The Roaring Season

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In Part 1 of the Allan Porter Collection, we featured an amazing mix of early New Zealand drag racing photos from the early years of the sport, when organizing groups set up events at the unpaved Kopuku Dragway, on closed roads, or at circuit racing tracks.

In 1973, New Zealands first purpose built drag strip opened for business. Champion Dragway at Meremere is situated roughly halfway between Auckland and Hamilton, and just up the road from the relatively new Hampton Downs circuit racing venue.

With the opening of Meremere, the sport of drag racing enjoyed a sharp rise in popularity, with New Zealands second purpose built facility, Thunderpark, near Napier, hosting its first event three years later.

The images from Part 2 of the Allan Porter Collection center around the early years of Meremere. The professionalism of the sport also increases greatly in this part, along with speeds, and competition. As in Part 1, many of the cars and drivers racing during this time are likely familiar to many of you. You may even see yourselves in some of them, if this was your scene during the 1970s.

Steve Holmes wrote:Ivan Jujnovich's '56 Chevy hardtop. With a different paint job, I think this is the same car that appeared in the Weetbix Hot Rod card collection in the late '70s. Remember those?

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Steve Holmes wrote:From the control tower. Note that the two cars are driving back to the pits via the race track.

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Steve Holmes wrote:Not sure who either of these are. Any thoughts people?

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Steve Holmes wrote:Nick Liefting.

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Steve Holmes wrote:Tony Ward's famous 3 window coupe.

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Steve Holmes wrote:Robin Unkovich with chute open. What a beautiful car!

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Rod Grimwood wrote:Norris Miles raced in this car in same blue with AC Gill Menswear sponsorship. Brian Bowater bought a Falcon GT ( to HO specs and maybe better ) off Ross Tebbs. Believe this was the car he had his unfortunate accident in. I think the top car is a different car to the curcuit one. He did run the curcuit (ex Goss) a few times but it was not really changed much.

Greg Stokes wrote:The Bill Ward C-Cab now owned by Doug Bell of The Hot Rod Show



Now owned by Nick Boblea



Eye in the sky weather reporter the late Bill Mudgeway on announcing duty



Tony Kidd in the bucket



Body is in North Shore Rod & Custom Club rooms



Now owned by Bryan Kilsby



Owned now by Chris Piaggi and Malcolm Turner

Mike Dias wrote:This was my first race car back in 1974, brought it with a 4 cylinder Victor engine then ran a 179 X2 Holden engine, it ran a 12 second 1/4 mile which isn't that fast but it was only a bit over 4 seconds slower than the National record at the time which makes it a 12 second pass sound better.

Steve Holmes wrote:Neat little rail of Phil Hirst. I'm not sure if its Fiat powered. Perhaps one of our Fiat anoraks might know?

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Humai wrote:Yup it's a Fiat. IIRC, it was a 1608cc engine originally fitted to a Fiat 125. It was mated to a VW transaxle. It had twin side draft Webers or Dellortos and hot cams and was producing about 160hp. I recall that it ran 11.35 on the quarter.