Northern Sports Car Club - the early years.

[Roger Dowding]

NO Roger. it's not from NSCC's Club Torque. It's from the December 1966 Auckland Car Club Bulletin.

The Pukekohe Club Circuit was opened in 1966. NSCC held a meeting on October 22 and the Auckland Car Club's first use of the track was on November 12. The results and some photos from that day.

Sorry I didn't make it clear in my original post that it was the ACC meeting in November.

Milan, Thanks I picked that up from your post on Old New Zealand Motor Racing and have corrected - thanks always for your interesting Motorsport History information -
Cheers

Roger D.

[Milan Fistonic]

This is the Motorman report of the first meeting held on the Club Circuit. It was run by the NSCC on October 22, 1966.

[Milan Fistonic]

This is from the ACC Bulletin of July 1966 and shows that the NSCC financed the construction of the new stretch track to establish the Club Circuit. It must have been completed in good time as that first meeting was held a week before the suggested date of October 29.

[Milan Fistonic]

A bit more information about Midget No 75 in Post 216.

This is from the first issue of a magazine called NZ No 1 in Speedway and dates from 1981.

[Roger Dowding]

Milan - Thanks, must pass that information on !!

[Roger Dowding]

Posted recently on the Ken H thread " Old Programmes, movies and memories from the Fifties, Sixties and Seventies. " by IKE.
The comment is about some photos of mine from that event with details of cars and drivers - plus other information.
Here is the comments and the photos added-

" This is in reply to the post on ...PAGE 17 .... 30.08.2015 by Roger Dowding & 31.08.2015 By Milan Fistonic

The Meeting is from 1968
Pukekohe Club Circuit .....Sept 1st 1968 Northern Sports Car Club

Photo # 1 (top working down)
My old album, has part of a program listing
#61 as Brian Pellow--- Brabham
#4 is Graeme Morley----ex McRae U2
# ? Could be M Mc Donald ----Mini Minus Special or R Duirs MER
# 3 is Rob Allen .Spencer Allen Motors- Manurewa / Begg & Allen Manuewa ---- Almen Formula Vee
# 6 is Ivan Berry, No Number on the nose --- Ike Formula Vee

Photo #1,


Photo # 2
# 6 is Ivan Berry's Ike Vee ----This Vee was the 2nd in the country after Barry Munro. The Ike Vee was built in Australia in 1966
by the owner Ivan Berry. The car was a copy of an Elfin space frame chassis, The body was an a altered Elfin body also built by the owner. The car was raced in Victoria at various tracks before
being shipped to N.Z. mid 1967.
# 3 is Rob Alens Almen Vee.

Photo #2 - with myself kneeling behind the first car and my Mates standing beside Rog Allport and Ron Lucka.


Photo # 4 answer by Milan Fistonic
The photo of the advertisment "FORMULA V DEVELOPMENT" The photo used by Ken McQueen Motors in the Add was
taken by Jack Inwood for "Motorman Magazine" at a track test for an article published in the January 1968 issue of
Motorman... The photos used in the add is being driven by the Editor of Motorman Don Anderson.
Ken McQeen motors sponsored the "Ike Vee" for the 1967/68/69 season and used the chassis design as the basis for the subsequent
McQueen Vee. Ivan Berry was supplying the bodies, seats and windscreens for the McQueen Cars.

Photo #4 The McQeen Formula V - Advert.

Some other memories.......

Peter Bruin ...Bright yellow Cooper Vincent was always competing ..... Dark Blue overalls - Red Helmet!

Ken Flashman... Went on to drive a Formula Vee for Lynn Motors in a "Rebel Vee"...... Ken was unfortunate to damage his hand badly in the intake fan of the VW motor. "

These photos were posted also on the Pukekohe thread - and comments were added - must compare notes and add here.

Notes by Ross Hollings " AHH memories, Minimax on back of grid with Ken Flashman in the ex Peter Bruin Cooper Vincent.The U2 drivers name escapes me but will come when the brain electrodes join up!! [These comments relate to the dummy grid photo.] Have actually seen an 8mm film of this race,film exists in Australia with Doug Wentworth.

Just read other posts,Yes Graeme Morley ,should read before I type,did not realise i raced against it again when i had the Humber 80 Special.! " who went on to Race and Hill Climb the MiniMax

Thanks to IKE Ross Hollings and "Oldfart " Rhys for comments

With regards to the MER ; Rhys wrote this " The "Mini Special" looks very MER like to me, could also be Les Reisterer? He had the first one of several built by Matamata Engineering. "

I can now accurately date the photos.

[Roger Dowding]

Photo from a Motorman Magazine [ before I started to buy them - that was in 1964 ] - thanks to Graham Woods for his extensive archives.

