Dunedin Street Races - revival meeting January 1984

[Roger Dowding]

T Hargadon - The President of the South Canterbury Car Club, ( Inc ), message along with one from D R Dowell the local City Council Mayor.



Races - the Car events, 1, 3, 4, 5, and 8 [ Races 2 and 7 were for Motor Cycles - will feature later
Race One - Event 1, the " Sprague Motors Ltd " Sports Car Race.
- like most races on the day it was over 10 Laps, 11 Miles with a Grid Start. Running 3 Classes as noted



Event 3 - " Timaru Publicans " Saloon Car Race again running in 3 Classes up to 2000cc

.

Event 4 - N.Z. Specials and Racing Cars - 2 Classes - up to 1500cc and over, with a Section for each NZ Specials and Racing Cars.



Event 5 - " The D.R. Fillter " Saloon Car Race - 3 classes with minimum capacity 2001cc. [ spelling Fillter as on the page ]



Event 8 - " Speedway Motors " Saloon Car Grand Final two Classes up to 2000cc and 2001cc and over.



Will have to find photos and results to see who was running.

Other details - Officials and the 2 Motorcycle Races to follow.

[Roger Dowding]

Timaru Trophy Road Race 4 February 1967.

List of Officials and the Race day Schedule;
South Canterbury Car Club and the South Canterbury Motor Cycle Club along with ANZCC ( Association of New Zealand Car Clubs, Inc )[ ** oops ! had just changed to MANZ - Motorsport Association of New Zealand Inc ) ] and NZACU ( New Zealand Auto Cycle Union )working together.

** see note at the bottom of the Post #402.

Even the Mayor of Waimate on the list as the SCCC Patron. .



The Motor Cycle Races - Entry Lists Race 2 and Race 7





Lap Speed Table for the 1.1 mile course.



The Covers of the copy I have - quite faded - water damage, but worth keeping.



** The front Cover of the Programme states The Event
" Promoted by the S.C. Car Club .. and the National Competition Rules of the A.N.Z.C.C. (Inc.). "
The List of Officials shows that the Stewards are
" I Ward and M F Grant, N.Z.A.C.U. L S Lester, M.A.N.Z. (Inc). "

- Must have been at the time of the change of name.

Lots of Motorsport names among the Officials - and Entrants / Drivers and even Sponsors Advertisers.

Looking for any photos from the Event, Posters, if any and Results.

[Roger Dowding]

Bruce Pidgeon drove the Ransley Riley model 1, a Brooklands style car at the 1984 Historics meeting Race #165.
Craig Pidgeon Bruce's son who is into current Historic / Classic racing has these two pictures of Bruce and the Car on the Circuit.





My photo of the car in the Pits.
Craig said he towed / " A " framed the Riley behind the family Fiat [ 124 Coupe ] actually a Dino 206 Coupe with the Ferrari motor, quite a rare car. correction by the current owner Craig Pidgeon, was his fathers Bruce Pidgeon racing the Riley #165 - seen in the background in this scene - my photo.

[Allan]

Can anyone identify the chap in the blue overalls?

[Roger Dowding]

Can anyone identify the chap in the blue overalls?

Another fellow in Blue Overalls that day was Neil Ferguson from Waiau who ran a pale blue Austin Healey 100.
Don't think the same guy.



The Riley photo again.

[Roger Dowding]

Not in the South Island but South of the Bombays.

Allan Boyle recently did a " road trip " by Motorcycle and took photos of the Paritutu Road course as it is now, that he has images of from 1966.
The Paritutu Road Races were held at Labour weekend in October, 1965, 1966 and final event in 1967.

The Start line;



" Tomato " Alan's second Mini after " Purple " - his cars had great paintwork and signage - he was a Signwriter by trade.



Where the photo was taken - the road.



This Mini had a huge off John Fahy the driver - photo from a newspaper / magazine - Alan Boyle archives.



Where this happened - the road / track the car had just rounded the corner.



A very short track basically a triangle;



More to come - a few images from Paritutu appear earlier in this thread - Posts #328 and #394 #396 and #398.

