Photos: The Sprague Family Collection

[Grant Sprague]

Photo Of Molly & Ernie at Timaru home with good mate Mike Hill he is the guy that helped with the SCANZ car , this was a trip to levels one of many trips home .. xmas meeting early 90,s

[Steve Holmes]

Ernie on the front row at Teretonga

I love this photo! Whose is the beautiful looking '69 Firebird? Is that Brian Crosbie?

[Grant Sprague]

Steve that is Brian in the firebird ..... to the right is Leo the car they had just won the B&H in .......beaut photo .. Hey Steve Mike & I would like to add some piks never seen here you have them down there , when you get time we would love to re group them & ad a few more ..... Thank mate Grant

[Kwaussie]

Great photo, never seen that one before.

Just had a look at Teretonga 25 and the only race date for the front trio was 31/10/70.

Times for grid positions....
L. Leonard 1.22.1
E. Sprague 1.22.5
B. Crosbie 1.22.6
J. Kennedy 1.23.6
R. Empson 1.25.1

I think that R. Homewood Cortina GTE is two behind Ralph Empson!

[Grant Sprague]

Any one notice the rear of the VIP bonnet lol

[kiwi285]

Here are some more of Grants photos.




Grant and Alby off the grid at Pukekohe And a trick cylinder head from the Anglia.


Mk I Cortina at Levels

[Grant Sprague]

opps Did not mean to put the one of Kylie & I here as it was a few photos thrown at my good friend Mike as we were in a race [Mans Cave] last week & past them to Mike in a rush &asked PLEASE put these on the link rush rush rush [That's me ]..but guess its ok ......Kylie Is my beautiful wife so this was taken a about 150 years ago ..pretty then & still pretty ........ as for the other piks we will pick through them later ............... ANY questions are welcome NO BIGGY

[John McKechnie]

Leo used to run a 1500 Crusader, is that him next to the Cortina?

[GD66]

Grant, I tried to pm you a number of times a couple of months back but your post box was always full, your lady Kylie looked after my brother Clive's funeral in Tauranga in July. She's a ripper, very genuine and couldn't have been more helpful, even drove the hearse (a Ford as well!). Our family was very grateful for her work, please pass on our thanks.

[Grant Ellwood]

Grant, was that semi-down draught Weber set-up (post 127) made in NZ? Looks great!

[Grant Sprague]

Thank guys...... firstly..... Yes that is Leo next to Ernie ...on far side I think Ron McPhail........ the red mk one was bought as a burnt out wreck Dad & his mates turned it into a race car....... soon sold it then came the fast back Anglia.........GD66 sorry about post box I need to learn how to empty it.........my e mail grantsprague@Kinect.co.nz...feel free to make contact mate .. as for my Darling wife yes Kylie is very well respected in Tauranga & is a great asset to the place she works for, but getting tired of it as very draining emotionally......not only is she a fantastic funeral director she is a great mum & wife... I will pass that on thank you GD66...... Grant E that cylinder head was bought off our great mate [Mr FORD] Grant Fitzpatrick......[a meaty head] Kevin Bann [now part owner kelford cams] built that head , it was hard to keep together with little leaks here & there but when it worked it was good , I reverted back to normal head after a few races

[Grant Sprague]

Kinect with a small k........... kinect

[Rod Grimwood]

Any one notice the rear of the VIP bonnet lol

Theres that little 'trick' again Grant

[Grant Sprague]

Ha ha Rod [hope u ok bro ??] as for the air pressure release .... Bruce Mc cut holes in front of bonnet, Ernie [& a few Auckland boys] lifted the rear of bonnet .....I love physics.... Dad,s fathe,s his name was Newton Sprague thats another story ..but a good one

[Grant Sprague]

Ha ha Rod [hope u ok bro ??] as for the air pressure release .... Bruce Mc cut holes in front of bonnet, Ernie [& a few Auckland boys] lifted the rear of bonnet

[Rod Grimwood]

Will get there Grant. Snuck onto computor for quick look at Roaringseason, looks like a bit to read and catch up on.

Now 'Newton', that starts to explain a few things cobber.

Also giggle at 'tent' at Bay Park.

[kiwi285]

Here are a few more photos from Grant's photo album.

A young Grant with Mk II Escort taken at Teretonga in February 1981


Teaming up with Aaron Harris at Pukekohe in November 1999


A couple more taken at Pukekohe in Nov 99


Another shot of that great Mustang at the NZ Trans Tasman 1999

[Grant Sprague]

Thank you Mike for adding these, Aaron Harris {BMW} is a good young man & was good to team up with him as we were same build & weight, he had just won the mazda series & his Dad Rex & him got this car [ex Craig Baird] off Lyall what they did not know was the shocks were screwed up to hard & was a damn hand full through the right hander [turn one ]it would skip out to the grass one photo here does not show it that well but two wheel in the air an other with four with air under them I will see if I can locate it , had the shocks been tuned more I recon we would have had an easier drive , I tested the car at manfield the car was good through flat turns & no bumps my job was to co drive & not get involved in set up made that easy for me as left that to Aaron & Rex , we entered the car at Puke under my sponsors name Supply Services ......was a big field , I think by memory we finished 5th or 6th out right no match for Craig & Jas in the later newer spec BMWs half way through the race it rained hard only to catch out the quicker v 8s.....which helped us up the leader board..we had this car booked to do the 2000cc 2500cc class at bathurst [not the big bathurst race] the organizer pulled the pin with a month to go........

[Grant Sprague]

The pre 65 Mustang was a gem of a car I was blessed to have had the full package ...it did not start out that way though , hard work like most of you know get you results , it was a mid field car pretty basic from the SI I bought it after I was prodded in the neck from Tim Prentice [supply services] to up my anti promised by support..we rebuilt the car to make it work better re stopping , turning ,weight horse power etc etc BUT ... I felt bad after we blew up our first new roller engine at manfeild while leading race two all of a sudden I thought s....t now what ..most of you have been there done that but in those days a good 289 with pre historic rules mods to get hp cost between 25 & 40k.was ridiculous .. with the Mallory metal used to do an internal crank balance etc could have bought a steel crank , solving issues the v8s were having [not to mention the feeble 289 block [casting ].. we were reving the poor little thing to 7800 in all gears .to get speed & lap times needed for champion ships & keep sponsors happy .....but the block & cranks were not up to speed , NOW they have seen the light and use different cranks & blocks .......in the day I ran[ the then committee] were not interested in listening ...to the problem thank god for the mustangs etc to day they run different blocks & cranks .a bit late at waking up.......the car after a few years went back to the south island ..........

[kiwi285]

Here are some more photos from the Sprague family albums

Grant and Albi in close formation at Manfield


Ernie in the Mk III replica at Levels 1988


Ernie in the original Mk III with Kerry Grant at Levin


Ray Archibald, Ernie and Ian Dow (?) at Ruapuna


Ernie and Ray hard at it - hairpin Ruapuna


Ernie at Teretonga 1967