Photos: The Allan Porter Collection - Part 4

[Steve Holmes]

50993

Its been quite some time since I ended Part 3 of this series of historic New Zealand drag racing photos. So Part 4 is well overdue.

This part of the collection continues from the mid/late 1970s era as drag racing in New Zealand enjoyed its rapid accent. Once again, these photos focus largely on Allan's local track, Meremere. Feel free to jump in an name names. You will also spot a few familiar roundy-roundy guys in this chapter.

[Steve Holmes]

Lets kick things off with a little burnout.

50994

50995

[Steve Holmes]

50996

50997

[Steve Holmes]

50998

50999

[Steve Holmes]

51000

51001

[Steve Holmes]

51002

51003

[Steve Holmes]

51004

[Steve Holmes]

51005

[Steve Holmes]

51006

[Steve Holmes]

Murray Taylor.

51007

[Steve Holmes]

Ron James versus Murray Taylor.

51008

[Steve Holmes]

Jack Nazer.

51009

[Steve Holmes]

Greg Lancaster.

51010

[Steve Holmes]

51085

[Steve Holmes]

Nick Liefting.

51086

[Steve Holmes]

51087

[Steve Holmes]

51088

[Steve Holmes]

Trevor Watson (white overalls) and John Agnew.

51089

[Steve Holmes]

51090

[Steve Holmes]

Guy Lim. I could be wrong but I think this car may have been built by Graham Berry, as per the Capri funnycar above.

51092

[Steve Holmes]

Thunder Park, helicopter view.

51164

[Steve Holmes]

51165

[Steve Holmes]

This one is cool.

51166

[Steve Holmes]

Mike Gearing.

51167

[Steve Holmes]

Kevin Delores.

51168

[Steve Holmes]

Steve Hildred.

51169

[Steve Holmes]

Jim Crane Altered. Not sure about the driver though?

51170

[Steve Holmes]

Not sure who this is, maybe someone here can provide an ID? Look how the convertible roof is ballooning from the pressure.

51171

[rf84]

Fantastic shots Steve! Looks a LOT different now. It would be great to take photos from the same perspective today-it would be a sea of green (grapevines) with (maybe) an "island" of brown. I have been told that there is a small area where they have not managed to get grapes to grow-apparently it coincides almost exactly with the position of the start line/burn out area and is attributed to the chemicals used to treat the tyres during burnouts.

[Steve Holmes]

Fantastic shots Steve! Looks a LOT different now. It would be great to take photos from the same perspective today-it would be a sea of green (grapevines) with (maybe) an "island" of brown. I have been told that there is a small area where they have not managed to get grapes to grow-apparently it coincides almost exactly with the position of the start line/burn out area and is attributed to the chemicals used to treat the tyres during burnouts.

Its interesting you say that. I recall some years ago I visited the old Levin race track and noticed the grass was growing slightly different in many of the areas where the track used to be. Even after all these years.

[Steve Holmes]

Ivan Jujnovich.

51244

[Steve Holmes]

Warren Armour.

51245

[Steve Holmes]

And again.....

51246

[Steve Holmes]

Warren Armour (in shorts), with Mike Gearing in the car.

51247

[Steve Holmes]

TV interview.

51249

[Steve Holmes]

Brilliant piece of balancing from the camera man.

51250

[Steve Holmes]

Lindsay Sundgren.

51251

[Growler]

In the mid 80’s a friend of the family put shares in the track with Garth Hogan and a few others to get it going again.
I was in my teens but remember going down to Hastings and helping out. My job was being a runner from the pits to the control tower. I may still have some photos of various cars floating around. Will have to have a look. I know I did take one of a VW with a 350 Chev in it, and possibly a jet car that came from overseas.

[Roger Dowding]

Ran there once in a borrowed Austin - Healey a 100 / 6 I think with a 3 litre motor,my 100 / 4 was not up to the task, no photos, just my time cards.. not that quick, not my car !!

51267

[rf84]

What years did Thunderpark operate? The NZHRA website says 1976 to 1997 but I have my doubts about the closing date-I would have said it was earlier than that.

[Steve Holmes]

Ran there once in a borrowed Austin - Healey a 100 / 6 I think with a 3 litre motor,my 100 / 4 was not up to the task, no photos, just my time cards.. not that quick, not my car !!

51267

Very cool!

[Steve Holmes]

John Agnew.

51334

[Steve Holmes]

Ron Collett.

51337

[Steve Holmes]

51339

[Steve Holmes]

Collett versus Hogan.

51340

[Steve Holmes]

Alan Shadwick.

51341

[Steve Holmes]

Rob Kennard. Rob would later switch to roundy-roundy racing, and ran a very fast Cortina V8 in OSCA. I think its now owned by Steve Ross, while Rob himself is, I believe, is the Sheriff of a small town in California.

51342

[Steve Holmes]

Maureen Fairbairn (Devil Woman).

51446

[Steve Holmes]

NZ versus Aus. Did Trans Tours sponsor Rod Coppins for one of his trips to Australia in the Firebird?

51447

[Steve Holmes]

Roger Murray.

51449

[Steve Holmes]

Bob Dunn, from Australia.

51450

[Steve Holmes]

And again.....

51452

51451

51453

[Steve Holmes]

Maurice Horne, with Mike Gearing leaning in.

51454

[Steve Holmes]

Mike Gearing's rear wing. Note hand written text at the bottom.

51455

[Steve Holmes]

Just warming up the tyres!

51456