The Roaring Season

by **Warninglight** » Sat Jun 06, 2015 9:53 am

Spot on Steve. I was the guy who was asked to move the engine back. I hated doing it to this original car. Ross Cameron owned it at the time and we cut the firewall and essentially moved it back and inserted a 12 inch spacer to join everything back up. Sorted out brake and clutch as cheaply as we could in the tiny space left Built up front and rear engine mounts and it is all go. Arguably 1 sec faster at Levels.

by **Roger Dowding** » Wed May 21, 2014 10:51 am

the man drove a Brabham, what a sad day today, Jack, Sir Jack gone at 88, a very good innings, great driver and car maker too !!. Our heroes are diminishing, as are we ..

by **Kwaussie** » Tue May 20, 2014 12:44 pm

Just to get back to the subject.
I always admired Red Dawson as someone I met on odd occasions during those great days of NZ motor racing.
The times at Wigram spent at The Esplanade in New Brighton and the various hotels in the southern cities were very enjoyable.
One day in particular was after Wigram and he was convinced that I should buy his Brabham and I was sure that I was not interested.
He went outside and walked around my car and made an offer as a trade on the BT7/4 and said he would give me the balance interest free for what ever time I wanted. Rod Coppins was there and also Johnny Riley - I can remember them rolling their eyes so I said we will talk about it next week in Invercargill.
Upshot was I sold my car the next day for what Red had mentioned as a trade.
I was very happy and spent a few bucks buying drinks for the Dawson, Coppins & Riley families the next weekend.
A great and tough race driver but a very good family man.

by **stubuchanan** » Tue May 20, 2014 11:36 am

Kwaussie wrote:From Historic Racing Cars of New Zealand book page 40... car was purchased by Barry Thomasen but he crashed the car at Bay Park in October 1969........ the car was destroyed. Bits of the car were used as parts for other cars, some finding their way to Australia. Roger Munns got the back end for his BT22.
Roger Munns gets an acknowledgement for the GV book so some weight should be placed with the comments.

To be fair, I think you have to remember that Vercoe's books were written around 1990, 20 years after the events, and there is some evidence that he was sometimes 'winging it' when he didn't have the full story. I hadn't seen Khyndart's photo before, and I have to agree that the car doesn't look a complete write-off.

The 2.5 Climax-engined cars were getting a bit long in the tooth by 1969/70, slower than the FVA 1.6's and some 1.5 twin-cams on most tracks, and Bill Thomasen would have had no great incentive to repair the car at that time. Maybe it was just dismantled, at some later stage.

Stu

by **Kwaussie** » Tue May 20, 2014 10:23 am

Terry S wrote: The car in question here is the ex Matich BT 7A (IC-1-63), that Thomasen bought for his son Barry

From Historic Racing Cars of New Zealand book page 40... car was purchased by Barry Thomasen but he crashed the car at Bay Park in October 1969........ the car was destroyed. Bits of the car were used as parts for other cars, some finding their way to Australia. Roger Munns got the back end for his BT22.
Roger Munns gets an acknowledgement for the GV book so some weight should be placed with the comments.

by **Russ Noble** » Tue May 20, 2014 8:36 am

Carlo wrote:December 3rd 1967 was also the opening meeting for the Timaru Motor Raceway as it too had been postponed from the previous week because of a downpour which had flooded the infield area of the circuit. Red was the star attraction with the Mustang staying over for the week and keeping many entertained. The racing between he and Gary Sprague in the Anglia set the tone for meetings to follow.

I was at that meeting as an enthusiastic spectator. At a later date I was told, or read, that Red was enticed to that meeting by substantial appearance money. However the cheque was never cashed. When Red was approached about what had happened to the cheque he replied that he had such a good time at Levels that he had framed the cheque and it was hanging on his wall. Whether that is true or just urban legend I have no idea, but I took it as gospel at the time.

by **Carlo** » Tue May 20, 2014 3:50 am

GD66 wrote:The first meeting held was on December 3rd, 1967. There was a big issue with the seal, I understood at the time that they had economised and used cold mix and the tyres were tearing it up : Palmer's M4A smashed its mirrors with flying seal. They fixed it up pretty smartly and the Dec 30th international with Norm Beechey as the star attraction was a blinder, as you can see from the pics above there was a ripping crowd in.

December 3rd 1967 was also the opening meeting for the Timaru Motor Raceway as it too had been postponed from the previous week because of a downpour which had flooded the infield area of the circuit. Red was the star attraction with the Mustang staying over for the week and keeping many entertained. The racing between he and Gary Sprague in the Anglia set the tone for meetings to follow.

by **Terry S** » Tue May 20, 2014 1:36 am

John McKechnie wrote:I have an article from Auotonews vol 3, number 18 April13 1970 page 10. which may be relevent here-
BIll Thomasen had an older high-line Cooper less engine and installed a 2 litre unit in place of the 2.5. When Thomasen took delivery of the Brabham (now owned by Bryan Faloon) this Cooper was sold.
Does this give a link from Thomasen to Faloon or is this another Brabham?

No John, that is an earlier Brabham, BT4 (IC-3-62) that Bill raced.
Originally Bib Stillwell, then to Thomasen for NZ rounds of 65 Tasman, then Jim Boyd for NZ rounds of 67 Tasman, then to Bryan Faloon for NZ rounds of 68 Tasman. Understood to now be in OZ.

