The Roaring Season

Jim Clark braking heavily during the 1968 race. Note the small kiwi in front of front wheel put on by Jim's kiwi mechanics.

Steve Holmes wrote:Jim Clark braking heavily during the 1968 race. Note the small kiwi in front of front wheel put on by Jim's kiwi mechanics.

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WWWooooow Bill , thank you these are so magic........... I can FEEL that brake pedal lol......... Jim is pushing it so hard by the look of his posture, & attitude...... of car must have been so balanced in brake department ............ Jim was one of my very few heros , Kerry Grant was up there as well they were just humble fast racers ....

Thanks Grant yes Jim Clark was a silky smooth driver and apparently very light on the brake pads compared to other Lotus 49 drivers, according to the mechanics.

Here is Graeme Lawrence trying out the Pedro Rodriguez BRM in practice for 1968 Teretonga International.

DJMcD wrote:Interesting isn't how F5000 brought us people we had never heard of before or much afterwards. This guy was one of those.

He retired after a bad crash in testing his new Lola T300 in Dec 1971. My brother and I worked for his construction company "Allen Commercial Construction" in Aus in 1969-71, working on high rise buildings - 7 days a week/16 hrs a day! (29 stories in North Sydney in 29 weeks!)
. Peter Molloy was his mechanic, and my brother had a very quick road Cooper S 1293, which Peter had worked his magic on in the workshop.

http://www.speedcafe.com/2011/07/01/niel-allen/

Chris Amon (Ferrari Dino 2.4 V6) drives to 4[SUP]th[/SUP] place in the 1968 Teretonga International. Chris went on to finish 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] behind Jim Clark at the end of the 8 race Tasman Series. His car was based on a Formula 2 Ferrari Dino. It was built at Maranello by Roger Bailey then shipped in component form to N.Z. where it was re-assembled by N.Z. mechanic Bruce Wilson. The V6 engine was in 3 valve form for the 4 N.Z. races and then 4 valve form for the Australian section.

Except that is the 1969 car - not as pretty as the '68 246T to my eye

Thanks Michael.

Michael
Just checked my copy of "The V6 Ferraris of Tasman Cup 1968-1970" by Paolo Marasca and yes you are quite right Michael, the photo above is of the 1969 car. Sorry about that, both 1968 and 1969 were great years though!! My memory needs an overhaul!!
I'm sure Chris would remember those Tasman times with fond memories.
Cheers Bill Pottinger.

He most certainly does Bill - for a whole lot of reasons...See Wal's photos on the Jim Clark thread of the annual cricket match at the Amon family bach, the water skiing and all the other diversions that made that such a special time.

By the way, I forwarded your photo of Graeme Lawrence in Pedro's BRM to the pilot. GHL's response was that "...sure was a long time ago" and that Tim Parnell had offered him a test drive of the BRM. Graeme said he'd caught up with Tim at the British GP a few yrs ago and that he'd recalled those days in the Tasman as the best of his career.

Thanks Michael
I checked out the Jim Clark thread you suggested and enjoyed Wal's photos they are fantastic.
Also your article about the tragic crash at Hockenheim and reasons for it happening make very good sense.

STP support team scurry through the pits.

Speedway Motors Timaru team of Brent Hawes and Leo Leonard

Michael Clark wrote:By the way, I forwarded your photo of Graeme Lawrence in Pedro's BRM to the pilot. GHL's response was that "...sure was a long time ago" and that Tim Parnell had offered him a test drive of the BRM. Graeme said he'd caught up with Tim at the British GP a few yrs ago and that he'd recalled those days in the Tasman as the best of his career.

Thanks Michael. Yes I posted this photo on The Roaring Season Facebook page, and Graeme was asked his thoughts on the car by another member, Greg Bartlett, to which he replied: "Was great Greg had bit more power etc than our Twin Cams as I recall very smooth power band and quite light in spite of its size. Actually caught up with Tim Parnell at British Grand Prix couple of years ago he speaks very fondly of his days and the people "down under"".

Tim Parnell (BRM team manager) Patty and Bruce McLaren after Bruce had won the 1968 Teretonga International.

Don Halliday leading Paul Fahey at the 1971 Teretonga International in practice.

January 1971 International meeting. Taken at the Elbow corner leading onto the main straight at Teretonga. This is Paul Fahey (Mustang) glancing in the mirror at Rod Coppins (Camaro) trying hard to catch the Mustang.

Steve H - What a fantastic photo , all it needs is the Team Cambridge Monaro in there as well to make the trifector/troika

Yellow Submarine Mildren Mono team in pits. Is that Renault driver Brian Crosbie looking on?

I received this email on Sunday from Bill, with the following photos:

"Hi Steve

"It is great to see Grant Sprague's interest in "The Roaring Season",
I never met any of the Spragues but they were a very well known Timaru motor racing family and I have found a trio of photos of the Sprague Anglia with Gary Sprague driving I think.

"One shows the Anglia ahead of Lin Neilsen's Mini at Teretonga in 1969, and the second shows the Anglia ahead of Red Dawson at Levels Timaru in Feb 1969.

"It was a very quick car, well driven, and lifted the inside front wheel very high on cornering, as shown in the third photo".