Have the Programme for 1967 - from Bruce Dyer " Spgeti " and have seen the cover of the 1966 one.
Looking for more information on all 3 events.

[Roger Dowding]

The Alan Boyle archives and a current photo or two;

The road where the Anglia went through the fence car #54 - " where are you ? "



The incident ; Over it went;



Back on its wheels, a bit bent;



The Paritutu Mountain - " Rock " more likely in Taranaki. Photo John Larry Lawton.



In New Plymouth the view of the real Mountain - Egmont [ Taranaki ]

Alan Boyle - his Mini - Jack Nazer Anglia and others in the foreground - 1966

[Roger Dowding]

John Larry Lawton posted more of the Terry Baker collection of photos.
These of Paritutu 1967.

Drivers names added where known [ still have to read and scan the Programme ]



Terry's photos - the first few;

Ford Anglia 100E #66 had a 2400cc motor, was it a Zephyr ?, driver L Wilkie.
The Minisprint [ not genuine ] is #54 of D R McNeill, no details on the Triumph 2000.



Lotus Cortina - Roy Wade
** Been some interest in this Lotus Cortina, trying to find its current whereabouts, Pat Pascoe " owned it twice and Last sold it to Jimmy Stone in Australia " - quote Pat Pascoe.



Mini Cooper S - A M Loveridge #47



The Kevin Greene Chev Coupe in a pale Blue;.



More to come.
Have found a couple of pages of the Programme - Entry Lists for a few races

[Roger Dowding]

The Terry Baker photos, includes a couple of Sidecar Entrants.

Jim Richards - Anglia



The Sidecar Combinations one on track one sitting.



another Anglia. #49 F A Lambourn



Race entries - Races #12, 13, 14.



Races #15, 16.



Alan Boyle and Ron Brown were both there in the Morris Mini / Cooper S Allan in Tomato. - they were members of the EvWeld Racing Team in 1966 too !!
Alan in #46 " Morris Cooper S 970cc " and Ron in his " Morris " Mini - modified at " 998cc "

[Roger Dowding]

The Begg Chev, driven by Barry Keen, race number 153, was entered in Event 1, the " Sprague Motors Ltd " Sports Car Race ", and Event 4 the " N. Z. Specials and Racing Cars " race.

A photo of the car was posted by Allan Dick, at Timaru, some time ago - seen here.



The Photo also featured on this issue of " Autonews " the Allan Dick publication;



The Begg Chev #153 at 4700cc with the Stanton Corvette #53, at 5360 with Geoff Mardon driving, hence the need for the 3 digit number, and Andy Buchanan in the Ferrari 250LM, sometime stated to be a 275LM - capacity 3285 cc on the front row of the Sports Car Race.
[ Ferrari use to use the capacity of one cylinder for the model number and 3285 cc - = 274cc of a 12 cylinder engine ] so effectively a 275 LM. The car was originally raced in Australia.
for some reason the Stanton - an NZ Special was not entered in the Specials and Racings Cars race, neither was the Ferrari as a Sports Car.

As we know at certain meetings Sports Cars with a roof [ GT or Hardtop ] were allowed to enter " Saloon Car " Races. -



Entry List for the Sports Car Race Event 1

Des Ward competed in his Morris Minor at 1098 cc, his first serious Race meeting.
Des is looking for a copy of the Timaru Programme.
Have sent him some scans of the entry lists, but he would like an actual Programme.

[Roger Dowding]

The Ron Sylvester Chev Coupe featured in Issue 11 of " Autonews NZ " as the Cover Car - the Allan Dick Newspaper in late 1967. [ copy from Garry Simkin, via John Climo, now with myself.
It featured on the cover and in an article in Issue 25 of " NZ Classic Driver " - the Allan Dick Magazine in 2008 - a photo from Skope 2005.

The article in Classic Driver mentions that while Ron drove it at a few tracks,
[ including the one off Timaru 1967 meeting ], he felt that Ruapuna was its home track, and son Grant has continued the tradition.

The Magazine Covers - nearly 40 years apart.





