The Roaring Season

Now the NZ flag has been decided on, perhaps you mechanics can get all patriotic and match this USA Indy team mechanics outfits with a NZ style !


(Jesse Alexander photo )





Ken Hyndman )

Didn't Allan Boyle and his Coca Cola team have Coke uniforms?

Nah kiwi way was better, stubbies, t shirt and jandals. Way more comfortable.

Allan,
You are correct, although it may not work too well today !
Team VDS at Levin in 1974.


( K.Hyndman scrapbook )

Sorry I forgot the toweling hat which doubled as a cleaning or polishing rag.

The VDS mechanic running up to Peter Gethin's Chevron # 2 is Graham Donaldson.
Graham started out as a apprentice mechanic at Battersby Motors in Rotorua and also helped prepare a Formula Ford for local driver, Robert McNair.
Graham heard that an import agent in Wellington who was a VDS agent was looking for anyone to could help the visiting VDS Team as a "goffer" for the North Island races in the 1972 Tasman series. After Levin, Count Rudi van der Stratten asked Graham to stay on for the South Island races and then the Australian races. After the series he asked Graham if he would like to work with the team in Europe. Graham jumped at that opportunity and he went on to have a life long career in motorsport from which he just recently and deservedly retired from. As I got to know Graham as a good friend while at Trojan Works, I will attempt to describe the career of a "bloody good race mechanic."


(Ken Hyndman )

Sounds like another great Ken story coming up, neat..............

Graham adjusted well to living in England and Belgium preparing cars for VDS including McLaren M10 A,M10 B, M18/22 during the 1972 European F 5000 season. Here is a photo of the VDS McLaren F5000 M18/22 that was built by the Trojan Co. but had little success. Teddy Pilette in the cockpit.

(Photo by John Crick )



(Ken Hyndman )

The vehicle that VDS and Graham found to be the most difficult to make a race winner was the very powerful and unreliable Interseries
Can Am type racer for the European season in 1973. With a 7.5 litre Chev. turbo engine the McLaren M 8E began life at Trojan Works and was greatly modified by VDS along with the engine by "Morand" of Switzerland. It was a powerful beast bravely driven by the very talented Teddy Pilette. As previously mentioned Teddy was very diplomatic when questioned about this car he would say it was "terrific"
but what he really meant it was a combination of the car's handling / braking being "terrible and horrific !"
I think between the M 22 and the M 8E turbo the VDS team got tired of the Trojan products and went on to greater success with the Chevron B 24 etc. in F 5000.
I did get to help Graham load up the M 8E Turbo from it's last visit to Trojan Racing.
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(Ken Hyndman photo )
It was a magnificent looking machine when it was running !

(Paul Kooyman photo )


If you look closely you will note that every attempt was made to assist the driver when driving this beast !


(Ken Hyndman scrapbook )

June 1973.
It was not always long hours and hard work.
Hyndman and Donaldson enjoying some strawberries on the hills near Goodwood as we took a drive to the south coast of England on a beautiful summer day out, in the old Morris Minor. (983 ELD).


(K Hyndman photo )

Top left picture
A very selfish "amatuer" race mechanic photo, driver/owner by right rear wheel, mechanic sat in cockpit "resting"

The 1973 Rothmans European F 5000 season was one of the best and the winner was not decided until the last race at Brands Hatch.
The title went to Graham and the VDS Team with Teddy Pilette driving the Chevron B 24.
This photo was taken at the Snetterton track in October 1973 with Graham leaning over the engine of the Chevron driven by Chris Craft. Count van der Stratten is walking in from the left and Teddy Pilette is making an entrance in the back ground.

(Ken Hyndman photo )

All Graham's efforts were rewarded in the end of the 1973 season by winning the championship. Soon after that they packing up and heading off to NZ & Aus. for the 1974 Tasman Series with the strong team of Teddy Pilette and Peter Gethin. The Tasman winner was Peter Gethin in his VDS Chevron B 24.
Graham even took time out from his busy schedule to visit my brother out on the family farm in Kiwitahi and that was most appreciated.

(From Motor Racing Year. 1974 Edition)


( Ken Hyndman )

During his time with VDS from 1972 to 1975 Graham had the opportunity to work with some of the best designers and engineers at that time in racing. At Trojan it was with Ron Tauranac (RALT) and Patrick Head (Williams) at Chevron it was Derek Bennett ( who sadly died in a hang gliding accident in 1978. Later with Lola Cars he worked with the amazing Eric Broadley who is now almost 90 years old.
Towards the end of the 1975 F5000 season Graham left VDS to join up with Sid Taylor and Teddy Yip of (Theodore Racing) and they had the very promising driver, Tony Brise, to drive a very trusty Lola T 332. It was not a very sharp looking car but Tony said it was one of the best handling cars he had driven. The last British race at Brands Hatch was Tony's first F5000 drive and he amazed everyone by leading until slowing due to a puncture and he finished second to Alan Jones.

