The Roaring Season

by **Steve Holmes** » Wed Sep 07, 2011 6:05 pm

Jizim wrote:
Rod Grimwood wrote:Yes it is Steve, do you reckonize the gentleman pushing on the left rear wing (I know the one on the right) He helped Steve out alot in the beginning years of Steves single seat days. Just had a big Festival in his name.

I remember when Steve launched this car on a big piece of polystyrene in the swimming pool of a local North Shore pub. Or was that the Martini car? I have a sequence of Steves terrible crash in turn one at Pukekohe when Huub Rottengatter forced him off. I recall you being one of the first people there Rod. He had a terribly broken arm. I remember Steve saying that they lifted the suspension up to film the loose metal scenes down at Horopito and he said it handled really well....(incidently I was one of the very first Aucklanders to discover the best kept secret of a paddock full of vintage tin...Horipito Wreckers. I was on my honeymoon in 1969 and my bride sat in the car for near on 8 hours while I duly spent most of our money on brand new mudguards for my 1934 three window coupe....what a woman....I do miss her from time to time.) Regarding the Chevette rally car...this wasnt a works car but Shane Murland had a really quick car here and I must say he drove it well......(his name came up recently at a Targa??) Regards, Tony Rutherford.

8 hours! I was there some time back and my partner Helen allowed me 45 minutes, and followed me around the whole time so I kept to my deadline.

It was the Chardon colours that featured the swimming pool launch. Rod has posted some pics over on the Formula Atlantic thread: http://www.theroaringseason.com/showthread.php?271-Formula-Atlantic-Pacific/page4

by **David McKinney** » Wed Sep 07, 2011 4:56 pm

Pretty sure the swimming-pool launch was the Chardon year

Shane Murland's Chevette may have been a privately-owned one (memory-fade!) but I'm sure he was incorporated into the GMDT team for some events - perhaps only the Motogard, or whatever we were up to then

by **Jizim** » Wed Sep 07, 2011 11:54 am

Rod Grimwood wrote:Yes it is Steve, do you reckonize the gentleman pushing on the left rear wing (I know the one on the right) He helped Steve out alot in the beginning years of Steves single seat days. Just had a big Festival in his name.
Steve Holmes wrote:Just a question on the Millen car above, was this the car that starred in Roger Donaldson's Smash Palace movie?[/

I remember when Steve launched this car on a big piece of polystyrene in the swimming pool of a local North Shore pub. Or was that the Martini car? I have a sequence of Steves terrible crash in turn one at Pukekohe when Huub Rottengatter forced him off. I recall you being one of the first people there Rod. He had a terribly broken arm. I remember Steve saying that they lifted the suspension up to film the loose metal scenes down at Horopito and he said it handled really well....(incidently I was one of the very first Aucklanders to discover the best kept secret of a paddock full of vintage tin...Horipito Wreckers. I was on my honeymoon in 1969 and my bride sat in the car for near on 8 hours while I duly spent most of our money on brand new mudguards for my 1934 three window coupe....what a woman....I do miss her from time to time.) Regarding the Chevette rally car...this wasnt a works car but Shane Murland had a really quick car here and I must say he drove it well......(his name came up recently at a Targa??) Regards, Tony Rutherford.

by **Steve Holmes** » Mon Jul 18, 2011 6:50 am

Thanks Rowan. So did Whincup race the car in NZ then?

by **aussiemonza** » Sun Jul 17, 2011 9:50 pm

Steve Holmes wrote:A Sandown Tasman shot included here, plus Jim Clark's beautiful Lotus, as well as some early '80s Sports Sedans, including Jim Richards in Graeme Whincups Chevy Monza, Wayne Huxfords F5000 powered Capri, and Brian Friend's V8 Torana (ex Roy Harrngton).

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JR did have a drive of the Whincup (Rotex) Monza but in this shot it is Graeme in the drivers seat.

by **Shano** » Sun Jul 17, 2011 9:46 pm

Me too.

I did post a bit on the Nostalgia Forum but got the feeling they weren't interested in NZ motorsport and .... they were downright bloody scary the anoraks on that site...

by **kiwi285** » Sun Jul 17, 2011 9:26 pm

Yes this site is very addictive and is the first one I go to each morning and then several times during the day to see what has been posted since. I have never been anything other than rapt with the info and photos that are appearing. I have sent the link to as many motorsport friends as I can think of.

by **Shano** » Mon Jul 04, 2011 8:46 pm

I totally agree with the applause for Steve setting up the site - and the very high quality photo collections of Mike Feisst and Nigel Watts. I sent a link to a friend whose car appears in the Nissan 500 thread - it was the first time he had seen those photos. When I called at his work later in the morning guess what - he wasn't working.

