Photos: The Ian Peak Collection - Part 2

[Steve Holmes]

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Carrying on from where we left off a couple of weeks ago with the Ian Peak Collection, Part 1, this is Part 2. Boy, these photos really get me excited, they're so full of colour, and so beautifully demonstrate this amazing period in history.

Again, these photos centre around Teretonga, the worlds most southern race track at the bottom of New Zealands South Island. The years shown here are 1967, 1969, and, if I have some space left at the end, a bit of a random assortment. The photos centre around the Teretonga round of the Tasman Series, and in particular, the international stars. But there is plenty here of interest for everyone.

I hope you all enjoy these as much as I have. Thanks again to Mark Quertier for organising these photos to be shared here.

[Steve Holmes]

This looks to be either the beginning of qualifying, or just prior to the race during the 1967 Tasman Series event. My guess would be this is just prior to the race, because front row starters Jim Clark, Richard Attwood, and Denny Hulme are all pictured here. Clark and Attwood finished first and second.

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[Steve Holmes]

Two more from the 1967 event, and again Clark and Attwood are pictured.

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[Steve Holmes]

Moving on now to the 1969 Tasman Series race, and what a contrast this photo is! At the foreground are the best drivers attacking in the latest and most high tech race cars in the world. And in the background is this wonderful shanty town of make-shift grandstands assembled by the local enthusiasts.

Here Graham Hill leads eventual race winner Piers Courage and team mates Chris Amon and Derek Bell.

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[Terry Marshall]

That top shot is Piers Courage Steve.

[Steve Holmes]

Thanks TM, yes you're absolutely right.

[Steve Holmes]

Amon and Courage.

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[Steve Holmes]

Hopefully I've got this right, someone will correct me if not. Roly Levis at the front, from Hill, Graeme Lawrence, and Bert Hawthorne?

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[Steve Holmes]

OK, this appears to be Graham McRae in his self-built McRea Twin-cam leading here. In behind I'm guessing is Allan McCully, followed by Hawthorne.

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[Steve Holmes]

Mid-field gaggle, with Frank Radisich in the Lotus22/HCM leading Wayne Murdoch, John Nicholson (I think?), Ken Smith, and Barry Keen in the Begg Twin-cam.

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[GD66]

Hopefully I've got this right, someone will correct me if not. Roly Levis at the front, from Hill, Graeme Lawrence, and Bert Hawthorne ?


Yep, #43 is Bert Hawthorne.

[John McKechnie]

In pic3, whose yellow car are people resting against - is it Uncle Jacks Yellow Sub?

[Steve Holmes]

Well spotted John, yep it could well be, this photo is from the 1967 season.

[Steve Holmes]

Yep, #43 is Bert Hawthorne.

Thanks for confirming that.

[jim short]

What is the first car No 52 I know I should but?/

[jim short]

OK just noticed it , never seen it look so good.

[Steve Holmes]

What a work of art! Alec Mildren's amazing 2.5 litre Alfa V8 in the back of his own car, driven by Frank Gardner.

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[Steve Holmes]

OK just noticed it , never seen it look so good.

I think it only had this paint scheme in 1969 Jim.

[Steve Holmes]

Red Dawson's Brabham. Note short sleeves!

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[Steve Holmes]

I really love this photo. It demonstrates so well the enthusiasm those in the deep south of New Zealand have for their motor racing. Look REALLY closely at the middle of the pic. Among the huge crowd there is a flat deck truck (or trailer), on which is Courage's Brabham, along with the first three drivers home, Courage, Hill, Amon. I suspect the fourth driver could be Roly Levis, as first Kiwi resident home?

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[Steve Holmes]

Winner of the Teretonga round of the 1969 Tasman Series, Piers Courage in the Frank Williams run Brabham BT24, enjoys his victory lap.

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[Steve Holmes]

Team mates Jochen Rindt and Graham Hill. Rindt was brought in as the eventual replacement for Jim Clark at Team Lotus, who'd perished back in April 1968. Rindt himself would lose his life in practice for the Italian GP in 1970. When Chris Amon is asked if he felt unlucky to have never won a Formula 1 race, when coming so close on so many occasions, he rightly points out that he was in fact one of the lucky ones, to have survived such a deadly era.

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[Steve Holmes]

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[Steve Holmes]

Sports car action, with Jim Boyd in the Stanton Corvette being chased by a brace of Beggs, the Begg Sports and McBegg.

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[Steve Holmes]

The Stanton Corvette, here raced by Jim Boyd, and painted up in Team Lexington cigarette colours. Boyd would replace this car the following season with a Lola T70 spyder. Note the cool old '58 Chevy tow car in the background (not related to the Stanton), with enclosed trailer. Not many people were lucky enough to have enclosed trailers in 1969!

