In the Ditch

[Milan Fistonic]

John Bowden's SP250 in the drain at Rothmans.

[Ray Bell]

Hmm...

I should dig out the pic of the tow-truck driver down to his daks retrieving the Citroen Special from the drainage canal at Sandown.

[BMCBOY]

I wasn't around the scene when lots of cars ended up in that ditch at Pukekohe, but I do remember when this Dino went through the fence in the wet at a Classic racing event.
I had been looking at it in the pits before racing began and recall how pristine it was. A real shame it ended up like this, but evidently it was repaired and is now in Australia. Photographer unknown.

[khyndart in CA]

The ditch has claimed a few over the years.
One of the first was this incident in a preliminary race before the 1965 NZGP at Pukekohe. Bruce was fortunate it was not any worse and he borrowed his team mate Phil Hill's Cooper for the main event and promptly ran into the back of Jim Clark's Lotus at the hairpin on about lap 2,so it was not a great day for Bruce McLaren.
(Check those nice new Firestone tyres. Was this one of the first racing tyres for Firestone ? )

I took this photo of a an Imp and it's driver going eeling in the ditch in 1969.

(Ken Hyndman )

[BMCBOY]

This is another well known photo of Jim Boyd's Valour being inspected by mechanic Brian Rice. This is evidently the ditch on the inside of the hill which was later filled in.

[Marty]

Pukekohe Club Circuit 1984

[John McKechnie]

Anyone got the pic when a certain Millen Jag through up a tidal wave?
Moss Tait in the Imp ?

[John McKechnie]

Hmm...

I should dig out the pic of the tow-truck driver down to his daks retrieving the Citroen Special from the drainage canal at Sandown.

Ray- heres Kiwi dacks..#4. Sure your towie probably has more cleavage.....LOL

[Rod Grimwood]

Here you go john, that was a huge wave of mud and water.
We worked on the car at Lyalls until about 3:30 in the morning and Steve drove it like it was stolen on Sunday, actually beat Jim and Don in 1st heat.
as you can see she had a fair bit of tape holding her together, but still went well.

[crookedonenz]

This is referring to the post at Puke where the Ferrari is in the creek by BMCBOY Photos taken by Jim Short. Published on https://www.facebook.com/historicsportscarracingnz.co.nz/ Album is https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1643640055925319.1073741851.1624255084530483&type=3
This 3rd photo is where it all went wrong for John Sampson,

[Rod Grimwood]

Ferrari job is outside on way to the hill, Steves, Jim Boyd, Shack Manon, the Imp, and Bruce McLaren and others was over the top of hill skidding infield towards the pits.
They piped and covered the outside.

[Oldfart]

Remember the day when Steve dropped it well. I was on the flaggie post at the hairpin.

[SPman]

Aaaaaah.......the ditch...........lose it over the top of the hill and...............
Such fun!

[Allan]

Didn't Dave Jury put an Anglia in there as well?

[John McKechnie]

I think Shack Manons Mini looked the worst of the Ditch disasters. It was absolutey totaled

[Milan Fistonic]

Didn't Dave Jury put an Anglia in there as well?

He didn't make it into the ditch. He hit the willow tree and his Anglia ended up banana-shaped. Got a photo somewhere.


Found it.

[928]

Milan,
is this the same car he used for the wellington auckland run? 5 hrs 40m from memory before this happened obviously

[John McKechnie]

Just talking to a customer about #1 Daimler Dart.- SP250 (sic)
He said his one that was in my workshop also had a swim in the ditch in 66-67.
Driver was George Jackson, red with white stripes, had Ecurie Daimler on the side.
Trevor Sheffield may remember it...
Milan , could you have a pic of this in your collection ?
Car was dried out and continued to be used in competition by Rob Douglas.
He also had a big moment in the chicanes in mid 80s

[Trevor Sheffield]

John Bowden's SP250 in the drain at Rothmans.

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This photo brings back memories of a time when motor racing was a true sport. John Bowden, at 11/10 went into the creak prior to the lunch break and I recall the car coming back into the pits behind a tow truck. When the doors were opened water gushed out together with watercress and other debris.

Fellow competitors crowded around and it was not long before many hands had the seats and carpets out and with a bright sun assisting, everything was dried out and again ship shape to compete in following events. The advantage of this early application of a fibreglass body was clearly apparent.

It was a joyful scene over lunch, enabling the car to be again on the grid amongst the very competitive but none the less sporting sports car club group of the time. No quarter was given once the flag dropped, but we all had a ball. Yes we did have balls! LOL

[Milan Fistonic]

Ferrari job is outside on way to the hill, Steves, Jim Boyd, Shack Manon, the Imp, and Bruce McLaren and others was over the top of hill skidding infield towards the pits.
They piped and covered the outside.

McLaren's dunking was off to the left of the track between the left-hander after the hairpin and Rothmans.