Motor Racing pics - my early years, 1964-71 ; Pukekohe Racetrack ;by - Roger Dowdingl

[khyndart in CA]

John,
I am sorry to know that you were so delayed on entering the Mustang scene by 3 years !
The Pukekohe 3 hour race was on the 9th of October 1965.
The movie "Bullitt" Release date: October 17, 1968 (USA)
You have certainly made up for that handicap start and pulled way ahead !
Ken.

[Trevor Sheffield]

Ken H, agree, love that car and you have the 1965 programme for the meeting - copied here.

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and a Peter Bruin photo of the start with the Bill Dunster - now Ross Cammick AH 3000 and those Daimler SP250's ..
Both shown before - but puts them together !!.

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The beloved, trailer transported, spoiled and sponsored, mighty muscle 4.6 litre Mustang, was beaten into fourth place and off the podium, by the 2.5 litre blue car shown fourth on the grid, which was raced on a shoe string budget, served as mundane daily transport and come Monday, took me and the manager cf Britannic Cables UK, on a very rapid business tour of the upper North Island. LOL

[khyndart in CA]

But Trevor I doubt your car would have had half the seat springs removed to save weight !
Imagine racing around Pukekohe for 3 hours with that handicap ! LOL

[Trevor Sheffield]

But Trevor I doubt your car would have had half the seat springs removed to save weight !
Imagine racing around Pukekohe for 3 hours with that handicap ! LOL

In actual fact my car was a stock and legal production car complete with spare wheel, as required by the regulations. The Mustang was far from legal and should not have been running. I would have enjoyed another comfortable straight arm hour or two no sweat and the car would have happily finished the course without changing the brake pads. LLOL

[Roger Dowding]

Aerial photo of the track with a car superimposed - 1963

NZIGP map 1964 - back in the days when they ran trains, and you got off the carriages straight through the gate and in - then the long walk to the stands or Rothmans Hill.

.

As has been mentioned on this the thread the curve to Railway was a late 1966 addition,giving Pukekohe three layouts.

The original as seen here at 2.2 miles, the 1.75 mile GP circuit first used for the NZIGP in 1967 and the small Club Circuit.

[Roger Dowding]

A couple of " Stickers " owned [ collected ] by Milan Fistonic that feature the Track ..

one from an NZIGP meeting with BP as the sponsor. The original track layout so pre 1967..

another from Milan - his Club - Auckland Car Club .. with both [ all 3 ] versions of the track.

and Finally also from Milan - I would have had one of these as was a regular at the Business in Mt Eden - top end of Dominion Road - the owner had been a neighbour in the 1950's/ 60's - a customer when I worked in Newton in the late 1960's and I was his customer in the 1970's /80's - including making up some good pipework for that TR4A ..
Not Pukekohe, but he raced there often !!

Thanks Milan - have " borrowed " your stuff .. as opposed to " Stealing " It..

[Roger Dowding]

Photo from Allan Dick archives

Rod Coppins 38/39 ! Ford Corvette, Ivan Segedin Anglia, Garth Souness 32 Ford Corvette,
then one of the Lotus Cortina's Paul Fahey or Alwyn Marshall ??
Is it a Ford or a Chev. for Rod Coppins - not in the entry list if the same meeting

Entry list from Graham Woods

[Allan]

In the 1964 photo check out the wheel destroying curbing. Imagine how the V8 supercar guys would deal with that. A curb strike would really be a curb strike.

[Roger Dowding]

Photo from seaqnmac archives the 1965 Shell Annual
a colour shot at that Elbow ;

posted before ?? at the same corner Jack Inwood photo's from Steve Twist archives.
" Auckland Star " photographer on the Stables roof

[Roger Dowding]

A photo I had not seen before ;
[ ** don't remember would be more correct as would have bought the magazine from the shop across from Kelston Boys High ]
- from the NZ GP meeting January 1965.
Photo from Milan Fistonic [ ## correction - please ignore note on the photo's - my error ]
Milan commented that he hadn't seen any mention of the crash or a photo in Motorman. maybe Don was elsewhere.
Did it fall over [ yes ] - or were they just - servicing it [ no ] ??..

