Dunedin Street Races - revival meeting January 1984

[Roger Dowding]

" Dunedin 1984 ; Other Events, Lost tracks and Specials, and random pictures - a mix of stories and Pictures "

The Thread Started as the Dunedin Street Races 1984 - with my own and Otago Daily Times photos plus extracts from the " Racing Round the House " Book by Scott Thomson for the Otago Vintage Car Club, and included the Otago Sports Car Street Sprints on Fryatt Street.

Expansion of the topics of this thread ; Dunedin, Ardmore, Ohakea, Napier and now onto other events more recent, Chelsea Hill Climb, Caffeine and Classics, and recently Greerton Vintage Fayre and Car Show , plus other articles on Lost Tracks and NZ Specials;

*** October 2019 - a lot of stuff of South Island origin added,
Nelson Tahunanui Beach Races,
Peter Leversedge Car #77,
The Jim Bennett - Furi story - a continuing saga

North Island events like Ohakea Napier Ardmore and others belong in the Lost Tracks part of the thread as does Chelsea Walsh - No event in 2018, the VCC Boys did get to run at the MG Car Clubs
[ ex Austin Healey Club NZ ] Hill Climb at Otaua in March of this year - let us hope that continues - was very successful from what I have heard and read.


I have fortunate to collect [ been given ] various programmes and book on NZ Motor Sport from the 1950's on.

Will get Steve Homes to rename the Thread ;
" Dunedin 1984 ; Other Events, Lost Tracks and Specials - A mix of stories ".

Much of the information has been acquired and credit given to where it came from ;


Have added some photos from Napier in the early 1960's by Norman Agnew .. maybe the thread need a new name as covers.. " Old Racing Circuits as so far has Dunedin Revival 1984, Ohakea 1982, and some other shots plus now Napier 1960's and have added photos by others and more modern events....

Adding more photos and details, recently Mount Manganui and Matamata in the early 1960's the items are borrowed though, as wasn't there, almost too young and didn't have a drivers licence or car.

Dunedin January 1984 This was a two day event.
Saturday, with straight sprints in the Port Area by the storage warehouses, and the local car clubs, not just the Classic Historics were allowed to run.
Sunday, the Classic Historic races.
There was also a Hill Climb at Bethunes Gully, which I was not aware of at the time, and didn't have a
" Ride " to get there.
My set of photos I will break into, types, NZ Specials and Open Wheelers, Sports Car saloon, and there is even a couple of Motorcycle shots.

Unfortunately have lost or given away the programme, probably the latter, so again any help identifying the cars would be appreciated.

Reshowing the photos from the Otago Daily Times to start with - posted on Yards and Yarns and Minis and Imps threads.
The Allard J2.

thanks for identifying it as Rob Boult's.


The Minis and Jaguars, plus something large in the back of the pack..

The ERA, and a single seater..



The Lycoming Special, built by Ralph Watson - powered by, yes I remembered a Lycoming Engine - turned upside down. Trevor Sheffield's article " Ralph Watson - Special Engineer " can tell you much more.



And the book that was on sale at the time about the original races; Racing Around the Houses, by Scott Thomson, 1983.




Have photos from other Reunion / Revival meetings and Wings and Wheels meetings, only a few photos so will post as a continuation of this thread, First Ohakea 1982

Have been given some old Programmes by Bruce Dyer " Spgeti " which will post here progressively from Dunedin,Wigram,Ohakea and others ..

Bruce Dyer has now [ January 2017 ] sent me photos from around Manfield of various sports cars, Bucklers, Fiat Targa, Mallock U2, and others Ralph Watson BSA Special and a Kieft single seater, have posted the Bucklers on the Oldfart Buckler thread.. will post a lot of the others here :

[B][I]Have added some photos from Napier in the early 1960's by Norman Agnew .. maybe the thread need a new name .. " Old Racing Circuits as so far has Dunedin Revival 1984, Ohakea 1982, and some other shots plus now Napier 1960's .. Have tried to rename it [ first entry re-titled ] so it will be more like ;
" Images from my Past " - by Nigel Watts,
or
" Just a mix of Pics " -by ' ERC ' Ray Green - will include photos from others !!
Cheers
Roger
edited 25 September 2018

[Roger Dowding]

The Motorcycles - at the Sprints by the Port warehouses;




The Gavin Bain Ferrari..



and the plaque on the transmission tunnel with details of the car and it's races .


It is not easy to read, and I am not good at Photo Editing, so feel free to download and Edit.

Sports Cars to follow ;

[Kwaussie]

Just from memory -
David Read 260M Zephyr
Bill Morris ERA R12B
Sam Johnson Ferrari 256 Dino replica
----------------
Ralph Smith Lycoming
Paul Samuels Lotus 15 FPF
----------------
Gavin Bain Ferrari 375
Paul Samuels Lotus 15 FPF
----------------
Great event with lots of very nice cars!

[Roger Dowding]

Just from memory -
David Read 260M Zephyr
Bill Morris ERA R12B
Sam Johnson Ferrari 256 Dino replica
----------------
Ralph Smith Lycoming
Paul Samuels Lotus 15 FPF
----------------
Gavin Bain Ferrari 375
Paul Samuels Lotus 15 FPF
----------------
Great event with lots of very nice cars!

