The Brett Young Collection

[Steve Holmes]

What a great looking car this is, Red Dawsons Z28 Camaro. He raced it for four seasons, three of which were in the beautiful gold Kensington Carpets colours, as shown here.

[Terry S]

[quote="Steve Holmes"]Dexter Dunlops McRae GM1. Is this the car which mysteriously disappeared on its way back to New Zealand after having raced in Australia?

With interest high on both sides of the ditch on 5000's I was intrigued by your comment.
Did it actually disappear? It seems no one responded to your prompt.

[David McKinney]

It didn't race in Australia in 1974. It was burnt out in a towing accident at the end of the local season. The remains were supposedly still in Wellington 1987

[Milan Fistonic]

... It was burnt out in a towing accident ...

Just like Reg Cook's Lola T300.

[John McKechnie]

Did the same thing happen to Regs Escort?

[Steve Holmes]

It didn't race in Australia in 1974. It was burnt out in a towing accident at the end of the local season. The remains were supposedly still in Wellington 1987

Thanks David. I was trying to recall where I thought I'd read that the car went missing, and was starting to think I'd just imagined it. Then I remembered it was in Graham Vercoe's book, and reads as follows:

"While towing the car to Teretonga the trailer carrying 001 caught fire and the car was badly damaged. It was repaired in time for the Surfers Paradise round, but Dunlop had a disaster of a time in Australia, unplaced in all four races. Then the car disappeared on its way back to New Zealand from Australia.

"Insurance companies on both sides of the Tasman argued for an eternity as to who was responsible for paying up. The car finally turned up in Wellington in 1987 and is now in storage there".

The wording is a little vague, as it makes it sound like the car was lost from 1974 until 1987. But did it never actually leave NZ for Australia for those races?

[David McKinney]

No, it didn't raced in Australia that year

[Steve Holmes]

Thanks David.