The Roaring Season

[quote="seaqnmac27"]Looks like Warwick Mortimer, in the RX7, not sure about the Commodore, then it is the Lancaster Volvo, Keith Weir is in the Consul Capri not sure whose Escort 1600i is last in shot...[/quote]

My Guess
the commodore is the ex group c car, (Lance Johnson ?) The mazda could also be Bob Culinaine, behind the commodore, Volvo, then (in red) is Rex findlay in the ex anderson Mustang, Jennifer Mossman in the consul, Chris Toms in Escort. I think this shot was taken immediately after the previous picture

[quote="Steve Holmes"]Group shot here from Manfeild. I'd say approx 1988? Some great cars shown here, with John Osborne leading in his V8 RX7, chased by Rodger Freeth in the second Trevor Crowe Starlet, then Ian Algie in the Alfetta, Brett Willis in the Commodore, Peter Meadows in the Corvette. Whose are the next two cars? Last two cars in the shot are Grant Brennan in his Chevy V8 powered Escort and Rob Kennard in the Cortina shown earlier.

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kerin wills, and maybe harold wooten in rx3

[quote="Steve Holmes"]Pretty sure this is the same event, showing the mid-pack with Brennan and Kennard.

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Looks like Warwick Mortimer, in the RX7, not sure about the Commodore, then it is the Lancaster Volvo, Keith Weir is in the Consul Capri not sure whose Escort 1600i is last in shot...

Manfield grid shot, circa 1986. On the pole is Trevor Crowe in what must be his last season with his first Oldsmobile V8 Starlet, while Wayne Huxford and Ian Munt share the front row in their Chevy V8 powered Capris. Inside of row 2 is Rod McElrea in his V8 MkIV Cortina. I can't see who is next to him, but possibly John Osborne in the ex-Paul Fahey, Grant Walker, Inky Tulloch Group 2 Capri. Inside of rwo 3 you can just see the nose of Bob Homewood's radical space-frame Escort.

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Pretty sure this is the same event, showing the mid-pack with Brennan and Kennard.

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Group shot here from Manfeild. I'd say approx 1988? Some great cars shown here, with John Osborne leading in his V8 RX7, chased by Rodger Freeth in the second Trevor Crowe Starlet, then Ian Algie in the Alfetta, Brett Willis in the Commodore, Peter Meadows in the Corvette. Whose are the next two cars? Last two cars in the shot are Grant Brennan in his Chevy V8 powered Escort and Rob Kennard in the Cortina shown earlier.

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Thanks Growler, glad you're enjoying them. I love this era too. These are the crazy cars I grew up watching.

Love this era of motorsport. Its the raw "almost anything goes" concept that appeals.
I wonder where all of these cars are now? I know some have been resurrected and are back racing, some are no more, but there must a lot stored away in owners garages...

Mossman V8 Viva again, much later in its career, and pictured battling Rob Kennard.

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I could be wrong but I think this is Ralph Mossman's V8 Viva, very early in its Sports Sedan career.

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Baker then sold the Capri to Bob Cullinane, who repainted it black with fading red to yellow graphics. This would have been around 1982. Cullinane then sold it to Brian Friend, who painted it a couple more times. Friend raced it for a few seasons, then decided to give the car away in a raffle, charging $200 per ticket. Just after the car went to its new owner, a production company approached Friend wanting to use the car in a movie for a chase scene. He put them on to the new owner, but they asked if he'd oversee the car throughout filming, as they were having trouble driving it. The winner of the raffle sold the car to the production company for $20,000, with the right to purchase it back after filming, which he did, for $8,000.

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Here is the chase scene from Shaker Run, starring the Capri:

[video=youtube;5jCIWNXHG8c]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jCIWNXHG8c[/video]

These are just fantastic Steve, keep them coming.

Eventually Bullivant sold the car, and its next owner was Graham Baker. Baker had the funds to fully exploit the potential of the Capri, and for a season or so when he raced it, it was one of the fastest sedans in New Zealand. Baker also changed the car significantly by lowering it right down, and you can see that he cut away at the flares, which also helped him fit larger wheels and tyres. In this case, the wheels are McLaren M10 F5000. It was still painted yellow when Baker raced it.

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Bullivant then fitted the Capri with a small block Chevy V8, which made it faster. But still the budget was lacking. But Jim Richards was impressed enough he employed Bullivant to prepare his Mustang and later Falcon Sports Sedan.

Note the front spoiler has changed here.

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Another angle.

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This car had an extensive racing career. It was originally built by 19 year old Brent Bullivant, in the Hawkes Bay. It was a very well built car, but Bullivant lacked sufficient funding to fully develop it, or even purchase new tyres! It was first built with a small block 302 Ford V8. The flares are quite impressive.

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But Kennard and the Cortina returned. The car was rebuilt, and improved. It went on to become one of the fastest modified sedans in New Zealand. I believe this car was powered by a Ford V8, rather than the popular SBC. It was also fuel-injected. Kennard himself is now, or was, a Sherrif in a small town in California.

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This was the aftermath. The damage was extensive. The Cortina was a beautifully prepared and presented car in its original guise, and included some very intricate custom paint work. Kennard himself came from a hot rodding background. Note that the roof has buckled from the heat. I assume the beautiful Mawer wheels were also destroyed.

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This is the beautiful MkV Cortina V8 of Rob Kennard going up in flames at Manfeild.

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Next up is the Cortina-Mustang V8 of Clyde Collins. This car was abut the fastest car in OSCA for a few years in the early 1970s when Collins ran it. Clyde Collins always had beautifully turn-out race cars.

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