Dunedin Street Races - revival meeting January 1984

[khyndart in CA]

Spinner stated that the Lola he drove at Matamata was one that he got from Johnny Riley in a deal for a boat !
The car a (Lola Mk2 / Ford) was first brought into the country by John Histed so it could be ready for the 1962 NZGP at Ardmore meet.
The car was then sold to Ken Smith and then onto John Riley before reaching Spinner.


Ken Smith about 1963 in the Lola that S. Black drove at Matamata in 1965.



(Ken H)

[Roger Dowding]

Spinner stated that the Lola he drove at Matamata was one that he got from Johnny Riley in a deal for a boat !
The car a (Lola Mk2 / Ford) was first brought into the country by John Histed so it could be ready for the 1962 NZGP at Ardmore meet.
The car was then sold to Ken Smith and then onto John Riley before reaching Spinner.


Ken Smith about 1963 in the Lola that S. Black drove at Matamata in 1965.



(Ken H)

Just had another look at the Photo from Ken H.

behind the Lola is an Austin Healey 100S and hard left looks like the Graeme McRae special the Maserarri.
now to find out whose AH and which chassis number number plate the 1961 -64 series and looks like " 75.602 ".

[Milan Fistonic]

My thoughts on the photo posted by Ken H



The way the cars are lined up looks like the Dummy Grid at Levin.

In the list of entrants at the January 1964 Levin meeting Ken Smith is listed as driving the Lola number 20. His father Morrie is also listed as driving the car with the number 120.

Strangely neither Ken or Morrie are listed in any of the races in the programme but there is a race with the Massarari (H. Crawford), an MGA number 31 (R.Grace) and an Austin Healey 2400 (G. [Grady] Thomson) which could fit in with the photo.

[ERC]

Strangely neither Ken or Morrie are listed in any of the races in the programme...

Having acted as entries secretary several times, Kenny Smith often wouldn't appear in the programme, as he rarely put an entry in on time. Maybe a trait he inherited?

It's not only very frustrating for race organisers who, in pre computer times, had to not only arrange for the programme to be printed, be that a stapled properly produced item or a photo-copied sheet, but also issue specific entry list check sheets for the scrutineer, time keepers and so on, but it also frustrates photographers and historians.

NZ is very bad for people not entering on time, be that race meetings, sports meetings, industry meetings, conferences awards dinners etc. If we'd canned race meetings where at the closing date, there were insufficient entries to make the meeting viable, we'd have cancelled over half - but we'd still be up for paying circuit hire fees.

[Milan Fistonic]

Strangely neither Ken or Morrie are listed in any of the races in the programme

But in this case they were included in the list of entrants at the meeting published in the programme.

I totally agree with your comments about late entries. Another gripe is result sheets that only give the driver's name and the time and/or placing without listing the type of car.

[Roger Dowding]

My thoughts on the photo posted by Ken H



The way the cars are lined up looks like the Dummy Grid at Levin.

In the list of entrants at the January 1964 Levin meeting Ken Smith is listed as driving the Lola number 20. His father Morrie is also listed as driving the car with the number 120.

Strangely neither Ken or Morrie are listed in any of the races in the programme but there is a race with the Massarari (H. Crawford), an MGA number 31 (R.Grace) and an Austin Healey 2400 (G. [Grady] Thomson) which could fit in with the photo.

Milan,

Thanks for the details and yes Grady Thomson did run a 100S at one time - not sure which car, probably AHS3601, that was originally Black and as the recreation AHS 3601R is again.
Need to check my notes and the AH thread.

[Oldfart]

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.

[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

[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

[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]

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)