Baypark ; lost tracks - Australian Muscle Car issue 83

[Roger Dowding]

Australian Muscle Car latest issue No 83, out this week in Australia, watch out for it.

[Growler]

Australian Muscle Car latest issue No 83, out this week in Australia, watch out for it.

Expect it around 2 weeks later in NZ...

[Steve Holmes]

Article says Bay Park closed in 1993, and that Peter Hanna died one year later. I thought the track closed a few years later than 1993?

[Spgeti]

I have a copy of the programme for the Final Meeting. 1965 - 1995, 30 years. Practice day Sat 15th April and Race Day 16th April.

[Kiwiboss]

Article says Bay Park closed in 1993, and that Peter Hanna died one year later. I thought the track closed a few years later than 1993?

Read it in Australia the other week, I thought the article was poorly written with incorrect facts, still, it was great to see an article was done on what is now a "Ghost Track" as someone 30 years old today would barely remember it.

[Steve Holmes]

Thanks for that you guys, I'm glad it wasn't just me.

[stubuchanan]

Thanks for that you guys, I'm glad it wasn't just me.

Likewise.
I wasn't expecting to find "Australian Muscle Car" anywhere in the West or Northwest of Auckland, but found one in a superette at Hobsonville. It took only a couple of minutes to flick through the 2 pages of the article - it was a distinct disappointment.

A mutual friend had given me a dozen or so earlier issues and there were some very interesting articles on "Circuits of the Past" - Orange/Gnoo Blas, Amaroo Park, Catalina, Calder Thunderdrome, and a street circuit at Toowoomba(where a Falcon raced for the first time ever). I have since passed these on, but I kept one which had a fascinating story called "The Great Ruse" about the origins of Mt Panorama, and the correspondence between the Mayor of Bathurst and the NSW Minister of Works about the "tourist road" over the Bald Hills (renamed Mt Panorama) when everybody in the area knew it was to be a motor race circuit.


Against this background the Bay Park story was a complete let-down. Perhaps we should nominate a volunteer to write the proper story for them.

Stu Buchanan

[Oldfart]

So if the article about Baypark is so wrong, can you trust any of the others to be any more factual? That is the problem with historical stuff, somewhere down the line total inaccuracy becomes the "fact".

[Roger Dowding]

So if the article about Baypark is so wrong, can you trust any of the others to be any more factual? That is the problem with historical stuff, somewhere down the line total inaccuracy becomes the "fact".

Oldfart, I have the same view, have enjoyed other " Lost Tracks " articles, mainly Australian, but how much research went in them ?? , would imagine there is better information around - feel a letter to the editor is required as I posted the thread.
I went to Baypark but only in the early years 1967 to around 1973 and only probably 3 or 4 times, so

[Cooper997]

From what I have noticed, quite a few of AMC Sacred Sites features have the advantage of relying heavily on features written years earlier for the now defunct 'Motor Racing Australia' magazine published by Chevron Publishing also.

Certainly worth contacting Luke West via his mailto:?subject=&body= or you'll find an Australian Muscle Car magazine Facebook page if that's your thing.

Now that they are publishing a magazine every 6 weeks instead of bi-monthly they clearly need more material. But maybe the facts aren't being so well researched.

Stephen

[Terry S]

From what I have noticed, quite a few of AMC Sacred Sites features have the advantage of relying heavily on features written years earlier for the now defunct 'Motor Racing Australia' magazine published by Chevron Publishing also.

Certainly worth contacting Luke West via his mailto:?subject=&body= or you'll find an Australian Muscle Car magazine Facebook page if that's your thing.

Now that they are publishing a magazine every 6 weeks instead of bi-monthly they clearly need more material. But maybe the facts aren't being so well researched.

Stephen

Stephen, where did you pick up that AMC was to be every 6 weeks?

I was suspicious earlier this year when they dropped the months of the issue, now just have the issue number.

I am disappointed by the change as I don't believe there is enough material to sustain it at that rate. I feel the standard will fall greatly.

Strange that there has been no communication to subscribers.

[Cooper997]

Terry, issue 72 from Feb 14 is the beginning of the 6 week cycle. I didn't notice immediately, but by early June 14 issue 74 was out and I realised something was going on. I don't know officially but I suspect that monthly Muscle Car Enthuiast magazine must have thrown up some competition.

I think there's a decent amount of history still to be told. Take the Brian Michelmore feature in the current issue. It's when every other issue becomes repetition of Brock, Moffat and Johnson material that you know they've lost it.

