Hamilton Tarmac Rally 1981

[Lee Tracey]

Seeing Mike's and Nigel's photos has inspired me to start putting up some of my collection. Whilst my skills fall well short of theirs I hope some will find these of interest.

This first batch are all from the 1981 Hamilton Car Club Tarmac Rally. The Top 10 (IIRC) were seeded and the rest are entry rec'd order.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/leetra/ham%20tarmac%2081/IMG_0001-1.jpg
Paul Adams(?) EDIT: Shane Murland

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/leetra/ham%20tarmac%2081/IMG_0002.jpg
possibly Trevor Crowe EDIT confirmed

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/leetra/ham%20tarmac%2081/IMG_0003.jpg
Peter Yates/Brian Connell

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/leetra/ham%20tarmac%2081/IMG_0004.jpg
EDIT: Tony Baker

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/leetra/ham%20tarmac%2081/IMG_0064.jpg
EDIT:Reece Jones

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/leetra/ham%20tarmac%2081/IMG_0068.jpg
EDIT Mark Parsons

Cheers
Lee

[Lee Tracey]

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/leetra/ham%20tarmac%2081/IMG_0069.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/leetra/ham%20tarmac%2081/IMG_0040.jpg
EDIT: Clive Pegden

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/leetra/ham%20tarmac%2081/IMG_0009.jpg
Peter Farrell/Tony Sircombe (yes the same one who went on to partner Toshi Arai amongst others at WRC level. Peter also went on to race RX7's at a professional level in the USA)

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/leetra/ham%20tarmac%2081/IMG_0010.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/leetra/ham%20tarmac%2081/IMG_0011.jpg

Cheers
Lee

[Lee Tracey]

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/leetra/ham%20tarmac%2081/IMG_0012.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/leetra/ham%20tarmac%2081/IMG_0013.jpg
Mick Quin of later Speedway Saloon champion fame. EDIT Quin/Trevor McLean

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/leetra/ham%20tarmac%2081/IMG_0014.jpg
Rutherford? EDIT Tony Rutherford/John Chiverrell

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/leetra/ham%20tarmac%2081/IMG_0015.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/leetra/ham%20tarmac%2081/IMG_0016.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/leetra/ham%20tarmac%2081/IMG_0055.jpg

Cheers
Lee

[Lee Tracey]

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/leetra/ham%20tarmac%2081/IMG_0062.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/leetra/ham%20tarmac%2081/IMG_0067.jpg
EDIT:Sandy Powell

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/leetra/ham%20tarmac%2081/IMG_0060.jpg
Dave Strong

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/leetra/ham%20tarmac%2081/IMG_0059.jpg
Car 61?

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/leetra/ham%20tarmac%2081/IMG_0061.jpg
Not sure the old Viva was meant to go this hard!

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/leetra/ham%20tarmac%2081/IMG_0053.jpg

Cheers
Lee

[Lee Tracey]

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/leetra/ham%20tarmac%2081/IMG_0057-1.jpg
EDIT: Ross Meekings

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/leetra/ham%20tarmac%2081/IMG_0019.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/leetra/ham%20tarmac%2081/IMG_0021.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/leetra/ham%20tarmac%2081/IMG_0023.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/leetra/ham%20tarmac%2081/IMG_0024.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/leetra/ham%20tarmac%2081/IMG_0024a.jpg

Cheers
Lee

[Lee Tracey]

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/leetra/ham%20tarmac%2081/IMG_0056.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/leetra/ham%20tarmac%2081/IMG_0039.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/leetra/ham%20tarmac%2081/IMG_0033.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/leetra/ham%20tarmac%2081/IMG_0034.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/leetra/ham%20tarmac%2081/IMG_0038.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/leetra/ham%20tarmac%2081/IMG_0035.jpg
Oops

Cheers
Lee

[Lee Tracey]

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/leetra/ham%20tarmac%2081/IMG_0030.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/leetra/ham%20tarmac%2081/IMG_0029.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/leetra/ham%20tarmac%2081/IMG_0032-1.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/leetra/ham%20tarmac%2081/IMG_0036.jpg

And on to those I can't work out the numbers on.
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/leetra/ham%20tarmac%2081/IMG_0065.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/leetra/ham%20tarmac%2081/IMG_0063.jpg

