Some old photos from the late 1960's at Pukekohe

[Habu]

Thought some of you may like a couple of the slides I've just had converted to jpeg format. These were taken by my folks. I'd be more than happy for people to comment on them.

Tasman / NZIGP 1968? Jim Clark Lotus, Amon Ferrari?
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Graeme Lawrence McLaren M4A
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Leo Geohegan Lotus 39 Repco V8
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Piers Courage Brabham BT24 - Frank Williams car?
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I have a few more, just wanted to see how these loaded....

[Lurker]

The first pic is 1968 the rest are 1969 - Great photos, I am looking forward to seeing the rest

[David McKinney]

All 1969...

[GD66]

Surely that's the lineup from the January 6th, 1968 NZGP David, Clark on pole. Last couple of races before Lotus adopted the GLTL livery.

[Bruce Blacklock]

Great clear photos, Interesting to see the people in the back ground of old motor racing pics. Standing at the back of the Leo Geohegan car in red shirt and blue shorts is the late Peter Bruin.

[Habu]

These are pretty much all I have for the single seater stuff...


Pukekohe 1968?
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Graham Hill Lotus 49
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Jochen Rindt Lotus 49
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[Habu]

1968 Pukekohe?
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Frank Gardner Mildren Alfa V8 Pukekohe 1969
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Formula A? Baypark
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Baypark
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Denny Hulme with Frank Gardner 1968?

[Lurker]

[QUOTE=GD66;13061]Surely that's the lineup from the January 6th, 1968 NZGP David, Clark on pole. Last couple of races before Lotus adopted the GLTL livery.[/QUOT

Also, sadly, Jim Clark was not with us in 1969

[GD66]

That's Frank Gardner on the left chatting with Denny in the pits at Pukekohe. Actually, looks like Tony Shelly between them in civvies, as well.

[David McKinney]

Surely that's the lineup from the January 6th, 1968 NZGP David, Clark on pole. Last couple of races before Lotus adopted the GLTL livery.
Sorry, my mistake

In my haste I only went back three photos, all of which were 1969. I missed the grid one, and though the 1968 reference was to the Lawrence McLaren. Teach me to take more time...

[GD66]

Really no call for an apology mate, after all the wisdom you have dispensed on this and other fora (?)

Just that it caused me to froth, for a moment...:eek:

Lovely colour in those pics from Puke, so thanks for sharing, Habu. :)

[Habu]

That's Frank Gardner on the left chatting with Denny in the pits at Pukekohe. Actually, looks like Tony Shelly between them in civvies, as well.

Thanks GD66 for clarifying, the drivers of the era I only know from other photos, so it was just a guess, and I think Attwood would have been at the same event? Will update the caption.

[Oldfart]

Is the Baypark one Ulf Norinder?

[Lurker]

Is the Baypark one Ulf Norinder?

I think it may be the Spectre of Ron Grable

[GD66]

Indeed, Norinder and his gold Lola T190 only appeared for the December 1969 Bay Park meeting and ensuing 1970 Tasman Series.
The Grable pic is from Dec 1968.

[Habu]

Ahh, I thought Id seen pictures of the Grable car before - makes sense now, Ive just had a quick look in my Wolfgang Klopfer book, and there it is on the first couple of pages. Seeing it in colour was a bit of a surprise. Thanks Lurker and GD66!

[Steve Holmes]

I'm really enjoying these Allan, keep 'em coming! Here is the one you posted on the Allcomers thread. Deserves to be here.

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[pallmall]

Heck, I don't remember the E type racing with the saloons, but I was there, so must have seen it and photgraphed it.

[Steve Holmes]

How many times did Beechey race his Nova in NZ? I knew he raced it at the Bay Park December 1967 meeting, but he must have raced it twice in late 1968 also. The pic below shows him on the grid and you can see its a different line-up to that posted above, and includes Rod Coppins in the ex-Geoghegan Mustang. Black is on the second row next to Beechey, but his car doesn't have the Lexington sponsorship yet. There is no stripe running down the centre of the car.

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And here are both Black and Beechey at the same event as I just posted above, where you can see Blacks Camaro doesn't yet have its Lexington signage. In fact, its possibly still painted yellow here?

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[TonyG]

Heck, I don't remember the E type racing with the saloons, but I was there, so must have seen it and photgraphed it.

Scott Wisemans E Type. Had a high mounted wing on it. I only remember it coming to Puke once but saw it a couple of times at Baypark.

[pallmall]

NB raced the Nova at Baypark twice, as can be seen in the photos, first time the Spinner Black Camaro was still cream, second time the Camaro was in Lexington colours.

[Steve Holmes]

Must be three times then Gavin? He also raced it in late 1967. So what were the dates of his two 1968 visits? Obviously one was the Xmas 1968 meeting, when was the other? And was the Nova sent back to Aus in between, or left in NZ?

