Grant, I really appreciate your input. I kept entering memories from 1961 and no one entered any comments so to get a reply from you gives me a boost. (I thought you had given up on me !)
I have a special programme coming next from 1958 and I need you to work along with me on this one. OK ?
Cheers Ken.
Here is a map of the original Ardmore circuit. ( 2.0 mile lap )
Last edited by khyndart in CA; 03-10-2015 at 04:28 AM.
Will do what I can brother ........but please know I do not have much history around that year as I was young =4 yrs old ........Nope I did not give up on you Ken you & a few others put photos up I have never ever seen before of past time as a kid Johnny Mansell was always in my mind it is just fantastic .... by the way I would like to find photos for family link of Gary he did 4 Bathursts & the cars were very cool in the mid 80s , Gary said he never had any of those so would be great if some one could drag them off the net I am not that good in that dept also a Wellington race he did with Greame Croz in one of the Nissan turbos, he did lots more racing than me , one of him & Dick Johnston in the telsar at Puke would be an other good one to add might be asking for too much but no harm in asking ...... Ken, Autumn setting in lovely time of year in Tauranga, we got to the beach a few times over at the mount just love the warm salt water my girls yell out "come back dad: I go way out lol ...ok we keep in touch mate ...... Grant .......
Last edited by Grant Sprague; 03-10-2015 at 07:45 AM. Reason: adding
Ken, hell we love this stuff mate, don't stop, we may not always have a reply to you but what you present we can't get enough of, cheers & carry onOriginally Posted by Grant Sprague
Keep them coming Ken because that is what this forum is all about.
Now going back to Ardmore in 1958. Grand Prix programme.
This has some interesting items in it.
One of the first races was for Saloon Cars. Here is the entry list and you will note some interesting names, including; P.L. Kerr (Phil Kerr of McLaren Racing) in a D.K.W., John Histed in a Goggomobil, Jim Boyd and a certain Mr. F.E.(Ernie) Sprague in # 20, a Renault Dauphine !
Attachment 27984
It is hard to imagine Ernie howling around Ardmore in a Renault Dauphine at 9.35 am before going out in his Maserati 4 CLT for the Grand Prix heats later in the morning !
Grant, was this the tow car when you all came up from the S.I. ?
Thought you may have all stopped off for some fishing on the way. This looks like Omokoroa perhaps !
( Ken Hyndman )
Last edited by khyndart in CA; 03-12-2015 at 05:28 AM.
Hi Ken , I never knew Dad raced a Renault ....... I did however know he did a rally in one , Dad was a Renault franchise holder as there were not a lot of franchisers to be had in those days so he grabbed it with open arms ,,, I am not sure where you got that photo from ....I do not remember it at all , this could have been a promo photo ??? I see Harold Heasley in the saloon car list , he and Dad were very good mates, I use to stay with Harold when Mum & Dad did their trips to Fiji he lived in Rangiora he sort of adopted me as a son he never had & built wooden garages out of nail boxes for me.. Before he past away he built my daughters a beautiful dolls house , a great man also a bit off track never mind lol
Sorry Grant, I did not explain but I just got some pictures from Google pics and put them in regarding the Dauphine !
It seems you could enter whatever you had, take the hub caps off, paint a number on the door and go out and have fun. It could not have been much of an entry fee when you see the amount of the prize money ! (Especially the motor cycle riders !)
(Ken )
Last edited by khyndart in CA; 03-11-2015 at 02:20 AM.
Sorry Grant, I did not explain but I just got some pictures from Google pics and put them in regarding the Dauphine !
It seems you could enter whatever you had, take the hub caps off, paint a number on the door and go out and have fun. It could not have been much of an entry fee when you see the amount of the prize money ! (Especially the motor cycle riders !)
Attachment 27985
(Ken )
oops this did not come through in the last post.
Attachment 27986
Last edited by khyndart in CA; 03-11-2015 at 02:28 AM.
The Fiat Abarth if correct for 1957 was a very early Abarth if it was a 600. Came into production in 1954 but Abarth got his hands on it a little latter. Good stuff Ken.
Ernie Sprague in his Maserati 4CLT at Wigram in 1958.
Number 32 is the same number he used earlier at Ardmore where he retired after 71 laps with engine problems. Imagine driving this soon after climbing out of a Renault Dauphine !
(Photo thanks to "Classic Racers' book by Eoin Young )
Jan 11th. 1958. Here is a list of entrants for the Fifth New Zealand International Grand Prix.
Thank you Ken ...... once again I have never seen this before .... I might say it is personally very very special ......to me ...
the first race meeting I attended
Note that Bernie Ecclestone is the entrant for the 2 driver Connaught team. Sadly, Stuart Lewis-Evans was to lose his life later in the year at the 1958 Moroccan Grand Prix. Bernie almost quit from racing back then but here he is still at it to this day. Is the first instance of Ecclestone and Brabham names together here in this programme ?
(Ken Hyndman )
Last edited by khyndart in CA; 03-12-2015 at 12:09 AM.
Here are some of the types of cars that competed that day in 1958. What great changes would take place in Grand Prix cars over the next few years.
(Ken Hyndman )
Used to go to a few sunday events, but they would not start till 12' oclock or 1 o'clock not sure if this was only in the country though
At this 1958 Grand Prix at Ardmore it was the first time the highly successful " Driver to Europe Scheme " was awarded.
It was won by Bruce McLaren who narrowly beat out Phil Kerr. What wonderful foresight the organizers had and what a great step it was for Bruce. If you can read this you will see they had made arrangements with the Cooper Car Co. for the winner to go there and be employed by that factory. They must have had a crystal ball in 1957 to know that Cooper would the best team to progress through in the next few years. We will be forever grateful for those organizers for setting these drivers on their way to greatness...well done. (I did not know that Argentina had done a similar scheme for Juan Fangio in 1948 )
( Ken Hyndman ...you will need good eyes to read this but it was the best I can do at this time )
Last edited by khyndart in CA; 03-12-2015 at 05:32 AM.
Amazing Ken , I did not know Phil Kerr even raced a car prior to reading yr info...let alone racing against Bruce etc .... I do know of the close connection though with the then trio..... & some other things that happened later ............By the way I met up with Wally Wilmott in Christchurch [ Ruapuna] a few weeks back, the main man as mechanic for them those many years ago . As you might know Wally was a Timaru boy ....... just an amazing man with so much to say about that time ............
Last edited by Grant Sprague; 03-12-2015 at 07:39 AM.
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