Dunedin Street Races - revival meeting January 1984

[GregT]

Ivan quite probably did race there. He's long gone now, Happers honda is now run by a grandson.

[jellywrestler]

Slightly irrelevant, but I was taken to see Te Pirita airfield remains in 1970 when I was teaching at Dunsandel in 1970. Largest airfield? That's surprising. FWIW Dunsandel Rugby club played in the South Canterbury sub section, although most other areas defined the boundary as the Rakaia river.
I believe the local garage owner, Ivan Happer raced there.

I beleive when it was built it had the longest runways. It was far enough inshore to not be shelled by warships I would guess is why it was put there. Ivan was a good friend of mine, I've got his old King Dick V Twin.

[jellywrestler]

You know Kevin Clarkson don't you Spyda. Chairman of Beaded Wheels editorial comittee. Used to race in CAMS and his son Brent still does occasionally. Kevin would I'm sure put you in touch with Andy anderson.

yeah have to get onto it. It's not cheap to travel within nz anymore, my two rental car compaines have put their prices up, one tripled and the other quadrupled, flights are a lot deare, instead of getting a three day weekend for around $150 travel and car it's now many times more, gonna have to rethink moving around the country bugger it all.

[Oldfart]

I beleive when it was built it had the longest runways. It was far enough inshore to not be shelled by warships I would guess is why it was put there. Ivan was a good friend of mine, I've got his old King Dick V Twin.

I thought Waharoa was vastly bigger, at least judged by the planes that were there, and having walked both! Ivan vowed and declared he hadn't bought a car from me which he paid me money for! (And his daughter crashed my MGA when it was in for a WOF!)

[jellywrestler]

I thought Waharoa was vastly bigger, at least judged by the planes that were there, and having walked both! Ivan vowed and declared he hadn't bought a car from me which he paid me money for! (And his daughter crashed my MGA when it was in for a WOF!)

The airfield was constructed in record time using seconded civilian and New Zealand Armed Forces engineers. Three heavy earth compacted runways up to 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) long were laid in the prevailing wind directions of the region. The runway surfaces were laid with wattle tree seeds for strength while the base was designed to handle large numbers of US Boeing Flying Fortress and Consolidated Liberator bombers.[1]



where in waharoa was the airfield, i'll measure them and see what i can see

[Oldfart]

where in waharoa was the airfield, i'll measure them and see what i can see

Waharoa is still in the same place that it was when built during the war. Alongside SH27 Now showing on Google maps as Matamata Aerodrome. It has lost some length off both runways, the predominant one almost parallel to SH27 originally went as far south as Wardville Road, and the cross wind runway (shorter) went further west. It had the perforated metal strip, as used in the Pacific Islands under the surface as recently as the early 70s to my positive knowledge. The part at the southern end now not used was prohibited from being ploughed then in case it was needed again at the same time.
During the war US bombers were stationed there, I am unsure exactly which variety.

[Roger Dowding]

A couple of images from Dunedin.

Copy of a track map with some notes and the programme - can't read the date on the programme. notes by Graeme Staples.
Can confirm that the track was as used in 1959 and 1960.
There are even notes about the gradients on part of the circuit.

Have found several version of the tracks used over the period 1954 to the 1980's.
posted before but will group them in a new post.

Cars having fun at a corner - two going ahead, and two spinning around. Year not sure !! Late 1950's *** ??.
Just checked my notes ;
*** " Dunedin 1962 - Stan Prestige in the Ford V8, VW and Minor spin - Allan Dick archives. "
Hard to read the plates - which if 1962 will be the last of 5 yearly issue 1961 - 66 - actually finished in the 1965 -66 licencing year. Black Numbers on a Yellow Plate..
The corner is, I presume " Service Station Corner " where Wilkie Street meets King Edward Street.

Entry List for the Saloon Car Race - from Graham Woods archives.

Stan Prestige ran the two tone Ford V8 in 1961 as well.

1962 Entry List.
S Prestridge

1961 Saloon Car Entry List;
S Prestidge .. - different spelling -

Should put all the track maps - various versions of the circuit in one post.

[Roger Dowding]

In year order ;

The Track 1954.

The 1959 track same as the the one posted in previous post.
This from the Otago Sports Car Club magazine.

The track in 1961 - from the programme. with notes about the 1960 event.
The same as the 1959 track but the comments mention the Oval Circuit.
As seen in the details from the OSCC Magazine about the Track in 1959 - it ran around " the Oval " which was the cricket ground in Central Dunedin.

The 1964 track. Proposal for an event in October.
The Festival Road Races were usually in January or February.

The 1984 Track for " Revival " meeting.

[Roger Dowding]

Ryal Bush 1956 - Southland Centennial Races.

The event entry list the Main Race ;

Cars at the start of the Centennial Race

The unusual bodied Connaught on the front row;

Had this photo from Graham Woods archives.

Some interesting photos from this event;
Not even at the track, but were they going to ? or coming from ?

Car - Race #1 Aston Martin finished 2nd

Car - Race #3 The Peter Whitehead Ferrari finished 4th

Note that it has the roundels on both side of the nose - presume for left hand or right hand tracks depending on where the timekeepers were ??

[GregT]

There are other pics in that sequence which I've seen somewhere else - maybe TNF ? Pretty sure they're loading post race.

[Oldfart]

I had forgotten the days when if you wanted to road freight on a route served by the Railways you had to get , and pay for a permit!
A relative living in Wanganui (note carefully the spelling) had to get a permit, in person, to take his stockcar to race at Palmerston North, and apply every week. No season ticket available.