The car in question here is the ex Matich BT 7A (IC-1-63), that Thomasen bought for his son Barry

by **John McKechnie** » Tue May 20, 2014 12:16 am

I have an article from Auotonews vol 3, number 18 April13 1970 page 10. which may be relevent here-
BIll Thomasen had an older high-line Cooper less engine and installed a 2 litre unit in place of the 2.5. When Thomasen took delivery of the Brabham (now owned by Bryan Faloon) this Cooper was sold.
Does this give a link from Thomasen to Faloon or is this another Brabham?

by **Terry S** » Mon May 19, 2014 11:46 pm

khyndart in CA wrote:BayPark Oct 4th 1969

Graham McRae in the Begg FM2 passes the scene where poor Barry Thomasen had had his accident in the Brabham-Climax.
The car did not seem to be too badly damaged from where we stood across the track.

(Ken Hyndman )

As you say, the car does not look too badly damaged from across the track

Surely someone must know what actually happened to this very well known car?
And NOT just what is in ORC.

by **fullnoise68** » Mon May 19, 2014 8:42 am

I was just wondering Oldfart as I have got some other photos of that meeting as well which Bruce may be able to post for me.

by **Oldfart** » Mon May 19, 2014 7:59 am

fullnoise68 wrote:Which Steve are you referring to Oldfart?

Our guiding light and owner of the site.

by **fullnoise68** » Mon May 19, 2014 5:58 am

Which Steve are you referring to Oldfart?

by **Oldfart** » Mon May 19, 2014 5:51 am

Steve some of those photos of mine are that early meeting. Cement dust just about everywhere.

by **stubuchanan** » Sun May 18, 2014 10:36 am

Kiwiboss wrote:This must have been the opening meeting for the NEW Baypark track? i know they tried to open earlier but bad weather cancelled that event(so im told) at 8 years old i wasn't there, LOL

Dale M

Not quite. Inaugural meeting was rained off on 18 November. It was re-run on December 3, but according to Donn Anderson in Motorman only as a 'closed to club members' event. Apparently MANZ weren't being very helpful to the upstarts from the Mount, but a number of new members were 'found' and reasonable fields ensued!

The same Motorman issue mentions Paul Bolton's Levin accident in the Rorstan 2.5 Brabham, caused by a brake-pad becoming welded to the disc and describes the car as a write-off. Bolton wasn't too happy either, with broken collar-bone and shoulder.
Also mentioned the Feo Stanton had three 2.5 4-cyl Climax engines for sale and two Hewland HD5 gearboxes with plenty of spares.

stu

by **GD66** » Sun May 18, 2014 10:27 am

The first meeting held was on December 3rd, 1967. There was a big issue with the seal, I understood at the time that they had economised and used cold mix and the tyres were tearing it up : Palmer's M4A smashed its mirrors with flying seal. They fixed it up pretty smartly and the Dec 30th international with Norm Beechey as the star attraction was a blinder, as you can see from the pics above there was a ripping crowd in.

by **Kiwiboss** » Sun May 18, 2014 8:55 am

GD66 wrote:December 30th, 1967. Red off the line alongside Frank Radisich in the Lotus 22, Laurence Brownlie and Vince Anderson on the second row and Jim Palmer with his hand in the air in the M4A. This may have been a heat race as Palmer won the main race by 8 seconds from Laurence Brownlie.

This must have been the opening meeting for the NEW Baypark track? i know they tried to open earlier but bad weather cancelled that event(so im told) at 8 years old i wasn't there, LOL

Dale M

by **GD66** » Sun May 18, 2014 8:20 am

December 30th, 1967. Red off the line alongside Frank Radisich in the Lotus 22, Laurence Brownlie and Vince Anderson on the second row and Jim Palmer with his hand in the air in the M4A. This may have been a heat race as Palmer won the main race by 8 seconds from Laurence Brownlie.

by **Bruce302** » Sun May 18, 2014 5:41 am

Here are a couple of pics from Steve Elliott's collection, the captions are Red Dawson on pole for the first international meeting at Bay Park Raceway. The second pic is the same race start. No other dates given.

by **Terry S** » Sat May 17, 2014 1:07 am

Kwaussie wrote:At the time it was known that IC/1/63 was a chassis built in Australia for Matich/Total and this was the car sold to Red Dawson.

Frankly that is a lot of nonsense.
Matich went to England for several months to work with Tauranac on this car which was the prototype of the BT7A series.

The Roaring Season

Ian "Red" Dawson

Post a reply

Expand view Topic review: Ian "Red" Dawson

Re: Ian "Red" Dawson

Re: Ian "Red" Dawson

Re: Ian "Red" Dawson

Re: Ian "Red" Dawson

Re: Ian "Red" Dawson

Re: Ian "Red" Dawson

Re: Ian "Red" Dawson

Re: Ian "Red" Dawson

Re: Ian "Red" Dawson

Re: Ian "Red" Dawson

Re: Ian "Red" Dawson

Re: Ian "Red" Dawson

Re: Ian "Red" Dawson

Re: Ian "Red" Dawson

Re: Ian "Red" Dawson

Re: Ian "Red" Dawson

Re: Ian "Red" Dawson

Re: Ian "Red" Dawson

Re: Ian "Red" Dawson

Re: Ian "Red" Dawson