Ian "Red" Dawson

[TonyG]

As a kid growing up I was always a fan of Red Dawson and I clearly remember watching him race the Mustang through to the Monza.
What was Reds full story and what became of his cars ?
Did he start at the stockcars at Epsom like many others ?
I heard many years ago that the mustang was supposed to have been in the Chapman collection at Onewhero along with the Fahey Stang now owned by the Bowden family over here but I am not sure of the truth attached to Reds car as it was run in the OSCA series at one stage wasn't it, as was his Camaro.
I clearly remember the Camaro in Gold but can't remember it in Marlboro colours yet I know it did run with Marlboro sponsorship at one stage. Does anyone have a photo of it in Marlboro colours. If so I would love to se it.

[TonyG]

I see (via Google is my friend) that Dale can give plenty of details of the ex Frank Bryan Mustang so that is a good start and at least it still exists.

Also found this from 67. I thought my memory as a 6 yr old may have been playing tricks on me but he and Dennis Marwood did race single seaters. I remembered Dennis raced a Sports Car...

http://www.sergent.com.au/motor/other1967.html

[Steve Holmes]

Good call Tony, Dawson was a fascinating character, who raced some stout machinery. Gerard Richards put together a brilliant feature on Red Dawsons life in racing a few years ago for NZ Classic Car mag. I need to double check, but I thought his name was Irvine, not Ian.

[GD66]

Good call, Tony ! There are a couple of pics of Red and his stock car on the very first page of the Yards and Yarns thread on this forum. I recall him ripping round in the ex-Matich BT7 with the most rudimentary of aerofoils riveted to the tail section, but he made his folk hero status with the crowds of the day for his exploits in the ex-Segedin Mustang, seemingly at a slight deficit to the well-sorted Fahey Mustang in terms of power and handling, but attempting to redress the imbalance with ambition, bravado and plenty of opposite lock ! When he moved up to the Frank Bryan car and gave it that cracking electric blue paint job with the hi-vis yellow beard spoiler and big gold numbers, his appeal expanded, and he was for sure a big fan favourite. Hard as nails on the track, I recall Jim Richards saying he was attempting to pass Red on the outside of Rothmans at Pukekohe when Red moved straight over and ran him onto the grass with no delay and little subsequent apology. He presented something of a daunting figure out of the car, and sure could mow his way through a pack of gum in no time at all, but remains one of the important founding figures in the formative years of NZ saloon racing.
Any pics, guys ?

[Jac Mac]

I remember the steering wheel coming 'detached' from the column as he charged into the loop @ teretonga when Camaro was painted 'Gold', nobody was game to go near him when he arrived back at the pits..

[TonyG]

Because I was so young I do remember the ex Segedin car but more so the Electric blue one. The other thing I remember was his driving position - hunched over the steering wheel whereas everyone else sat back.

[TonyG]

Doesn't seem so hunched in this shot though lol

[TonyG]

I believe this is Reds old Camaro

[nigel watts]

First time I saw Red Dawson was at a Hamilton Car Club hillclimb at Horahora back in the mid 60's - 64 I think. Ivan Segedin was there too in his Anglia - I think it was painted Red & White. Red Dawson had a Willys Coupe with V8 fitted. Talk about spectacular. I was standing at the first or 2nd corner when the Willys arrived at great speed - sideways!! with V8 bellowing - around the corner he went, without appearing to slow down, and off into the distance. All this happened about 10 feet from where we were standing and I remember there was a kind of shocked silence before everyone started yelling and laughing.

[Murray Maunder]

Far from a typical motor racing hero, the gruff and tuff Red cut a most unusual figure for circuit racing. He looked like the typical rough around the edges stockcar type in my eyes. And his driving was a toned down version of the same - all opposite lock and aggression. As GD said, the electric blue ex Bryan Mustang with the big Nascar number 35 in gold (or was it yellow) was the car that made Red the crowd pleaser he certainly was. He never seemed to struggle for pace, at least being in the leading group, though looking back, I suspect he was probably like few others for driving through any problem with the car.