Note added August 2022.
The Road used at Paparimu, in the Hunuas - I am unsure of - in that period -1963
The Club was using Ostrich Farm Road, Pukekohe in late 1961 - 11th October 1961 there was an event.
By February 1965 the road used by NSCC for Hill Climbs was Birdwood Road, Massey, which I understand was used in 1964 also.
Some photos from Milan Fistonic of Bob Homewood and Roy Harrington were from Birdwood Road Hill Climb in 1964 [ or 1965 ].
May find out more next weekend when i see people at the Anniversary Celebrations and go through some Club Torque magazines

as an aside, Bob Homewood - who also has a large archive, has some more information [ images and writings ] about the circuit at Seagrove - the area that was an airfield during World War Two - situated on the South side of the Manukau Harbour near Karaka.
It was used in 1948 - 49, and perhaps later !!.
Bob was a member of NSCC for many years, before I joined and after.

[Allan]

At certain times of the year the layout of Seagrove is quite visible from the air.

[Roger Dowding]

Milan Fistonic - posted these recently - a bit more of Motoring History, and would be a connection with NSCC ..
Would be mid/late ?? 1950's with Bruce in the Austin Seven, and Ralph Watson running the BSA Special, which is still around.
Names of drivers are on the photos - includes Phil Kerr, who was with McLaren - the Man and the Company !!





1951 - 56 Number Plates, in both photos - White on Black with a - , - comma symbol

Plates from the period 1940 - 41 last of the Annual Plates to 1961 -66 last of the 5 year plates
[ 1965 as permanent plates were introduced in 1964 and 1965 - depending on the vehicle Class ( Car Truck Bus Motorcycle Trailer etc ) .]

[Trevor Sheffield]

As I recall the Muriwai hill climb was an exclusive Auckland Car Club venue and was not used by the NSCC. Most competitors at that time belonged to both clubs and the fees were very moderate.

[John McKechnie]

Our family owned a farm between Muriwai and Bethels in late 50s , early 60s.
I can remember bike scrambles and bent sprints on our roads
...Oaia Rd, Taipa Rd and Constable Rd

[Roger Dowding]

Comment by Kelvin Brown [ unsure if a relation ] posted on the Bucklers Fb page.
Gordon was a regular competitor in NSCC events in the 1940's / 50's.

" Our old friend Gordon Brown was interviewed on Radio NZ this morning a very positive person, he features in a book written on NZ centurions " Keepers of History " by Hollis. Gordon spoke of his life and automotive history including building cars and winning the first race with a Buckler in NZ. He was born in 1915 and on his 100th birthday drove some laps of the Hampton Downs track in a Lamborghini, still has licence but is considering giving up driving. An inspiration for us older folk eh ! ".

Had not heard of the book - must look that up ..

Believe Gordon never found his cars - a post from some 3 years ago !!

[Roger Dowding]

NSCC, was formed during the second world war - believe or not and from what I have gleaned from my Uncle Albert Edward " Eddie " Dowding, initial discussions took place on the Ferries between, Auckland City and the North Shore jetty's, Devonport, Northcote and Birkenhead.
Eddie lived at the time in Herne Bay and caught the Ferry to Northcote to visit his girlfrend who became his wife in June 1942.

Amongst the group initially involved were, Ces Hodge, Jack Boot [ Ed's brother - in - law ] Phil Seabrook, Alan Pybus, Vern Clarke Jock Aitken and others
Lawrie Powell [ the well known Ford V8 driver and later the " famous " Starter at Pukekohe ] and others, including Ron Roycroft, and Ralph Watson were members in the late 1940's too !!.

I knew Jock Aitken - he was the mechanic on my first car in 1967, and Alan Pybus - was a great mate of Ed's whom he stayed in touch with until recently when they both passed away.
I have met both Ron Roycroft [ at Glen Murray and at the Pukekohe swap meeting ] and Ralph Watson, a visitor to my house in Herne Bay [ when Lyle Chambers was my flatmate and had a BSA Special ] on several occasions to look at Lyle's BSA, arriving in his own BSA Special.

In some later photo's at Mackies Rest on a trial in 1946, is Ralph in his 1933 Singer Roadster with my Uncle Ed and his wife Una in their Morris 8 Tourer

Eddie Dowding and his brother-in-law Jack Boot both belonged, Eddie was Club Captain in the early days 1944-45 and Second President in 1945-46 years. Verne Clark was president 1943-45
The Club was formally incorporated in October 1943, but meetings [ informal club gatherings ] took place from 1942 on.

Eddie is still alive and well at 95, [ Eddie passed away aged 98 in May 2018 ] and many years ago gave me a few photos on NSCC and some events.

Here are a few to start

Attachment 29131
NSCC Concours 1947 -

Attachment 29132
NSCC Helensville Mud Trial 1949
Photo from the same event - Outside the Helensville Hall at the end of the trial with Ron Roycroft in his car

Attachment 29133
Jack Boot Riley Special - raced at a Cinder Track in Huntly - year not known but late 1940's.**
Now believed to be 1944 so mid 1940's

As I find more will post them.

Please add to the thread.

Moving this thread to the fore - as I have added more information to the first post - clarifying and correcting some details of dates names, places etc as I have found out more information.
Some later posts have also been updated.

Enjoy !

