Old Race Tracks

Rod Grimwood · Post by **Rod Grimwood** » Sat Dec 07, 2013 10:02 pm

Trevor there was a hillclimb like that at top of Bombays think it was Bright Road event,( at Bombays anyway) as that had a gate and was interesting up and down. The one where Couchy in his Escort set fastest time on his nose then roof through gate at finish line many years later.

Trevor Sheffield · Post by **Trevor Sheffield** » Sun Dec 08, 2013 2:40 am

Rod Grimwood wrote:Trevor there was a hillclimb like that at top of Bombays think it was Bright Road event,( at Bombays anyway) as that had a gate and was interesting up and down. The one where Couchy in his Escort set fastest time on his nose then roof through gate at finish line many years later.

Not that one Rod, at the time i.e. late fifties, escorts were confined to accompanying city mayors and the like. LOL.

Rod Grimwood · Post by **Rod Grimwood** » Sun Dec 08, 2013 6:59 am

Trevor Sheffield wrote:Not that one Rod, at the time i.e. late fifties, escorts were confined to accompanying city mayors and the like. LOL.

Apparently not much has changed with Mayors over the years. Yea realized different Escorts in those days, but they do some times go to the same places at a later date.
There were a couple of interesting hillclimbs that went up and down and through gates back in the years.

cheers.

Jeff · Post by **Jeff** » Sun Dec 08, 2013 8:29 am

Hi Rod , you have just touched on a hillclimb course I'm very interested in finding.
The Tectyl Rallysprint on the Bombay Hills was N.Z's first televised Rallysprint but I cannot find a video or disk copy of it for Bob Couch and myself.
Is there any directions you can give to the site of the event ? I realise it will be on private property but ( with permission of course ) I would love to go have a look.
I wonder if it could be located on Google Earth ?
Have included these 3 photo's - I'm unsure who took the first two from the event that day although they appeared in the Tectyl company newsletter. Hope I won't upset any photographers by using their photo's. Apologies if I do.
The 3rd photo is a shelf in my garage at home with Bob's old Bell helmet and a model of the ex-Roger Clark BDA.

Rod Grimwood wrote:Trevor there was a hillclimb like that at top of Bombays think it was Bright Road event,( at Bombays anyway) as that had a gate and was interesting up and down. The one where Couchy in his Escort set fastest time on his nose then roof through gate at finish line many years later.

Jeff · Post by **Jeff** » Sun Dec 08, 2013 8:52 am

Hi Rod , Can you or anyone else remember exactly where this course was ? I know there is a Bright ( or Bright's ) Road in Waiuku but this isn't it.
I would very much like to find the exact location and visit the farm track ( if it still exists ) , perhaps even take Bob Couch along for a look - with appropriate permission from landowners of course.
Bob himself can't remember - hell , he rolled and crashed his way around the Bombay hills in a few locations.... Pinnacle Hill Road etc
The 1979 Tectyl Rallysprint at this location was televised but nobody I know has any footage except perhaps Brian Connell but it can't be currently found. Can anyone help ?? It would be very much appreciated.
These 2 photo's appeared in the Tectyl company newsletter and the 3rd photo is a shelf in my garage with Bob's old Bell helmet and a model of the ex- Roger Clark Escort
[ATTACH]22908[/ATTACH][ATTACH]22909[/ATTACH][ATTACH]22910[/ATTACH]

Raceman · Post by **Raceman** » Sun Dec 08, 2013 7:59 pm

Jeff wrote:Hi Rod , Can you or anyone else remember exactly where this course was ? I know there is a Bright ( or Bright's ) Road in Waiuku but this isn't it.
I would very much like to find the exact location and visit the farm track ( if it still exists ) , perhaps even take Bob Couch along for a look - with appropriate permission from landowners of course.
Bob himself can't remember - hell , he rolled and crashed his way around the Bombay hills in a few locations.... Pinnacle Hill Road etc
The 1979 Tectyl Rallysprint at this location was televised but nobody I know has any footage except perhaps Brian Connell but it can't be currently found. Can anyone help ?? It would be very much appreciated.
These 2 photo's appeared in the Tectyl company newsletter and the 3rd photo is a shelf in my garage with Bob's old Bell helmet and a model of the ex- Roger Clark Escort
[ATTACH]22908[/ATTACH][ATTACH]22909[/ATTACH][ATTACH]22910[/ATTACH]

This event was held on a Farm owned by the Aitkenheads. Is was on Ridge Road Bombay. It was the 1st televised Rallysprint held in NZ. The Pukekohe Car Club used the venue for hillclimbs, Grasstrack racing and even some great Barn dances etc.. I think the farm has now been sold. Many great times were had at this venue

Grant Sprague · Post by **Grant Sprague** » Mon Dec 09, 2013 1:08 am

Has any one got piks of Timaru,s first race track at Salt Water Creek [Redruth Air Port] ... TIMARU...... this will get you busy ...& thinking

Jeff · Post by **Jeff** » Mon Dec 09, 2013 5:03 am

Thank you very much Raceman - knowing the farm is on Ridge Road ( I drive that road a lot and never knew ! ) is a great start.
Looks like I have some detective work to do to find an Aitkenhead family member who can tell me more

John McKechnie · Post by **John McKechnie** » Mon Dec 09, 2013 5:58 am

I hill climbed there early to mid 70s in a Mini Cooper S.
Louie Antoneivich was there in the longest Gold Flash 390 you have ever seen.
The Leopard had sharp fingernails to stay on those corners.