[pallmall]

Yes Steve, you must be correct with 3 visits. The first time was at the second ever Bay Park meeting on December 30 1967 and I am positive the car was in its black colours at that meeting. The next time would be 12 months later, December 1968, at the meeting with the USA Formula A cars and Spinner's Camaro was still cream then. So was his next drive at the Easter 1969 meeting, or December 1969? The Nova was blue at the last two outings as you can see in the photos.

[pallmall]

Correction to the above, the Spinner Black car was in the Lexington Colours at the December 1968 meeting, so that must be the third outing for the Nova? So, the Nova either ran again prior to the Dec 68 meeting or it only ran twice. A colour photo to confirm if it was black or blue at the December 1967 meeting would be handy!

[Steve Holmes]

It likely would have been black at the Dec 1967 meeting, as that was the colour it raced in throughout 1967. What is strange is that it raced in NZ in 1968 at all, given Beechey had taken stock of a '68 Camaro which was used as an interim until the HK Monaro for '69. But I'm getting off topic.

I wonder if he returned for the Labour Weekend event in October '68, then the Xmas meeting in Dec '68. That would explain the pic I posted above where he is chasing the Spinner Black Camaro pre-Lexington colours. It wouldn't have been Dec 1969, as Coppins would have been racing the Black Camaro by then, and Beechey had been racing his Monaro all year, with the Nova having been sold to John Kay.

[GD66]

I wonder if he returned for the Labour Weekend event in October '68, then the Xmas meeting in Dec '68. That would explain the pic I posted above where he is chasing the Spinner Black Camaro pre-Lexington colours. It wouldn't have been Dec 1969, as Coppins would have been racing the Black Camaro by then, and Beechey had been racing his Monaro all year, with the Nova having been sold to John Kay.


I reckon that's it Steve. The Nova was definitely black first time out in Dec 1967, but Spinner Black's Camaro wasn't at that meeting.
As far as I recall, the Nova then went back to Australia, but was used seldom if at all until its' return to Bay Park, painted blue : I tend to agree with the Labour Weekend theory. By then the jig was up, the Nova was heavy and underbraked which Norm had offset first time out with piles of bravado and lashings of opposite lock. Next time out, and for the subsequent Dec '68 meeting, it seemed it was no longer much fun to be steering the old girl. Didn't stop Norm making a legion of fans with his thrilling driving and effervescent personality. Great days...:)

[pallmall]

Labour weekend 1968 would make sense, the Camaro was still cream then at the start of the season and the Nova was surplus in Australia as the Beechy Camaro was being raced there.

[Habu]

Baypark meeting with NB Nova - December 28th 1968?
Heres a couple more from Pukekohe:
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And this ones a personal favourite of mine:)
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[Steve Holmes]

These are just magic Allan! I'm really enjoying them.

[Steve Holmes]

I reckon that's it Steve. The Nova was definitely black first time out in Dec 1967, but Spinner Black's Camaro wasn't at that meeting.
As far as I recall, the Nova then went back to Australia, but was used seldom if at all until its' return to Bay Park, painted blue : I tend to agree with the Labour Weekend theory. By then the jig was up, the Nova was heavy and underbraked which Norm had offset first time out with piles of bravado and lashings of opposite lock. Next time out, and for the subsequent Dec '68 meeting, it seemed it was no longer much fun to be steering the old girl. Didn't stop Norm making a legion of fans with his thrilling driving and effervescent personality. Great days...:)

Yes thats right, Blacks Camaro didn't arrive until 1968. Beechey raced the Nova in NZ at the 1967 Bay Park Xmas meeting, then took it back home where it received its 1968 war paint, and it was raced quite intensely throughout the first half of 1968, with his Camaro making its debut in late July at Warwick Farm. The Camaro then raced at Calder, then at Catalina Park, and then its final race with Beechey was the 1968 ATCC at Warwick Farm in early September.

The ATCC race was the last time Beechey raced the car, and for whatever reason, he reverted back to the Nova for the late 1968 NZ events. I've never quite understood this, the Camaro was the better car, perhaps the NZ track promoters wanted the Nova instead because it had been so popular with the Kiwi punters the year before? And if he did race it at the Labour weekend Bay Park meeting, was it left in NZ for the next couple of months before the Bay Park Xmas meeting?

[Rod Grimwood]

When i caught up with Mr Beechy at Phillip Island he talked about how he loved Baypark and his stays with Mr Rorison, so chances are it was tucked away there.

Those photos are pure magic, thanks for posting.

[Habu]

When i caught up with Mr Beechy at Phillip Island he talked about how he loved Baypark and his stays with Mr Rorison, so chances are it was tucked away there.

Those photos are pure magic, thanks for posting.