The site had severely impacted on his productivity for yesterday. Hoping he might come on board and add some stories, but will have to leave that up to him.

by **Bruce302** » Mon Jul 04, 2011 6:47 am

Thanks to Mike Feisst for sharing these great pics, and to Steve for posting them. This is a goldmine of motor race history.

Bruce.

by **pallmall** » Mon Jul 04, 2011 5:49 am

The Chevron F5000 is Steve Thompson. The #38 Cooper is the ex Merv Neil car beautifully restored by the late Peter Bruin.

by **Steve Holmes** » Mon Jul 04, 2011 5:06 am

kiwi285 wrote:A massive 'THANK YOU' to Steve for taking the time to resize, post and put in some descriptions of these photos. I hope that they rekindle some great memories for the people looking through this website and all of its posts.

I also think that Steve deserves a great pat on the back for setting up this site and getting everyone stirred up enough to start contributing to the threads and passing on their personal memories and thoughts on these great cars.

Thanks Mike, I'm enjoying this just as much as you guys.

by **kiwi285** » Mon Jul 04, 2011 4:40 am

The Clark Lotus in post # 5 was taken at Sandown Park February 1967, and I spent 20 minutes sitting in the tent with Jim Clark talking about the Tasman series, the coming F1 series and motorsport in general. Could you even imagine getting anywhere near the pits these days let alone talking to the drivers. They were great times.

by **kiwi285** » Mon Jul 04, 2011 4:19 am

A massive 'THANK YOU' to Steve for taking the time to resize, post and put in some descriptions of these photos. I hope that they rekindle some great memories for the people looking through this website and all of its posts.

I also think that Steve deserves a great pat on the back for setting up this site and getting everyone stirred up enough to start contributing to the threads and passing on their personal memories and thoughts on these great cars.

by **Rod Grimwood** » Mon Jul 04, 2011 12:52 am

One very nice person, he had a big hand in directing Steve in the right direction during those early years, and I believe they still have contact.

by **Steve Holmes** » Mon Jul 04, 2011 12:49 am

Yeah I was looking at that photo thinking how much that guy looked like Chris Amon!

by **Rod Grimwood** » Mon Jul 04, 2011 12:42 am

Yes it is Steve, do you reckonize the gentleman pushing on the left rear wing (I know the one on the right) He helped Steve out alot in the beginning years of Steves single seat days. Just had a big Festival in his name.[quote="Steve Holmes"]Just a question on the Millen car above, was this the car that starred in Roger Donaldson's Smash Palace movie?[/

by **Steve Holmes** » Mon Jul 04, 2011 12:16 am

This is the last batch for this part folks. Included here are Frank Gardner in the amazing Chev Corvair Sports Sedan which visited NZ in late 1976, John Riley in his second season with the ex-Paul Fahey Shelby Mustang, plus the STP backed March 701 and Lotus 70 of Chris Amon and David Oxton.

Oxton had raced the Lotus during the 1970/71 NZ Tasman races to good effect, while Amon had struggled with the bulbous March, and STP boss Vince Granatelli apparently purchased the Lotus, which he gave to Amon for the rest of the Tasman series, while Oxton drove the March at the NZIGP, Lady Wigram Trophy, and Teretonga International events.

Is the Chevette one of the NZ GM Dealer Team works cars?

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by **Steve Holmes** » Sun Jul 03, 2011 11:40 pm

This batch includes David Oxton's gorgeous Begg FM5 before it went to England and was repainted black. This car now resides in the Southward Car Museum. I thought it looked better yellow, but Begg switched to black in an effort to change the teams fortunes after several unlucky races in Europe.

Also in this batch are Pete Geoghegan's amazing 600hp 'Super Falcon', in one of its last ever races in Geoghegan's hands, and painted in yellow Grace Brothers colours which appeared towards the end of 1972. Plus there is Rod Coppins in his ex-T/G Racing '69 Trans-Am Firebird, which Roaring Season member Bruce Thompson now owns. This shot was taken during the Coppins/Firebird NZ Saloon Car Championship winning season. This is the season Bruce has restored the car to.

I believe the white Chevron B24 is that of Steve Thompson? Is someone able to confirm that?

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by **Steve Holmes** » Sun Jul 03, 2011 11:29 pm

Sandown again, 1967, and Neil Allen (I think) in the Elfin Traco, plus Spencer Martin (Ferrari 250LM), Norm Beechey in his Nova, plus a gaggle of 'Humpy' Holdens.

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by **Steve Holmes** » Sun Jul 03, 2011 11:21 pm

A Sandown Tasman shot included here, plus Jim Clark's beautiful Lotus, as well as some early '80s Sports Sedans, including Jim Richards in Graeme Whincups Chevy Monza, Wayne Huxfords F5000 powered Capri, and Brian Friend's V8 Torana (ex Roy Harrngton).

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The Roaring Season

The Mike Feisst Collection - Part 4

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