Telecom Classic MOTORFEST, Hamilton Feb 19-20, 1994

[Roger Dowding]

Telecom Classic Motorfest 1993 and 1994 in Hamilton

The thread now covers the two events run, Thanks to Remi Rutkowski, Laurie Brenssell [the main organiser ] and others.

These events were held in 1993 and 1994 at Frankton Hamilton NZ, using some of the roads that were later used in the 2000's for ITM 400 V8 Supercars series. [ updated info on the events from Laurie Brenssell ]
This is a collection of photos from the 1994 event ;.

This is a phone card issued at the time, has the same images as the program, which I have lost.
the card has never been used but understand they do expire.

A Morgan in the pits [ has been posted elsewhere.
Steve is going to shift other photos.

If anyone has the program, results, newspaper articles or photos please add to the thread

Update ; September 2019 . 4 years later ;
Now have the results and the full programme for both years events - thanks to Remi from France aka " Elvis Jagger ".
Will add the results to the post gradually [ two lots as 10 or so pages ]

[khyndart in CA]

Roger needs help so if anyone has a programme that looks like this please contact him.

(Ken Hyndman )

[Roger Dowding]

Ken, you champion - you can help identify the cars as I only wrote notes on 3, two Healey's and an MGB GT, which will be posted soon

See the program cost the same as the phonecard.

and now know that No 46 is a Zephyr from the Sprague family - replica !!, does not matter !!

[Roger Dowding]

My Dad had one of these in 1963, when I was 16.. not this one though !!

This was my Dad's one, bought new in 1963 through Briscoe and Company - the original business Hardware and Ironmongers and the New Zealand agent for Michelin tyres - not that we had any !.

The Zephyr on its original plates - later was BL927 - was sold in 1968 and replaced by an Austin 1800 - Dad loved Austins - the Zephyr was his first of two Fords - the last one a Mazda clone a Festiva in the 1990's

[ERC]

I have a programme Roger... If you post pics on here and want them identifying, I'll do my best to label them.

I do have a fair few pics of the event all taken from the same place unfortunately, but as it is pre digital, either the negs or the prints need scanning. Scanning pics is very fast, but scanning film is painfully slow, so I can only manage a few before pressures of time (and boredom) start to kick in.

The site restrictions of 185kb and 950 pixels make it even slower as I have to copy all images then adjust before trying to post.

Post #1 - Mike Booth Morgan Plus 8

This event had a round of our own series, which was then the BMC Series - and the programme makes special mention of an appearance by well known Mini racer, Angus Fogg, who was backed by regular contributor, Beowulf!

As race programmes go, this is one of the better ones.

[AMCO72]

Angus was having one of his BAD days that weekend. Think he was second fastest even though the engine back then was junk. Was one that I had built up and just about everything was wrong with it, and was on its last legs. I think it may have been a 1426cc with Triumph 2500 pistons. Angus had had no hand in its build, and at that stage we were just feeling our way with engines. Anyway we played around with it in the pits trying to stop leaks in the fuel line, fuel pump, and the radiators........really the scrutineers should have thrown us out. The suspension was all to hell as well so all in all an unhappy car.

At flag fall, race one, he got away ok, through turn one then the right hander onto Seddon road was his undoing. In trying a tricky passing move, which has been his trademark, he clipped a large grader tyre and flipped the car onto its roof, which resulted in a LOT of damage........end of racing. I have a good photo of it on the recovery trailer coming back to the pits, which I would post if I knew how !!!! [ I can put it on facebook a piece of cake.......why is it so hard on here....for me]

[ERC]

Just a couple I'd already scanned...

[CENTER]
Mike John of course, followed by Tim La Trobe

Gordon Vogtherr and his much campaigned Healey Elliott

[/CENTER]

[Roger Dowding]

I have a programme Roger... If you post pics on here and want them identifying, I'll do my best to label them.

I do have a fair few pics of the event all taken from the same place unfortunately, but as it is pre digital, either the negs or the prints need scanning. Scanning pics is very fast, but scanning film is painfully slow, so I can only manage a few before pressures of time (and boredom) start to kick in.

The site restrictions of 185kb and 950 pixels make it even slower as I have to copy all images then adjust before trying to post.

Post #1 - Mike Booth Morgan Plus 8

This event had a round of our own series, which was then the BMC Series - and the programme makes special mention of an appearance by well known Mini racer, Angus Fogg, who was backed by regular contributor, Beowulf!

As race programmes go, this is one of the better ones.

ERC, thanks for the offer to name the drivers and cars, and I see you have placed some already, I remember the Gordon Vogtherr Healey Elliott as I was still in the Austin-Healey Car Club, which welcomed all Healeys from 1940's up to the Jensen Healey.

[Roger Dowding]

Sports cars in the pits area

Chris White - Austin -Healey 3000

Phile Mules - Austin-Healey 3000

[Roger Dowding]

ERC,
I do have a fair few pics of the event all taken from the same place unfortunately, but as it is pre digital, either the negs or the prints need scanning. Scanning pics is very fast, but scanning film is painfully slow, so I can only manage a few before pressures of time (and boredom) start to kick in.

