Photos: The Sprague Family Collection

[Grant Sprague]

Thanks Steve [E] might I add the same as the Emsons hard to knock off the top rung , As for that weekend at Levels , I am not really sure which meeting it was could have been one prior But do know your Dad won the championship I think at a final at levels , there is a pik some where of Ernie , Ralf , & Jim side by side grinning like you would not believe.
As for the Fiat 128,s we tried hard mate in the finals there was only two that really tried a wee bit harder than the rest , as years went by after you left to go to Oz I got involved with different classes , I still tried pretty hard for results , but like you took a different turn ..ifs & buts & what could have beens, I studied different competitors over the years over lots & lots of races & you never for get the ones that were really good & had hard fought battles you were one of only a couple Steve that I respected as fast , you had a good teacher also.........great to hear from you .... Grant

[Steve Holmes]

Brilliant image here, which I assume is a publicity shot, either taken for a magazine article or advertising of some kind. Perhaps Todd Motors?

Anyway, thats Ernie on the left, and Leo Leonard on the right. Pictured are two pretty significant Charger race cars. The car in the foreground of Leo's massively successful E49, which dominated the 1972/73 Castrol GTX series. The white car is the 770 which Leo and Ernie shared in the Bensen & Hedges 500 race. I'm pretty certain this is the car they drove in the 1972 race, which finished second to team mates Jim Richards/Rod Coppins after a late pit stop for tyres and brake pads cost them time. If I'm right, and this is the 1972 770, then this is the car that later became the wild Graeme Addis Sports Sedan with the motor in the back.

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I had wondered if the white car pictured here was the Charger sold to Graeme Addis, and which became his wild Sports Sedan racer. Graeme kindly emailed me regarding this, as follows:

"I can confirm the 770 picture, with Ernie and Leo, is in fact my ADDIS Charger,

"I can remember having second thoughts about removing the sign writing after buying the car from Todds after the meeting. It was purchased through Wilson Pearce Motors the Chrysler dealers in Waiuku for commercial reasons, but the deal was done at the track ½ an hour after the meeting . Mike Pearce sorted it out.

"That car was never a road car, which is unique".

[Grant Sprague]

I had an interesting convo last week , a friend of mine bumped into Malcom Fowler [use to own Malcom Fowler Motors in Tauranga ] This Charger or the one before had a connection with Malcom Fowler Motors or the one prior.....I guess Todd Motors owned it [them] but gave them to Ernie & Leo to play with I know the VG 318 v/8 also had Todd motors over it ....... I could always ask Gary or Leo if this was the case ... as I was only about 15 at that present time ...... Thanks Steve ...keep them rolling mate

[Steve Holmes]

Thanks Grant, great info. Sorry I've not been posting on here much lately, been really busy. But will be adding more pics shortly.

[Steve Holmes]

Superb shot here capturing the saloon car grid just moments after the start at Wigram during the 1963/64 season. Judging by the lack of bodywork damage on the cars, I'd say this is the first heat, which didn't count for points. On the front row, from left to right are: Paul Fahey (Lotus Cortina), Ernie Sprague (Zephyr MkIII), Ray Archibald (Jaguar MkII), Kerry Grant (Lotus Cortina). Note further back the Sunbeam Alpine. Amazing what used to pass for a saloon car back then!

In this race Grant made a slow getaway, and in trying to make up ground, lost control in the Loop and clobbered Fahey. Both cars were out on the spot. Then, later, Sprague made a final last-gasp effort to overhaul Archibald and put the Zephyr into the hay bales. The results are shown elsewhere in this thread.

All three cars were beaten back into shape, and Grant went on to win the championship race, from Archibald and Sprague.

[Grant Sprague]

JR..

Some production racing, with muscle cars to the fore! This is Ernie in his Phase II GTHO, at Timaru. I'm pretty sure thats Brian Crosbie giving chase in the '69 Firebird. Any clues on the Monaro? Rego looks like DI 5133, which could make it Jim Richards?

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Is this that Monaro on the right Jim is driving it here at level.....would be about 1972 ??

[seaqnmac27]

Some production racing, with muscle cars to the fore! This is Ernie in his Phase II GTHO, at Timaru. I'm pretty sure thats Brian Crosbie giving chase in the '69 Firebird. Any clues on the Monaro? Rego looks like DI 5133, which could make it Jim Richards?

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Monaro is Jim Palmer isn't it?