Kwassie, thanks, more to come, that need identifying..

[ERC]

The 260M Zephyr

[Roger Dowding]

On the grid - waiting


In the Pit area - side of a side road. Paul Samuels Lotus 15 revealed.


Lotus and Lycoming


Lycoming again,


Lycoming

and engine

[Roger Dowding]

Austin Healey - Des Spillane from Timaru not Chris White from Wanganui -

Chris White ; Healeys owned and raced by Chris, there were many. A Sprite, a 100, a 3000 at Hamilton and in 2000'/10's he ran a Jensen Healey - believe he still does.
*** corrections see below



***
Neil Ferguson Blue Healey, from Waiau ,
I have been in and drove Des's Healey 100, with Des at an AHCCNZ National Rally.



Neil's car in the pit area


Des Neil and others around a Morgan and Des Spillane's *** Healey;


[Chris raced a Healey 3000 at the Telecom Motorfest in 1994 - seen on that thread, his first Healey was a Bugeye Sprite in the late 1970's]

The venue, don't you love the safety features Haybales around pole, road cones to show a side street is closed off and how close you could get to the track.

Next up is Saloons Minis Jaguars and A40 and a Pontiac amongst others

*** Correction to my comments above : " Spinaway " contacted to advise I had the names wrong for the Healey's.. The White 100 is not Chris White's but belongs to Des Spillane, who I thought had the Blue one.. The Blue 100 is Neal Ferguson's from Waiau, South Island.. will correct on the Healey Post as well

[GD66]

The Motorcycles - at the Sprints by the Port warehouses;

Great pics, Roger !
Looks as though #146 is Errol "Slick" Healey, and #148 is his son Richard. #28 S Wilson on the 7R AJS, and #84 could be J Bramwell on the 500 Manx Norton as the only other one entered is Ken Lucas, and that's not him.
Programme from Steve Nisbett.

[Roger Dowding]

Great pics, Roger !
Looks as though #146 is Errol "Slick" Healey, and #148 is his son Richard. #28 S Wilson on the 7R AJS, and #84 could be J Bramwell on the 500 Manx Norton as the only other one entered is Ken Lucas, and that's not him.
Programme from Steve Nisbett.

GD66, Thanks for the information, Do you have the whole programme ?, would like it if you could post the Front Cover here, no idea where mine went, probably given away with my really old stuff from the 60-70's.

[Roger Dowding]

Guys, this is a small thread because, I got sidetracked with my Pukekohe shots - there are another 30 photos to come Saloons, Specials Gee Cee S etc and Vintage - the ERA, and 50's single seaters, must get back to it soon.

[Roger Dowding]

Jaguar and Minis

Pontiac

Another Jag and more Minis.


more to follow;

close up of the Pontiac

[Roger Dowding]

Minis Cortina and Jaguar


More Jaguars


A40 and Jaguar


More minis


Mini from the rear end, The End for the saloons.


Coming up Gee Cee Ess, the ERA and others.

[Roger Dowding]

ERA and 260M - as seen in an Otago Daily Times B and W photo

Riley in action

Riley in the pits

ERA in the pits area

ERA on display at a motorcycle shop - during the weekend.




More Vintage to follow

[GD66]

GD66, Thanks for the information, Do you have the whole programme ?, would like it if you could post the Front Cover here, no idea where mine went, probably given away with my really old stuff from the 60-70's.

Cover courtesy of Steve Nesbitt

[Roger Dowding]

Cover courtesy of Steve Nesbitt

The correct name for the meeting - programme indicates a one day event, but there were sprints organised by the Otago Sports Car Club on the Saturday 28th January 1984, and the Historic races on the Sunday 29th January.

Thanks to GD66 for the cover

[Roger Dowding]

[Roger Dowding]

any identification of the cars, please add to the thread.

Next the " Gee Cee Ess " , and 50-60's single seaters. and they will be the last.

a great weekend in Dunedin.

[Roger Dowding]

According to Graham Vercoe's book " Historic Racing cars of New Zealand " the car ran a variety of V8 engines from Mercury to Ford to a 5400 cc Chrysler, the Ford- Mercury's with various heads - Edelbrock and Ardun [ OHV conversion ]

Look at the field in the final shot the Gee Cee Ess looking very old fashioned against later 1960's machines and others

the final few shots to follow ;

[Oldfart]

Red and white car behind the GeeCee Ess is the Capella, seen recently at Northland Car Club event. Roger, always consider Vercoe's book as a source to be verified rather than definitive.

[Roger Dowding]

Red and white car behind the GeeCee Ess is the Capella, seen recently at Northland Car Club event. Roger, always consider Vercoe's book as a source to be verified rather than definitive.

Oldfart, thanks, there is another picture with the " Capella " in it, being posted soon.
Re ; Graham Vercoe, BMC BOY once told me that he gave Graham Vercoe a lot of photos and they got lost, so maybe a bit unreliable, but at least made a huge list of NZ Specials and famous racing cars.
Have the two Vercoe books, my Uncle Eddie Dowding did actually query some of Grahams comments especially about cars that Jack Boot [ his brother-in-law owned or raced.

Cheers
Roger