The Roaring Season

mark powell wrote:Could this be the one Allan Mason campained in the Nissan Mobil [I think 1992 ] We lent him an axel at Wellington

Mark, no I'm pretty sure the Mason car was the Bowkett Sleepyhead bed VK, converted to a VL.

spinner32 wrote:The #15 Commodore looks very similar to the car Steve Ross, from Dunedin, raced in Sports Saloons in the 90's. Same colour, same wheels. The big deal at that time was that it was a genuine GpA car. I believe that he still owns the car

Not the same.
The car rod drove was a VHSS updated to VK, and last seen in the hawkes bay. Some one may know its ware abouts but its MIA.

Steve ross car started life as The Bowkett, Sleephead car. and was built by roadways, went on to be the pink purple billington car and did another bathurst in 1987 (16 laps) with graeme crosby, and billington. Went onto dave barrow, and a few others then steve ross. It was in our shed for a few while, and is now in Sydney, and i understand its close to finished, being rebuilt in VK bathurst 1987 livery.

Roger- can you please refresh my memory here - early 90s Graeme Crawford also had a white genuine Roadways Commodore, remember him running it at Puke and Whenuapei, (think he said it was a Grice car?) he took it to bits, what happened to that.?

John McKechnie wrote:Roger- can you please refresh my memory here - early 90s Graeme Crawford also had a white genuine Roadways Commodore, remember him running it at Puke and Whenuapei, (think he said it was a Grice car?) he took it to bits, what happened to that.?

Crameme cameron, Yip also a roadways car. We spent quite a bit of effort trying to track this. It was the car Grice beat HDT at the 85 adalaide gp, and won (I think) at mount fuji. It was stripped of mechanicals. I have tracked the bits. The body is MIA, but i think its in Aust, Im not saying any more "online" as im still working on this

rogered wrote:Crameme cameron, Yip also a roadways car. We spent quite a bit of effort trying to track this. It was the car Grice beat HDT at the 85 adalaide gp, and won (I think) at mount fuji. It was stripped of mechanicals. I have tracked the bits. The body is MIA, but i think its in Aust, Im not saying any more "online" as im still working on this

Yes it was stripped, and for no good reason. Although the mechanicals have gone to a good home.

Bailey, I was close to the car at that time- and, you are right, it was for NO good reason.

#15 was raced by Trevor McLean and Rod Downs and then sold to Mr Parry of motorbike fame in Hamilton, Rod Downs had hand in me having drive. Was a good experience, but would really have liked to have tested/tuned before the race. Down to Hamilton on Thursday night and back for quick check over before weekend. Had a fuel problem over the hill and would start coughing about halfway over and clear as the car straightened, was a bastard as it would cough then want to stick arse out, you had to caress it before it did. Young Wayne Parry was pretty good peddler but only did a few meetings.
Had meeting with Mr Hulme on dummy grid that was interesting and showed me his other side that I had only read about. I was very polite to him which I think irritated him more.

Rod do you think the old fuel pick up in tank trick the commoboys ....did was not done on that one ...stretching it to the left hand rear side bottom of fuel tank ........as for Denny .....yea I think his roughness [helped] forged him to the front to be world champ [gruffness some times put fellow competitors on back foot].......but cant knock the man as he was a great man to achieve what he did, reminds me of some other kiwis older than u and I

You right Grant about Denny, he was and still is very respected by myself and was a 'competitor'.
You also right about the fuel pick up, and that's the kind of thing we would have picked up with a test session.

It was about our grill. As we all know, the old Holden did not agree with heat, and after a few laps in practice at around 6 to 6 and 1/2 I up the anti a little and pulled another 500 rev and noticed the temp come up over couple of laps. Discussed this with boys and we decided to reposition the top pins for grill with new holes which layed grill back a bit and increased air flow. It worked a treat. Eagle eye Denny noticed this when walking around the pits and mentioned it would be good to have grill back in correct position (in his way of speaking). This was done and he was happy. On first pit stop grill was slipped back to new holes and all was good again.

Haha love it , well done Rod [the extra 500 revs wud have been a God send]

From Manfield with Rod Downs driving, the Capri of McFarland/ Murdoch was a nice and quick car.This meeting before Pukekohe.

Rod Downs was a tidy and quick peddler and at this time had North Shore Engine Reconditioners in Wairau Rd with Wayne Thompson. Rod wandered from motorsport when his son became a top tennis player. Wayne was known for his foray into midgets at the springs with an engine he built himself, it was 3 cylinder Valiant bottom with a Ford 351 head (quence head) attached. Made up injection etc. It had some torque.

Wayne always thought he was lighter than me, but never made the grade when it came to weigh in time, this happened normally in the house bar of the Poenamo Hotel.

[color="#0000CD"][color="#0000CD"]Looks like the left rear could do with some more air...leaving a lopsided black trail in its wake in top pic?[/color][/color]

Good spotting Jac....if that was from the commodore I don't understand why no over steer ? [well ever so slight ]

Not too sure on what went on down there but yea looks like a pressure problem, maybe puncture on the way or maybe just driving on a Sports Sedans tyre marks. Good spotting Jac.

Another of 'Poppa' at club circuit with Escort of Gary Lathrope following.

Milan Fistonic wrote:I remember you having the car but I didn't realize it had competition history.

I can fill you in on the history….
Car was owned by Bob Barry, who worked in stores at Giltrap's Fiat import - actually think it was owned by his girlfriend/partner. It was only partly Group-A, nowhere near as developed as the full Gp A 130TC run by Gary Pedersen and Dave McMillan, and not that fast. Graeme McGregor was due to drive the car with Bob but when he got the VW Golf drive he suggested me as a replacement. I knew Colin Giltrap pretty well so I called him up and suggested he help out with $15K of sponsorship. Colin's reply: "that black thing - I'll give you 15 grand not to drive the bloody thing!"
First race was Nissan Sport 500 at Wellington. I knew the circuit pretty well so I started the race. Managed to get it up to about 10th place (various accidents and fewer fuel stops) when the gearbox exploded at the end of the main straight.
Next week was Pukekohe, so Bob started and handed over to me at the half-way mark. On my first flying lap I thought the brake pedal felt a bit funny so thought I'd come in next lap and have it checked. We were using the old, long circuit with the loop and heading up towards Railway I hit the brakes and nothing happened. It was pretty obvious that the car wasn't going to make the corner and it wasn't going to be a small bang. The Fiat mounted the bank, went straight through the old corrugated fencing that used to be at the back of the circuit scattering a few free-loaders who were watching from there, and ended up on the railway line. It was pretty badly buckled, so nice to know it survives!
Rob Whitehouse

Milan Fistonic wrote:Uncle Tom's Rovers were in the wars in this race.

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Beaut photos Milan! Thanks for posting. Interestingly, the blue Commodore pictured here is a genuine SS Group A road car, one of the 500 produced (and all painted blue) to homologate the special bits for the race cars. Most Group A Commodore race cars started life as a basic shell, and race prepared from there, whereas this car started life as a low-volume Group A SS road car.

Here's a little gem from the 70's I just found, I wonder if Bob remembers it?

Good ole uncle Bob, not the first or last time you been 'up the creek without a paddle' ah mate.

back in the 70s and he is still playing.

Yes remember it well ,big pool of water left there from the rain in the days before ,what the story doesn't say is was I was helped in there by the stupidity of someone who should have known better and yes it did end a good race for me ,the GTE had been punching well above its weight before that