Bruce McLaren

[khyndart in CA]

In post 94 is the spoiler higher on the right side or is it just an optical illusion?

Allan,
That is a good observation. Actually the rear wing was mounted to the suspension and the bodywork moved separately, especially at a corner such as the aptly named "Corkscrew" as that is almost what the car is doing as it turns left to drop away to a lower right corner to exit. This is another version of the Pete Lyons photo showing the bodywork and suspension angles.

Also here is another Pete Lyons photo from the other side of the track at the same event. Note the risks that the photographers took to get their shot.That tree would not have provided much protection !

( Ken Hyndman )

[Allan]

Thanks for that explanation Ken.

[John McKechnie]

It looks even more interesting seeing the F1 cars of the time when the front wing was the same height as the rear wing, going through the same corner

[khyndart in CA]

When I was at Trojan Works in 1973 I found this shipping form on a shelf and I realized it was written 5 weeks before Bruce died at Goodwood in 1970. It is a simple keepsake of a time before tragedy struck with Bruce's death and Denny getting burnt at Indianapolis.
Perhaps these were Indy car parts.
It is my little bit of McLaren memorabilia when it was still Bruce McLaren Racing.

(Ken Hyndman )

[khyndart in CA]

June 1970.
A sad time for all.

May the movie do justice to all that Bruce achieved.
( Ken Hyndman )

[khyndart in CA]

Someone recently asked me about what happened to Bruce, so I got out some old scrapbook cuttings etc. of photos of the action at Goodwood in May/ June 1970. I told the person that there were no wind tunnels for testing race cars at that time and that the test driver e.g. Bruce, was like a test pilot venturing into unknown limits.
As you can see there no support struts or bracing to the rear wing when Bruce was driving. It took his terrible accident to get that reinforcement and I do not think a rear assembly ever came away from the McLaren Can Am cars again.
I saw the site of the accident at Goodwood in late 1973 and the skid marks were still evident on the track and it was so sad that to think that just 10 metres past the marshal's stand that the car would have just spun harmlessly and Bruce could have come back to the pits and have the modifications done in time for the 1970 Can Am series starting at Mosport.
I think Bruce was going to retire at the end of the season to concentrate on his expanding business and perhaps for 1971 we would have had a full Kiwi team of Denny Hulme and Chris Amon and Bruce in charge. We will never know but the 1970 season was such a tragic year, (e.g. losing McLaren, Courage and Rindt just in F1 alone ) especially on June 2nd at Goodwood.

(F. David Stone photos..my scrapbook)

Bruce making adjustments at the front. The infamous rear wing assembly is in the background. Goodwood. 1970.


(Ken Hyndman )

[khyndart in CA]

After Bruce's accident, this is how the modifications were done to the 1970 M8D Can Am car.

And shown clearly in this wonderful photo from the Charles Houser Collection.

So close to avoiding disaster. Just another 10 metres. Goodwood marshal's stand on the Lavant Straight.
(Quote from Wikipedia.com " The circuit claimed the life of McLaren-founder Bruce McLaren in a testing accident on 2 June 1970.

The accident happened on Lavant Straight, when a rear bodywork failure on McLaren's M8D car caused it to spin and leave the track, hitting a structure on the infield at over 100 mph while travelling sideways." )

(Ken Hyndman )

[duncan fox]

Hi Ken

Earlier on this year a group of us were involved in some track footage for Roger Donaldsons documentry McLaren at Bruce McLaren Park in Taupo. It was a eerie experience recreating the events leading up to the accident and we were mindful of not duplicating the event. So much so that we did the sound track separately just recently with the car set up properly to do the high speed passes . The car I built up had a set of original Denny M8D body work using a high wing that came from a Bruce B. It was special having those original parts along for the ride. The end result was very convincing and the film footage I have seen is superb and very moving. I have high hopes for this docudrama. For me personally it is a milestone to see it made as the Bruce McLaren Trust enters its 20th year. No 1 on my bucket list.... this fabulous story made for the benefit of future generations. I guarantee you all, you will not be disappointed.

