Originally Posted by John McKechnie
About right, remember the set too with Morris (seems to go with the name) and picked as McConnachie Car by guards and cage set up. Now there was a character, Brian Bell. He had a real quick Husky Cob. He also only had one hand I think.
Rod, you are correct on Bryan.He actually had 2 hands, but I am not anal enough to know what caused the problem, but one hand had support wires, rods helping its use.Bryan used to drag it-was named HAULIN HUSKY. Are you thinking like me that Trevor has a close relation called Paul in Aus?Were you there that night-I remember that place went balistic.Morris was an outsider from Western Springs with a reputation, or was he kicked out.Had a XT or XW Falcon, was definitely unloved. After what he did that night, it appears that everyone was a McConnachie fan. I remember he was dragged out of his car and some long overdue correction administered to him and the car .I am sure some Springs fans joined in.Talk about a pork chop in a synagogue.
The cowboy boots were a give away, who drives in them.
Yep reckon his old man must have gone to Aussie at some time.
The same guy on his night at the springs was a pretty good peddler.
And of course the self appointed monikker-the DUDE-!!!!!!!!!!!By the way the same power pole that took him took out the HK Monaro that Barry Algie got in 72-73( was Haresnape if memory serves me correctly-old fart will correct me for sure if I am wrong)
Yep right outside the workshop with apprentice, I had driven that mustang (yellow) about a month before when it was owned by a panelbeater from North Shore, was a nice car.
I purchased this photo off a collector eight years ago, what makes it special is on the back Denny has written "The reason I look spaced out here is because Clermont was very bad circuit for making the drivers feel sick. Most drivers used open faced helmet as they were quite often sick"
You read that and then have another look at the expression on his face....
Stewart
Thanks John for this background on this Zephyr Mk11, that I photographed way back in 1971-72. I often wondered if it was the McConnachie Zephyr, but assumed it wasn't due to the paint job. Your knowledgeable background of the car's history suggests strongly that it is and adds more mana to the photo. I remember seeing the car race in the "brothers" hands and it certainly was an impressive piece of kit at the time. I remember this occasion when I stumbled across the car, somewhere in the back blocks of South Auckland, while accompanying my father on his business rounds during school hols when I was in the 5th or 6th form. Thats the old man by the Tip Top period logo in the backdrop of the photo!
Was Ross Tebbs the guy who had a timber yard in Glenfield - later had a Falcon HO Phase 3, which he sold, then a Ferrari Testarossa around 1980...?
Mike? Walker raced a Bambina with, I think, an Anglia motor in the back seat, in the mid 60's days. Didn't look as wild as that, though. Used to spin a lot, as I recall - particularly at the 270 deg corner by the stable at Puke.
There was also a gentleman in Cust, downsouth, who ran a road Bambina with a Porsche 356 in the back! Never saw it, but heard all about it...
Yes. Aitkenhead Timber. His Aitkenhead partner died just before Christmas and Ross was at the funeral. He was also into power boats.
Jesse James?
Was it Dean Atkinhead ,he had E. Spraques red mk2 then ran a xj6 in the 6hr race??
An Atkinhead certainly had the ex Sprauge Mark2, we did some work on it when I was the service manager at Shorters in the early 70's. He told me then he was preparing an XJ6 for the 6 hour.
Are you confusing Aitkenhead and Atkinhead? The Aitkenhead Timber was initially bought by Ross Tebbs, Stu Opperman and Mick Dillon and as far as I know, there was no "Aitkenhead" at that time - but there may have been earlier!
Yes, it was Jesse James.
The whichever spelling, with the Jags had the timber yard, just along from Bombay .I hillclimbed against him on Bright Rd. in the seventys,he had the Mk2 with Michilens? I had aquajets ,was a no contest the loose metal thrown onto the road made the Dunlops slide allways at the same time!!
Ross had a Ho and a L34 which were joined in the garage by the Ferrari Berlinetta Boxer, which he owned for a very long time.
also owned a beautiful, quick Anglia.
Ross had timber yard in Target Road, it became Ritepine which is what was on his first serious Off Shore power boat, he raced with Robin Irving and assisted by Bruce Torrence and my late brother Mike and a couple more.
Then he got Jesse James for 86 Worlds in Auckland and raced her for a few years after. (this was THE Boat)
Last edited by Rod Grimwood; 02-02-2013 at 10:20 AM.
Falcon photo is on Mairangi Bay Beach for photo shoot.
L34
Anglia
Ferrari at Puke hillstand
Ritepine with Ross and Robin (The Doctor) This was the original EIT Mover
First photo of Jesse is when Ross went to the States to have a look at it and test.
Second is in NZ
Last edited by Rod Grimwood; 02-02-2013 at 10:34 AM.
Rod I think Ross was at an end of year BBQ beside the old tote building,the only BBq we had in my day pos.86,,,87 I remember him saying if we think motor racing is costly we should try boat racing,but he had a timber yard just north of Rotorua and it was a license to print money
Ross had two Ritepines - the Cougar cat shown here followed by a larger Robson cat named Ritepine II. He took me up under the harbour bridge one day in RPII doing 103mph - verified by a cop's radar gun which we had borrowed.
And here's another little-known fact - the first person to get the catamaran concept working properly for high-speed offshore racing powerboats was Colin Chapman.
Last edited by Shano; 02-02-2013 at 05:51 AM.
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