Rod Coppins

[Bruce302]

I would like to start a thread that consolidate the thoughts, memories and photographs of the popular and successful amateur racer from the 60's and 70's.

Rod ran a diverse range of cars from a Tec-Mec with Chevrolet V8 power, a 38 Chev coupe, Ford Zephyr with Chev V8 power, Ford Mustang, Chev Camaro, Pontiac Firebird, Holden Torana, Chrysler Charger and more, both here in NZ and Australia. Rod also reached the podium with his good friend Jim Richards at the big Bathurst race in the L/34 Torana.

To kick of the pic side, here is a pic supplied by Steve Elliott (fullnoise68) of Rod's Pontiac Firebird, taken I believe very soon after it came to Rod in early 1972.

There are many more to follow, and I hope we can have a thread for each of the deserving people who made racing so popular in the periods we each remember best.



Bruce.

[fullnoise68]

Bruce, as I said to you today, other than all the ones I have collected myself, many of the photos I have were given to me by a family friend Frank Renwick, who died some 12 years ago. Others were given to me by Peter Hanna, and some of these are likely to be either Jack Inwood, Terry Marshall, etc.
I have asked Bruce to post these photos on the basis of sharing them for everyones enjoyment, and not to ruffle anyones feathers. if anyone requires credit for this thread, or any of the others that Bruce is going to post on Red Dawson, John Riley, etc, please acknowledge them as being your photos.

[Bruce302]

This pic is Rod in The #41 Cambridge Camaro circa Sept/Oct 1970

[John McKechnie]

Steve E- great photos you have supplied to be posted. A very loud thanks for giving these to us .Look forward to seeing pics that havent been posted before.

[Bruce302]

Here is a pic of the Camaro Rod ran in the Glenvale 100, a stock '67 SS, that became the McConnochie Bros dirt track car after it was wrecked in a road accident.
That's Rod at the back supervising the refueling. Can anyone name any of the guys standing next to the car ?

[fullnoise68]

Bruce, the guy in the light coloured jersey in line with the aerial, maybe Colin Giltrap, to his right, looking in the same direction, is my father, and the young kid standing in the `pit garage,' entrance, well he`s gunna race one of these cars very soon....

[Bruce302]

Well spotted Steve.
One more of the 67 Camaro as used in the Glenvale 100. It appears to have 396 badges on the front fenders.

[John McKechnie]

Would this be Bryan Innes driving stint? Look at those pram wheels, when was the last time you ever saw a Camaro on such skinny wheels?

[OCTARD-USA]

Outstanding photos! Thanks for allowing these to be seen, Steve. Thanks for scanning and posting, Bruce.

-Chad

[Bruce302]

It looks very much like Rod from the stance, but I'd like to hear from someone that was there. The wheels look to be 6" rallye wheels, pure production car I believe.

Chad, my pleasure. There will be more to follow.

Bruce.

Would this be Bryan Innes driving stint? Look at those pram wheels, when was the last time you ever saw a Camaro on such skinny wheels?

[stubuchanan]

Rod raced the infamous TecMec in sports car and single-seater form in 1961/62 and 1962/63 seasons. Seen here with Malcolm Gill (Lycoming Special) and Simon Taylor(Jaguar D) at the start of the sports car race at the 1962 NZGP meeting at Ardmore. Question : what happened next... or maybe what didn't..



Stu

[Kiwiboss]

Well spotted Steve.
One more of the 67 Camaro as used in the Glenvale 100. It appears to have 396 badges on the front fenders.

Whats dates are we talking here Bruce302? this pic looks to be Baypark, which opened Nov 67. Just luv the skinny wheels and the "Nose up" stance, you know he's got the hammer down!!

For those reading this post, this Camaro represents the very reason why we started HMC with its applied rules, the fact is that this vehicle is in full road going trim, lights, bumpers, mirrors, etc and went straight to the race track, how they got raced in New Zealand. A true Muscle car been raced and very historic, and this is what created the legendry drivers such as Rod Coppins. Without a doubt a great picture.