Thanks Rod, I dont have a great deal more - some saloon car stuff, mainly Minis, a couple of Imps etc. Its nice to know people who were around during the era appreciate the pictures for what they are. Rather than my children who just see old stuff as, well, just old.

[pallmall]

Thanks for posting them, they are great and have revived many memories, and proved how fallible old memories can be!

[Habu]

Thanks pallmall - heres another couple.
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I know this ones a bit boring, but check out that tobacco sponsorship!!!

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Production saloons?

[Habu]

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And one from Baypark
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[TonyG]

Love the Dunlop van in this last lot.

[Steve Holmes]

I'm really enjoying these Allan, thanks heaps for posting them. The Red Dawson Mustang shot is just fantastic! You can really see a lot of the detail here.

[kiwi285]

Allan - with the Pukekohe shots we must have been following each other around as some of my shots are of the same grids.

[Oldfart]

I love the sports car grid ones, Bobtail Cooper, U2, Lotus 23 etc.

[Rod Grimwood]

Yellow Imp, was that Roy Harrington

[Habu]

Allan - with the Pukekohe shots we must have been following each other around as some of my shots are of the same grids.

I cant take the credit for these, although I havent asked her, Im assuming they were taken by my Mum... my Dad was busy assisting Roger Hood with his Mini.

[Habu]

Yellow Imp, was that Roy Harrington

As I understand it, yes. Bob Homewood looked at the photo when I initially posted it in another thread and thought so. I understand that it wasnt that reliable - but recall other peope telling me that this wasnt uncommon - something to do with overheating and aluminium cylinder heads?

[GD66]

It used to throw fanbelts when well-placed...

[Paul B]

Have another look through this thread, such great shots of Pukekohe and Baypark, not to mention the host of notable cars & drivers.

[Milan Fistonic]

Great photos - I can't recall having seen them back when they were posted.

About Beechey's visits to Bay Park with the Nova. He first appeared at the December 30 1967 meeting when he won both his races. The car was black.

His second visit was for the November 17 1968 meeting when he crashed the car in the first race. A wheel was torn off the car so it wasn't able to run again that day.

The third time he was there was on December 29 1968 and the car was painted light blue. He had three second places on the day, beaten by Red Dawson and Spinner Black in the two scratch races and by Jack Nazer in the handicap event.

[Roger Dowding]

Baypark meeting with NB Nova - December 28th 1968?
Heres a couple more from Pukekohe:
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8185

And this ones a personal favourite of mine:)
8186

Wow - have never looked at this thread - Pukekohe the 1960's 70's .. lots of great shots and in COLOUR - I was doing B and W [ Monochrome ] at the time with my Brownie Starlet [ had a built in flash - very smoove ].

Love the Stanton Corvette - don't remember the Lexington Colours - my pic of the car at Puke .. B and W of course.
P.S going to borrow some of the photos for my " Archives " ..

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I have this as GP meeting 1968 - however, could be 1967 - Geoff Mardon was driving, and Barry Keen was in the Begg 4.7 a V8 ..
This car;

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[Frosty5]

1st pic in post #34 is now owned by Nigel McDonald of Taranaki. Regularly features in Historic Muscle Cars events.
Dave Graham

[Ray Bell]

A little bit of a back-up here:

https://i.postimg.cc/dQBTxt4V/0719fr-RSbrabhamalfa.jpg
Actually the Brabham Alfa, not the Mildren Alfa. I think it's Glenn Abbey at the wheel.

https://i.postimg.cc/J4zBVV2c/0719fr-RScouragebiwing.jpg
Yes, a Frank Williams entry. DFV powered and bi-wings, it should have won the series.

https://i.postimg.cc/xTpN9prr/0719fr-RSgeoghegan39-NZ.jpg
Geoghegan's crew are in Firestone red, that would be Mick Lambert sitting on the rear wheel, and isn't that Roly Levis with them?

https://i.postimg.cc/nhsjrKZX/0719fr-RSpukegridhulme.jpg
Is that Denny Hulme's ex-Rindt BT23?

https://i.postimg.cc/C5mBBmzq/0719fr-RSpukekohegrid.jpg
Worth noting here that the McLaren M4A of Piers Courage is part of the picture. This car, of course, became Niel Allen's at the end of the series.

[khyndart in CA]

Jan. 6th. 1968. NZGP grid photo.
Ray,
That is Jim Palmer in his McLaren M4A # 41 and Paul Bolton on the far side in his Brabham BT 19.
Car # 20 was the recently departed Laurence Brownlie in his Brabham BT 23.
The brown car is the Roly Levis BT 18 # 12 and the car on the right is the Peter Yock Lotus 33/BRM # 10.

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Another scene at the same time.

Denny Hulme and Brownlie just before their awful coming together on the back straight at Pukekohe.
Both in Brabham BT 23s.
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(Ken H.)

