Historic Sports Sedans & All-Comers . Taupo 2018 and beyond.

[John McKechnie]

Top set- Addis, Willis and Meadows.
Early days for Phil at the clothes line at Taupo.

The team running Fat Cty...Phil Schubert- in racing suit- and Chris Ganley in the sunnies.
These 2 have been together with the car right from the start.
Neat to see successful combinations like this...other long term combos are Roger Davis and Vern Muller. Their spannermen have been there from the beginning.Makes so much difference with reliable, consistent help. Lot of people have dropped out because its too much for one person.
Next pic show current rear wing and front splitter.
Still a straight bodied genuine RPO83.
Last 2 pix are the Waldock/Peters Falcons done for Bathurst at ProAction
Barry Algie in 1993 was copying the rear wing and legs-with some modifications to follow the Coupes rear quarter line- to make the same for Craig and Phils cars.
Has the Gurney lip at the top back.

[Rod Grimwood]

Kennards purple Cortina at Baypark in front of Craig, and who is behind him- names anyone ?
Whose is the red Mustang 2....cant be John Popes, his is black
Ralf Mossnan number 5?

Mustang is Rex Findlay, beside Rob Kennard is Dave NcNaugton (with my spare wheels and tyres), behind Rob is Brennan, beside Brennan is Steel in Nissan and on angle up track is myself. pretty sure this was practice and held up for a bit.
Roger, think Rex got Mustang of Robbie Kerr, it was green when Kerr ran it.

[Steve Holmes]

Mustang is Rex Findlay, beside Rob Kennard is Dave NcNaugton (with my spare wheels and tyres), behind Rob is Brennan, beside Brennan is Steel in Nissan and on angle up track is myself. pretty sure this was practice and held up for a bit.
Roger, think Rex got Mustang of Robbie Kerr, it was green when Kerr ran it.

I could be wrong but I was sure the Findlay Mustang was one of the ex-Anderson Pinepac Group A cars? I vaguely recall it was still yellow inside.

At least one and possibly both the Pinepac Mustangs are now in France.

[khyndart in CA]

So Rod,
You park your car at an angle on the track and then get out and strut along in front of all your adoring fans ?
You are / were a brave "bugga" indeed !

(Ken H )

[Rod Grimwood]

Good looking as well Ken, pity you weren't with me, we would have emptied the stand.

And think that is Don Halliday in Datsun beside Breenan, Warrens car was blue.

Kerr raced his car in Sports Sedans and it grew little flares.

[khyndart in CA]

Baypark. 1987.

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[John McKechnie]

Hi John

These are the earliest Bay Park photos I have. I’m pretty sure it’s 1987

1. Phil me Vern and Veen making news headlines.
2. Pic wth Phils car on the trailer has my white Cobra beside. Phil Rudd Commodore (the one I later brought) just in view on the right.
Incidentally Phils XC tow-car was a beast with big block engine and I recall he said he had a siren and hidden flashing lights behind the grille so he could clear any slow traffic out of his way.
3. Ross Moir working on my car between races.
4. I think was a reverse grid race chasing down Chudleigh. Cris Maxwell 240Z and Keith Rennie or is it Simon Halliday white XU1 side by side

Quite good that my car evolved as it makes it easer to keep the photos in order just a bugger I didn’t write down a few more dates.
Pretty sure the first two years I didn’t have a log book or sometimes it wasn’t filled in.
Have lots of XC 89-92 photos of my Falcon at a few different tracks and will send some when I get around to it.
The accident in my Cobra at Whenuapai was in 1992 so had done a couple of seasons with XC front on by then.

Regards
John Pope

[John McKechnie]

Hi Everyone, here are the entries for Historic Sports Sedans and Invited Allcomers for Manfeild November 10, 11

Richard Quin........Starlet.V8- ex Trevor Crowe, Jackson French
Peter Hooper... ....Starlet.- no ex here, still the same builder
Dave Reynolds.....Starlet.- ex Jon Telford.
Tony Mann...........Capri V8.- ex Jim Kennedy-Cardinal ,Don Elvy...Grimmies favourite !!!!!
Ron Findlay..........Capri V8.- ex Graham Clarke,ran OSCAs in late 70s
Graham Barnes....Capri V8.- ex Brent Bullivant
Tony Vujnovich.....Capri v8- ex US,long race history with NASA
Rod Hayman.........Victor 327- ex Alex Dickie. Garry Jenkins,Lawrence Bruce, currently Tony Mann
John McKechnie....Monaro 327- ex Spinner Black,Rod Coppins,Grady Thomson,George Bunce
Michael Johnston...Scarab 327.- ex USA,race history from early 70s
Mark Allan............Firenza 327- ex Russell Dew
Jon Telford...........Mazda RX8.- ex Jen Mossman, Brent Willis
Robert Bartley.....Custaxie 2- Robs been racing since 60s- Triang, MK3 Cortina V8
Robert Jack.........Escort V8.- ex Grant Brennan
Grant Constable...Avenger Shellsport- ex Noddy Murdoch and super original
Neil Deighton.......Chavenger- no ex here- still the original builder
Roger Davis.........Torana SLR 5000.- no ex here, still the same builder.
Darcy May............Consul V8.- ex Jen Mossman,Graham Clarke
Adrian Dobbe........Viva.- ex Warwick Grey
Murray Park ..........Marina V8.- no ex here, still the same builder. Pterodactyl keeps flying.
Bruce Goodwin.......Camaro - wifes race car, MK3 Zephyr V8 having repairs.
Ivan Bevins...........XBGT Coupe. ex Craig Pullman.
Roger Williams.......Monza..........ex Red Roof Inns car.Genuine documented history since 1976

