PDA

View Full Version : Photos: The Allan Porter Collection - Part 4



Steve Holmes
02-10-2018, 01:16 AM
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
02-10-2018, 01:20 AM
Lets kick things off with a little burnout.

50994

50995

Steve Holmes
02-10-2018, 01:22 AM
50996

50997

Steve Holmes
02-10-2018, 01:24 AM
50998

50999

Steve Holmes
02-10-2018, 01:25 AM
51000

51001

Steve Holmes
02-10-2018, 01:27 AM
51002

51003

Steve Holmes
02-10-2018, 01:28 AM
51004

Steve Holmes
02-10-2018, 01:31 AM
51005

Steve Holmes
02-10-2018, 01:32 AM
51006

Steve Holmes
02-10-2018, 01:33 AM
Murray Taylor.

51007

Steve Holmes
02-10-2018, 01:34 AM
Ron James versus Murray Taylor.

51008

Steve Holmes
02-10-2018, 01:37 AM
Jack Nazer.

51009

Steve Holmes
02-10-2018, 01:38 AM
Greg Lancaster.

51010

Steve Holmes
02-12-2018, 12:00 AM
51085

Steve Holmes
02-12-2018, 12:01 AM
Nick Liefting.

51086

Steve Holmes
02-12-2018, 12:02 AM
51087

Steve Holmes
02-12-2018, 12:03 AM
51088

Steve Holmes
02-12-2018, 12:05 AM
Trevor Watson (white overalls) and John Agnew.

51089

Steve Holmes
02-12-2018, 12:07 AM
51090

Steve Holmes
02-12-2018, 12:08 AM
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
02-12-2018, 11:19 PM
Thunder Park, helicopter view.

51164

Steve Holmes
02-12-2018, 11:20 PM
51165

Steve Holmes
02-12-2018, 11:22 PM
This one is cool.

51166

Steve Holmes
02-12-2018, 11:23 PM
Mike Gearing.

51167

Steve Holmes
02-12-2018, 11:23 PM
Kevin Delores.

51168

Steve Holmes
02-12-2018, 11:24 PM
Steve Hildred.

51169

Steve Holmes
02-12-2018, 11:26 PM
Jim Crane Altered. Not sure about the driver though?

51170

Steve Holmes
02-12-2018, 11:28 PM
Not sure who this is, maybe someone here can provide an ID? Look how the convertible roof is ballooning from the pressure.

51171

rf84
02-13-2018, 08:06 AM
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
02-13-2018, 09:12 AM
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
02-13-2018, 10:30 PM
Ivan Jujnovich.

51244

Steve Holmes
02-13-2018, 10:31 PM
Warren Armour.

51245

Steve Holmes
02-13-2018, 10:32 PM
And again.....

51246

Steve Holmes
02-13-2018, 10:33 PM
Warren Armour (in shorts), with Mike Gearing in the car.

51247

Steve Holmes
02-13-2018, 10:41 PM
TV interview.

51249

Steve Holmes
02-13-2018, 10:43 PM
Brilliant piece of balancing from the camera man.

51250

Steve Holmes
02-13-2018, 10:44 PM
Lindsay Sundgren.

51251

Growler
02-14-2018, 02:02 AM
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
02-14-2018, 05:12 AM
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
02-14-2018, 07:33 AM
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
02-16-2018, 02:25 AM
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
02-16-2018, 02:26 AM
John Agnew.

51334

Steve Holmes
02-16-2018, 02:28 AM
Ron Collett.

51337

Steve Holmes
02-16-2018, 02:29 AM
51339

Steve Holmes
02-16-2018, 02:30 AM
Collett versus Hogan.

51340

Steve Holmes
02-16-2018, 02:32 AM
Alan Shadwick.

51341

Steve Holmes
02-16-2018, 02:37 AM
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
02-21-2018, 07:21 PM
Maureen Fairbairn (Devil Woman).

51446

Steve Holmes
02-21-2018, 07:22 PM
NZ versus Aus. Did Trans Tours sponsor Rod Coppins for one of his trips to Australia in the Firebird?

51447

Steve Holmes
02-21-2018, 07:24 PM
Roger Murray.

51449

Steve Holmes
02-21-2018, 07:26 PM
Bob Dunn, from Australia.

51450

Steve Holmes
02-21-2018, 07:28 PM
And again.....

51452

51451

51453

Steve Holmes
02-21-2018, 07:29 PM
Maurice Horne, with Mike Gearing leaning in.

51454

Steve Holmes
02-21-2018, 07:30 PM
Mike Gearing's rear wing. Note hand written text at the bottom.

51455

Steve Holmes
02-21-2018, 07:33 PM
Just warming up the tyres!

51456