New Zealand Historic Muscle Cars Under HRC

[Grant Ellwood]

Dale,
The numbers for this weekend for HMC are probably consistent with he fact that so few of the HMC stalwarts supported the glamour event of the year. This (Legends) meeting is always poorly supported so - go figure.....

As a non-competitor I'm probably not qualified to talk shop but as I've been such a keen follower for the duration of HMC including it's birth, here goes....
Dale, you make a HUGE commitment to HMC and you have alway been incredibly realistic in your expectations of growth etc so I appreciate how you must feel at this unviable position.
My suggestion (and it may not be practical for a number of reasons) is you set up a competitor liaison person whose role it is to talk on a regular basis to all members of the group by email, skype, phone or in person. This role isn't to directly sort issues but purely to report issues that the various guys have going on. In some cases non-involvement is for personal or financial reasons but the person envisages being back in the short to medium term. In others the issues run deeper and a disillusionment or loss of interest has set in and the liaison person needs to be trusted to listen and not judge, is to be a messenger not a troubleshooter or defender of the realm.

It's bit like a customer feedback form - if you don't ask you often don't FULLY know what is going on in someone's life, finances and thinking. If you start to connect up the thoughts and feelings of individuals who make up the group you have a better chance of moving ahead smoothly - and planning events to cater for the needs of the group. None of this implies rule changes and COD issues as such. I believe that you can't please all the people all the time - especially in motor racing.

On a positive note I was talking to Dewi Jones yesterday about Aussie TransAm and in spite of the split that happened recently their recent Lakeside round attracted 18 competitors and they are projecting 22 or 23 for next month at Queensland Raceway. And the extra good news is their recent ATA meeting their was talk of sending 12 cars over! Now I'm sure that will dwindle in 10 months time but it looks like a rejuvenated TransAm class may result in maybe 8 cars coming over - time for the Kiwis to get their s#%* together I would say! Remember it was only 7 months ago that 8 Kiwi HMC cars went over and plundered their Lakeside event and all 8 of them finished the final race with only 8 Aussie cars still running. And Dale Mathers taking away the trophy for most successful and consistent driver!

I admit I'm worried a little but this is the time to get the email, skype, phone and boot leather going rounding up everyone with a compliant HMC car and finding out what they are doing, what they would like to see happen and very importantly - what meeting(s) are you going to support? The liaison role probably is better not being a competitor as petty jealousies and gripes often lurk under the surface preventing "full and frank disclosure".

Regards, "the Mini" I say it's just too bad. Angus is a really good guy and a very quick driver but as some feel in historics is prone to the "red mist" and overdriving. Howard's point about the braking zone is very good and because of this and the above comment I think illustrates why, sadly, this great and very historic Mini is an uncomfortable fit for the class in the hands of a top driver.

I hope some of this may be helpful.

Murray

Guess that's why you need to sort out which classes can race or just be processional. I would offer that Angus is at obviously at the level where he would expect the guys he is about to pass would be using their mirrors and not make any noddy moves. If it was me in front, I would probably be the noddy so maybe you should fix the classes at over 60 ( noddys like me), under 40 (good reactions,not like me) and the in-betweens (40-60) stay at the pub and watch F1 replays on the big screen until they are old enough to do processional racing.
But the bugger is, it's the last class that usually can afford the F5000s, CanAms, old F1s etc. Kenny Smith not included in any of the above descriptions of course, he is in a class of his own.

[928]

Oh how true Grant. sums up racing (I use the word losely)in this country perfectly

[Parnelli]

Good suggestion. We poll ALL drivers on any relevant issues (including those still on the circulation list who may not have paid up or are 'resting'). If you then accept that you'll only ever get a 30% return at best, at least drivers are consulted. You make your decisions accordingly.

Having said that Dale, you can trim and blacken your moustache and ignore the poll results anyway... It has been done before, even without a moustache.

Parnelli, please add your comments if you have more to add.

O.K.Ray, seeing as you have opened the door – here does ! Better be sitting down cause this is going to take a while ………………………….

On second thoughts, I will hold off until HMC has an alternative discussion option to T.R.S. Similar discussion on the ERC thread suggests that not all participants can handle the honesty of open dialog on this forum. Unless that situation changes, I believe something along the lines of yours or Murray’s suggestions have the best chance of success. .

[Kiwiboss]

Only had time for these pit pictures. good Nite. Dale M

[Kiwiboss]

WOW, What a fantastic weekend of classic racing, what was looking like a down event for HMC ended up been absolutely superb, Roger Williams newly imported American Airlines ex Joe Chamberlain look alike Camaro ran and looked amazing winning the first up race on Saturday from grid 5 his first time in the car, now here’s a guy that’s just imported this 69 Camaro all the way from the USA, only been in the country 2 weeks, he’s painted the car completely in AA colours in just this short time, fitted all the glass, bumpers and lights to make it HMC legal, ABSOLUTLY OUTSTANDING and shows commitment to our group, these are the guys we want and shows what can be done if you put your mine to it, Roger’s defiantly not a “Should av-Could av-Would av” guy and then on Ray’s(ERC) advice we done 2 handicap races today and they worked out spectacular with a grid of around 18 cars including U3L saloons and not one crash with everyone enjoying themselves and very close racing. The public interest(what was there) was amazing with me explaining the class to some, 2 more persons are a definite go for HMC Camaros out of the USA and another ex USA A-Sedan Mustang has just been purchased all looking to come to the group. Not only that we had a group of guys(and wives) travel down from Wangarei just to watch HMC/U3L and their comments were very positive, I asked them why they weren’t at Beach hop, hell no they said this is better(pity more public didn’t think that)!! spoke with the Sinclair’s and there Hemi Cuda is off to the painters next week and will be with us next season, I really came away with positive vibes so I think for HMC its onwards and upwards, very friggen HAPPY.