Stephen

[Roger Dowding]

From what I have noticed, quite a few of AMC Sacred Sites features have the advantage of relying heavily on features written years earlier for the now defunct 'Motor Racing Australia' magazine published by Chevron Publishing also.

Certainly worth contacting Luke West via his mailto:?subject=&body= or you'll find an Australian Muscle Car magazine Facebook page if that's your thing.

Now that they are publishing a magazine every 6 weeks instead of bi-monthly they clearly need more material. But maybe the facts aren't being so well researched.

Stephen

Stephen [ Cooper 997 ], on rereading the article see it was written by Sandy Myhre, who wrote the book ' " 50 Years on Track " - A history of Motorsport in New Zealand, the people, the cars, the stories ', published in 2002, I have a copy. She is described as " an Award - winning journalist who started writing about cars 20 years ago and now considers New Zealand tracks a second home ".
Vaguely recollect that the book did not get great reviews, must now re-read it though as must have some good stories in it.
On page 107 is a Picture of Peter Hanna, with the title -
" The final flag, Peter Hanna at the end of Bay Park's last day - NZ Herald photo ".
It has the same information that Easter 1993 was the last meeting and that Peter passed away 18 months later on 13 December 1994. whereas information posted above shows last meeting in 1995 and Peter passed away 13 December 1998.

So incorrect information has been around for 13 years if not longer.

[John McKechnie]

Those of us that raced at the last meeting have it written in our log books- end of story.

[Rod Grimwood]

Those of us that raced at the last meeting have it written in our log books- end of story.

and it was a great story, Bay Park it was the place of pace. Always a good time there.

[John McKechnie]

I sometimes wonder, do people feel the same about the loss of Levin the way we feel about Baypark- your take Grimmie ?

[Cooper997]

Stephen [ Cooper 997 ], on rereading the article see it was written by Sandy Myhre, who wrote the book ' " 50 Years on Track " - A history of Motorsport in New Zealand, the people, the cars, the stories ', published in 2002, I have a copy. She is described as " an Award - winning journalist who started writing about cars 20 years ago and now considers New Zealand tracks a second home ".
Vaguely recollect that the book did not get great reviews, must now re-read it though as must have some good stories in it.
On page 107 is a Picture of Peter Hanna, with the title -
" The final flag, Peter Hanna at the end of Bay Park's last day - NZ Herald photo ".
It has the same information that Easter 1993 was the last meeting and that Peter passed away 18 months later on 13 December 1994. whereas information posted above shows last meeting in 1995 and Peter passed away 13 December 1998.

So incorrect information has been around for 13 years if not longer.

Roger, your information makes it very much a case of either Sandy not looking for new information or whether AMC used her information from the book with due credit. Regardless, you guys who raced at the last meeting and indeed show proof with the programme cover above deserve the record to be corrected in a future issue.

If AMC decide to run more NZ Sacred Sires features, hopefully they get them right or visit TRS and ask you guys before going to print.

Stephen

[khyndart in CA]

This thread would have covered all they needed to know. What Ross states in the last post is how I remember Bay Park !

http://www.theroaringseason.com/showthread.php?1763-This-Weekend-20-Years-Ago-what-were-you-doing/page2&highlight=baypark

Heaps of fun memories at the track plus the sand dunes were just across the road !

(Ken Hyndman )

[Shoreboy57]

I sometimes wonder, do people feel the same about the loss of Levin the way we feel about Baypark- your take Grimmie ?

I can't speak for competitors John, but from a fan's perspective the loss of Levin was more than compensated for by the birth of Manfeild which, at the time, set a new standard on so many levels (apart from the weather!).

[Roger Dowding]

Roger, your information makes it very much a case of either Sandy not looking for new information or whether AMC used her information from the book with due credit. Regardless, you guys who raced at the last meeting and indeed show proof with the programme cover above deserve the record to be corrected in a future issue.

If AMC decide to run more NZ Sacred Sires features, hopefully they get them right or visit TRS and ask you guys before going to print.

Stephen

Stephen, have reread both the article and the chapter in Sandy Myhre's book " 50 Years on Track ",
- the chapter is entitled " Mr Bay Park ", It is obvious the article was just a cut and paste from the Book, with no checking of information.
I am writing to Luke West, including copies of the clippings that have featured on TRS, from the local paper Bay of Plenty Times, and the copy of the final race programme and the cover of Peter Hanna's funeral leaflet.
Will keep the forum posted on any developments.
Thanks to Ken Hyndman, Kiwiboss, and others for the pictures / copies, You are acknowledged on the copies as providing the material.
cheers

Roger