The Roaring Season

Kiwiboss wrote:Yeah for some reason everyone's got in and entered early?? this meeting is fast becoming the premier Historic and Classic event on the motorsport calendar, gotta be good I guess!!

Our grid is already oversubscribed Dale - 55 cars...! Looking forward to this Festival more than any other since the initial McLaren one. I think from a spectator's point of view, this may be the best yet, with more competing cars and more F1 cars too.

ERC wrote:Our grid is already oversubscribed Dale - 55 cars...! Looking forward to this Festival more than any other since the initial McLaren one. I think from a spectator's point of view, this may be the best yet, with more competing cars and more F1 cars too.

Correct Ray its certainly shaping up to be great one, almost scary!!! I really hope they get Spectator numbers because the turn out at the weekends "Thunder in the Park" and the recent "V8 Festival" was very poor(I thought) maybe they're saving up for this one? lets hope so!!

I'll enjoy watching your group Ray, great numbers as always.

Dale M

GD66 wrote:Ah, you mean like this stuff, Dale ?
[ATTACH=CONFIG]26774[/ATTACH]

Couldn't wait to get a look at their delayed arrival in Perth, then I looked inside : good, old-fashioned silhouette racing at its best...

Sure GD66 but they actually come under CAMS as a "Sport Sedan Category" and are a full on "Race Series" so nothing historic or classic about them except the look, most I've talked to in Aussie understand this so they're not fooling themselves, BUT what I do like is other than a great spectacle they still have their correct style of engine even the correct size although running aluminium heads, but most importantly they're still on 15 inch wheels so this is a fantastic "look alike" silhouette series which I too enjoy but not for persons of limited funds such as myself.

Dale M

Kiwiboss wrote:YES, as fearless leader off-course I've entered, mind you not the first one to do so!! Probably not needed but here's some spec for those interested, genuine 69 Boss 302 Mustang, Boss 302 style engine(Windsor block with Cleveland heads) making 560HP(800 in Aussie, NOS in the roll cage, LOL ), Jerico Toploader replacement gearbox, 9" full floater diff, Wilwood brakes, 15X9 Arrow daisy wheels, Hoosier bias tyres, all steel body with a slightly chizelled nose, 1615KG race ready with me in it. Was built to MSNZ T&C regs 10 years ago with a COD. Feel free to come have a chat at the Festival Dale M

Hmmmmm! NOS in roll cage, will have to do a thorough audit on this car at the Festival to see what else maybe hiding!!!!!!!

Dave Graham
NZHMC Auditor

Kiwiboss wrote:Correct Ray its certainly shaping up to be great one, almost scary!!! I really hope they get Spectator numbers because the turn out at the weekends "Thunder in the Park" and the recent "V8 Festival" was very poor(I thought) maybe they're saving up for this one? lets hope so!!
Dale M

You have to ask what promotion they are doing for these series as I saw none (and I keep my eye out for these things).

Just sayin'...

Frosty5 wrote:Hmmmmm! NOS in roll cage, will have to do a thorough audit on this car at the Festival to see what else maybe hiding!!!!!!!

Dave Graham
NZHMC Auditor

[color="#0000CD"]But was it for the engine or the driver?, probably both needed in OZ.[/color]

Shano wrote:You have to ask what promotion they are doing for these series as I saw none (and I keep my eye out for these things).Just sayin'...

It depends what you mean by promotion. Do you mean the meeting or the individual series?

The NZFMR has a superb billboard on the motorway at Ellerslie, featuring a F5000. They are expecting up to 55 F5000 cars. What else needs promoting?!!! They are also getting decent press coverage in the magazines and even Granny Herald, not to mention TV3's Sunday afternoons.

If you mean the Historic Muscle Cars, Historic Special Saloons, ERC European Classics (AES & Arrow Wheels) , all three are effectively run by well meaning volunteers on virtually zero budgets. The same probably goes to most others, but apart from websites (which still have to be paid for) and Facebook pages, (free), what else do you suggest and who would benefit? As it is, we probably spend far too many hours a week working on those series (don't ask just how many emails and queries and phone calls I have had to deal with this week, not just regarding the Festival but also tomorrow's TACCOC meeting).

All three of those series are attracting healthy support from drivers, which is the number one consideration.

ERC wrote:It depends what you mean by promotion. Do you mean the meeting or the individual series?

The NZFMR has a superb billboard on the motorway at Ellerslie, featuring a F5000. They are expecting up to 55 F5000 cars. What else needs promoting?!!! They are also getting decent press coverage in the magazines and even Granny Herald, not to mention TV3's Sunday afternoons.