Doesn't look any better this way up either ..

It fell over - there is damage to the fence

Here in Humber - Jag guise in May 1966 - by then Frank had moved on to an Anglia Twincam.. Terry Boyle driving
Bigger engine needed "Bigger " wheels ..
my own photo.

[Roger Dowding]

A couple programmes I was sent by BMC BOY - thanks Ross.

1985 Benson and Hedges;

Covers

Entry List - including a friend John Trigance in a Corrolla GT

1986 NZ Grand Prix

Covers

List of Officials - with the recent MSNZ awards a few of these Old names were there :

Previous winners Ardmore and Pukekohe - and First New Zealander home

[Kwaussie]

Photo from Allan Dick archives

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Rod Coppins 38/39 ! Ford Corvette, Ivan Segedin Anglia, Garth Souness 32 Ford Corvette,
then one of the Lotus Cortina's Paul Fahey or Alwyn Marshall ??

Entry list from Graham Woods

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A photo of # 108 G.P.McRae Humber would be a find for the history book!

[Roger Dowding]

A few photos have emerged recently of the Fleetwood Mustang .. so will put a bit of a story together.
In the meantime a photo.
Photo by Peter Bruin - from Ross Cammick's archives ..
Start of the 1965 Gold Leaf Three Hour Challenge Race for Imported / Modified Cars that preceded the Wills Six Hour race for Standard Production Cars [ NZ assembled CKD cars I think ]

Footnote;
The Red Austin Healey of Bill Dunster is a 1959 BN7,3000 which BMC BOY has owned since 1973 and restored in 1978, - it has had some refurbishment more recently.

[Roger Dowding]

Pukekohe 1964.

Pukekohe in 1967 added the Elbow to railway section creating the 3 circuit configuration " Club " using the loop,the new shorter track and the Original - now the long track.

In 1986 there was this proposal
Copy of Sunday Star article 23 November 1986 - Milan Fistonic archives.
As has been noted only the Pit Lane entry was created and slightly different to this plan.

The Map /Plan only

It didn't happen and the Club Circuit disappeared also. Must check the year of that.

[Roger Dowding]

Been on the track a few times myself as seen here !!

Ross " BMC BOY" Cammick photo from 1979.

Photo my own camera - may have been the same event. Sprints, two cars away at the same time about 16 - 20 cars on track at the one time.
Some Sprint events used the full circuit, others the " new " part Elbow to Railway - been on both.

Have run out of my own photos, Sharing others on the Track and the Cars that Raced on it.

[Roger Dowding]

" John Riley in his Chev Impala at the Pukekohe Club Circuit in August 1968. From the Auckland Car Club Bulletin. "
- Milan Fistonic archives.

( note disregard the " Dawson " reference on the photo - my oops - now corrected on my file.

My own photos of a Chev and Victor - same meeting ? If so will enable me to correct dates on some pics of mine.
Presume the Victor was the 3.3 litre Six version not a 2 or 2.2 litre 4 cylinder..

coming :

and going :

[John McKechnie]

With that grille, it is a Ventura 3.3

[Peter M]

The later Victor 3.3 litres had the Ventora grille fitted. I do remember in the UK they never had a 3.3 Victor, you could only get the 3.3 litre 6 cylinder in the Ventora. New Zealand was probably the only market in the world where you could get the base model Victor with the 3.3 litre motor, that was in the days of local assembly.
General Motors NZ probably thought after seeing the PC Crestas racing in the 66 and 67 Wills 6 hour race being fairly competitive with the Ford Zephyrs and Zodiacs, they might have a potential winner for the annual long distance race at Pukekohe.
The Victor 3.3 won both the 68 and 69 B&H race.

[John McKechnie]

Roger... same meeting pix August 18 for this meeting 0n Club circuit
...Don Davie or Barry Phillips in the 3.3. Was a warm up for B&H 500 coming up

[Milan Fistonic]

Milan... same meeting pix August 18 for this meeting 0n Club circuit
...Don Davie or Barry Phillips in the 3.3. Was a warm up for B&H 500 coming up

Jim Palmer also had a drive in the Don Davie Victor. Don and Jim shared the car in the 1968 B&H.