Dunedin Street Races - revival meeting January 1984

[Kevin Hirst]

Roger, my Dad was the Town Clerk of the Borough Council when the races were run. He was appointed the day the DC3 crashed on the Kaimais.
In the pic you have in post #231 of the coupes in a cloud of dust, you can see the Council offices (where locals booked their appointments for driver licence tests etc). Dad's office was right on the corner diagonally across from Cleaver motors. Next building following the race course was the little Public library, clad in fibrolite, then the Memorial Hall.
Ivan Toomey, one of the organising committee was on the council and perhaps Doug Turner too. Ken Gouk was the Mayor (Owner of Gouk Motors which were on Broadway.

I started my apprenticeship at Cowling Bros, ford dealer's on broadway in 1957 Maurice Cowling,of speedway fame was the bosses son who had just started primary school about the same time. bradford truck was shop hack. parts guy had brough superior 100 commute bike.

[Grant Ellwood]

I started my apprenticeship at Cowling Bros, ford dealer's on broadway in 1957 Maurice Cowling,of speedway fame was the bosses son who had just started primary school about the same time. bradford truck was shop hack. parts guy had brough superior 100 commute bike.

Maurice Cowling was a great speedway driver, the King of Bay Park!

[Roger Dowding]

Roger, my Dad was the Town Clerk of the Borough Council when the races were run. He was appointed the day the DC3 crashed on the Kaimais.
In the pic you have in post #231 of the coupes in a cloud of dust, you can see the Council offices (where locals booked their appointments for driver licence tests etc). Dad's office was right on the corner diagonally across from Cleaver motors. Next building following the race course was the little Public library, clad in fibrolite, then the Memorial Hall.
Ivan Toomey, one of the organising committee was on the council and perhaps Doug Turner too. Ken Gouk was the Mayor (Owner of Gouk Motors which were on Broadway.

Oldfart, Kevin H Ken H and others - thanks for the information - have just spent some time re examining the photos and will add comments.

I note in some of the photos the 1961 -64 Number Plates
[ Black Letters on Yellow background - last of the Old style 5 yearly plates ]
- which helps date the photos plus then with the race numbers for the cars can relate to the Entry Lists I have. " Borrowed " of course.

Will go back and edit the posts from the first on Matamata - Pages 11 and 12 [ Posts # 221 and #228 - #232 - adding Car Race numbers, Drivers where Identified and confirming / correcting the Date(s).

Appreciate all the notes and comments - Pleased that the events bring back good memories.
I know too, that " Oldfart " " Ken H " " Kevin Hirst " lived around the Matamata Piako / Waikato area at the time. Thanks to Milan as well, he is almost a local, living in Paeroa - just across the County border

Have also rediscovered this photo - which have now renamed so it sits with others on the Matamata story within my filing system { system - a complicated one } ..

Saloons " Allcomers " on the Start line [ ** Confirmed as 1964 ]
Ford Corvette #60 Johnny Riley, Ford Anglia #37 Ivan Segedin, Holden FJ G Harvey #48
Second Row - Willys Corvette I W " Red "Dawson #59 - The Jennings Spcl Fiat further back

[Oldfart]

That photo is on the first year start line. Milan mentioned earlier that for the second year it moved further along the street to near the Catholic Church. Background church and buildings in the background above the Willys coupe and the Jennings Special in this one are the Anglican Church.

[Roger Dowding]

That photo is on the first year start line. Milan mentioned earlier that for the second year it moved further along the street to near the Catholic Church. Background church and buildings in the background above the Willys coupe and the Jennings Special in this one are the Anglican Church.

Thanks Rhys,
That helps with dating other photos too !! - so it is 1964,must go and correct a few other things - the Jennings Special raced in 1964 and 1965 -
- 1964 shown as No 56 M Jennings Club Northern Jennings Spcl capacity 4025 [ cc ]
- 1965 shown as No 100 M Jennings Club Auckland Jennings Fiat capacity 6025 [ cc ] - a typo surely ?? or was it repowered ???

Also seems correct as Johnny Riley Ford Corvette Race # 60 and Ivan Segedin Anglia Race #37 in 1964
The Heat One and Two Saloon Car Races do not show the Graeme Harvey Holden #48 - a late entry perhaps. ** Seems the writer needs to read properly - the Car 48 Holden is there at 2100 cc
The entry list for the Heats 1 and 2 = 1964

[Milan Fistonic]

Quote Roger Dowding The Heat One and Two Saloon Car Races do not show the Graeme Harvey Holden #48 - a late entry perhaps.
The entry list for the Heats 1 and 2 = 1964

Yes they do - check Heat 2 - 48 G Harvey Holden

[khyndart in CA]

Roger,
Thanks for your research and sharing.
What a wonderful memory seeing all those great names in NZ motor racing, competing together and certainly not for the money but for the competition and camaraderie and instilling a love of the sport in a young man (me ) that would last a lifetime.
Bless each one of them.