I wasn't there but I understand that a big accident at Manfeild effectively finished Red's career.

[OCTARD-USA]

Gerard Richards put together a brilliant feature on Red Dawsons life in racing a few years ago for NZ Classic Car mag. I need to double check, but I thought his name was Irvine, not Ian.

Irvine William Dawson, per the Gerard Richards article I believe you're referencing (New Zealand Classic Car, Limited Edition Collectors' Series #5, Classic Kiwi Motorsport II, copyright 2005, article entitled "Red Dawson")

[TonyG]

Just read an article you wrote on the Castrol GTX series Steve, and in it you wrote that Neville Chrichton drove the ex Red Dawson Gen 2 Camaro. Was this the same Gold Kensington Carpets car rebuilt or another that I don't remember ?
Cheers
Tony

[TonyG]

I agree it was "Irvine" not "Ian" but interesting to see no results using Irvine yet lots for Ian using Google lol

[TonyG]

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...40199968316023
Not specifically Red but great footage none the less and he was in it lol.

[GD66]

... the electric blue ex Bryan Mustang with the big Nascar number 35 in gold (or was it yellow)

Gold numbers with a yellow pinstriped border. And a satin black boot spoiler and twin bonnet stripes to set it all off.
Nice.

[Michael Clark]

the 'I' didn't stand for Ian

[pallmall]

A bit busy right now, but I will post some early days photos of Red next week. His name was Irvine, he never used it, and put his initials on entry forms, so people jumped to conclusions that it was Ian.
There are lots of photos on the Mustang thread and the various collections of photos that have been posted.

[bob homewood]

Yes likewise its been a busy week and its not over for a couple of days yet for me ,but I have some good memories and yes he was Irvine

[stubuchanan]

Red (Irvine William) Dawson was one of a number of Auckland stock car drivers who were left "high and dry" when the Auckland Showgrounds became unavailable around 1959-60. This followed the death of Des McCollum there in an Australia vs NZ stock car "Test Series" but that wasn't apparently the reason; something to do with the trotting club and the lease.

Johnny Riley, Garth Souness, Bert Jones (A A Grimshaw-Jones), Peter Wheaton were a few others who jumped to circuit racing and (gravel) hillclimbs, driving various pre-war Chev Ford and other cars. Others racing old coupes in the early 1960's were Rod Coppins, Frank Radisich, Graeme Harvey, Jack Nazer, Gary Pederson - don't know if they started in stocks or not.

Red ran a Ford B4 Coupe at one stage and then the distinctive Willys. Then he progressed to the Lola Sports, 2.5 Brabham(?s) before the Mustang and Camaro days. His old mate John Riley's career followed almost identical steps over the 1960's

By coincidence, I was talking this afternoon to Gerard Richards, who wrote the NZ Classic Car story. He commented on how helpful Red's widow Nita was with photos etc. He thought the Willys ended up down South as a stock car but there wasn't enough left to consider a re-creation.

I have a few photos and slides from the early "Red" days. Must look them out.

Stu Buchanan

[pallmall]

53 years ago on the 24th Jan that we lost Des Mccollum.

Graeme Harvey was involved with stockcars, mainly helping Johnny Riley in the Epsom days, later drove the ex Bert Jones car at Western Springs and Gloucester Park.

Red's pukka race cars were the Lola Sports, the ex Hyslop/Palmer lowline Cooper, then the ex Matich Brabham, but he was also running the Mustangs at the same time as the single seaters, and possibly the Willys Coupe at the time of the Lola. Can't remember Red ever having a B4 coupe, surely you are thinking of Garth Souness another of the stockcar/car dealer mafia. Red had a 1938 Ford Coupe for hillclimbing before the Willys.

The loss of the Epsom Showgrounds to stockcar racing had nothing to do with the death of Des McCollum, although it did deter some guys from continuing to race. There were a combination of events starting with some vandalism of the new perimeter fencing at the showgrounds, but the main reason was the redevelopment of Alexandra Park for Night Trotting meetings. There were also those on the Cornwall Park Council who did not like the thought that rowdy youth may be involved with stockcars!