racing roadtrips

[paul lancaster]

What a magic story Steve, keep them comin fellas, ahh, the good old days.

[paul lancaster]

Just checking up on my roadtrip thread, come on dudes, get them old stories on for US to read, I'm sure there are plenty of good yarns out there

[Rod Grimwood]

Just checking up on my roadtrip thread, come on dudes, get them old stories on for US to read, I'm sure there are plenty of good yarns out there

May need to use 'non-de-plumes' and false names, may be some still married or have children who could read it.

[Rod Grimwood]

Had a group of hard case guy's who used to 'help' me out with the car and come on trips with me to meetings. Well The 'Molloy Boys' from the North Shore were/are well known brothers, and I was (un)fortunate to have them as 'helpers' back in early 80s. Well one trip to the original Taupo track in my Holden ute with us 3 in front, spares and wheels etc. on back and car on trailer off we head from North Shore on Thursday with plan to stop in Matamata for quick catch up with a mate we all knew who had a car yard and then to Taupo so we can be at track first thing Friday to do mileage on new engine. Well we make good time and are in Matamata just after lunch time and drop in to see friend. Well we have lunch and a quick beer to wash it down, when another mate from Matamata arrives. Then another and another, and we discover that the phone is ringing around town that we are at the well known (to most motor racing people in the area) meeting place. Well when we leave at about 8:30am on Friday the plans had changed about running the engine in. one boy sits in car (low) and runs it and watch's guages as we trailer it south. South of Tokoroa the car is slipped of the trailer and a plan put in place for me to follow them and we take a wheel and hub off trailer (tandem) so if any one queries we are just going down the road to repair it. Well we get not far from Wairakei and pull over, start putting hub back on when a traffic man comes along. We explain that we have car off trailer so we can sort out the trailer. After a good old chat the officer say's 'well if you get stuck, just be sensible and follow the trailer into town where you can sort it out'. Well we put car back on trailer and off we go, still giggling about the chat with the nice man.
We get into Taupo and I stop at the first intersection to turn left and go up to the track when 2 rather biggish girls are walking down the footpath when the older of my 2 'helpers' leans out the window and says "hey you will know, where is Kentucky Fried Chicken" I just looked straight ahead and drove off as fast as I could, well after a lot of laughter we finally made it to the track and ran a few laps to finish engine run in and changed the oil/filters etc. and then I said I will do a couple of reasonable laps to make sure its all ok. Well out of the (old) pits and into sweeper and I think 'gees that bonnet moved' and then it did, straight up and gone. well I trundle around to pit area and pull in and I see them standing with the bonnet and I stop, hop out and the older 'helper' walks to front of my ute and bends right over in front of me and say's 'here do it now'. I just look, but am tempted to slipper him. He puts his hand in his pocket and says ' I got the pins at least they are not lost' I just look and he goes on 'they were safe in my pocket'. Well the bonnet has done a couple of loops and landed dead flat on the soft grass next to the track with not a mark. At this stage I am ready for a drink so we find some locals and relax with them (as you did in Taupo back then) and others that where playing with their cars as well.
The famous 'tent' at Taupo was our finish off on Sunday evening/night and home on Monday.
Thank god the meeting went better than the 'warm up'

[John McKechnie]

OK, in 1973 my girlfriend and I were on our way to the Maramarua Rally. It was extremely wet and muddy, we were in her Mini Cooper S[Brutus]. On the gravel road leading there, and we were late, I got a flat tyre. We stopped on the side of this back road, I got out my jack wheel brace and tools. Jacked up the car , removed wheel nuts , then felt the car falling- road was muddy with gravel, not a flat stable surface. Quickly told her to get out of the car, stand back to the car , arms stiff by her side, both hands securing the wheel arches and hold the car vertical so it wouldnt fall off the jack. She did, complaining that it was difficult. I told her to shut up, I was doing my bit changing wheels and I was not interested in ANY thing else- never been a sensitive new age guy.
I finished my job, noting that her eyes were bulging with the exertion and she was praying- good touch. She was still standing there after I put everything away, so I opened her door, pulled her in and took off. She was pale and shaking. As we accelerated away hard, she ducked her head. Silence. A few minutes later I complimented on her imput and how our team work stopped the car falling over.
She then proceeded to tell me that there was a large bull behind the fence- about a yard from us . I couldnt see it. She was looking right into its eyes. And as I was facing the car I missed it all. Apparently Ferdinand took exception to my girlfriends lavender jersey , got agitated and started trying to rip the fence out of the ground with his horns. Seems her eyes were bulging from fear, praying for our skins and she was so frozen with terror I had to drag her into the car.
Rally was fun, no spare tyres.

[Ross Hollings]

Great reading the above stories,when I was racing my mini and the Minimax in the 60,s if we were heading for a meeting out of town [grass track racing or hillclimbs]we would all get together outside Reidrubber in the Great South
Rd Ak, seem to remember Ralph Emson being there along with John Lawton in their Simcas,we usually finished up with 10 or so cars then head off to the event,actually the trip there was usually more fun than the event some times !! The thing is we were not going super fast in speed but travelling quickly in a group,remember cars were a little less powerful then.Good memories though.Rosco

[Steve Emson]

Great reading the above stories,when I was racing my mini and the Minimax in the 60,s if we were heading for a meeting out of town [grass track racing or hillclimbs]we would all get together outside Reidrubber in the Great South
Rd Ak, seem to remember Ralph Emson being there along with John Lawton in their Simcas,we usually finished up with 10 or so cars then head off to the event,actually the trip there was usually more fun than the event some times !! The thing is we were not going super fast in speed but travelling quickly in a group,remember cars were a little less powerful then.Good memories though.Rosco

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They were great events, (Grass track racing NZ style) Here is a photo of Dad in the Simca.