(Ken H)

p.s. My apprentice wage in 1966 was 5 pound and 3 pence a week which was about the prize for coming in second in this above race in Matamata. ( And we both worked hard to earn it !)

[Roger Dowding]

Quote Roger Dowding The Heat One and Two Saloon Car Races do not show the Graeme Harvey Holden #48 - a late entry perhaps.
The entry list for the Heats 1 and 2 = 1964

Yes they do - check Heat 2 - 48 G Harvey Holden

Milan Thanks, Appreciate your help - I think I need it - there it is at 2100 cc - the old Grey Motor - I presume - Harvey left a few cc off !
[ It displaced 132.5 cubic inches (2,170 cc) in its original form as used by the 48-215 (1948), ]
Crikey must clean my glasses - gave it a " boys look " as my wife would say. Oh well better have another coffee and stay awake

[Roger Dowding]

Just been going back over this thread and some of the Matamata photos [ Alan Boyle ones taken in Cleaver Motors ] and the results had been posted a while back [ those from Graham Woods ].
By reposting it has bought all that I have on the events into several consecutive of pages on the thread Pages #11 to #13.

Have a small number of photos of Kerepehi Grass Track and some details of a Waharoa Grass Track events [ Kerepehi run by Thames Valley Car Club, and Waharoa run by Hamilton car Club, who also ran the Matamata Festival events.

Went to Kerepehi for the February 1967 meeting at the Domain.

[Oldfart]

Hamilton Car Club also ran the Raglan Grass Track events.

[bry3500]

Footage from 1986

[Roger Dowding]

Bry3500 thanks for the Dunedin 1986 Film Clip - Will watch it soon

[khyndart in CA]

I found this wonderful 1 hour documentary regarding the first NZ street races at Dunedin in 1953.
Hoping you enjoy it as much as I did.










(Ken H)

[Roger Dowding]

Ken H and Bry3500 - how do you guys get the Film / Video / Youtube Clips to show like in the recent posts #251 and #253.
I seem just to get the link up not the preview of the Clip - Operator error ?- Old laptop [ a 2008 one ] ?? or ???.

[khyndart in CA]

Roger,
I hope you can get the 1953 Dunedin Youtube to play. Just hit the arrow by Bob Gibson's nose and away you go.

[jellywrestler]

so how often after 1984 were there events in Dunedin? One popped up on youtube this week, said to be 1986

[Milan Fistonic]

so how often after 1984 were there events in Dunedin? One popped up on youtube this week, said to be 1986

I replied to that the last time you asked on post 215.

I have programmes for meetings in 1992,1995, 1996 and 1998.

[Roger Dowding]

Roger,
I hope you can get the 1953 Dunedin Youtube to play. Just hit the arrow by Bob Gibson's nose and away you go.

Yesterday !
Ken H,just watched the first part of the Clip - History of other events going back to the Beach Races and early South Island events too !! Thanks

Today
5th September 2020- watched the rest What a great piece of Motoring History in New Zealand.
Thanks again Ken H.

[jellywrestler]

so how often after 1984 were there events in Dunedin? One popped up on youtube this week, said to be 1986

I replied to that the last time you asked on post 215.

I have programmes for meetings in 1992,1995, 1996 and 1998.

Indeed you did, that accounts for four years post 1984, and this video is supposed to be 1986 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UFKMRLJoBU. I have a 1984 1993, 1999 and 2000 program. The 2000 one states it is the 12th street race for classics on the Oval circuit. So if we add up the programs I have and the ones you have Milan there's still three missing years assuming 1984 was the first.
so we have proof it ran
1984

1986

1992
1993

1995
1996

1998
1999
2000


Can anyone help with other years please?


MORE CONFUSION---
the 1984 and 1986 meetings were on the wharf circuit, not the oval so not part of the twelve mentioned....

[Milan Fistonic]

The 1992 programme states that "...the Southern Festival of Speed, the event which has grown in just four years to become one of the largest and most spectacular on the motor racing calendar in New Zealand."

I have just located a "Coming Events Calendar" for early 1994 and it includes a Southern Festival of Speed at Dunedin on February 12-13.