[Trevor Sheffield]

Roger,
Would you please advise regarding this text which includes the word "infamous":-
Lawrie Powell [ the well known Ford V8 driver and later the infamous Starter at Pukekohe ]

On the basis of technique and knowledge, Lawrie was the one and only expert starter. He took the job very seriously and no one ever got the better of him. Controversial yes, but never infamous or unsporting. Sadly on many occasions celebrities and fools messed up an important duty.

[Roger Dowding]

Roger,
Would you please advise regarding this text which includes the word "infamous":-
Lawrie Powell [ the well known Ford V8 driver and later the infamous Starter at Pukekohe ]

On the basis of technique and knowledge, Lawrie was the one and only expert starter. He took the job very seriously and no one ever got the better of him. Controversial yes, but never infamous or unsporting. Sadly on many occasions celebrities and fools messed up an important duty.

Trevor the comment was intended with the highest respect for Lawrie, whom I knew casually when involved with NSCC in late 1960's [ 1967 ] though to the early 1980's ; By then I was more involved with the Classic Car movement.
He was as you state he was an expert so perhaps the word " famous " would have been a better comment.
Obviously very well regarded as did ACC NSCC and NZIGP events over those many years.

Cheers
Roger

P.S. have edited the Original post to "famous "..

[Roger Dowding]

Brian Ferrabee who is an announcer at Lakeside and obviously a Car enthusiast found this Gem on the Lycoming.
Sports Car World February 1967 ;
Fits in with posts #131 and #132 on this thread the " Sport Car Talk " article.

The photo of Jim in action - Chamberlain Road Hill Climb - the Auckland Car Club venue for many years from the 1960's on..




The SCT 1984 Annual Magazine Cover



Perhaps the story needs to be together on a " Special " thread.. must see what has been posted.

[John McKechnie]

I have this mag at my place

[Trevor Sheffield]

Unfortunately, the Daniel Tee article contains many inaccuracies particularly concerning the specifications relative to the Lycoming Special. This type of misinformation plagued the late Ralph Watson throughout his latter life.

However Jim Boyd, being the character that he was, is quite well covered. He was one of a kind.

[Roger Dowding]

A selection of photos on the NZ Skoda Rally Team. 1971 NZ Rally .. A rally with international Competitors - if not an actual International Rally
Extract from a History of the Silver Fern Rally

" https://silverfernrally.co.nz/history/ "

" A change of name in 1971 to the Heatway Rally saw New Zealand achieve some international status. There were 15 entries from outside NZ, and several local Dealer supported “manufacturer” teams. The NZ Motor Corporation had a team of Minis, with their lead driver Scot Andrew Cowan, while Todd Motors used Hillman Avengers, and there were plenty of Ford’s, Skoda’s and Holden’s. Australian pairing Bruce Hodgson and Mike Mitchell driving their MKII Lotus Cortina were the winners from Kiwi pairing Ralph Emson and Wayne Jones in a Holden Torana GTR-XU1. The event covered 3000km with 48 special stages, and ran from Auckland to Wellington over 6 days. "

Story from John Coker that was with the Colour photo's - A post on NZ Rallying History Facebook Page.
John Coker wrote
" Laurie Evans and Colin Waite are in the roof spotlight car. Team won the Manufacturer's prize on the 71 Heatway International, despite the orange car going 100 metres over a bank near Matawai and then rejoining under what we now know as Rally2 regulations. It was nick named the crumpled pumpkin! All three were pretty standard 110Ls with 50 horsepower, before the works built cars came for later years. "

A photo of the Team members from Kenneth Burnett ;



" Lots off stalwart NSCC members there. Colin Waite, Tom Grace, Graham Knight, Laurie Evans ".
Note by Rod Peat. Motorsport competitor, former Club Captain and later President Northern Sports Car Club, and Bus Driver.
Standing ; Colin Waite - 5th from left, Laurie Evans - Right - leaning on the Car
Sitting ; Tom Grace - 2nd from left, Graham Knight - Right.
A couple of others look familiar, but cannot remember the names. - will edit post as I find names.


" My late dad not in that shot but Grahame Boot team manager -"
Note by Alan Boot - never thought of it - maybe a connection to my Late Uncle Jack Boot - a founding member of the Club
I do remember the name Graham Boot, and knew Colin Waite, Laurie Evans, Tom Grace, Graham Knight and others from NSCC including Rod Peat and John Coker - Rod helped check a couple of my Car Trials including when I was co-plotter of the NSCC Castrol Trial in 1975.

One of the Cars had a huge off !!



But finished - amazingly :



Colour photos of the cars from John Coker - who was also an NSCC stalwart Trial and Rally Driver, and Skoda Rally Driver too !!.

The Team Cars ;

[Oldfart]

The middle car in the team photo became mine a bit after the rally. It was my only car, driving to school as a teacher, and everything else one did in a car! At least mine was one of the team cars, and that colour. It had a perspex shield over the lights which went quite soft if all the lights were turned on while not being driven. Known in the Huntly Car Club as "the Flying Dork", might have been me, might be the Skoda insignia.
I did 54 events, trials, gymkhanas, Kerepehi grasstrack etc and made an $8 profit.