Speedway saloons from the late 60's to the mid 70's, any pictures, memories...

[Steve Holmes]

That Allen Ford HT Monaro was a horny looking car.

[Rod Grimwood]

Ron Kendall did a bit of curcuit racing at the same time, and this Mazda RX3 Ron purchased as a curcuit car (i thought it was a beaut) and we all went to Bay Park and Ron ran it but did not really enjoy it, so back to workshop and out with windows, weld up doors and remove the lights etc and off to Waikaraka next Saturday night and bingo. Even ran slicks in feature because track was real dry and this is end result. 1 week nice curcuit car next week saloon at Waikaraka and then next week Te Marua for NZ Champs and another success story. Ron was a pretty handy peddler.

[Shano]

Ron Kendall in an earlier car - 100E Prefect which I think had a twin cam engine in it.



And Noel Goodwin in his 850cc-powered Fiat 600.

[pallmall]

Evan Watson always ran as #76.


Trevor Gray in Aussie.NZ Team 1971.


That Pontiac again.







Ray Wright

[pallmall]

The McConnichie Camaro

[TonyG]

Wow so many memories bought back just looking at these photos. I first went to Waikaraka when the Pall Mall team were at there peak with 16A Sam Ferabend (Capt), 2A Graham McLachlan, 3A Dave Greer, 6A Joel Wright, 10A Graham Mitchell and 28A Laurie Hines. I remember them taking on the Triang team from Matamata I think ?
They even had figure 8 races from memory.
Another saloon that popped up every now and then was Rowan Geck and his 100e and then xw/xy Falcon. Have some pics of his later xd here. My brother In Law used to crew for him so new Rowan well.
Slightly off topic but do we have a thread for later Waikaraka cars and also anything on the meeting/s they had at Kumeu Outlaws or Meremere Outlaws banked oval. Does the Meremere track still exist ?
Cheers
Tony

Just found this for anyone that uses Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kevin-J-McIvor-Poetry-and-Stockcar-History/137230243009599?sk=wall

Lots of pics of Pall Mall cars, the Jesters team etc

[pallmall]

Lots of my photos on that Facebook page.

If you want to catch up with old stockcar and saloon stuff have a look on Macgors in the Racecars Missing in Action section.
http://macgor.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=stockcarmia

The Meremere High Banks track is still there, but chopped up for speedboats, I don't think speedway has run there since 1999.

[nick_tassie]

Speaking of Facebook there are some great photos of speedway from the NSW tracks on the official Newcastle International Motordrome page

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Newcastle-International-Motordrome/246037532162?sk=photos

[Rod Grimwood]

Ron Kendall a couple of months back at Rod Millens birthday skid, doing what he does, making things go.

[GD66]

Wow, Trevor Gray ! That one tickled the old memory bank...

[TonyG]

Lots of my photos on that Facebook page.

If you want to catch up with old stockcar and saloon stuff have a look on Macgors in the Racecars Missing in Action section.
http://macgor.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=stockcarmia

The Meremere High Banks track is still there, but chopped up for speedboats, I don't think speedway has run there since 1999.

Thank you. I will do that. So many good memories of that era.

[CUSTAXIE50]

In 1968 Dave Greer worked at Sunnybrae Autos in northcote and i think Ron Kendall allso worked there , Dave built up his stockcars there and i saw Ron build up his 100e prefect there allso with a new xflow that was still in the box when i saw it sitting in the back of sunnybrae autos .Ron said to me to take the motor out of the Kato Special and put it into a 100e for speedway, i sold the trailer to Ron Kendall that came with the Kato Special, Dave Greer allso rebuilt the motor that was in the Kato Special ,and he allso put the first W-O-F on the CUSTAXIE for me if you look at it thats 44 years ago this year, i allso recall some years later when i was in auckland dave worked on my holden in a workshop in Barrys Point Rd ,where is dave today is he still around.

[Rod Grimwood]

Dave is in Whangaparoa and retired last i caught up (about 8 years ago). He had a workshop up there for years. Dave was a very good mechanic (the type that fixed things, did not just replace). Ron is in the Concourse, Henderson with a workshop (that has a bit of speedway gear in it) and has a fella Arthur playing around doing a bit of machining.
Funny you should mention Sunnybrae Autos as i ended up there managing the place way back then. Hence my mention on other thread about seeing a certain car on the north shore one afternoon.

[CUSTAXIE50]

That certain car again small world is it not-rod,i have in front of me a Bill from sunnybrae autos Limited Feb 13-1969 it says-tow car garage and return fit exhaust pipes-parts-exhaust mounts-$2.18-2 clamps $1.24-14 ft exhaust pipe $4.00-Labour etc $15.00-Total-$22.42 reg no AW4720.

[CUSTAXIE50]

Last week i was looking at a 1957 holden ute and i was telling the owner ,what dave did with the front lights when the front guards had rust in them , he would cut the guard back maybe 3 inchs and set the lights back into the guards.

[Impala 65 SS]

This is the story on Ross Bakers cars that he has built & raced,.
http://www.heroncars.co.nz/template.php?p=content_articles_rossbaker1

[Frosty5]

The Ronny McDowell Firebird was owned by Cowan-Black promotions and was built up by Ron Kendall, Eddie Sutherland, and the Ferabends. Unfortunately the car was only just finished in time for the McDowell visit and too many teething problems meant that Ronny was not seen at anything like his best. Ron Kendall took over the driving duties following the visit and got the car sorted, the only hickup was when one of the USA drivers on his way to Australia, and here with Gene Welch, blew the engine in a guest drive. I believe the car did go on to John Scott, but I am not 100% certain. The John Scott car certainly was a competitive package and was still racing against the new tube frame cars in the early eighties. I think the photo Dale posted would be from 1981.
Photos will follow in the next few days.

Hi PallMall, yes those were great days at Waikaraka Park. Cut my racing teeth there at 17 after building a stock car when an engineering apprentice. One of the guys I had a lot to do with was Phil Joyce and his 100E bodied stock car. He had Otara Panelbeaters just a few doors up from where Johhny Riley had his original car sales. Have often wondered what, where Phil got to. He used to live in Papatoetoe. His brother Frank also raced at WP. Do you know if he is still around. Cheers, Dave Graham

[John McKechnie]

Dave-I remember Phil Joyce had a brother Val who raced in C grade stock cars while Phil was in A grade.

[Rod Grimwood]

Hi PallMall, yes those were great days at Waikaraka Park. Cut my racing teeth there at 17 after building a stock car when an engineering apprentice. One of the guys I had a lot to do with was Phil Joyce and his 100E bodied stock car. He had Otara Panelbeaters just a few doors up from where Johhny Riley had his original car sales. Have often wondered what, where Phil got to. He used to live in Papatoetoe. His brother Frank also raced at WP. Do you know if he is still around. Cheers, Dave Graham

Dave,
Frank lives in Opua Bay Of Islands about 2 k from me and has now retired but ran the refuse tip up here for years and still tinkers with cars. We often talk of the old days. Roy Hornell also lives not far away, seems a good place for old dirt trackers to retire too. I can get contact for Frank if you like.

[Frosty5]

Dave,
Frank lives in Opua Bay Of Islands about 2 k from me and has now retired but ran the refuse tip up here for years and still tinkers with cars. We often talk of the old days. Roy Hornell also lives not far away, seems a good place for old dirt trackers to retire too. I can get contact for Frank if you like.

Thanks Rod, have sent you a PM with my contact details.
Cheers Dave