The photos - edited.





The car still has the Fire Extinguishers on the back bumper, a modification done after a bad fire occurred to the Car in May 1969 at Ruapuna.

The Number Plate " RONS38 " is real and was issued in 1990;

" Year: 1938
Make: CHEVROLET
Model: COUPE
Colour: Silver
Second Colour: Red
Body Style: Sports Car
VIN:ⓘ
Plate:ⓘ RONS38
Engine No:ⓘ 3892657
Chassis:ⓘ 389-2657
CC rating:ⓘ 3,300cc (3.3l)
Fuel Type:ⓘ Petrol "

" Plates History
Plate Effective Date
RONS38 31-Oct-1990

Registration Status:ⓘ
Plate:ⓘ RONS38
Plate Type: Personalised
Origin: NZ New
Used as: Exempt Class A (EA) vehicle
Cause of Latest Registration: Re-Registeredⓘ
NZ First Registration: 31-Oct-1990
NZ Last Registration: Get Report
Was Registered Overseas? No
"

[Roger Dowding]

1959 was the first running of the around the town Street Races and it was a wet affair.
As noted 1961 was also rather wet ..

In the Waimate ' 50 ' Booklet published to celebrate the Racing Years is a photo of two cars in the rain approaching the Church Gate.

Covers of the Booklet;
back and front -



1959
The " Grand Prix " cars at the Church.- from the Booklet.



It was wet as evidenced by the track and the Lycoming get very out of line.
Note from Milan , this is actually 1961 also a vey wet meeting.
" It is 1961. That was also a wet race, though not as bad as 1959. Lenny Gilbert is in the Maserati not the Cooper Bristol. Brian Prescott in the 250F and Malcolm Gill in the Lycoming. "

1961


1961
The Lycoming and a Cooper Bobtail, near the Church gates.



Winners of the " Waimate 50 " - over the years 1959 - 1965 as published in the 1966 Programme.



Bruce McLaren won in 1959 - in 1961 he decided that as an Overseas Driver he would not run as the 50 was really for NZ Drivers.

Images from Graham Woods, however I do have a copy of the Booklet from Bruce Dyer " Spgeti ".

[Roger Dowding]

The Ministers view of the Racing - from inside the Church Gate.



Presume the cars above finished and feature here.



Map of the track - this from the 1964 Programme - it was the same in 1962, and presume all the events from 1959 to 1966.



Here turned to align with an earlier Map in my archive. Photo above and maps from Graham Woods



Map from 1962. - Allan Dick - Classic Autonews archives.

[Roger Dowding]

Dunedin 1965 - an All Ford Race ??

Note from Bob Homewood
" Not a very clear photo or memory but 9 Robbie Francevic, 104 Paul Fahey ,36 Warren Hensley ,Jim Mullins in the Cortina Climax, ,Bill Norrish , Warner Collins 7 ,21 Ken Richardson ,44 Tony Lawrence 45 Berty Hawthorne, 4 Morrie Hogan "
and a further note after a question re the Lotus Cortina Climax from Pat Pascoe.

" wouldn't the Cortina Climax be Arthur Moffat "

Bob Homewood replied.
" From a very faded memory ,Jim Mullins drove it at that meeting ,and likewise Bill Norrish drove Jack Nazers Anglia ,Bill was Jacks mechanic "

The photo - Graham Woods archive.



Need to find the Programme and Results.

Also Dunedin 1965 - a different Race, a different Class of car.
Was it with Malcolm Gill or Jim Boyd - Jim Boyd bought the car from Forest Carden in late 1964. Forest only had it a few months.

Racing History 1959 - 1964. Three different owners / drivers.



1964 on with Jim Boyd - 1965 - 67 events.



Information from this Book. My own copy - sent to me by Ross Hollings many years ago, when living in Australia 2009 - 2017 - It also appears in Trevor Sheffield [ RIP ] Book about Ralph Watson.
The information was used by Steve Holmes in his first book on NZ Racing Cars.



The photo - Graham Woods archive also.
6th February 1965, a First and a Second in the two races.