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[GD66]

I'd say that's Eoin Young in the blue jacket in the second pic of the Lotus pilots.

[GeebeeNZ]

I am sure we have seen that pale green Ford Consul parked in a dangerous position in other pictures . Must have been owned by a very influentual marshal

[Steve Holmes]

Yep, it'd have to be a marshals car, and a very influential one at that. Its quite hard to see in these pics, but there is a wire string just in front of where many of the spectators are lined up, which I guess is the extent of the safety precautions.

[Steve Holmes]

I'd say that's Eoin Young in the blue jacket in the second pic of the Lotus pilots.

Well spotted! You could well be right.

[Steve Holmes]

The photo caption for this one says "Fahey, Coppins, Crosbie", but I'd have thought it'd be Fahey, Spinner Black, Dave Simpson? What do you guys think? Coppins did take over the Camaro, but I'm sure it wasn't until the following season.

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[Steve Holmes]

Amazing small capacity battle which were often the highlight of the saloon car races. Can anyone ID the Cooper S drivers in this shot? The dark green car is possibly Graham Watson. Note Jim Richards in his 1300cc Escort just ducking out of shot.

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[Steve Holmes]

More flying bricks, including Barry Phillips, plus Robert Stewart in the red car. Who are the other two?

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[kiwi285]

Amazing small capacity battle which were often the highlight of the saloon car races. Can anyone ID the Cooper S drivers in this shot? The dark green car is possibly Graham Watson. Note Jim Richards in his 1300cc Escort just ducking out of shot.

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Yes it certainly look like Watson's car. It was always immaculately turned out.

[Steve Holmes]

Here are Jim Carney and Jim Richards in their Escorts. Richards had been struggling since he began his racing career with a lack of money, and his equipment reflected this. Many of the races he had in his 1300cc Escort he battled with Carney in his twin-cam. Carney, obviously, should have been much further up the road, so was impressed that Richards could foot it with the equipment he had. It was around this time that Carney let Richards start driving his twin-cam, which of course thrust him into the limelight, prompting Carney to then contact John Willment and purchase a full-blown racing twin-cam Escort out of England.

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[GD66]

More flying bricks, including Barry Phillips, plus Robert Stewart in the red car. Who are the other two?


That's actually Rodger Anderson in #96. The turquoise mini is Gordon Edwards in the Rorstan entry.

Agree with Fahey, Spinner Black carrying #92 and Dave Simpson #100 with those distinctive flares.


And is that Mary Donald/Carney with the stopwatch ? If so, full marks for composition...:cool:

[Steve Holmes]

That's actually Rodger Anderson in #96. The turquoise mini is Gordon Edwards in the Rorstan entry.


Ahh, yes, thanks, I was getting mixed up with the Cambridge Cooper S of Phillips from the following season.

[Steve Holmes]

More tin top action. There weren't too many pre-war American coupes still racing in NZ by the late 1960s. Ron Silvester was still punting his Chevy coupe along pretty quickly, and his car has become quite legendary in NZ, and is still owned by the Silvester family, and raced once or twice a year by Ron's son Grant. But Rod McElrea, who would be a strong supporter of OSCA (Open Saloon Car Association) for many, many years, was also still charging hard in a pre-war Chevy coupe by the late '60s. Rod's '38 Chevy didn't feature the heavy roof chop of Ron's car, but it was still a fantastic looking car. Does anyone know what happened to this old Chevy?

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[Steve Holmes]

Here is Gary Sprague, in the old Dave Simpson, 1966 NZ Saloon Car Championship winning Anglia, leading Spinner Black and Rodger Anderson. Note Gary's Anglia doesn't have its fastback roof section fitted in this photo.

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[GPBK]

[QUOTE=Steve Holmes;25715]Ahh, yes, thanks, I was getting mixed up with the Cambridge Cooper S of Phillips from the following season.

Same car just different paint and steerer.

[David McKinney]

...and engine

[Michael Clark]

I'm pretty sure that is Eoin Young talking to Rindt and Hill - and in the red jacket behind - pretty sure that is Firestone's Bruce Harre, an original mechanic on the Chris Amon 250F.

[GPBK]

[QUOTE=David McKinney;25745]...and engine

Quite right. Two different drivers, 3 very different engines and at least 3 Championships. Who knows how many race wins.

I wonder how many other cars managed to dominate like that regardless of engine or driver over multiple seasons. Might make for an interesting topic.

[Steve Holmes]

I agree! And interesting topic. But another interesting topic would be that particular Cooper S. It had an impressive race history, and its presentation was, in my opinion, years ahead of its time.

