Bruce McLaren

[duncan fox]

Hi Ken

Earlier on this year a group of us were involved in some track footage for Roger Donaldsons documentry McLaren at Bruce McLaren Park in Taupo. It was a eerie experience recreating the events leading up to the accident and we were mindful of not duplicating the event. So much so that we did the sound track separately just recently with the car set up properly to do the high speed passes . The car I built up had a set of original Denny M8D body work using a high wing that came from a Bruce B. It was special having those original parts along for the ride. The end result was very convincing and the film footage I have seen is superb and very moving. I have high hopes for this docudrama. For me personally it is a milestone to see it made as the Bruce McLaren Trust enters its 20th year. No 1 on my bucket list.... this fabulous story made for the benefit of future generations. I guarantee you all, you will not be disappointed.

Someone recently asked me about what happened to Bruce, so I got out some old scrapbook cuttings etc. of photos of the action at Goodwood in May/ June 1970. I told the person that there were no wind tunnels for testing race cars at that time and that the test driver e.g. Bruce was like a test pilot venturing into unknown limits.
As you can see there no support struts or bracing to the rear wing when Bruce was driving. It took his terrible accident to get that reinforcement and I do not think a rear assembly ever came away from the McLaren Can Am cars again.
I saw the site of the accident at Goodwood in late 1973 and the skid marks were still evident on the track and it was so sad that to think that just 10 metres past the marshal's stand that the car would have just spun harmlessly and Bruce could have come back to the pits and have the modifications done in time for the 1970 Can Am series starting at Mosport.
I think Bruce was going to retire at the end of the season to concentrate on his expanding business and perhaps for 1971 we would have had a full Kiwi team of Denny Hulme and Chris Amon and Bruce in charge. Who knows but the 1970 season was a tragic year
in many ways especially on June 2nd at Goodwood.






(F. David Stone photos..my scrapbook)





Bruce making adjustments at the front. The infamous rear wing assembly in the background. Goodwood. 1970.


(Ken Hyndman )