The Roaring Season

I am putting together some notes on early NZ Tasman Series Drivers.

Being on the west side of the ditch, I do not have the same detailed knowledge of NZ as other forum members.

I am trying to ascertain if these two drivers are still with us:

-Tony Shelly

-Rex Flowers

Thanks

Tony Shelly, Levin 1961

Tony Shelly passed away 4th October 1998. I think in Hawaii where he had a Mazda dealership.

Rex Flowers - last contact years ago http://www.spinnakermotel.co.nz/contact-plimmerton.html

Link from this site http://www.theroaringseason.com/showthread.php?198-Renwick-New-Zealand-Road-Racing-Footage&p=2702&highlight=Flowers#post2702

Try Google New Zealand Motor Racing The Sergent home page.

Site is http://www.sergent.com.au/motor/nzdriversf.html

Unfortunately it does not help in ascertaining if Fellows is still alive.
The site only lists his races.

I was reading through the 1981 MotorActions I have and came across Eoin Young's Straight from the Grid from 11 May which reads:

Half a second around Oulton Park doesn't seem lime a lot spread over a lifetime but it helped to make New Zealand racing driver Tony Shelly a multi millionaire. Shelly is now based in Honolulu selling more Mazda cars than any other dealer in the world. When I passed through Hawaii, he was tying up the loose ends of a partnership with fellow kiwi, Neville Crichton - Shelton Motors Inc. - which adds Rolls Royce, Jaguar, Porsche, Audi, Rover, Triumph and Ferrari to Shelly control in the 50th state.

There are a further 12 paragraphs with a lot of information and a few pointers for you Terry. I will photocopy it for you and if you send me s message with an address, I can post it to you.

Rex J Flowers would appear to be still amongst the living. His name appears in the updated 2014 electoral roll for the Mana electorate. According to emails I had from the late Dave McKinney a few years ago, Rex retired from racing to run the family firm, Flowers Transport, after the death of his father around 1965. His fairly fraught 1965 Tasman season with the 2.5 Lola probably had a bearing on his career aims too.

NZ Classic Car magazine has had articles on a number of NZ Tasman drivers over the last few years - Dawson, Riley, Marwood, Levis, Smith, Francevic, Dene Hollier and probably a few more as well. Somewhere I've probably got most of them.

Stu Buchanan

stubuchanan wrote:Rex J Flowers would appear to be still amongst the living. His name appears in the updated 2014 electoral roll for the Mana electorate. According to emails I had from the late Dave McKinney a few years ago, Rex retired from racing to run the family firm, Flowers Transport, after the death of his father around 1965. His fairly fraught 1965 Tasman season with the 2.5 Lola probably had a bearing on his career aims too.

NZ Classic Car magazine has had articles on a number of NZ Tasman drivers over the last few years - Dawson, Riley, Marwood, Levis, Smith, Francevic, Dene Hollier and probably a few more as well. Somewhere I've probably got most of them.

Stu Buchanan

Likewise, I'll have a look. Shelly's story is quite interesting from a 'nearly' point of view.

Thanks, have sent email adress by PM

https://www.flickr.com/photos/8021817@N07/4310354097/in/set-72157623141821697

Rex Flowers at the NZFMR Hampton Downs in 2010

https://www.flickr.com/photos/8021817@N07/4310354097/in/set-72157623141821697

Rex Flowers at the NZFMR Hampton Downs in 2010

Just getting back to my research on early NZ Tasman Series Drivers.

As previously advised, being on the west side of the ditch I do not have the same detailed knowledge of NZ as other forum members.

I am now trying to ascertain if these four drivers are still with us:

-Bruce Abernethy (Cooper T41 Climax)

-Peter Slocombe (Lotus 18 Ford)

-Bill Thomasen (Cooper T51 Climax)

-Neil Whittaker (Cooper T43 Climax)

Thanks in advance

Terry S wrote:Just getting back to my research on early NZ Tasman Series Drivers.

As previously advised, being on the west side of the ditch I do not have the same detailed knowledge of NZ as other forum members.

I am now trying to ascertain if these four drivers are still with us:

-Bruce Abernethy (Cooper T41 Climax)

-Peter Slocombe (Lotus 18 Ford)

-Bill Thomasen (Cooper T51 Climax)

-Neil Whittaker (Cooper T43 Climax)

Thanks in advance

Bill Thomasen died on 23 October 2008.
"Abbo" Abernethy would have been in his mid 40's when he raced the "Rothmans" Cooper which would make him 90
plus now if the riotous life hasn't got him.
Slocombe was alive and kicking in 2010. (I was swapping emails with the late David McKinney then, and he was in contact with Peter by email.)
Don't know about Whittaker, but all 3 above were Wellington-based at the time, so someone from there might be able to help.

Stu

Terry S wrote:I am putting together some notes on early NZ Tasman Series Drivers.

Being on the west side of the ditch, I do not have the same detailed knowledge of NZ as other forum members.

I am trying to ascertain if these two drivers are still with us:

-Tony Shelly

-Rex Flowers

Thanks

3 weeks ago my wife and I were in New York attending our daughters wedding. One of our party, a middle aged woman from Rotorua happened to mention to me in conversation that her maiden name was Flowers. Naturally I asked if she was related to Rex Flowers. She told me he is her uncle.
If you havn't yet made contact with him and want to, I might be able to help you out.

David Hunter

Terry S wrote:Just getting back to my research on early NZ Tasman Series Drivers.

As previously advised, being on the west side of the ditch I do not have the same detailed knowledge of NZ as other forum members.

I am now trying to ascertain if these four drivers are still with us:

-Bruce Abernethy (Cooper T41 Climax)

-Peter Slocombe (Lotus 18 Ford)

-Bill Thomasen (Cooper T51 Climax)

-Neil Whittaker (Cooper T43 Climax)

Thanks in advance

Peter Slocombe is still alive and well in Wellington. PM me if you would like to be put in touch.