[Grant Sprague]

He did race a yellow one remember seeing him race it against Ernie,s 3.8 Jag so that would be a couple or 3 yrs earlier ... Steve did the research on this one & Jim,s car..... the year they also ran GTRXU,s etc in the south .... Some where Steve has a pik of the guys that were here receiving awards from this race being Ralf Emson , Ernie , JR & I think Leo as well ..

[Oldfart]

He did race a yellow one remember seeing him race it against Ernie,s 3.8 Jag so that would be a couple or 3 yrs earlier ... Steve did the research on this one & Jim,s car..... the year they also ran GTRXU,s etc in the south .... Some where Steve has a pik of the guys that were here receiving awards from this race being Ralf Emson , Ernie , JR & I think Leo as well ..

If you look on the Monaro thread I posted a pic I took of him (Jim Palmer) and Andy Buchanan side by side at Pukekohe.

[Grant Sprague]

I think Jim also raced an other ??? [so two perhaps]??I think it showed up on Bay Park thread

[seaqnmac27]

And judging from Rhys' pics on the Monaro forum, its not that one. However I have seen that number plate somewhere else, will keep looking.

[John McKechnie]

HT 350 was EK 1374 at B and H support race 1970

[Oldfart]

John, replied to your PM

[Steve Holmes]

Re the Monaro, I'm slightly confused myself. The rego number appears to be DI 5133 in the photo I posted earlier giving chase to Ernie in the GTHO. Jim Richards is pictured driving a Monaro with this number in a couple of my old magazines from 1971. Autonews did a feature on the HT Monaro GTS350, and test drove two cars at quite different times, those of Ron Rutherford and Jim Richards.

There are no captions with the photos, so I have to guess a little, but the rego numbers on the two cars are: EK 1374 and DI 5133. There is one photo that shows DI 5133 parked at Ruapuna with Cayton Cars decals all over it, and the Jim Carney Willment twin-cam Escort next to it. Allan Dick, who wrote the feature, said he'd hired Ruapuna for the day to test drive JRs Monaro for the feature, so I have to assume its this car, and the same that appears earlier in this thread chasing Ernie in the GTHO.

[Rod Grimwood]

Jim Richards also ran Monaro at 'Wiri' drag meeting on new industrial estate. He may have shared it with Jim Palmer but not sure.

[Grant Sprague]

Re the Monaro, I'm slightly confused myself. The rego number appears to be DI 5133 in the photo I posted earlier giving chase to Ernie in the GTHO. Jim Richards is pictured driving a Monaro with this number in a couple of my old magazines from 1971. Autonews did a feature on the HT Monaro GTS350, and test drove two cars at quite different times, those of Ron Rutherford and Jim Richards.

There are no captions with the photos, so I have to guess a little, but the rego numbers on the two cars are: EK 1374 and DI 5133. There is one photo that shows DI 5133 parked at Ruapuna with Cayton Cars decals all over it, and the Jim Carney Willment twin-cam Escort next to it. Allan Dick, who wrote the feature, said he'd hired Ruapuna for the day to test drive JRs Monaro for the feature, so I have to assume its this car, and the same that appears earlier in this thread chasing Ernie in the GTHO.

Steve, I thought it might be worth a mention [re an other road test he did in Ernie,s HO] Ernie was some where around Dunedin probably at his batch in Moeraki. S/C .. he was contacted by Allan , to do a road test in the falcon not sure which mag it was put in now , BUT Allan got in the HO & gave it s...t Ernie was not impressed by it all & was stopped by a cop , not sure on the out come , Ernie always tried hard not to draw attention to mufty or black & white cars ........ Dad told me about this many years later & guess what he was still not happy about it ...one of those guys in that time spand that took things very serious ........ lol

[John McKechnie]

Talking about the ex Sprague Anglia Fastback here- when Peter Kocis had it in 1970, he had TERMINUS TERROR on the side.
Any one got any info on this?

[Jac Mac]

Talking about the ex Sprague Anglia Fastback here- when Peter Kocis had it in 1970, he had TERMINUS TERROR on the side.
Any one got any info on this?

Terminus Hotel Redruth, the terror part is open to speculation! If only those old walls could talk!

[Carlo]

Terminus Hotel Redruth, the terror part is open to speculation! If only those old walls could talk!

The Doncaster, the Hibernian and the Queens could tell many a story too couldn't they young Mr Sprague.

[John McKechnie]

So this TERROR wasnt the busty barmaid, bedbugs, a local brew or house special of Toad in Hole then?