Kia ora Stu,

I remember during my cycle racing youth, riding out to Seagrove just after the war, with a couple of mates to take in the motor racing. The races were held on a straight runway, back and forth around markers much like a beach race. All sorts of cars competed and the events started with straight sprints rather than races. The most impressive car was an Auburn straight eight roadster. I am fairly sure that invitations for the sprint events went out to anyone with a legally registered car and drivers license.

Unfortunately I wound up with a punctured racing tyre which I could not repair, but was lucky to hitch a ride back to the city with Laurie Powel, who was driving his V8 engined B4 roadster, with midget also used on the day, in tow on a trailer. I had to sit on the passengers knees and it was eye-water drafty above the screen. Laurie loved his B4 and pointed out that the Auburn was only slightly quicker even though it must have cost more than twice as much. At the time I recall that the B4 was quite a smart machine.

At the time I dreamed of owning and racing a sports car and was annoyed with the way MG and morgan examples were being driven so sedately and vowed that I could do better. I could see the opportunity for a bit of sideways stuff at the corner flags. It came to pass that later on I competed against Laurie in the B4 and was together with him, a member of the Northern Sports Car Club Committee.

Them was good days. Trevor.