If you mean the Historic Muscle Cars, Historic Special Saloons, ERC European Classics (AES & Arrow Wheels) , all three are effectively run by well meaning volunteers on virtually zero budgets. The same probably goes to most others, but apart from websites (which still have to be paid for) and Facebook pages, (free), what else do you suggest and who would benefit? As it is, we probably spend far too many hours a week working on those series (don't ask just how many emails and queries and phone calls I have had to deal with this week, not just regarding the Festival but also tomorrow's TACCOC meeting).

All three of those series are attracting healthy support from drivers, which is the number one consideration.

GEEZ Ray, you took the words outta my mouth!! know that's scary!! LOL i luv the "Zero Budget" ain't that the truth

Also its been pointed out to me that peoples lives are so much more busier with so much more to do on a daily basis and we're constantly bombarded with advertising like never before with products we never knew one could own, sometimes the brain just overloads, but really i think we've seen the heyday of huge crowds of the 60's and 70's and i doubt that will ever come again!! just look at air travel as once it was a mission and now its like catching a bus!! for the sake of the festival i'd like to see a reasonable crowd to help pay the bills for the effort Jim, Chris, Tony(and others) have put in!! and as this event is shaping up to be pretty hard to beat so lets all make the most of it.

Dale M

You couldn't get a more "Historic" car than Dean and Desirae Cameron's 65 Mustang, owned in the past by forum members John McKechnie and myself this fantastic little mustang has "BayPark" race history stamped in its logbook and was in Pre 65 racing in the early days when they were actual cars that got driven to the track, raced and driven home afterwards. Dean was one of the first guys to hold his hand up for HMC only having to refit his 15" wheels, the car has a MSNZ COD and is HMC compliant and will be at the Festival next month. Dean also proves that one can go racing on a budget and a ton of fun at the same time, he also has a 67 Mustang coupe as a HMC project that one day hopefully we'll see there son Kim driving, a real family affair!!

HMC organisers have just been given approval for a Pace Car convertible to lead our group out onto the track before every race, attached is a picture of this been done in the era and as we are having rolling starts this should fit in well as apart of the "display" that HMC and Australian Trans am will put on.

Take note that there are approx 24 US Trans Am race cars in this picture and we have 28 entries so it will look spectacular.

Let the fun begin

Dale M

PS: Photo courtesy of Jon Mello, CA, USA and the CRG Trans-Am forum

That's going to look/sound unreal, awesome job being done by you people.

Steve Elliott has entered his 68 Camaro, an American A-Sedan race car since 1974 this car is dripping in race history, we are lucky to have this Camaro in New Zealand and racing in HMC as it truly represents what this class is about. Originally fitted with a 302 chevy Steve has just fitted a 383 small block for a bit more grunt, 4 speed Tex 101/T10, 12 bolt diff, 15X8 wheels and Hoosier tyres, car only required door class and bumpers to comply when imported and has a MSNZ COD.

Owned by myself and Mike Coory the 70 Mustang PDL Replica will be driven by Tony Roberts until a new owner is found. Originally an open track race car in northern California its fitted with a 400HP 351 Cleveland engine, 4 speed Toploader gearbox, 9inch diff, Wilwood brakes, 15X9 Minilites with Hoosier tyres and a host of other goodies, car is fully compliant with a MSNZ COD, see Tony man handle this beast around Hampton January 17/18 and 24/25.

HMC had a twilight test session at Hampton last night, pretty good turn out and got lucky with the weather, we had Roger Williams 69 Camaro, Murray Brown 70 Camaro, Brett Pearce 68 Monaro, John McKechnie XA falcon, Nigel MacDonald 67 Mustang, Pete Stevenson 65 Mustang, myself 69 Mustang, all went well with generally no problems. Was also great to chat to a few other racers who are looking hard at HMC as a class for them, quite interesting really. Dale M

And a few more pics.

It was fantastic weather conditions out there for all who made the decision to forget thunder and lightning just the day before..
Glad I was one of them, even though it was raining at home as I was leaving.

Pity you didn't let us know as I might have popped down to take some pics now I have dried out from Sunday!

Over the past three days, 8 Australian Trans-Am cars have been loaded at the Port of Brisbane ahead of the Christmas Day departure of the ship taking them to the New Zealand Festival of Motor Racing at Hampton Downs. We can't wait!!

This is the latest HMC poster I recently put together, using Terry Marshall photos, which Dale will have available for punters at the Festival in January. The main portrait image of Red in the Monza is one of my all-time favourites.

HMC racer John Sampson has entered the Festival in his beautiful 71 Capri V6, John has been racing this Capri for 17 years and has never modified it beyond what it should be, no modernised components to improve its performance. When HMC first started Johns Capri fitted without any modifications required and he jumped at the chance to race with proper period correct cars, its was compliant rite out of the box and has a MSNZ COD. Lets face it, the V6 Capri certainly has major motorsport history in this country doesn't it and look at these two "Capri Legends together" awesome. He will be one of 3 Capris racing with HMC in 2 weeks time.