Keke Rosberg Chevron B34 History Request

[Steve Holmes]

I love requests like this. This is what The Roaring Season was created for.

I recently received an email from Andrew Huxtable in the UK, with the following request regarding the Chevron B34 driven by Keke Rosberg in the 1977 New Zealand Formula Pacific international races:

"Hi I am currently racing what I think is the above car in the UK HSCC Derek Bell series, just wanted to post on the forum to see if anybody could help track the history?"

Here is a photo Andrew sent of the car he owns.

[Steve Holmes]

The following is the history Andrew has amassed so far that I've copied and pasted from his email. He is hoping TRS members may have more info?

[Steve Holmes]

This is a hugely important race car with significant New Zealand history. Hopefully there are members here who can assist Andrew to fill in the blanks.

[khyndart in CA]

Manfeild 1977. Peter Stuyvesant Formula Pacific race. Keke Rosberg #4 leads out from # 7 Tom Gloy.
(Another great Terry Marshali photo )

[HUX]

[QUOTE=khyndart in CA;55387]Manfeild 1977. Peter Stuyvesant Formula Pacific race. Keke Rosberg #4 leads out from # 7 Tom Gloy.
(Another great Terry Marshali photo )

Fab photo thanks ....the more of these i get the easier it will be to get it painted up into the original colours for my 2017 season!

[BMCBOY]

Interesting that he ran different signwriting on the nose at Manfield.

[khyndart in CA]

Ross,
Perhaps they were using parts from this spare car;

Keke Rosberg Chevron B34 [34-76-19] - Ford BDA Hart. (Only used in practice)

"Chevron B34 [34-76-19] (Keke Rosberg): Observed on Keijo Rosberg's spare car by Dave McKinney at Bay Park, 2 Jan 1977 and published NZMA 28 Jan 77 p6. Described by Fred Opert to McKinney as the car used by Juan Cochesa in North America, NZMA 28 Jan 77 p4. This suggests that the car is also the Opert team car run by Tom Bagley in the three races in the USA at the start of 1976 [Road Atlanta; Laguna Seca; Ontario MS]. A/S report of the Formula Atlantic race at Edmonton, 16 May 76, describes Cochesa's car there as ‘ex Bagley’. NZMA reports that the car is sold to Norm Lankshear immediately after the Peter Stuyvesant series. Chassis number noted by McKinney on Lankshear's car at Bay Park, 2 Jan 1978. [NZMA 20 Jan 78 p3.] Retained by Lankshear through to the end of 1981. Then sold to Bryan Hartley and used 1982 – 83."
(oldracingcars.com )


(Ken Hyndman )

[khyndart in CA]

Andy,
This site has some good photos for reference on the Chevron B 34 made next after yours. Chassis # 22.

http://www.rossiclassicracing.com/en...hevron-b34-70/




Plus this Roaring Season thread may have some useful info and photos.
http://www.theroaringseason.com/show...4-Keke-Rosberg


(Ken Hyndman. )

[BMCBOY]

Ken, I have a similar photo of the Manfield start to that one of Terry Marshall's - we were probably standing next to each other. This is a shot of the field after lap 1 showing how far Rosberg had spread the field - only Tom Gloy was with him in the Tui.

[BMCBOY]

Another interesting excerpt from Derek Gordon's book "Chevron - The Derek Bennett Story"

[khyndart in CA]

Wonderful photos and information Ross.
Keke beat Tom Gloy by about 19 seconds after 54 laps at Manfield, so the Tui was a pretty quick car built and prepared by Alan McCall.

p.s. What was the "Colt" product back then ?
The Chevron is already advertising beer and cigarettes !
Imagine that on a race car today.


(Ken Hyndman )

[BMCBOY]

I am not exactly sure Ken, but "Colt" used to supply ventilation fans to the air conditioning industry and other commercial business's.
They probably had other products as well.

[HUX]

Again great shots of the car many thanks, looks like previous owners (Ken Smith and Andrew Higgins) still race in F5000 in NZ ....does anybody know them or have contacts to validate some history?

[HUX]

Interesting thanks, looks like he did have use of 2 cars....34-76-19 being used each time only in practice then Keke switched to 34-76-21 for the races!?

[HUX]

thanks ken 34-76-22 with the narrow nose and wing looks like F3 spec rather than F2

[HUX]

WOW some great stuff here thanks all, I will dig out some more pics of the car in action as it is currently

[HUX]

Interesting how low the roll hoop is back then, under modern day regs they made me extend it for obvious safety reasons! No all bad however we are one of the few classes than can run without silencers (no noise police) and after my year (1976) also you now have to adapt the cars to allow for Hans --FIA rules

[HUX]

She can be a hand full on old slicks! (Thruxton Circuit --Segrave corner)

[HUX]

June 2011 just out of the workshop, all shiny and new after full restoration!

[HUX]

B34 one-two at Silverstone (from autosport)