[Ray Bell]

Courage's McLaren is the burgundy-coloured car beside Palmer, is it not?

[Milan Fistonic]

Courage's McLaren is the burgundy-coloured car beside Palmer, is it not?

Yes it is Ray.

The photo shows the grid from row 4 back.

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[khyndart in CA]

Sorry Ray for interfering and thanks Milan for setting the record straight once again.
I actually attended this race and it was the last time that I saw both Jimmy Clark and Bruce McLaren race.

I hope Mike does not mind me using his photo here. (Thanks Mike.)
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(Ken H)

[Kwaussie]

LRA Brownlie's chassis that year ^^^ best described as the following from Old Racing Cars site..

Brabham BT18/23 ["F3-J-66"] (Laurence Brownlie): New Zealander Fred McLean was working for Charles Lucas Engineering in 1966 and while there, he fabricated his own Brabham BT18 chassis as the basis of a F3 car. Although described as a BT18, a photograph of it (on formel3guide.de) taken at Avus in June 1966 shows it had the short rear uprights of a BT15 so it may have been more accurate to call it a 1966 BT15. McLean's preference is followed here. McLean raced the car in European F3 in 1966. In 1967, he sold the rolling chassis to Laurence Brownlie who then had McLean upgrade the car with BT23 rear uprights, BT23C rear suspension, Hewland FT200 gearbox and Lockheed brakes. A short stroke 1500cc Vegantune twin cam engine was fitted for the NZ National Formula. Brownlie first raced it in a NZ Gold Star race at Pukekohe in November 1967 and then at the NZ Grand Prix in January 1968 where he was forced off the track by Denny Hulme and the car too badly damaged to repair. The engine and gearbox were sold but Brownlie confirms that the chassis was scrap.

[khyndart in CA]

Considering the size of the roll bar and the lack of circuit safety at Pukekohe in 1968, Denny Hulme was a lucky man !
I think that is Brownlie being attended to in the background.
I can remember seeing a big cloud of brown dirt and Hulme's car somersaulting sideways from our view over on the Hill. I never realized how close they had come to hitting the power poles along the back straight. The coating of white paint would not have provided much protection !

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The last time I ever saw Bruce McLaren was when he ran out to get into the back of the ambulance
carrying Hulme, as it came around after the race. Denny was to be his new team mate after Hulme had left the Brabham Team. (Which must have pleased Jack B no end !)


K H

[Ray Bell]

Having two consecutive Manufacturers' Championships, first and second places in the Drivers' Championship and a new engine from Repco in the works, Jack could take his pick of drivers...

And Denny was already Bruce's team mate in Can-Am, of course.

This crash actually changed history at Rennmax. Because the chassis was given to Bob Britton to replace, he had to build a jig for the BT23 whereas the previous car he'd built was a BT14, jigged up when he had the job of modifying John Harvey's car to take the Repco V8.

He often says, "I should have just gone on making the BT14, it was a better car than the BT23. But who would buy a 1965 model when there was a 1967 model there?"

I think he finally built nine cars from this jig, which included the Mildren-Waggott raced for so long by Max Stewart.

Bob much later built another BT14 for himself. It's among the many cars he's built since he ostensibly stopped building cars:

https://forums.autosport.com/topic/205074-rennmax-and-their-creator-bob-britton/

[Terry S]

Considering the size of the roll bar and the lack of circuit safety at Pukekohe in 1968, Denny Hulme was a lucky man !
I think that is Brownlie being attended to in the background.
I can remember seeing a big cloud of brown dirt and Hulme's car somersaulting sideways from our view over on the Hill. I never realized how close they had come to hitting the power poles along the back straight. The coating of white paint would not have provided much protection !

62614

The last time I ever saw Bruce McLaren was when he ran out to get into the back of the ambulance
carrying Hulme, as it came around after the race. Denny was to be his new team mate after Hulme had left the Brabham Team. (Which must have pleased Jack B no end !)


K H

For the story of what happened subsequently to Hulme's Brabham see my post #3 in this thread

http://www.theroaringseason.com/showthread.php?1824-RORSTAN-TASMAN-SERIES-RACERS&highlight=rorstan

[John H]

For the story of what happened subsequently to Hulme's Brabham see my post #3 in this thread

http://www.theroaringseason.com/showthread.php?1824-RORSTAN-TASMAN-SERIES-RACERS&highlight=rorstan

Amazing photo. Brings back memories. I had been at the railway corner and remember Hulme shaking his fist at Brownlie then bumping his car hard with the front wheel bouncing going into railway corner then further down the back straight we could see the wheels, body panels, dirt way into the air. Denny walked very slowly to the ambulance and was very pale and Brownlie,s leg very damaged. I thought Brownlie was on the ground at the back of the ambulance? How they didn't die! Good photo and at the time someone was upset at photos being taken but good to see this. Thanks.