the organising club timing, have my time sheets, a bit slow as borrowed a mates 3000 Healey, I had a very sad 100/4.
Frank Karl was there too!!, with this, and a " WolsHealey " Wolseley 16/60 " as a support vehicle and looking after a bunch of American healeyites from the West Coast USA.
Last edited by Roger Dowding; 02-03-2018 at 05:33 AM.
John, M, was in the Auckland Triumph Club in the late 70's, from '77 to 80/81 ish, with the TR4, a bit bent by late 1980 September. so got it back from the Insurance company and was repaired / rebuilt.
Last edited by Roger Dowding; 02-03-2018 at 05:34 AM.
and as Ken Hyndman says full of bog .. thanks Ken. but you were right..
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