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 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.
Ardmore - is the link to Pukekohe, will continue to put Ardmore events the Grand Prix the Ardmore 50 [ a one off event ] And the " Little Ardmore " events by Auckland Car Club and Northern Sports Car Club on the " Pukekohe " thread


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

Have recently - July 2022 - seen a lot of photos from Ohakea in the 1950's /60's and also Levin ..Not South Island Events but will go on here, don't want another thread.
Old photos unless from Pukekohe or about Northern Sports Car Club will be here.

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 Mark Dawber Pontiac Bonneville, Race #77, a 1965 Four Door Sedan with a 6.5 litre V8 - the biggest engine of the Saloons entered.

The ERA, of W Bill Morris #1 and a single seater - details from the Programme The 260M Zephyr of D Read #22, ..



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.




** Feb 2025 - Have now acquired the Race Programme " Dunedin Road Race " 84 " - Sunday January 29 1984 and will add driver and car details to some of the photos

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
- further edits in July 2022 and
5th May 2024.

The thread really is :
" Dunedin 1984 ; Other Events Lost tracks and Specials - a mix of stories "
As far as lost Tracks and Other Events - Other Circuits .
Looking for notes posts on other circuits;
Other Circuits - A bit of an Index;

North Island

Levin - Circuit opened in 1958 ....... Post #278

Matamata - Events held Annually in 1964 and 1965 ..............#220 #225 to #231 and #235 to 237.
Most images are also on the Matamata Thread - started by " Oldfart ".

Mount Maunganui - Events held December 1962 and December 1963 ...........#296 #297 #298

Ohakea - The home of the " Original New Zealand Grand Prix in 1949 .........Page 14 - #278 #279 #280

Paritutu - events were held from October 1965 on Labour weekend until 1967 see posts #328 #394

South Island

Renwick - events in the early 1960's - 1960 to 1963 ..................................#359 #361 #362 #388

Ryal Bush - events in 1956 and 1957 - before SSCC opened Teretonga circuit #323 #326 #370 #372 -3.

Timaru - one event in 1967 .............................................................................. #337 #342 #345

Waimate - events from 1959 to 1966, .........................................................#338 #341 #344 #385

Wigram - events from 1949 .........................................................................................#374 #389