Cheers
Lee

[Lee Tracey]

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/leetra/ham%20tarmac%2081/IMG_0054.jpg
EDIT: Tony Teesdale/ Gary Smith

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/leetra/ham%20tarmac%2081/IMG_0017.jpg

And finally 2 who failed to reach where I was in the stage.
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/leetra/ham%20tarmac%2081/IMG_0028.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/leetra/ham%20tarmac%2081/IMG_0027.jpg
Rod Coppins IIRC

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/leetra/ham%20tarmac%2081/IMG_0025.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/leetra/ham%20tarmac%2081/IMG_0026.jpg
The perils of Toi Toi. Driver saw some waving out of corner of eye and swerved as he thought is was a large bird.

Cheers
Lee

[Steve Holmes]

These are great Lee! I wonder how long the front spoiler on the Escort in the second photo lasted. The Mick Quinn Camaro was also raced in production circuit racing by Quinn. Do you know who was driving the RX3 that got wrecked?

[Snoozin]

I love it! Great shots... that FD Victor looks particularly menacing, and the blue and white KP60 Starlet is an (albeit biased) favourite of mine.

[Lee Tracey]

These are great Lee! I wonder how long the front spoiler on the Escort in the second photo lasted. The Mick Quinn Camaro was also raced in production circuit racing by Quinn. Do you know who was driving the RX3 that got wrecked?

Pretty sure it was Rod Coppins.

Cheers
Lee

[Rod Grimwood]

No. 5 Mazda is Peter Yates and Brian Connell, one of a few these blokes had. And the first photo of wrecked Mazda, standing in green jersey beside trailer is young son Robert "chawfy" Connell most probably thinking " seen this before".

[beowulf]

I don't know if it was this Tarmac Rally but I used to do emergency fencing on these rallies. I would follow through the special stages in a J1C2 Bedford light truck with a load of fencing gear, wire netting, standards, battens and so on. Enough to patch a fence and make it stock proof until the next day and the fencing gang turned up to make a more permanent repair. I would also note where the hole was and what was needed to fix it, and how the farmer was. Quite often they preferred to fix it themselves. That Bedford certainly new how to drink petrol, but it was a pretty reliable old girl, if bloody uncomfortable.
One hole still stands out. It was just out of Tirau, the road went under some pine trees, was damp with pine needles all over it plus a setting sun as you came around a corner. There was about 200 yards (this was before metres came in) of fencing gone. Posts, battens, wire just a mess in the paddock, lots of skid marks and no cars. The farmer was milking when I caught up with him. Happy as a sand boy, reckoned he hadn't had so much fun since his honeymoon. He had spent most of the afternoon helping get the cars out. Don't worry about the fence it was rooted anyway, he would put up a new one. Great guy, I recomended that he got a letter of thanks.
There was a lot of damage in those tarmac rallies, drivers didn't seem to realise how much quicker they were going on tarseal in cars that were set up for gravel.

[Lee Tracey]

Thanks Rod have put ID in OP.

Cheers
Lee

[Rod Grimwood]

No 22 you are right, Tony Rutherford and Roger Davis (the same one as on TV) 13b Turbo very quick.
No 62 that viva always went that hard, from Pukekohe he had tractor place i think.

[Jizim]

Number 21 who started just one in front of me was in fact the late great Rod Coppins....this car was upside down sitting on its roof on a straight bit of road that went over a crest on the road. (looked like they antisipated a corner ahead??) The very next stage we had Mick Quinn and co driver (another very talented driver) the late Trevor McLean in front of us... After a bit of friendly banter between us on how I am going to catch them so look out in the mirror!!......They left the start line to have a big off that cleared a fence and landed in a sodden water logged paddock ....(I also have photos from the Rex the Rats collection he kindly gifted to me when he emigrated to Oz....) and the ensuing damage the car was banana'ed and Mick had to climb in and out of the window as the doors were jammed closed. Trevor had a hurt jaw from the full face helmit that he borrowed that didnt fit him properly. Myself and top co driver of the day John Chiverrell came home in 12th or 13th ? posi about two minutes ahead of long time circuit racing rival (then and currently...) the ex- Shellsport Champion Bryce Platt. (a champion bloke as well I might add..) For the record I would take the turbo off my RX2 for the Tarmac stuff (except for the Claytons Pukekohe Tarmac Rally which was NZs first ever full tarmac rally that we had the privilege of winning from the master of control Mark Parsons...). In the following years Roger Davis of TV sports fame and was undoubtedly New Zealands finest (after Mr Jim Scott of Paeroa had retired....) co driver, took over that duty. A great association that continued for many years to come which included owning my first Group A Streets of Wellington Toyota....(which he still has..). Hope this is of interest. I have numerous tales of enthralling stuff and snippets of past that is screaming out to make good toilet reading.........kind regards, Tony Rutherford.