BMCBOY · Post by **BMCBOY** » Wed Dec 11, 2013 9:04 am

These 2 photo's appeared in the Tectyl company newsletter and the 3rd photo is a shelf in my garage with Bob's old Bell helmet and a model of the ex- Roger Clark Escort
[ATTACH]22910[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]

This is a photo of Bob and John taken after the crash wearing face protection due to lack of a windscreen

[ATTACH]22920[/ATTACH]

I have also added more photos from that event on Club Events thread

Jeff · Post by **Jeff** » Wed Dec 11, 2013 10:00 am

Thanks for that photo Ross - thats one I have never seen before.
There is a great colour photo of the car being taken back to the pits after their "off"
I was given a copy of this photo so I don't know who took the pic so I apologise in advance if the photographer sees his photo being used here
regards
Jeff
[ATTACH]22940[/ATTACH]

RacerT · Post by **RacerT** » Mon Dec 16, 2013 4:49 am

Bright Rd hillclimb was one of the few sealed hillclimbs around. I ran my Lotus Elan up it in about 1973, just after a grader had spread loose metal on it the day before. [ATTACH]22974[/ATTACH]

Carlo · Post by **Carlo** » Thu Dec 19, 2013 9:31 pm

Here are a couple of photos from the early days of the South Canterbury Car Club. They were taken at one of the 1st grass track meetings held at Washdyke at the Northern end of Timaru. The venue was behind what was later known as the Doncaster Hotel and current site of Leo Leonard Motors. How many of these faces can you identify Grant Sprague?

Grant Sprague · Post by **Grant Sprague** » Thu Dec 19, 2013 11:17 pm

Len. s, Angus.L ,Gerald.M Dad...............Carl I never new they had grass track meetings there .... Ernie never talked of it, but remember, salt water creek track , before levels...... Wooooow Carl..... got any more........ marry xmas mate..

Kwaussie · Post by **Kwaussie** » Thu Dec 19, 2013 11:26 pm

Car #10 is from Invercargill, Bill Crosbie [older brother of Brian C.] in his A40 Special.

Carlo · Post by **Carlo** » Fri Dec 20, 2013 12:03 am

Grant Sprague wrote:Len. s, Angus.L ,Gerald.M Dad...............Carl I never new they had grass track meetings there .... Ernie never talked of it, but remember, salt water creek track , before levels...... Wooooow Carl..... got any more........ marry xmas mate..

Photos are upstairs in the clubrooms, another spot you and I need to check out next time you are down, and how could you forget Joss Timms.

Grant Sprague · Post by **Grant Sprague** » Fri Dec 20, 2013 12:42 am

Carlo wrote:Photos are upstairs in the clubrooms, another spot you and I need to check out next time you are down, and how could you forget Joss Timms.

Carl , is that Joss by the mg ?? .... mind you Carl , what year was this ... I might not have been born then .......... but remember him well , lovely man..great Timaruvian racer ..

Carlo · Post by **Carlo** » Fri Dec 20, 2013 12:59 am

Grant Sprague wrote:Carl , is that Joss by the mg ?? .... mind you Carl , what year was this ... I might not have been born then .......... but remember him well , lovely man..great Timaruvian racer ..

Mate I was hardly born then.
Joss is easy to identify, he is the only Chinaman in the photo.

Ernie, Gerry & Co formed the club in 1946 and I think that this was about a 2-3 years after that, I have to go by the stories that Gerry told me in those long past days of my apprenticeship.

Grant Sprague · Post by **Grant Sprague** » Fri Dec 20, 2013 1:29 am

Ha ha Carl .Well that must be Joss then by MG ,mind you the pik is not !00% clear , is that Ron McGregor other side of the 16 car. Hey top pic is that Ernie ???? going wide.... brave men , top heavy no roll......bar.....Got a couple of the 4CLT & P3 Alfa , hope to have them up here in NY ??. You can see Len Sheed he was one of Ernie,s buddies..... I ended up going to UK with his son John , Ernie told me when they both tuned 21 they went down to number 1 warf with a 1/5 G beer & that was it lol

David McKinney · Post by **David McKinney** » Fri Dec 20, 2013 12:40 pm

Godfrey Paape from Dunedin with the A90 Atlantic?

Bill Southby (Ernie's mate) with the Model A roadster?

The Roaring Season

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