The Roaring Season

ERC wrote:1986 Whenuapai - Oh how we miss those meetings...

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The MKIV GT Replica built by Baker? in the NI has popped up on several websites in the UK/Europe for sale over the last ten years, holding its price quite well in regards to other replicas, been a couple of times where sellers have tried to pass it off as the real thing , but with all the internet detectives about these days those adverts vanish quickly.
Porsche 906, seem to get very big money, especially with race history. Several very good replicas available of them now.[color="#0000FF"][/color][color="#0000CD"][/color]

Jac Mac. You have highlighted a very serious problem for those of us taking pics today, (not buying cars). That is "Have I snapped the real thing, or is it a replica?"

I categorise/file all my pics as best I can, so identifying a genuine GT40, Cobra, Lotus 11 used to be so easy. There weren't any replicas! I have large directories/folders for specials and another for replicas.

When we were in Broadbeach a couple of years ago, dining at a street restaurant, I noted in the distance a Lotus 11 shaped car heading towards us. I snapped it, but not being able to verify it I have no idea whether it was a genuine Lotus 11 or a Westfield or other replica. How to I categorise it? A folder for "unsure?"

Should I ever decide to produce a book, (you never know...) I'd have to add the disclaimer that it was produced based on the knowledge available at the time.

One replica I missed snapping was the lovely Lister Jag replica constructed locally that even had the personalised plates for the UK original! (Clive Pilkington's name rings a bell.)

I think the brown Jag was indeed Mike Westall and if he was cornering like that, he probably had to run a spare!

One of the hidden joys of flagging with a full crew, was that we'd take it in turns to stand down and I managed to get pics I wouldn't normally have been able to get from the public enclosure! How I wish I'd had today's camera back then...

Earlier UK photos were usually taken with dad's old standard Leica - no rangefinder, standard lens only and a mix of slides and negative film.

Its Jag time!

The original - for my money, one of the most beautiful cars ever built.
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The earlier pic was 1986, this Whenuapai pic is 1991 - with Minilites...
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No prizes for naming two... Probably January/February 1983 - Pukekohe short track. This was the first time I had seen this super star in action and I have to say that the crowd were most enthusiastic! I remember that much very well. I hadn't heard a Mazda on full song before this and was suitably impressed. Racing without different noises isn't racing - but we won't go there.

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Ray- missed this period. I know the Algie machine, who are the others?

ERC wrote:No prizes for naming the first two... Probably February 1983 - Pukekohe short track. This was the first time I had seen this super star in action and I have to say that the crowd were most enthusiastic! I remember that very well.

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Is the Chevette Kim Austin? Phil Henley in The Datsun following in pic 3

ERC wrote:No prizes for naming the first two... Probably February 1983 - Pukekohe short track. This was the first time I had seen this super star in action and I have to say that the crowd were most enthusiastic! I remember that very well.

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So do I....I have just hooked forth gear round the right hand kink with the foot hard up it....and bugger me if the left rear shock absorber broke! I did probably the fastest top gear spins that the club circuit would ever witness! Both the windscreen wipers were pulled straight out pointing forwards from the G forces and I was covered in rubber through the little port hole in the drivers door (which was just big enough for me to get my hand signals done.) Shit I thought I was going to hit the flaggies mound....and the weirdest of things....the first spin while I was pointing towards the crowd on the hill everyone was sitting down and the next time around everyone was standing up....it reminded me at the time of someone opening venetion blinds! I had just passed the Chevette V8 for the lead with one lap to go......then bang!.....I managed to drive across the grass and pass Shenley Dato on the line for second....all the time pretending I wasn't fazed......fear crapped me self actually!..... Thanks for the pix..any more of the old girl? Kind regards, Tony Rutherford.

Sorry Tony, I think that is the only pic I have of your car. It was either the the first or the second meeting I attended in NZ, having arrived Jan 17th 1983. About two months later I think, I was flagging, with a crew from NSCC right up to purchasing the Marcos in 1991.

I thought it ironic that my club in the UK was also NSCC (Nottingham Sports Car Club) where I left as Competition Secretary and newsletter editor, joining the Northern Sports Car Club as soon as I arrived.

Sorry, the pics were taken in reverse order to the original listing, so I'll swap them around!

Thanks for the extra info as I didn't have a programme. I hadn't realised it was Kim Austin - TV star of rallysprints.

Phil Henley still lives in Kohimaramara, has been a recent customer, still talks of his Torana and Datsun racing days Next time he swings past I will ask if he has any pics to contribute

ERC wrote:Sorry Tony, I think that is the only pic I have of your car. It was either the the first or the second meeting I attended in NZ, having arrived Jan 17th 1983. About two months later I think, I was flagging, with a crew from NSCC right up to purchasing the Marcos in 1991.

I thought it ironic that my club in the UK was also NSCC (Nottingham Sports Car Club) where I left as Competition Secretary and newsletter editor, joining the Northern Sports Car Club as soon as I arrived.



Sorry, the pics were taken in reverse order to the original listing, so I'll swap them around!