Ray, I know the problem, it takes me ages to do anything, and mine are from prints we are from that era I guess, and I can not work out how to scan from negs yet. [ " boredom " and a very small room with the PC - laptop and printer detract from the job. ] However the forum connects people who back in the day did not even meet and yet here we are posting photos and memories from the same time. great

[ERC]

I bought a negative scanner years ago, which now sits in a cupboard, along with two Pentax film cameras, Dad's old Leica and a pile of good lenses. Any are for sale (except perhaps the Leica)!

After my first flatbed scanner, I then moved on to a Canon Scanner that also had the facility to scan one strip of slides/negatives - which I think also sits in a cupboard...

My current Canon 9000F scanner has the facility for two film strips and also copes with the old 2.25" square negatives. A very good piece of kit, but whereas you can scan photographs at say 300 DPI (dots per inch), the smaller negatives may need doing at 2,400 or even 4,800 Dpi, which makes it so slow (8, or 16 times slower).

The advantage is of course that in days past, a colour slide usually taken on a camera without a long lens, gave an image that was useless to show, yet may have been sharp. Scanning those previously rejected slides and cropping before scanning has given me some of the best older pics I have taken, once in digital form. As I said, extremely slow and 1,000's still to do, as I never threw away anything other than really badly exposed or out of focus slides.

Many negatives when scanned, you realise aren't as sharp as you thought, so you scrap the scan (another huge waste of time).

The software can adjust for some dust and scratches and also fading, grain correction and so on. I'm not too good on Photoshop, but often the software that comes with the scanner is also pretty good and Canon software that comes with the compact cameras is also useful.

Love this forum and for me, extremely useful when filing the images as I do need the exact date - or something very near it - before I am satisfied. Cross referencing against old race programmes is very time consuming too and as you will have guessed from previous posts, I didn't always manage to get a programme. I have a collection of over 400 programmes going back to the pre-war Donington days plus a pile I rescued from a bonfire when the Nottingham Sports Car Club vacated their rented office in about 1976.

Thankfully, the modern digital age makes it so easy as the pics are dated for you - which is perhaps as well, as everyone now runs with permanent race numbers!

[Roger Dowding]

More pics from the same roundabout corner ;
Porsche, Jaguars and others

Jaguars

The " Cooper " Mustang, one shot cut off in taking.

[Roger Dowding]

Three pics that were posted on another thread " Yards and Yarns ". this is where they belong ;
The traditional Aussie battle ; " Ford vs Holden"

Phil Mules Healey, now owned and raced by Bernie Huynen, who had the Valiant Healey mentioned on another thread.

The " Cooper " Mustang

[Roger Dowding]

Some things English, MGB's and Sunbeam Rapier.

Two Blue, one a 1974 the other a 1966.
the 1974

Garth Bagnall's 1966 the plate tells the story - he even had a bit of sponsorship advertising on the front guards.

I knew Owen Faussett quite well back in the late 80's early 90's [ was his Bank Manager for a time ] and Garth Bagnall used to work on my 1974 MGBGT at his garage in New Lynn, where I also worked.
** Now with the actual entry list from Remi #54 is Owen Faussett, and not John Boyd - he was #58 Rapier..

[Roger Dowding]

A mix of nations here something for SPgeti : these are the last of what I have found - there are more just have to find them !!.

This [ TR7, Moggie Porsche ] is and enlargement as was not that close to the cars

[Roger Dowding]

Chris White, from Wanganui [ Whanganui if being PC ] ran his Healey 3000, one of many Healey's he has raced from Sprite to 100/4 the 3000 and a Jensen Healey.
Chris had a heart scare while driving and just slammed to a halt at the roundabout corner. I was standing with Barry Moon of Escort and Healey racing fame, and my 10 year old grandson, when Chris just stopped as he had collapsed must have put his foot on the brake in time. This is some minutes afterwards when the Paramedics have arrived and are working on him.
He well and truly survived which was great news for all.
That is Barry standing the grey shirt red cap between the Marshalls, I stayed with my Grandson as the incident was quite disturbing.

Chris earlier in the day

[Spgeti]

Thanks Roger....I love the Sunbeam Rapier, a memory from the younger days when I had long hair and my good mate owned one of these.
Chris White is still alive and kicking and caught up with him at MG Classic the other week.

[Roger Dowding]

Thanks Roger....I love the Sunbeam Rapier, a memory from the younger days when I had long hair and my good mate owned one of these.
Chris White is still alive and kicking and caught up with him at MG Classic the other week.

Bruce " snap ", in the late 70's I had longer hair and my flatmate Lyle Chambers had long hair and had a Sunbeam Rapier, and his mate Richard Leaper had short hair as recently left the RNZAF had a rough Alpine the 1500 cc so a series 1 or 11.

Was Chris still racing, last I heard had a Jensen Healey, saw it and him at the Classics at Pukekohe around 2003 or 2004

[Spgeti]

I raced against Chris or with I think is the right term from 2004 to 2007 in the Manfeild Winter Series. Still into his Mini's and shared a cuppa coffee at the Palmy Hot Rod Swap meet this year as well. He still has the Jensen Healey.....nice bloke as they all were.

[John McKechnie]

Bruce- talking of street races, how does a street race at Kawerau sound to you ?