The Roaring Season

I love the 'stories' around racing and find them fascinating and it seems that this race has more than most - and is indicative of the times.

History will show that the red tape is so much tighter now and that many so called loopholes will have been closed but with fewer colourful stories behind the later events. Although there may be hiccups now and again, they are relatively few as organisers and MSNZ know what they are doing.

Reading Maurice O'Reilly's brilliant book "A Series of Small Explosions" for example, is a classic example that a lot of the colour has now been drained out of life and I am not at all sure that it has been worth it - and the current preoccupation with one make racing hasn't helped at all.

It was still a fantastic race with a great variety of cars and one I'll always remember, even though it was from the couch. The classic racing was quite memorable too as I recall, with Roger Townsend's Escort three wheeling around the place (if that was 1985!).

crunch wrote:Shoreboy is right. It didn't meet the requirements of the time. We were told late afternoon that the race would not run, however Robbie Lester did a tremendous job and found the required loop hole. I just love loopholes!!

Just one of the many "Requirements of the time"

Here is how the Volvo looked prior to the race start. You can see even the windscreen banner is a rush job, as the names are off-centre. But overall a pretty impressive effort to be there at all. When was Francevic drafted in to replace Petch?

[ATTACH]23565[/ATTACH]

Steve Twist photo

This is the Volvo during the race, and after 'prodding' several other cars out of the way. The lifting bonnet caused most of the problems, and Francevic actually slowed down with a few laps to run after having gotten by Morton, just to reduce the lift.

Not sure how true it was, but I heard a story that while Delcourt was at the wheel, officials noted the lifting bonnet and were planning on black flagging him, but Francevic then stepped in and persuaded them to do otherwise?

[ATTACH]23566[/ATTACH]

Martin Smith photo

Did the Volvo have an alloy rollcage, or was it just painted silver?

Neat shot here of Johnson in the Falcon. Although he was comfortably pulling away from the field in the early laps, Johnson said he was nursing the car, due to its fragile rear and and weak brakes. Yet this cool shot shows the inside rear wheel clearly off the ground as he swings into the hairpin.

[ATTACH]23567[/ATTACH]

Martin Smith photo

Steve Holmes wrote:Neat shot here of Johnson in the Falcon. Although he was comfortably pulling away from the field in the early laps, Johnson said he was nursing the car, due to its fragile rear and and weak brakes. Yet this cool shot shows the inside rear wheel clearly off the ground as he swings into the hairpin.

[ATTACH]23567[/ATTACH]

Martin Smith photo

Spool rear axles, the easiest way to get them through hairpin turns was to lift a rear wheel. Commodores were set up the same way

Steve Holmes wrote:Here is how the Volvo looked prior to the race start. You can see even the windscreen banner is a rush job, as the names are off-centre. But overall a pretty impressive effort to be there at all. When was Francevic drafted in to replace Petch?

[ATTACH]23565[/ATTACH]

Steve Twist photo

Petch renewed his licence at Baypark 1986 IIRC driving a Fiat road car with 3 stripes on the back. He then piloted the Volvo at Baypark only to come 2nd to I think Graeme Cameron in a BMW or a Commodore, but don't quote me on the last part. He was knackered with a very sore arm/shoulder. Fitness paid a big part in sending this car around any circuit. IIRC the cage was alloy as per specs at the time.

Thanks Dave, great description.

This is the Volvo doing some cooking in the pits. I assume this is quite early in the race, there aren't any dents in the front yet.

[ATTACH]23735[/ATTACH]

Martin Smith photo

This is a great shot!

[ATTACH]23737[/ATTACH]

Martin Smith photo

Brilliant Steve Twist shot here of the Crichton/Wilkinson BMW hurtling through turn 1. This shot really shows well the potential hazards this track possessed.

[ATTACH]23738[/ATTACH]

This is cool. Just moments after the start, and the field streams through turn 1, chasing Dick Johnson in the Falcon. Boy, those flaggies standing on the concrete wall sure look exposed!

[ATTACH]23740[/ATTACH]

Steve Holmes wrote:This is cool. Just moments after the start, and the field streams through turn 1, chasing Dick Johnson in the Falcon. Boy, those flaggies standing on the concrete wall sure look exposed!

[ATTACH]23740[/ATTACH]

We loved it!! I nearly peed in my grey sweatpants....

crunch wrote:We loved it!! I nearly peed in my grey sweatpants....

In that case, grey is not a good colour to wear Crunch, the pee would definitely be visible.

I assume this photo of Dick Johnson chatting with Bruce Anderson was shot during practice. That said, after the big Ford was struck down with a rear end failure while leading, I think the team might have patched it up so Bruce could run some laps.

[ATTACH]23779[/ATTACH]

Steve Holmes wrote:I assume this photo of Dick Johnson chatting with Bruce Anderson was shot during practice. That said, after the big Ford was struck down with a rear end failure while leading, I think the team might have patched it up so Bruce could run some laps.

[ATTACH]23779[/ATTACH]

I hope it was practice...look at those race overalls of Bruces. Looks like a polo shirt to me?

crunch wrote:I hope it was practice...look at those race overalls of Bruces. Looks like a polo shirt to me?

Its okay if it was practice, word is that fires during practice are nowhere near as hot as the ones during a race Amazes me how many people still race without gloves.

Conrad

crunch wrote:I hope it was practice...look at those race overalls of Bruces. Looks like a polo shirt to me?

It looks to me as if he is wearing Flamecrusher overalls (see RH shoulder flash) but as he is waiting around he has unzipped them to cool off and is wearing a polo shirt under them. By the looks of his fingers he is wearing gloves

Carlo wrote:It looks to me as if he is wearing Flamecrusher overalls (see RH shoulder flash) but as he is waiting around he has unzipped them to cool off and is wearing a polo shirt under them. By the looks of his fingers he is wearing gloves

Polo Shirt UNDER overalls???? Must have been an 80's thing. I assume you still do that Carl?