Thanks for the extra info as I didn't have a programme. I hadn't realised it was Kim Austin - TV star of rallysprints.

Yeah Kim and I were always betting a dozen beers on our rally and racing stints....Ha...had a lot of fun with him. Tragically killed in a helicopter with another rally pilot Barnes. (they hit power wires that stretched over a long distance....sad day for us all really...) Had to let him off owing me a dozen beers for a wheel lifting contest we had at Taupo race track in our Mazda Rally cars......I held mine up the longest and furtherest by going around the sweeper onto the back straight and making the corner continue down the straight for a bit longer by steering in field..........I would be walking through the pits mentally preparing for one of the many B&H enduros or may have been Wellington Street race two the following weekend at Puke in a world of my own and all of a sudden my trousers including under dungers would be at my ankles...bloody Kim would be crying with excitable laughter....................... Do you still own the Marcos? Cheers and regards..Tony Rutherford.

Yes Tony. Still have virtually no use of my left hand and putting on race gloves is extremely difficult so not competing at the moment. Surgeon expects it to take another 2 years before the nerves reconnect - all caused through twisting and crushing my spine when trying to put a headlining in to cover the non-MSNZ approved cage. Aaarrgh!

I have started logging all the negative films (not the frames - yet, films is bad enough), without having to scan them. Even with a new scanner, it still takes an age to scan each negative strip and it is only then that you realise that the focus isn't what it should be, so you scrap the scan. It also begs the question why photo shops usually snipped your films into strips of four, when the old filing system wallets (and the scanners) take strips of six.

A bit more recent this time.

Digital juniors... Hampton Downs 2013

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Ray- as a motor trimmer who has to twist himself inside cars on a regular basis to fit weird hoodlinings you have my sympathy

Prince Bira I think

A real mix this time... From 1948 Silverstone's first GP. ( Dad's pic of course); 1973 racing car show; 2004 Goodwood Festival and the Donington Collection.

First pic is John Bolster driving 'Remus', one of the three ex-Bira ERA's. Bolster was best known as a journalist, then later, did the pit TV broadcasts, with trademark walkie talkie on his back and wearing a deerstalker hat.

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The annual Racing Car Show at Olympia each January was always on my hit list and an opportunity to expand my book collection thanks to Chater and Scott. I think this might have been either THE last one, or my last one.

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Could that be Bob McMurray in the background?
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Count Godin de Beaufort's orange Porsche would never have been allowed to run in F1 events if todays rules regarding a percentage of the fastest time had been applied, but he added some welcome colour and variety to the grids when privateers were able to run in F1 - and did.

September 1986? (Could be October) - and I'd like to know an exact date if possible.

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It's that man again...

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Probably late October 1986. Not the sharpest of pics.

The Westall Jag - on steel wheels...

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What is interesting here is that back in 1986, I didn't know that there were only two Marcos Volvo 3 litres in the country. Dave Walker's and...

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Richard Atkinson's. I certainly had no idea that less than 5 years later, this was to be mine...

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ERC wrote:September 1986? (Could be October) - and I'd like to know an exact date if possible.

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It's that man again...

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Wow thanks for these Ray.....Top shot; Me getting held up by Brett Willis (again!) so opened his eyes by passing him on the "marbles" outside of turn one, followed by Bruce Manon and the late great "Jigger" Jones. Will try find date for you.
Middle shot; Bob Homewood's "I told ya so" light weight Esky Weapon.
Bottom shot; Drifty hassling Steve Webbly Alf Alfa. This Escort is still in Rod's ownership and could be purchased if you threw $50,000 under Rod's nose....(or anywhere else under him!) Great Class winning championship car well driven in between giving moustache rides for 50 cents on the day! Kind regards, Tony Rutherford.

ERC wrote:September 1986? (Could be October) - and I'd like to know an exact date if possible.

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It's that man again...

Brett Willis Commodore
Tony Rutherford RX2
Bruce Manon Turbo Escort
Glenn Jones Datsun 1200
Bruce Anderson Falcon
Peter Yates?RX3
Veen Smith Commodore?
unknown driver Escort
Rod Grimwood Escort
unknown driver unknown car
unknown driver Fiat 124? or is it another RX2? and if so Rex Hawes?
Steve Webling Alfa Romeo GTV
unknown driver Escort
unknown driver and car
Bob Homewood Escort
unknown driver and car but could it be Neville Langley in an Avenger Tiger?
Graham Everson? Holden Monaro?

I know its not a very good answer to what the date is but its a starting point.

Thanks for that. All great information. As I name all my pics, both digital and digitised, by the date first (it keeps them all in sequence), you can imagine how useful it is to have a date rather than a guess. From 1964 - 1969 and from 1990 to date, I have kept a full page daily diary, but the years in between do make it a bit erratic, unless I have a race programme.

I posted a pic of the Hourigan XJS on the touring car thread and scanned the others at the same time. Not the sharpest of pics unfortunately.

Grand Prix practice day Jan 4th 1986.

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