Rapt to say that there are 4 Historic cars from the South Island coming in to run with us.
4- Capri V8s running,
4-327 engined cars...best SBC.

Very classy field and hope the Sports Sedan fans enjoy the event.
Its not everyday you get to see a field like this

[Paul B]

Look great John!
Nice broad field of interesting machines.
Looking forward to it!
Cheers

[John McKechnie]

Thanks Paul, and Blue, who has no fault here, has to stay behind for the first time...no driver combo.,and no sons or daughters who want to drive.

[Paul B]

The Monaro will still look super cool out there John!
Looking forward to 9-10-11 November at Manfield, Bring it on!

Cheers

[John McKechnie]

Extremely pleased to add Roger Williams Monza to our grid.
This car has genuine documented history going back to 1976 as the Red Roof Inns Monza
Red Dawsons, Art McKees Monzas,Allan Moffats have all left NZ.,so we are so lucky to have this join us so we can remember how glorious they were.
OK..... all I will probably see of him is a brief view in my mirrors and slightly longer seeing him accelerate away.

This car is representative of Schedule E..the period after the BNSW series.This allowed engine set backs, boxed guards etc. Other well known cars of this era -Nazer Victor, Sidchrome Mustang.Our rules allow these cars to race .

Rowan and Chad- would you like to join us now we have a Monza here?

[bill hollingsworth]

Speaking of beyond 2018, I have booked for the Easter Air Show at Omaka. http://www.classicfighters.co.nz/ and am wondering if these cars are running anywhere before or after Easter?

[khyndart in CA]

With all the sad and bad news over here with fires, shootings and earthquake predictions etc. It was so uplifting to hear of the successful launch of the NZ rocket from Mahia and topped off by hearing that Manfield was such a very good event at the weekend.
So on my behalf thank you to all involved.
Plus here are some shots of a car that brings back many memories. (Thank you John McKechnie )

John's Monaro and Alex Dickie's Victor # 74

( Mates at Manfield. )

Great shot of John in the Monaro # 59 at speed at Manfield.

( Just a reminder of what this Monaro # 59 looked like just a few years ago !)


(Ken H )

[khyndart in CA]

More of John at work in his Monaro # 59 entering and leaving the corner at Manfield.
11/11/2018. (One of the few days I can't get the date wrong !)

Photos thanks to Jarod Carruthers Photography.

(Ken H )

[Grant Ellwood]

Hi Ken, thanks for posting the Monaro pics, brought back some great memories of Bay Park and Levin. Hope you are well out of harms way where you are located in California! Can't believe all these disasters, I'm still repairing damage from Hurricane Florence here in North Carolina but got off lightly compared to most of the neighbors. I had to withdraw from the recent annual Gold Cup meeting at Virginia International Raceway, Florence struck a week prior to the event. The A40 wasn't caught in the flood waters thankfully but I had to concentrate on fixing the house instead of racing.

[John McKechnie]

Grant..Peter Bennetts came up to me and gave me his business car. it had a red A40 Farina with a droop snoot, recognised it immediately and said that he had sold it to Grant Ellwood in USA.
He smiled and said that he misses it.
Talking about great memories of Levin- Peter told me he raced against Grady in the Monaro and other cars in his A40 many times.

[Grant Ellwood]

Hi John - in my teens I saw Peter racing the A40 at Levin, spectacular! We hope to run a few iconic events in USA - Watkins Glen, Laguna Seca and Sonoma if the hurricanes take a break for a year or two. Eventually the AA40 will return to NZ I hope with an interesting log book.

[Steve Holmes]

The Peter Bennett A40 is included in a book I recently finished writing about historic NZ racing cars. It has a cool history. I spent half a day at Peter's house earlier this year and he chatted about the car and unearthed a bunch of cool old photos.

[khyndart in CA]

Grant,
I really look forward to seeing / meeting you when you come west to Sonoma and Laguna Seca.
I am very qualified at removing the tar / tire marks off the side of cars / "Goffer" (But not much else !)
All the best with your plans,
cheers,
Ken.