(Photo from "The Lost Generation" book)

( Ken Hyndman )

September 1975. Long Beach.
Graham was excited to be at Long Beach for the Inaugural F5000 race. Tony Brise was not even mentioned when the first previews were written which suited the Theodore Team so they were not bothered by too much media attention. I had the opportunity to join in as "goffer" and it was an extra treat when Graham Hill joined in as he watched his protégé, Tony Brise over the weekend. Away from the track it was a real bonus to listen to Graham Hill, Sid Taylor and Teddy Yip bantering and having fun.

Graham pushing the Lola as Sid Taylor looks on. # 64 may not have had the prettiest wings or wheels but it could fly !


Graham Donaldson with # 64. In the background Graham Hill observes alongside Janet Brise.
(Hyndman collection)

Tony Brise would have won the main race but a half shaft broke a few laps from the end. Hill was so excited after the race about the future for Tony in Formula One and he also offered a job to Graham to be on the Hill Embassy F1 Team for the coming season.

(Ken Hyndman )

October 1975.
After a F5000 race at Laguna Seca the last race for that season was at the Riverside course near Los Angeles.
Due to running low on fuel toward the end of the race the Theodore Lola did not finish as well as we had all hoped.

Tony Brise prepares for the start at Riverside. Graham Donaldson and Julian Randles are looking on at the left as Teddy Yip checks his watch and cleans the windshield.
Almost exactly a month later Tony would be killed in the plane crash that wiped out the Graham Hill Embassy Team.

( Ken Hyndman photo.)

29th Nov. 1975.
Graham Donaldson needed to find suitable accommodation in London before the next season and winter testing of the new GH2 Hill F1car. So Graham stayed behind while the rest of the team went to France for testing otherwise he would have been on this tragic trip back to London from France in horrible weather.
Here are some reports of that day.
(Everyone in this publicity photo died in the crash. )

("The Lost Generation" book excerpt )

This Wikipedia report states there was a lot of mistakes regarding the Hill plane which made it even harder on those family and team members who survived including Graham Donaldson.

"On November 29, 1975 returning from the Paul Ricard circuit, France, Hill was killed when the Piper PA 23-250 Turbo-Aztec that he was piloting (not registered, but displaying its previous cancelled US registration N6645Y) crashed near Arkley golf course in London, while attempting to land at Elstree Airfield at night, in foggy conditions.[15] The crash also resulted in the deaths of team manager Ray Brimble, mechanics Tony Alcock and Terry Richards, up-and-coming driver Tony Brise and designer Andy Smallman; all from the Embassy Hill team.[16] At the time of the accident Hill’s aircraft, originally US-registered, was “unregistered and stateless”. His US pilot certification had expired, as had his FAA instrument rating. His UK Private Pilot’s Licence Instrument Meteorological Conditions rating, which would have permitted him to fly passengers in the visibility that prevailed at the time of the accident, was also out of date and invalid.[15] The Independent stated he was effectively uninsured.["


(Ken Hyndman )

khyndart in CA wrote:The vehicle that VDS and Graham found to be the most difficult to make a race winner was the very powerful and unreliable Interseries
Can Am type racer for the European season in 1973. With a 7.5 litre Chev. turbo engine the McLaren M 8E began life at Trojan Works and was greatly modified by VDS along with the engine by "Morand" of Switzerland. It was a powerful beast bravely driven by the very talented Teddy Pilette. As previously mentioned Teddy was very diplomatic when questioned about this car he would say it was "terrific"
but what he really meant it was a combination of the car's handling / braking being "terrible and horrific !"
I think between the M 22 and the M 8E turbo the VDS team got tired of the Trojan products and went on to greater success with the Chevron B 24 etc. in F 5000.
I did get to help Graham load up the M 8E Turbo from it's last visit to Trojan Racing.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]34478[/ATTACH]
(Ken Hyndman photo )
It was a magnificent looking machine when it was running !
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(Paul Kooyman photo )


If you look closely you will note that every attempt was made to assist the driver when driving this beast !
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(Ken Hyndman scrapbook )

Pics of car in Australia .....

The first pics are on its arrival in Tasmania in2014 direct from Hockenheim to be serviced for its new owner...







