Race Team Mechanics.

[khyndart in CA]

The VDS mechanic running up to Peter Gethin's Chevron # 2 is Graham Donaldson.
Graham started out as a apprentice mechanic at Battersby Motors in Rotorua and also helped prepare a Formula Ford for local driver, Robert McNair.
Graham heard that an import agent in Wellington who was a VDS agent was looking for anyone to could help the visiting VDS Team as a "goffer" for the North Island races in the 1972 Tasman series. After Levin, Count Rudi van der Stratten asked Graham to stay on for the South Island races and then the Australian races. After the series he asked Graham if he would like to work with the team in Europe. Graham jumped at that opportunity and he went on to have a life long career in motorsport from which he just recently and deservedly retired from. As I got to know Graham as a good friend while at Trojan Works, I will attempt to describe the career of a "bloody good race mechanic."


(Ken Hyndman )