Someone recently asked me about what happened to Bruce, so I got out some old scrapbook cuttings etc. of photos of the action at Goodwood in May/ June 1970. I told the person that there were no wind tunnels for testing race cars at that time and that the test driver e.g. Bruce was like a test pilot venturing into unknown limits.
As you can see there no support struts or bracing to the rear wing when Bruce was driving. It took his terrible accident to get that reinforcement and I do not think a rear assembly ever came away from the McLaren Can Am cars again.
I saw the site of the accident at Goodwood in late 1973 and the skid marks were still evident on the track and it was so sad that to think that just 10 metres past the marshal's stand that the car would have just spun harmlessly and Bruce could have come back to the pits and have the modifications done in time for the 1970 Can Am series starting at Mosport.
I think Bruce was going to retire at the end of the season to concentrate on his expanding business and perhaps for 1971 we would have had a full Kiwi team of Denny Hulme and Chris Amon and Bruce in charge. Who knows but the 1970 season was a tragic year
in many ways especially on June 2nd at Goodwood.

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(F. David Stone photos..my scrapbook)

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Bruce making adjustments at the front. The infamous rear wing assembly in the background. Goodwood. 1970.


(Ken Hyndman )

[khyndart in CA]

Duncan,
Thanks for your input.
I know if you have been involved with the movie that it will indeed be superb.
I hope there is nothing here that I have entered that is not appropriate.
Ken.

[duncan fox]

All good Ken,

earlier you described how the team made support struts at the rear to prevent any further failures. As well as the struts a large framework was made from 1inch sq alloy box and bonded into each side of the rear body work the entire length of the fence's to take the rear pip pins On retrospect an over reaction that cost the team performance. The wing fences became almost an 1 3/8 thick and the air didn't flow as well over them as the B mule with the 1/8 alloy plate fence fixed to the sides. As a result the 3% annual performance gain that they always worked toward virtually evaporated before the first race. The following year the team started fresh using known B bodywork areas and they produced the F body which has no D dna in it whatsoever.

[khyndart in CA]

I found this old ad for "Reynolds Aluminum."
Bruce McLaren in the 1969 M8B Can Am car.

A cutaway of the car showing the aluminum products in the darker shade.

A box showing the ALUMINIUM products on the car. (Check the spelling. Now I know why I get confused !)

(Ken Hyndman )

[khyndart in CA]

If any of you visit the McLaren Trust home in Remuera, can you check to see if this publication is on display.
It has been signed by Denis Hulme, Dan Gurney,Vic Elford, Brian Redman and Howden Ganley.
I gave it to Jan about 10 years ago and I hope it can still be observed.
Thanks,
Ken Hyndman.

[duncan fox]

Hi Ken,

it most certainly is there but as you know space has always been the problem at Remuera so it isn't always displayed. Recently the Garage building was sold to a developer and the future for the Trust at that address was determined simply by money and the lack of combined with the math of owning commercial property in that suburb. To have purchased and earthquake strengthened the build was an exercise in excess of 3 million , that's before you even start to think about what you are going to do inside. Then there would have been the parking issues...

So, in a weeks time the doors will shut at Remuera, and in the new year the Trust will move to its new home at Hampton Downs raceway. Although the Remuera developer who plans to add another floor to the building was prepared to sell us a title to remain there ,we just could not justify the cost, when compared to the new venture at Hampton Downs. We have now created a facility within our budget that will enable us to display all our memorabilia and a selection of cars as well. We are working towards a grand opening in late March to celebrate the Trusts 20th birthday.

The next 20 years will involve a younger group of Trustees taking over the reins from the 4 of us and to that end Im pleased to say that Greg "Murph" Murphy is the first to come on board with us. Howden Ganley also accepted the role of patron to fill the gap left by our beloved Chris Amon as we start to move into another decade. We are at a period in time where our heroes are leaving us, and it is our job to now ensure that the new Bruce McLaren Heritage Centre does what it can to be entrusted with this material for the next and future generations.

If any of you visit the McLaren Trust home in Remuera, can you check to see if this publication is on display.
It has been signed by Denis Hulme, Dan Gurney,Vic Elford, Brian Redman and Howden Ganley.
I gave it to Jan about 10 years ago and I hope it can still be observed.
Thanks,
Ken Hyndman.

