Racing Motorcycles - To - Racing Cars

[thunder427]

I was thinking about a 'Thread' that was dedicated to 'Speedway 'Solo' bike racing, My all time 'Hero' being New Zealand's adopted son,Three times World Champion,Twice runner-up,....Mr Roonie Moore...then I got to thinking about a Chapter in the 'Roonie Moore Book' (recomended Read!!,and Roonie signed my copy!!) that related the tale of he and Barry Briggs (Twice. World 'Solo' Bike Champion ) buying a 'single seater' each and doing a couple of F1 Grand Prix's before shipping the cars back to New Zealand,for what we affectionately called..the 'Tasman Series'.....so, got thinking of a number of 'Riders' that went on to suceesful career's on 4wheels...the 'Crossby...the Wayne Gardner....and ofcourse, 'SIR' John Surtess ( well he may not be,but dam well should be..anybody got Elizabeth's number ??)........................regards thunder427/MJ

[Leo D]

Maurie Quincey who ran a very competative Elfin 600......
Gregg Hansford who won Bathurst with Larry Perkins, only to lose his life in a 2ltr Touring Car Race at Phillip Island....

[David McKinney]

It was Ray Thackwell who bought the other F2 (not F1) Cooper with Ronnie Moore; Thackwell brought his back to NZ, Moore didn't. Barry Briggs did race on four wheels, but only in a DKW saloon. Other NZ sold riders to switch to four wheels were Merv Neil, Dick Campbell, Geoff Mardon and Bruce Abernethy, and from two-wheeled road-racing Syd Jensen and Forrest Cardon come to mind (and there are doubtless others I've forgotten)

[RogerH]

Brian Scobie.

[Ellis]

Mike " The Bike" Hailwood

[thunder427]

....Our Barry Sheen raced in the English Touring Car series in a Toyota Supra .....I think thats right,but!!!!!........regards thunder427/MJ

[Steve Holmes]

Damon Hill started out on motorbikes

[GD66]

Geoff Duke, John Arthur Brabham, Bill Ivy, Ago, Paul Radisich, Bernie Gillon, Neil Crompton... depends on what you consider successful...some were way more successful than others.

[nigel watts]

Seen here at the Classic Motorcycle Festival at Pukekohe a few years ago

[GD66]

Nice pic of a wonderful man of our time.

[Lee Tracey]

Tazio Nuvolari
Bernd Rosemeyer
Didn't Aaron Slight have a crack at racing some 4 wheel Hondas after he finished with the 2 wheel variety?
Stephan Peterhansel (Paris Dakar winner on 2 wheels and 4)

Cheers
Lee

[Rod Grimwood]

Don't forget one of NZ's best curcuit riders Dr Roger Freeth never got to single seaters but would have been quick.

[beowulf]

It was Ray Thackwell who bought the other F2 (not F1) Cooper with Ronnie Moore; Thackwell brought his back to NZ, Moore didn't. Barry Briggs did race on four wheels, but only in a DKW saloon. Other NZ sold riders to switch to four wheels were Merv Neil, Dick Campbell, Geoff Mardon and Bruce Abernethy, and from two-wheeled road-racing Syd Jensen and Forrest Cardon come to mind (and there are doubtless others I've forgotten)

Ronnie Moore bought two Kieft single seaters to New Zealand. His father was killed in one at a grass track meeting in Canterbury. Bruce
Abernathy started his single seater racing in the uncrashed one with a Vincent 1000cc motor. I owned that one a long time ago. I got it running with a Triumph motor, but it never went very well. My mechanical expertise was very limited. I sold it to the late Lyn Nielson, as far as I know it is still in the South Island.

[David McKinney]

One of the two Moore Kiefts was crashed by Ronnie at Wigram in 1952. It was the other that Les raced, and which went to Bruce Abernethy around 1958. Les Moore was killed at the wheel of the RA Vanguard in October 1960

After Lin Neilson's death the complete car and remains of the crashed one were acquired by Chris Read of Dunedin (my bid obviously wasn't high enough!) and AFAIK he still has the 'complete' one, and is in the process of putting the other together with a new frame

And your post confirms you are who I thought you were, beowulf!

[stubuchanan]

Dene Hollier raced bikes for a long while before changing to single-seaters, and how about George Begg? Didn't he compete once or twice in one of his earliest creations.

[David McKinney]

A couple of sprints in the 650, as I recall. Does that make him a racing-driver?

(And I should have remembered Dene Hollier)

[pallmall]

I see nobody has mentioned Paul Fahey.

[RogerH]

A Brad Ward photo of Geoff Duke (centre of photo) who drove Geminis for The Chequered Flag Team. Note the green and white Kombi in the background)

[stubuchanan]

Back in the 1930's Ron Roycroft started his career on motorbikes. Possibly George Zambucka too, he was Club Captain of the Auckand Motor Cycle Club for several years in the 30's, and George Smith was Club President pre- and post-WW2, although he was racing cars over this period.

[RogerH]

Here's the Kombi again.



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