[Steve Holmes]

Here is Jim Carneys road going Escort Twin-cam, for which Carney eventually handed over the keys to a young Jim Richards, prior to then purchasing a John Willment Escort TC race car out of the UK. Which of the two Jim's is at the wheel here I'm unsure. The angle of the driver and car would suggest its Richards, but I stand to be corrected.

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[Steve Holmes]

Looks like the saloon car field lining up on the dummy grid, with Paul Faheys Mustang ahead of Dave Simpsons Escort. Is that Alan Boyles Coke Mini in the background?

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[Steve Holmes]

Simpson again. Was this his last racing season?

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[tonttu]

Simpson again. Was this his last racing season?

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Is it just me or are others not seeing the photos in #45 & 46? All I get is the message "Invalid Attachment specified. If you followed a valid link, please notify the administrator". Real shame as I'm loving this set of photos

[John McKechnie]

tonttu- I also have not got these 2

[David McKinney]

moi aussi

[Steve Holmes]

Sorry guys that was my fault, I cocked up the upload and didn't go back to check. Should be working now.

[John McKechnie]

Thanks Steve-its all good now.
Just an anorak note-boot design of Simpson is same as when Crosbie had it following year.
Any one know how to contact Brian Crosbie nowadays?

[Steve Holmes]

Here is Anderson again in the Lexington Cooper S, while the next shot has his team mate Spinner Black in the Camaro being harassed by Gary Sprague in the Anglia.

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[Steve Holmes]

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[Steve Holmes]

The following photos are from the same season, but at Wigram. Is this the Gordon Edwards Cooper S pictured here? Looks like Jim Richards' Escort hidden behind the Mini.

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[Steve Holmes]

Simpson and Richards

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[Steve Holmes]

A bit of a mix here, including Fahey, Simpson, and Neil Doyle in the Anglia Corvette.

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[GD66]

The following photos are from the same season, but at Wigram. Is this the Gordon Edwards Cooper S pictured here?


No Steve, the Rorstan Mini of Gordon Edwards was a metallic turquoise, same as on Dennis Marwood's Brabham in the pic below of Simpson's Escort. Also seen on the Eisert Marbles drove.

They must have had a bit of that paint mixed up, as Edwards put the Mini on its roof a couple of times, not easy ! :o

[Steve Holmes]

Brilliant. Thank you for clarifying this.

[Powder]

The following photos are from the same season, but at Wigram. Is this the Gordon Edwards Cooper S pictured here? Looks like Jim Richards' Escort hidden behind the Mini.


I don't have the Wigram programme, but others from 1969 list Car No.117 as Colin Roberts from Wellington in an Austin Cooper.

[David McKinney]

Check

1969 Wigram programme lists 117 as C J Roberts - ex-Bryan Harvie car, as I recall

[woody]

From the 69 programme.

[Steve Holmes]

Fantastic. Thank you Woody, these old programmes are gold!

[Steve Holmes]

Here are the last three photos from this chapter, showing Graham Hill and Jochen Rindt at Wigram.

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[motorsportandi]

Great Jochen Rindt pictures,thanks

[Jizim]

Team mates Jochen Rindt and Graham Hill. Rindt was brought in as the eventual replacement for Jim Clark at Team Lotus, who'd perished back in April 1968. Rindt himself would lose his life in practice for the Italian GP in 1970. When Chris Amon is asked if he felt unlucky to have never won a Formula 1 race, when coming so close on so many occasions, he rightly points out that he was in fact one of the lucky ones, to have survived such a deadly era.

16592 I was at this race meeting. I recall seeing Rindt's car in a workshop front window as was a few of the other GP cars in Invercargill. I was working at Bluff for 6 months at the time...was so enthralled by their high wings of that era. Was such a priviledge to actually see these things in real flesh. Oh and that Mk 1 Consul was actually quite away back from the track on a little "side road" access point. Photo has created an optical illusion a bit I think......great pictures thanks. Kind regards, Tony Rutherford.

[Grant Sprague]

Tony , excuse my ignorance , are you Ron,s son ......... Mark,s Brother ???...... If so Hi , I met your dad when a youngster , him & my dad were great friends , my brother [Gary] & I are friends of Mark..............

[Rod Grimwood]

Tony , excuse my ignorance , are you Ron,s son ......... Mark,s Brother ???...... If so Hi , I met your dad when a youngster , him & my dad were great friends , my brother [Gary] & I are friends of Mark..............

Tony is not Rons son Grant, you may recall him running a turbo 13b RX2 (dark green) at BP he is from up North Shore, mate of Cedrics back then.