[paul lancaster]

Haha, what a great yarn rob, especially the piece of kfc.and the bonnet pins.

[Rod Grimwood]

Haha, what a great yarn rob, especially the piece of kfc.and the bonnet pins.

They were are hard case lot to go away with.

[Carlo]

Not really a road trip but I was assisting a couple of well known people on a rally when at a roadside service the driver felt the call of nature and ducked off behind a small wall of to the side of the road and went about his business. A person arrived on the scene looking for the driver and was directed by the drivers brother as to where he was located behind said wall. As the driver was to later say one does become slightly distracted when ones trousers are down around your ankles while you are contemplating the world around you then someone you can't see arrives behind you and starts asking questions about the event. Which of course is why he inadvertently gathered a large handful of stinging nettle with which proceeded to do his wipe ups with.

[Jac Mac]

[color="#0000CD"]Quick story with a lot left out... One journey to Ruapuna circa 1982? for Southern 200 with Derek MacRae Torana V8 being towed by his brothers HQ? Holden, mufflers/exh finished under rear seat with angle cut pipe ends, over railway crossing at turn off from Main Road Sth to Ruapuna, mufflers snag the railway lines, pulled pipes out of collectors & ends punch two neat 2" holes in fuel tank, virtually full after top up at Ashburton. Car now 'stuck' on railway line with very large puddle of fuel under car, loud /frantic discussion as to whether to restart car & risk spark from open headers starting a fire!!, then I look sideways down railway line & catch glimpse of very large headlight on front of goods train which I now remember passing a few minutes ago, F*** the sparks, pax leap out, lift car at rear wheel arches & driver says his last goodbyes & fires up the HQ, gets about 150 meters up road before it runs out of gas & goods train shoots thru, thanks to the big fella upstairs no flames, just elevated heart rates! Rest of weekend fuel line was length of plastic tube from front of HQ to race car fuel tank. [/color]

[Grant Sprague]

[color="#0000CD"]Quick story with a lot left out... One journey to Ruapuna circa 1982? for Southern 200 with Derek MacRae Torana V8 being towed by his brothers HQ? Holden, mufflers/exh finished under rear seat with angle cut pipe ends, over railway crossing at turn off from Main Road Sth to Ruapuna, mufflers snag the railway lines, pulled pipes out of collectors & ends punch two neat 2" holes in fuel tank, virtually full after top up at Ashburton. Car now 'stuck' on railway line with very large puddle of fuel under car, loud /frantic discussion as to whether to restart car & risk spark from open headers starting a fire!!, then I look sideways down railway line & catch glimpse of very large headlight on front of goods train which I now remember passing a few minutes ago, F*** the sparks, pax leap out, lift car at rear wheel arches & driver says his last goodbyes & fires up the HQ, gets about 150 meters up road before it runs out of gas & goods train shoots thru, thanks to the big fella upstairs no flames, just elevated heart rates! Rest of weekend fuel line was length of plastic tube from front of HQ to race car fuel tank. [/color]

Wooow Jac , that sounds more like a bad dream......... but yep I know this sort of thing went on lucky move ??

[Grant Sprague]

Ok my turn again , was at Ruapuna with some mates I was running XU1 in super car races about 1974 75 probably 19 yrs old [ex Allen Owes] ... ?? Anyway after the meeting we were having a beers or 2 [light beer] lol, I had fitted a megaphone seemed to work ok but was very loud & a pain in bum to take off & put muffler on after a couple of light beers , I drove to the exit gate after meeting & walked up to the NICE traffic cop & mentioned I had a real problem converting mufflers [after a couple beer hehe]!! & needed to get back to Timaru , he said QUOTE " dont you worry a thing about it Grant I will radio ahead & you will be all good to get back home & will explain to the others you are coming through " Beauty I thought a free pass to race on the way home with some more light beer [not] lol , I look back & think wellll I was a cheeky little bugger ......such fun days but did no harm , after a few months I paid it off gave Leo his slicks back & headed to Uk

[Steve Emson]

Ok my turn again , was at Ruapuna with some mates I was running XU1 in super car races about 1972..73 probably 18 yrs old [ex Allen Owes] ... ?? Anyway after the meeting we were having a beers or 2 [light beer] lol, I had fitted a megaphone seemed to work ok but was very loud & a pain in bum to take off & put muffler on after a couple of light beers , I drove to the exit gate after meeting & walked up to the NICE traffic cop & mentioned I had a real problem converting mufflers [after a couple beer hehe]!! & needed to get back to Timaru , he said QUOTE " dont you worry a thing about it Grant I will radio ahead & you will be all good to get back home & will explain to the others you are coming through " Beauty I thought a free pass to race on the way home with some more light beer [not] lol , I look back & think wellll I was a cheeky little bugger ......such fun days but did no harm , after a few months I paid it off gave Leo his slicks back & headed to Uk

Had a couple of brushes with the boys in blue myself whilst driving Dads cars home. (Around our stomping ground) Although they never said, I was sure they knew exactly who's cars they were. Always told to proceed home quietly.............