The Roaring Season

Shack Manon went in there in his mini - tripped right on the edge after a long slide and went in roof-first. Most impressive splash I have ever seen and it squashed the roof down to the bottom of the windows. Could have been very nasty because the creek was running high after days of rain and Shack could easily have drowned.

I've got a good photo of the car in the creek but I can't upload it - the upload box just tells me the photobucket file name is wrong (it's not). Quite frustrating.

Stu, creek was on inside and bank on outside. Shack Manons young fella Bruce had a real quick Escort (still does) and did not follow dads foot steps and go inside when ditch was there but claimed the bank as his, and did eventually go inside but after the concrete wall was put there and gave Mr Short a nudge at same time.

Rod Grimwood wrote:Stu, creek was on inside and bank on outside. Shack Manons young fella Bruce had a real quick Escort (still does) and did not follow dads foot steps and go inside when ditch was there but claimed the bank as his, and did eventually go inside but after the concrete wall was put there and gave Mr Short a nudge at same time.

Yes. Thomas and Bruce McLaren went off on someones oil on the previous bend, now that I think harder about it. First, Thomas hit the fence and a parked car or two behind it and then McLaren went off into the ditch a lap or two later after clipping the ambulance.

I remember Shack Manon's effort. He used to run "Takapuna Mobile Fruit Supply" when I was a young lad, do you remember that? His photo was in the Star the next Monday. His son Bruce seemed to be trying to show the old man how it should be done at the NZFMR races in 2010, hanging the tail out over the hill on a damp track in the Escort!

As for Jim Boyd and the Valour, I have a very short 8mm film clip of his dive into the ditch at the 1964 GP meeting, must try to get it converted to some other format or still pics. Jim had several "offs" in that car, the celebrated steering wheel effort at Waimate, and another at Pukekohe in Feb 1964. See dodgy colour slide below. Don't know what he hit or where, but both ends were damaged.



Stu B

Remember the Veg truck Stu, Lived in Northboro Rd, Hauraki Corner and Blue Bedford that covered the Devonport-Takapuna-Milford area each week. He did this for years. Shack also had a mint Red Falcon GT as well and it only came out on some very sunny days. (wonder what happened to it/or may still have it tucked away) must ask Bruce.
Another thing about Shack, was that big smile and pleasantness about him, a real gentleman.

khyndart in CA wrote:Some big names have found this creek at Pukekohe,
and one of the first was Mr. B. McLaren himself !
As seen from this photo from the Eoin Young book ; Bruce McLaren, The Man and his Racing Team.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]26190[/ATTACH] Wonder if the cooper got a gulp fill of water ???? looks a bit low in h2o....... ........................

(Ken Hyndman )

Wonder if the cooper got a gulp full of h20 looks like its in up to the neck ??

They were 'water cooled' engines Grant.

ye through the carbs lol

Was talking to a guy this morning who is beginning to restore a Triumph Dolomite Sprint.
The conversation soon got around to racing and I told him I remembered seeing one racing in the 70's. Maybe Levin? Think the driver may have had a double (hyphenated) back name and may have been from the Wellington area. Anyone remember his name?

rf84 wrote:Was talking to a guy this morning who is beginning to restore a Triumph Dolomite Sprint.
The conversation soon got around to racing and I told him I remembered seeing one racing in the 70's. Maybe Levin? Think the driver may have had a double (hyphenated) back name and may have been from the Wellington area. Anyone remember his name?

There was a Donald Dawson racing a Dolly at Levin in October 1975.

rf84 wrote:Was talking to a guy this morning who is beginning to restore a Triumph Dolomite Sprint.
The conversation soon got around to racing and I told him I remembered seeing one racing in the 70's. Maybe Levin? Think the driver may have had a double (hyphenated) back name and may have been from the Wellington area. Anyone remember his name?

At the 'Splashe 200 Meeting' at Manfeild, Feb'75, there was an 1850cc Dolomite entered by Kerim Automotive (Masterton). Driving duties were to be shared by Ron Condon & Norman Hintz.... but it's not a Sprint, and it's not from Wellington, and it's not racing at Levin.... so it's probably not it.

Powder wrote:At the 'Splashe 200 Meeting' at Manfeild, Feb'75, there was an 1850cc Dolomite entered by Kerim Automotive (Masterton). Driving duties were to be shared by Ron Condon & Norman Hintz.... but it's not a Sprint, and it's not from Wellington, and it's not racing at Levin.... so it's probably not it.

I'm not sure if this Russ Abbott car was a genuine Sprint - I believe they had a different front badge than this

BMCBOY wrote:I'm not sure if this Russ Abbott car was a genuine Sprint - I believe they had a different front badge than this

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Front badge had "Sprint" under "Triumph". Sprint also had the gearbox and rear axle from the "big" 2500 saloons and TR sports cars, rather than the Herald-derived units shared with the Marina and Spitfire (and prone to breaking with more than 100bhp).

If only we could read the rego plate IL9??9...

Does this help?

If only we could read the rego plate IL9??9...

[/QUOTE][ATTACH]26685[/ATTACH]

I think Robbie Francevic raced a Dolomite Sprint a couple of times. It was white.

At the time I thought it was pretty neat.... probably still would.

BMCBOY wrote:If only we could read the rego plate IL9??9...

[ATTACH]26685[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]

Plate search returns "not found", must have been written off a long time ago.

There's an entry for R W Abbott Ltd on oldschool.co.nz, by Trevor Evans who worked there 79-82, with this under "memories"

Served the first three years of my apprenticeship here.
Boss; Russ Abbott
Ted Lilly
Gary Rae
Morris Turner
Kevin Hitchcliff
Kurt DeCoster
Arron ?
Murry White took over the place

Just need the "who" for this one. It's from a magazine called Jetset and was published in 1980.

Mike Pero.

Is this a tricycle.................

No Steve, the two on the back silly boy. Like to see this photo re-inacted today with same stars, then maybe you would need a trike John