Dale M

[stubuchanan]

Rod raced the infamous TecMec in sports car and single-seater form in 1961/62 and 1962/63 seasons. Seen here with Malcolm Gill (Lycoming Special) and Simon Taylor(Jaguar D) at the start of the sports car race at the 1962 NZGP meeting at Ardmore. Question : what happened next... or maybe what didn't..



Stu

Oops! To much haste. Ex motorcyclist Forrest Cardon, not Malcolm Gill, but Gill was the entrant of the Lycoming.
Other driver to right is veteran Ron Roycroft who was driving the Avery Bros HWM-Thunderbird(?) that day.

Stu

[John McKechnie]

Dale-date was July 11/12,and if you get motorman-sept 1970 you will see the full write up . Coppins/Innes got third. So was not a new car at the time as this is a 68 ?

[fullnoise68]

John, that is Rod driving. Apparently Bryan Innes didn`t do a lot of laps during the race. You comment on the skinny tyres, well that adds to the calibre of Rod as a driver. He was the fastest qualifier, and finished third behind two Falcon GTs, only because they miscalculated the fuel mileage with the Camaro. In reference to Stus posting of the Tec Mec, when Rod had his accident in that car , he tragically killed a track marshall,who was also a close friend of both Rods and my fathers, a guy named Dan Peoples.After this, Rod had a break from racing, before Garth Souness talked him into building a `good allcomer' and the Corvette engine out of the Tec Mec, went into the Chev Coupe before it powered the famous Mk2 Zephyr/ Corvette.
Regarding the comments I made the other day about `era knowledge', Dan Peoples brother Sam was actually competing at the same meeting when Dan was killed, racing an Austin A30. I didn`t know this, but Bob Homewood told me of this being the case. Thanks Bob.

[Bruce302]

I only have a scan of the program cover, but indeed there was a Glenvale 100 on July 12 1970.

[Bruce302]

Stu, What an excellent photo. I was hoping for a good shot of the Tec Mec, but this just amazing. Rod would have been in his early 20's (21-23) at this time.
Thank you very much.

Bruce.

Oops! To much haste. Ex motorcyclist Forrest Cardon, not Malcolm Gill, but Gill was the entrant of the Lycoming.
Other driver to right is veteran Ron Roycroft who was driving the Avery Bros HWM-Thunderbird(?) that day.

Stu

[fullnoise68]

That`s right Bruce, he would have been in his early 20`s with the Tec Mec. Rod was only 43 when the bloody cancer got him in 1983, making it 30 years ago next year. He would have been 73 years old next year, if he was still with us......

[kiwi285]

I would like to start a thread that consolidate the thoughts, memories and photographs of the popular and successful amateur racer from the 60's and 70's.

Rod ran a diverse range of cars from a Tec-Mec with Chevrolet V8 power, a 38 Chev coupe, Ford Zephyr with Chev V8 power, Ford Mustang, Chev Camaro, Pontiac Firebird, Holden Torana, Chrysler Charger and more, both here in NZ and Australia. Rod also reached the podium with his good friend Jim Richards at the big Bathurst race in the L/34 Torana.

To kick of the pic side, here is a pic supplied by Steve Elliott (fullnoise68) of Rod's Pontiac Firebird, taken I believe very soon after it came to Rod in early 1972.

There are many more to follow, and I hope we can have a thread for each of the deserving people who made racing so popular in the periods we each remember best.



Bruce.

Hi Bruce,

I thoroughly agree with your start here. It would be great to start a thread on our hero's from the past and it will allow everybody to post comments, thoughts and photos. We will then have a living potted history all in one place for all to reminisce about and add to.

[jim short]

At the Ardmore reunion at Puke 1983 Rod raced his V8Mk2 replica against Paul Fahey Lotus Cortina { I have some vidio of the two of them racing together ,the old Mk 2 getting away on the straight Paul right behind around Champion}.I met him for the first time when he gave me a fan belt ,a spare he had in his Jaguar as my Jaguar had thrown its one on the last lap chasing Ray Archibalds Jaguar,the only time I ever overdrove it by my standards,Ray also gave me one as well suprising they were all different sizes,.I was shocked to hear not long after he had died as no way did it show he was ill.I quess he made his name when passed Bob Jane on the back straight first lap.The headlines read he reached 170MPH !!!1!