[Lee Tracey]

Thanks Rod & Tony.

Cheers
Lee

[Steve Holmes]

Number 21 who started just one in front of me was in fact the late great Rod Coppins....this car was upside down sitting on its roof on a straight bit of road that went over a crest on the road. (looked like they antisipated a corner ahead??) The very next stage we had Mick Quinn and co driver (another very talented driver) the late Trevor McLean in front of us... After a bit of friendly banter between us on how I am going to catch them so look out in the mirror!!......They left the start line to have a big off that cleared a fence and landed in a sodden water logged paddock ....(I also have photos from the Rex the Rats collection he kindly gifted to me when he emigrated to Oz....) and the ensuing damage the car was banana'ed and Mick had to climb in and out of the window as the doors were jammed closed. Trevor had a hurt jaw from the full face helmit that he borrowed that didnt fit him properly. Myself and top co driver of the day John Chiverrell came home in 12th or 13th ? posi about two minutes ahead of long time circuit racing rival (then and currently...) the ex- Shellsport Champion Bryce Platt. (a champion bloke as well I might add..) For the record I would take the turbo off my RX2 for the Tarmac stuff (except for the Claytons Pukekohe Tarmac Rally which was NZs first ever full tarmac rally that we had the privilege of winning from the master of control Mark Parsons...). In the following years Roger Davis of TV sports fame and was undoubtedly New Zealands finest (after Mr Jim Scott of Paeroa had retired....) co driver, took over that duty. A great association that continued for many years to come which included owning my first Group A Streets of Wellington Toyota....(which he still has..). Hope this is of interest. I have numerous tales of enthralling stuff and snippets of past that is screaming out to make good toilet reading.........kind regards, Tony Rutherford.

Yes, very much of interest Tony, really enjoyable read. Keep them coming! Did Quinn ever rebuild the Camaro or was it a write-off? I know he circuit raced that same car, but I assume that was before he stuck it in the "sodden water logged paddock".

[Rod Grimwood]

Just of interest Steve, the anglia i had (curcuit) was originally built in Tony's workshop by John Chiverrell.

[coldrive]

August 1981 from memory so 30 years ago. I worked on the startline timing crew at Darby Rd, Arapuni and Quin's Camaro landed in the swamp only a few kays into the stage. Then was timing crew again later in the night, at Taotaoroa Rd near Hinuera from memory. Tony Teesdale and Gary Smith won every stage in the Engine Rebuilders Escort RS1800. Starting from top the GMDT Chevette HS2300 is Shane Murland not Paul Adams and finished second. The Muffler Services Escort is Crowe (DNF). I think the yellow RX3 sedan could be Mike Limbrick rather than Peter Yates, silver Chevette is Rotorua's Tony Baker then Reece Jones (RX3) and Mark Parsons (Mk1 Escort) more recently of TR7 V8 fame. Can't recall #10, #12 RX3 is Clive Pegden. Somewhere I will have a full map and entry list but the Mini Ute is Sandy Powell of rallycross fame with Minis and the rotary Sunbeam Stiletto and that would be Ross Meekings driving the KE20 Corolla with plenty of attitude.
The Rod Coppins accident was stage 2, I think on Puahue Rd not far from Kihikihi. All these roads now much wider and faster but I remember Teesdale completed the 130km of stages in pretty much 1 hour give or take a few seconds. The next Hamilton tarmac rally in `82 was won by Reg Cook in the Bluebird Turbo.
Cheers, Colin Smith.