[Roger Dowding]

Programme Covers for the two Ryal Bush events - these were recently acquired by a TRS member [ not me though ].

Would like to see the inside pages where no doubt there was some non - PC advertising ..!!!
Also note the price went up " sixpence " - whereas the Magazines mentioned on the NZTT thread only went up " half a sixpence "- just thinking !!

[Roger Dowding]

Added a couple of Entry Lists to post #321 above -Dunedin Festival Road Race -Saloon Car Race -for 1961 and 1962 - where Stan Prestidge ran his postwar Ford V8 Sedan. in two tone Orange and Grey. Car looks like around a 1948 model and has a 3600 cc Ford V8 - side valve motor.

Cover of the 1961 Programme Saturday January 28, 1961.

[Roger Dowding]

A couple more John Larry Lawton images from Paritutu 1965.

A certain Holden features in both photos.
Notes " .. " by J L Lawton
Dave Simpson in his fast front but not yet Fastback " Anglia ahead of McPherson in the FJ Holden and Innes " in a Mini - presume Brian Innes.
Dave Simpson won all his races that day.

" McPherson Holden swerves to avoid R C Grace Mini."

[jellywrestler]

looks like Waka Kotahi prepared the corner in the last piccie

[Roger Dowding]

A couple of photos - one from Allan Dick archives of a line up of cars at a South Canterbury Car Club event around 1952.
Godfrey Paape, and his Austin A90 Atlantic, that had a few Austin Healey type mods amongst a group of Sports Cars and Midget style racers .. the cars in the background are interesting too a dark Vauxhall,- but what is the light coloured car in front of the group of saloons on the right ??

Photo was shared by Jonathon Paape one of Godfrey's sons recently.

Also seen recently with a Dunedin connection is this photo of the main streets in Dunedin 1960's with a Mistral and Austin A40 Sports convertible a Triumph Herald and others..

The Mistral has a strong " Dunedin "connection as " Emslie and Flockton " took over the manufacture / kitset provision of Mistral cars, making both Chassis and Body from Weltex Plastics in Christchurch, the business of Bob Blackburn who raced Mistral's and other cars in the South Island in the late 1950's..

The Booklet and Brochure issued by both Mistral manufacturers from the late 1950's - given to me by Lloyd Gleeson.
A VCC and Morgan guy I know..

The image also includes an advert from " Microplas "in England who first created the Mistral body and was made in NZ under licence.

If any Mistral owners would like copies of the brochures, please let me know.

Cheers
Roger

[Roger Dowding]

The topic that started this thread - photos of the 1984 Races that I attended.

Among the cars that were racing - at Bethunes Gully Hill Climb on the Saturday, [ while the Sprints were on Fryatt St ],
and in the Saloon Races on the Sunday was Mark D, in his huge Pontiac Bonneville 1965 model 4 door Sedan. NZ Registration JA1965.

Mark still has the car and after 30- years in storage it is being progressively restored mechanically and bodywork, largely by Mark's son.

The car has attended a few car events in the last couple of months in the Christchurch area.

Here at the " JD's BOP Day " on Waitangi weekend - the Sunday.
JD - John De Lorean who was " an important figure in Pontiac in the 1960's ".
BOP - Buick Oldsmobile Pontiac group.
The events were double as on the Saturday the car was in a " Parade of Old Race Cars " at Ruapuna, and at the BOP day on the Sunday.

In the background of the photo one of JD's other Automotive ventures - probably more well known for all the wrong reasons.

Mark Dawbers photos.

The car at another event in January 2023.

The car before the rebuild / restoration began.

The car at Dunedin in 1984.

At Bethunes Gully Hill Climb
As an aside - Mark notes that events,
- " Hill Climbs have been held at Bethunes Gully, believe since the 1920's "
and that it is
" a very steep and narrow road with the added hazard of ' bovine guano ' ".
- seems a bit like Cosseys Farm Road of NSCC fame back in the 1960's to 1990's

At the Street Races on the Sunday

above photos - Mark Dawber archives.

My own photo of the car in 1984

[Roger Dowding]

Another South Island Track from the 1950's, one I had not heard or read about.
McCormack's Bay, Christchurch in 1953.

The Roads are still there - the Main Straight was the " New " Causeway and the rest of the track the Original MCormacks Bay Road, around what is by then a Lagoon, so it was a Triangular shaped Track.

Organised by the " Motor Racing Club " who ran Wigram

Another Gem from Milan Fistonic - now to find a period Map ..
- " jellywrestler " Is this in your book ? - there is a connection as some Motorcycle engined cars. !!

The Results - many well known names Tutton, Shuter, Hoare, Green, Haig, Les Moore and one E Sprague

Hopefully Entry Lists /Programmes and a Map will emerge.

[GregT]

I knew they'd run a bent sprint and hillclimb prior to the first Lady Wigram over those roads. The hillclimb was on Maffey's road at the back of McCormack's bay. Story in the family is that the old man - Wally Thomas - had a guest drive in Hec Green's Wolseley special.
I'd never heard of this meeting. Pretty sure if you use Google maps what you see now is just as it was then. A childhood spent sailing on the estuary means familiarity with that area
Jack Cropp had his boat yard at the back of McCormacks bay. The 1956 Olympic gold winning Sharpie sailed by Mander and Cropp was built there. Peter Mander lived on the hill just west of McCormacks bay.

[Oldfart]

In post 332 the car driven by H O'Neill is what we now know as RA3, the "other Lycoming" in one of it's many engine swaps.