The Garry Simkin Collection - Part 2

[Steve Holmes]

Time for Part 2 of the Garry Simkin Collection. I've split Garrys entire collection of historic New Zealand motorsport photos into 3 parts, so will run the final part in the coming weeks. Part 1 was a huge hit, I reckon Part 2 will be just as popular.

As always, I'll try and ID as many cars and drivers as I can, but always appreciate any help for those on here more knowledgeable than me, which is most of you!

I think almost all of the pics shown here will be from the 1970 and 1971 seasons, and are shown at Pukekohe and Levin.

So anyway, enjoy!

[Steve Holmes]

OK, so kicking off here is a shot capturing Graham McRae, which I assume is at Levin, plus Graeme Lawrence in the Ferrari, and a couple of shots of Evan Noyes in his Brabham BT29. Maybe Garry can help here, I don't know what the correct order of the two Noyes photos should be, but at a guess I'd say the action shot with a pole wedged in the front air intake, and probably the radiator, comes first, given he didn't finish this race.

[Steve Holmes]

With Noyes' Brabham retired, John Cannon takes to the scenery in his McLaren in the first photo, then we have a couple of Chris Amon action shots, firstly in the March he drove at Levin, then the Lotus he drove at Pukekohe. Finally, a really neat photo of Frank Matich, having just won the 1970 NZ Grand Prix.

[Steve Holmes]

I love this group of photos, that capture some of the drivers either about to do battle, or following a race. Look at the crowd surrounding Chris Amon here (and, I'm guessing, McRae and Niel Allen???). A top flight F1 driver, and yet completely accessible. I figure this is possibly either just before or just after the driver awards at the Levin International, in 1971, given that looks like a podium just behind Chris.

Next photo captures John Cannon getting set to do battle at Levin, as well as Amon again, in the same race. The last shot has me stumped. I want to say Leo Leonard in a Begg FM2. Can someone put me straight here?

[Steve Holmes]

Matich again, followed by David Oxton in the Amon March, and a couple of Amon himself, in the Oxton Lotus.

[Shano]

My younger brother, who is real sharp with driver/car recognition from this era, reckons this is more likely to be Neil Doyle than Geoff Marden. Neil also had a yellow Begg and wore a full face helmet, whereas Marden wore an open face.

[pallmall]

My younger brother, who is real sharp with driver/car recognition from this era, reckons this is more likely to be Neil Doyle than Geoff Marden. Neil also had a yellow Begg and wore a full face helmet, whereas Marden wore an open face.

It was the yellow Begg that convinced me it was Geoff Mardon, I can't remember the Doyle car in works Begg Agricultural Yellow. But if it was, certainly more likely to be Doyle.

[openwheeler]

[QUOTE=Steve Holmes;13167]I love this group of photos, that capture some of the drivers either about to do battle, or following a race. Look at the crowd surrounding Chris Amon here (and, I'm guessing, McRae and Niel Allen???). A top flight F1 driver, and yet completely accessible. I figure this is possibly either just before or just after the driver awards at the Levin International, in 1971, given that looks like a podium just behind Chris.

Next photo captures John Cannon getting set to do battle at Levin, as well as Amon again, in the same race. The last shot has me stumped. I want to say Leo Leonard in a Begg FM2. Can someone put me straight here?

the fm2s never had that colour scheme while,george owned it. Just a note leo leonard never drove a fm2.

[openwheeler]

the year cannon was here pierre phillips and jeff mardon drove the fm2s .mcraes only drive was the one timaru drive

[David McKinney]

McRae had also driven an FM2 in a couple of races before the Tasman series

And Leo did race an FM2, at Ruapuna in March 1970

[openwheeler]

leo did not drive the fm2 in march 1970 and i should know my butt was in the seat!!!!!

[Steve Holmes]

OK, first shot here shows Kevin Bartlett in the Mildren Chevrolet at Levin in 1971. Given he retired from the race with a broken wishbone, I'm guessing thats what has happened here, as the front left wheel looks set a little too high. But KB can probably provide an explanation. Next is another of Amon in the March, followed by a couple of the magnificent Matich McLaren, which is just one of my all-time favourite race cars.

[bry3500]

love the shot of Graham with the laurels at Levin..

[GD66]

Ditto with the shots of the Matich M10B, great looking car and an awesome talent, beat a strong field to dominate the NZGP at Pukekohe, and then Norm Beechey backed up in his Monaro. Big day out...

[Steve Holmes]

Ok, next batch, and although slightly bulbous from some angles, the side profile of the big Eisert Chevrolet is pretty impressive. To be fair, it was designed as a USAC car, not a Forumla A, but from this angle, its a pretty good looking car. Where is this car now? Does it still exist?

I'm struggling a little with the green Lotus. Could this be Peter Hughes?

[Steve Holmes]

Couple more from Levin, Niel Allen, who'd go on to win the NZIGP, and Geoff Mardons Begg, trailing blue smoke.

[GD66]

It is Peter Hughes, Steve, and you can see Lotus 33 written in the pinstripe. Transal were his sponsors at this time, and that's quite a good shot of their locally-produced wheels, which when buffed and polished looked great on the race car

[Oldfart]

But it wasn't a 33 was it? I'm not positive but was it not something other than a DFV powered monocoque which is what a 33 was?

[GD66]

As outlined elsewhere on the forum it was originally BRM-engined when raced here byPeter Yock and was, correctly, incorrectly or colloquially known as a 25/33.
I think in the end it was decided to be a quite-famous 25.
Others know more than I, though.


http://www.oldracingcars.com/f1/car.php?CarID=25/33/R13

[pallmall]

As outlined elsewhere on the forum it was originally BRM-engined when raced here byPeter Yock and was, correctly, incorrectly or colloquially known as a 25/33.
I think in the end it was decided to be a quite-famous 25.
Others know more than I, though.


http://www.oldracingcars.com/f1/car.php?CarID=25/33/R13

When it came downunder for Peter Yock from Parnell it was known as a Lotus 33 and there was an assumption that it may have been a Parnell built continuation/replacement chassis. It was eventually identified as Lotus 25/R4 years later. I suggest getting hold of a copy of Eoin Young's book 'Jim Clark and his most successful Lotus' for the full story.