Rod Coppins

[fullnoise68]

These are three photos from a bunch of photos that Lynn Coppins, Rods sister, lent to me so I could scan them while she was here, between the two Festival weekends in January. Lynn lives in Perth, and came over to be with the rest of her family for Rods tribute and told me she throughly enjoyed herself over the two weekends, and was rapt at what the HMC group had done to honour Rod. The first photo is Rod with some silverware from his efforts in the Zephyr Corvette. The second photo is at Lakeside when Rod bought and ran the ex Ian `Big Pete' Geoghegan Mustang, prior to bringing it back to NZ. The bottom photo is of Rod washing an XK Jag outside the Coppins family home in Alfriston, just east of Manurewa.

[Steve Holmes]

That Lakeside shot is fantastic!

[TonyG]

Here is another shot from the 1967 ATCC race at Lakeside of Rod Coppins, Paul Fahey, Brian Michelmore, John French at Hungry corner bery kindly sent to me by John Stanley yesterday. Hopefully John will join us all here and share some more of his fantastic shots.

[John McKechnie]

Would that black car-number 4 -in the background be Norm Beechey in his Chevvy Nova?

[TonyG]

Would that black car-number 4 -in the background be Norm Beechey in his Chevvy Nova?

Hi John , it sure is.
From Wikipedia - Results
Race results:
Position Driver No. Car Laps
1 Ian Geoghegan 1 Ford Mustang GTA 50
2 Brian Foley 8 Morris Cooper S 50
3 Peter Manton 2 Morris Cooper S 50
4 Kevin Bartlett 5 Alfa Romeo GTA 50
5 Greg Cusack 7 Ford Mustang 49
6 Jim McKeown 3 Ford Lotus Cortina 47
7 Rod Coppins 10 Ford Mustang 47
8 John French 26 Morris Cooper S 47
DNF Norm Beechey 4 Chevrolet Nova 40
DNF Brian Michelmore Ford Lotus Cortina 29
DNF Terry Allan Chevrolet Camaro
DNF Paul Fahey Ford Mustang
DNF Bob Jane 6 Ford Mustang 2

[John McKechnie]

Hi Tony- thanks for that.
How hard is it to find these old race results in Wikipedia?
You make it look easy. I have had no luck trying to find the Mercury 1000 results from early 70s
Terry Allen came over here in his Blue big block Camaro in April (?)1970.
This cant be the same Camaro- did he have another one 3 years earlier.

[Steve Holmes]

Yes its the same Camaro John, he raced it from 1967 to 1971. Its the first road racing Camaro in Australasia.

I think the reason the above race is on Wiki is because it was the 1967 ATCC, back when the championship was just a single race. So it was a pretty significant race. Beechey in the Nova was actually heading for the win until a rear tyre blew and threw him into the wall.

[Steve Holmes]

Here is another shot from the 1967 ATCC race at Lakeside of Rod Coppins, Paul Fahey, Brian Michelmore, John French at Hungry corner bery kindly sent to me by John Stanley yesterday. Hopefully John will join us all here and share some more of his fantastic shots.

What an amazing photo Tony! Thanks for posting it here, and thanks to John for sharing it.

[Milan Fistonic]

Here's the grid and the result of the 1967 ATCC.

[fullnoise68]

Bringing it forward 46 years, being part of a 25 car, all V8 big banger grid, at the same track, it going to be quite an occassion.

[Steve Holmes]

Here's the grid and the result of the 1967 ATCC.

This is awesome Milan! Its the first time I've seen the qualifying times from this event. It would seem, based on this, and a couple of earlier ATCC events I've researched, that when the ATCC was held as a single race, rather than a series, the field was limited to just 20 cars, made up of the fastest from each class?

[Milan Fistonic]

This is awesome Milan! Its the first time I've seen the qualifying times from this event. It would seem, based on this, and a couple of earlier ATCC events I've researched, that when the ATCC was held as a single race, rather than a series, the field was limited to just 20 cars, made up of the fastest from each class?

The report is rather confusing as it states: "The race programme set up three heats for the Title contenders and a 50-lap (75-mile) final for the fastest selected twenty."

Only two 6-lap heats are detailed in the report. The first was won by Brian Foley from Peter Manton and John French, all in Cooper S Minis. Other drivers mentioned were; Stewart, Rout, Jack Humphreys, McGregor and Warnes all in Minis and Bill Tatham in a Cortina.

The second heat was won by Beechy from Geoghegan and McKeown. Terry Allan removed his Camaro from the grid when it was discovered that the tyres were rubbing on the guards.

Other starters were: Kevin Bartlett, Bob Jane, Michelmore, Coppins, Cusack and the Holdens of Reilly, Clough, Thomas, Kropp and Goss.

[Steve Holmes]

Thanks Milan, actually I'd have thought there would be about four or five classes, so I don't really understand how there can even be just three heats. Maybe some were combined.

[Bruce302]

Here is the Team Cambridge Monaro, Pukekohe Saturday 7th December 1969 according to the file notes.
photos copyright The Bruce McLaren Trust.

[Bruce302]

From the cover of AutoNews July 1970, Rod Coppins and Brian Innes shared this 1967 SS 396 Camaro in the Glenvale 100 at Bay Park Raceway in July 1970. It was maroon in colour and backed by Consolidated Dye, a company that Spencer "Spinner" Black had an interest in. The car had 4 wheel disc brakes and these were later transferred to the Coppins Team Cambridge 67 SS Camaro. Unfortunately the reports don't tell if it was 325, 350 or the special high performance 375 horsepower version. The number plate DE 5124 is one number off the Spinner Black Monaro that also became a Team Cambridge car.

[Steve Holmes]

Its funny, I saw a photo of this Camaro in Motorman when I was a kid, and all my life I just assumed it was a black car! Never ever considered it was anything else.

[John McKechnie]

Steve- I have this front grid in colour and will get Bruce to post it.
It was a Grady Thomson in his Monaro, but it shows the whole grid in colour

[Steve Holmes]

Thanks John, I'd love to see that.

[Bruce302]

The front of the Camaro sits quite high, almost what you would expect if a small block (350 for example) replaced a big block (396)

[John McKechnie]

Pic #219 is copyright of The Bruce McLaren trust.