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[khyndart in CA]

Duncan,
You have done a wonderful job explaining all the details. Thank you. Also for all you have done for Bruce's legacy.
I am pleased to have had the opportunity to visit the original home when I did in Remuera.
.

K.Hyndman & Jan McLaren at the McLaren family home. Remuera. 2008.

[khyndart in CA]

June 2nd 1970.
I can remember clearly where I was 50 years ago when this terrible news came over the radio before I went to work at W.H. Lober & Company a Holden dealer in Woolloomooloo, Sydney.
Many of you must have had the same unbelievable, this can't be true feeling, at that time.

Ken H.

[ERC]

June 2nd 1970, I was in the UK Prison Service and had spent a long day at the ILS (Inner London Sessions - as Prison staff ran upper courts, not the police).

I remember being on the prison service coach afterwards, heading either for Brixton or Wormwood Scrubs, (probably both) en route for Ashford, Middlesex, home base, and passed a news vendor displaying the flyer 'F1 driver killed testing' or something similar. I don't know why, but for some reason I knew it was Bruce McLaren.

[nigel watts]

June 2nd 1970.
I can remember clearly where I was 50 years ago when this terrible news came over the radio before I went to work at W.H. Lober & Company a Holden dealer in Woolloomooloo, Sydney.
Many of you must have had the same unbelievable, this can't be true feeling, at that time.

Ken H.

It really is a small world Ken. I also remember the day vividly, and at the time I was also living in Sydney, and I was working for an insurance company [VACC] in Williams St Kings Cross.

[Oldfart]

I was going to Ashburton to book my tickets to go and work at McLarens the exact day 50 years ago. I never went. There is a long story.

[Autopia]

Not sure if this made the news in NZ but in my role as a Trustee of Auckland University alumni in the UK we've been working for 4 years to develop the relationship between the Engineering Faculty (where Bruce studied) and McLaren. We've funded several students to work as interns at Woking, we have a post-grad program in place to study in the UK and US in conjunction with McLaren and the ultimate aim is to raise funding to endow a Chair of Innovative Engineering at Auckland, in Bruce's name. McLaren had intended to hold a memorial dinner last week to honour Bruce but due to Covid-19 that has been postponed.
However they asked me if we could arrange a haka to honour Bruce's memory and the Engineering Faculty haka group (through the fantastic efforts of Development Manager Paul Cunningham) put together in 2 days a wonderful introduction and haka that has had an amazing reception from McLaren and on the company's social media around the world. You can see it here:

https://www.mclaren.com/racing/heritage/haka-bruce-university-auckland/

Amanda also lit 50 ceremonial candles around some of the cars in the McLaren boulevard to honour her father's memory:

https://www.facebook.com/McLaren.Racing/videos/bruce50/353563025614566/

[Trevor Sheffield]

Not sure if this made the news in NZ but in my role as a Trustee of Auckland University alumni in the UK we've been working for 4 years to develop the relationship between the Engineering Faculty (where Bruce studied) and McLaren. We've funded several students to work as interns at Woking, we have a post-grad program in place to study in the UK and US in conjunction with McLaren and the ultimate aim is to raise funding to endow a Chair of Innovative Engineering at Auckland, in Bruce's name. McLaren had intended to hold a memorial dinner last week to honour Bruce but due to Covid-19 that has been postponed.
However they asked me if we could arrange a haka to honour Bruce's memory and the Engineering Faculty haka group (through the fantastic efforts of Development Manager Paul Cunningham) put together in 2 days a wonderful introduction and haka that has had an amazing reception from McLaren and on the company's social media around the world. You can see it here:

https://www.mclaren.com/racing/heritage/haka-bruce-university-auckland/

Amanda also lit 50 ceremonial candles around some of the cars in the McLaren boulevard to honour her father's memory:

https://www.facebook.com/McLaren.Racing/videos/bruce50/353563025614566/

Special thanks and gratitude is due. I was truly moved after watching this and trust that the tribute receives the publicity it duly deserves.