Only managed these pit pictures, more to come.

Dale M

[Spgeti]

Good on you Dale, great to hear your firing on all cylinders. Love the 69 Camaro and those daisys look great. cheers

[Paul Wilkinson]

The dice between the Camaro and Mustang was a real highlight. It makes a huge difference not knowing which car will be coming 'round the corner in the lead. The dices between the some of the U3L cars and the slower HMCs were great too. Having cars with different speed/handling characteristcs but similar lap times made for some great racing, or at least great viewing. This combination will drag this punter back for sure! Please, even if you get a full HMC grid, combine these classes on a regular basis.

[ERC]

Well done Dale! Great racing and congratulations on having the courage and to your guys for giving a full handicap a real go, rather than a reverse grid.

It really doesn't matter whether the handicapping is brilliant or average as there are too many factors to muck it up anyway, and as Paul says, above, not knowing which car is coming around the corner first, with dices all down the field, adds a degree of interest to the spectators.

When you come away from a meeting jumping up and down, with your cowboy hat on, yelling out "Yeeha!!!!" it's better than actually winning a race that you knew you should have won anyway!

Brilliant weekend with smiles everywhere. Onwards and upwards Dale.

[Murray Maunder]

Wow - that Joe Chamberlain Camaro looks the business and apparently gets the job done, like it's owner! Great to see pix and only wished could have been there. Paul's comment about cars with different speed/handling is spot on and what is missing from all modern categories, HMC is made more of a spectacle by U3L not merely for the extra numbers but that "David and Goliath" aspect that the crowd love.

Roll on January 2015 for the return of Aussie TransAm and all the new HMC cars in the pipeline. Well done to Dale and your faithful supporters to keep with the program and not be diverted by the naysayers and those who want to dilute your original vision for HMC.

[Hillbilly]

[Steve Holmes]

Wow, isn't that new Roger Williams Camaro a cool addition to HMC! For those who aren't aware, Roger has painted this car up to replicate the colour scheme worn on the second Trans-Am Camaro that American racer Joe Chamberlain raced in New Zealand in late 1972/early 1973. Very cool colour scheme.

[kiwi285]

I have just had a read through all the recent comments on this thread and see what has happened this last weekend. I like the idea of a liaison person as, with no class meetings on a regular basis, id is difficult to guage what people are really thinking. Even in a meeting some people will not really open up and say what they really think or would like to see happen.

I like handicap races as has been said recently, you don't know who is going to appear first round the next corner or the progress through the field of the cars off scratch. Keep the U3L cars there - that's the way it was in period with the smaller capacity cars being in the majority back then and the punters always loving the possibility of them rolling the V8's. Even if some of the faster drivers fox a little to stir the field up then the punters love it.

Rogers new Camaro looks fantastic and with a few more of these cars due on track hopefully later this year it augurs well for the class. I strongly believe that the interest is there and soon we will get past the critical numbers and more will want to join up and actually race.

Good to hear that you feel re-juvenated Dale and looking forward to the start of the new season which is less than 6 months away now.

[fullnoise68]

One of the good things to come out of the weekend is Rogers commitment to HMC with his new Camaro. By the time the Icebreaker meeting comes around in September the battle between the #2 and #3 Camaros is in itself going to be great to watch. No pressure Kev.......!!

[Steve Holmes]

Another car making its way to HMC. This is Paul Stacey's 1970 Mercury Cougar XR7. Paul is the brother of Craig Stacey, who races the AMC Javelin. Paul is a neat guy, a genuine car enthusiast, and the exact kind of person HMC was created for.

This will be a neat build, as Paul is actually building up the Cougar as a tribute Nascar Grand Touring racer. Although Mercury Cougars were hugely successful in the SCCA Trans-Am championship in 1967, run by Bud Moore, Ford decided it didn't want Mercury competing against the Mustang on the track, so Bud Moore, with support from Ford, convinced Nascar to create a Trans-Am style series, but run mostly on oval tracks. So Bud Moore switched across to Nascar GT, took his Cougars with him, and when the new 1969/70 shape Cougars came out, there were factory teams for these in Nascar GT. The 1969/70 Cougar never raced in the Trans-Am, but it was really well represented in Nascar GT, and I think it even won the championship.

Check out more on Nascar GT from a Roaring Season article I wrote here: http://www.theroaringseason.com/show...ng&p=48#post48

[Steve Holmes]

Paul's is actually a factory 351/top loader/9" diff car. So a top spec car from the factory.

[kiwi285]

Jes Paul that is good to see - really looking forward to seeing this car hit the track in the near future.

[John McKechnie]

Camera is in an unusual position, but just happens to capture one of the minor irritations that can happen while racing..
5 minute to repair and back out for the next 3 races.

[rogered]

Oh Dear

[Kiwiboss]

The reason for a master kill switch i guess!! great bit of footage John, boy the engine sounds awesome and i can tell you're having fun!!

For those not there on the weekend John wheeled the Falcon Coupe around with a best 1:16.6 lap and that's very impressive, come along way in less than 2 years John.

Dale M

[Malcolm McLeod]

Looked like your car John just couldn't suck up any more smoke from that other car you were battling with!!!!!
Very quick work stopping and hitting the kill switch.

Oh Dear