Still included with the spares are the twin turbos


Car has 2 complete body shells...a Red and a Black
Pics (from web) are from Phililp Is Historics 2016




Ben Henson (LHS) of Ben Henson Motorsports is is charge of the spanners

After the tragedy Graham gathered his things and headed out to Australia with the Theodore Team and prepared the # 64 Lola T332 that was originally for Tony Brise to drive and was now in the capable hands of Vern Schuppan. The team won the 1976 Rothman Series in Australia which again was testimony to Graham's meticulous preparation. # 64 was now so well known that a model was created that has now become a collectors item.

Vern Schuppan at work in # 64 Lola T332


photo of 1/18 model of # 64





(Ken Hyndman )

Graham and Theodore Racing brought the # 64 Lola T332 (HU 37) to the US for the 1976 USAC F 5000 season with Alan Jones as their driver. Alan won one of the early races at Mosport Park in Canada in June and then July 1976 he crashed the car during practice at Watkins Glen in New York state and I think that is the last time dear old HU 37 was raced.
Here is one last photo of the car as it comes around on the warm up lap at Mosport alongside,Brian Redman, Danny Ongais, Jackie Oliver, US F5000, Mosport, 1976.


(pic.twitter.com photo)

Here is a listing of the field that day. Theodore Racing # 64 (HU 37 )won against a very good field that day.
She went out in style !

SCCA/USAC F5000 Championship Round

Mosport Park, 20 Jun 1976


Results

Laps

Time/Speed

1 Alan Jones Lola T332 [HU37] - Chevrolet V8
40 52:25.883
112.53 mph
2 Jackie Oliver Shadow DN6B - Dodge V8
40 52:26.673

3 Teddy Pilette Lola T430 [HU1] - Chevrolet V8
40 52:59.254

4 Danny Ongais Lola T332 [HU54] - Chevrolet V8
40 53:10.672

5 Warwick Brown Lola T332C [HU55] - Chevrolet V8
40 53:15.614

6 Vern Schuppan Eagle 755 [01] - Chevrolet V8
39

7 Randy Lewis Lola T332 [HU39] - Chevrolet V8
39

8 Brian Redman Lola T332C [HU56] - Chevrolet V8
39

9 Bob Lazier Lola T330/T332 - Chevrolet V8
38

10 John David Briggs Lola T332 [HU50] - Chevrolet V8
38

11 Tuck Thomas Lola T332 [HU38B] - Chevrolet V8
37

12 John Benton Lola T330 [HU26] - Chevrolet V8
36

13 Horst Kroll Lola T300 [HU15] - Chevrolet V8
35

14 Eppie Wietzes Lola T400M [HU9] - Chevrolet V8
35

15 Bob Nagel Lola T332 [HU33] - Chevrolet V8
32

16 Richard Shirey Lola T332C - Chevrolet V8
31

17 Arlon J. Koops Lola T330 [HU20] - Chevrolet V8
Retired
18 Geoff Davie March "741" [73A/3(B)] - Chevrolet V8
retired
19 Peter Gethin Chevron B37 [37-76-01] - Chevrolet V8
(see note 1) Retired
20 Sam Posey Talon MR-1A - Chevrolet V8
Retired
21 Bert Kuehne Lola T300 [HU10] - Chevrolet V8
retired
22 Greg Hodges Eagle - Chevrolet V8
Retired
23 Steve "Yogi" Behr Lola T330 [HU19] - AMC V8
Retired
DNQH John Gunn Lola T332 [HU47] - Chevrolet V8
Did not qualify from heats
(20th in Heat 1)
DNS Graham McRae Lola T332 [HU46] - Chevrolet V8
Did not start
DNSC Bill Baker Lola T332 [HU41-2] - Chevrolet V8
Did not start (crashed)

All cars are 5-litre F5000 unless noted.

(oldracingcars.com results)




(Ken Hyndman )

The next Theodore Lola T332C was chassis # HU61 and it was the new # 64 and painted white and Theodore emblems.
Graham prepared this car for not only Alan Jones but also Derek Bell during the season.
Alan Jones had some success but the Riverside USAC race in October 1976 was to be the last sanctioned F5000 race in the US.
This Victor Oliver photo captures the two Australians, Alan Jones in his Theodore # 64 T 332C and Warwick Brown in his VDS Lola T 430 # 2, going at it on the back straight at Riverside.

(Victor Oliver photo )


The Lola T332C # HU61 has been beautifully restored and is owned at present by the Davison family in Australia.

(Chris Nicholls photo )






( Ken Hyndman )