The Garry Simkin Collection - Part 2

[Steve Holmes]

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Time for Part 2 of the Garry Simkin Collection. I've split Garrys entire collection of historic New Zealand motorsport photos into 3 parts, so will run the final part in the coming weeks. Part 1 was a huge hit, I reckon Part 2 will be just as popular.

As always, I'll try and ID as many cars and drivers as I can, but always appreciate any help for those on here more knowledgeable than me, which is most of you!

I think almost all of the pics shown here will be from the 1970 and 1971 seasons, and are shown at Pukekohe and Levin.

So anyway, enjoy!

[Steve Holmes]

OK, so kicking off here is a shot capturing Graham McRae, which I assume is at Levin, plus Graeme Lawrence in the Ferrari, and a couple of shots of Evan Noyes in his Brabham BT29. Maybe Garry can help here, I don't know what the correct order of the two Noyes photos should be, but at a guess I'd say the action shot with a pole wedged in the front air intake, and probably the radiator, comes first, given he didn't finish this race.

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[Steve Holmes]

With Noyes' Brabham retired, John Cannon takes to the scenery in his McLaren in the first photo, then we have a couple of Chris Amon action shots, firstly in the March he drove at Levin, then the Lotus he drove at Pukekohe. Finally, a really neat photo of Frank Matich, having just won the 1970 NZ Grand Prix.

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[Steve Holmes]

I love this group of photos, that capture some of the drivers either about to do battle, or following a race. Look at the crowd surrounding Chris Amon here (and, I'm guessing, McRae and Niel Allen???). A top flight F1 driver, and yet completely accessible. I figure this is possibly either just before or just after the driver awards at the Levin International, in 1971, given that looks like a podium just behind Chris.

Next photo captures John Cannon getting set to do battle at Levin, as well as Amon again, in the same race. The last shot has me stumped. I want to say Leo Leonard in a Begg FM2. Can someone put me straight here?

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[Steve Holmes]

OK, first shot here shows Kevin Bartlett in the Mildren Chevrolet at Levin in 1971. Given he retired from the race with a broken wishbone, I'm guessing thats what has happened here, as the front left wheel looks set a little too high. But KB can probably provide an explanation. Next is another of Amon in the March, followed by a couple of the magnificent Matich McLaren, which is just one of my all-time favourite race cars.

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[Steve Holmes]

Matich again, followed by David Oxton in the Amon March, and a couple of Amon himself, in the Oxton Lotus.

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[bry3500]

love the shot of Graham with the laurels at Levin..

[GD66]

Ditto with the shots of the Matich M10B, great looking car and an awesome talent, beat a strong field to dominate the NZGP at Pukekohe, and then Norm Beechey backed up in his Monaro. Big day out...

[Steve Holmes]

Ok, next batch, and although slightly bulbous from some angles, the side profile of the big Eisert Chevrolet is pretty impressive. To be fair, it was designed as a USAC car, not a Forumla A, but from this angle, its a pretty good looking car. Where is this car now? Does it still exist?

I'm struggling a little with the green Lotus. Could this be Peter Hughes?

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[Steve Holmes]

Couple more from Levin, Niel Allen, who'd go on to win the NZIGP, and Geoff Mardons Begg, trailing blue smoke.

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[GD66]

It is Peter Hughes, Steve, and you can see Lotus 33 written in the pinstripe. Transal were his sponsors at this time, and that's quite a good shot of their locally-produced wheels, which when buffed and polished looked great on the race car

[Oldfart]

But it wasn't a 33 was it? I'm not positive but was it not something other than a DFV powered monocoque which is what a 33 was?

[GD66]

As outlined elsewhere on the forum it was originally BRM-engined when raced here byPeter Yock and was, correctly, incorrectly or colloquially known as a 25/33.
I think in the end it was decided to be a quite-famous 25.
Others know more than I, though. :D


http://www.oldracingcars.com/f1/car.php?CarID=25/33/R13

[rogered]

the 26 car has me stumped?

[pallmall]

the 26 car has me stumped?

#26 Neil Allen McLaren M10B.

The Eisert was on lease and returned to the USA, apparently still seen at Historic meetings from time to time, but I am not sure if that is as a FA or Indycar.

[pallmall]

As outlined elsewhere on the forum it was originally BRM-engined when raced here byPeter Yock and was, correctly, incorrectly or colloquially known as a 25/33.
I think in the end it was decided to be a quite-famous 25.
Others know more than I, though. :D


http://www.oldracingcars.com/f1/car.php?CarID=25/33/R13

When it came downunder for Peter Yock from Parnell it was known as a Lotus 33 and there was an assumption that it may have been a Parnell built continuation/replacement chassis. It was eventually identified as Lotus 25/R4 years later. I suggest getting hold of a copy of Eoin Young's book 'Jim Clark and his most successful Lotus' for the full story.

[woody]

I will try and contact Yockie and see if he can remember what model it was.

[David McKinney]

It was said at the time to be a 33, both when raced by the Parnell team and by Yock (and Hughes). It had been built from a 25 tub, so should really have been identified as such. Guess a 33 sounded better than a 25...

[Steve Holmes]

Hey guys, thanks for that info on the Lotus. So is this the same car as posted above? This was from early 1969, so an earlier shot of the car still with its V8. This pic is from the Mike Feisst collection shown elsewhere on here.

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[Steve Holmes]

Has anyone been able to help with the yellow car at the bottom of post #4?

[AMCO72]

Being back to front might make it difficult to ID.........POLNUD!!!!!!

[pallmall]

Hey guys, thanks for that info on the Lotus. So is this the same car as posted above? This was from early 1969, so an earlier shot of the car still with its V8. This pic is from the Mike Feisst collection shown elsewhere on here.

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But not the BRM V8, it has the Daimler V8 in it in that photo. Peter Hughes adapted the BRM Fuel Injection to the Daimler, interesting exercise, but it probably went as well with the Ford TC that was fitted in the earlier photos.

[pallmall]

Has anyone been able to help with the yellow car at the bottom of post #4?

Geoff Mardon. Begg.

[Steve Holmes]

Thanks Gavin, that was my first guess, but Mardon usually raced with an open helmet, which made me question this.

[Steve Holmes]

OK, continuing on now, heres a line-up of Matich McLaren shots, from Levin and Pukekohe.

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[Steve Holmes]

The first pic here captures the 1970 NZIGP, moments after the start. Following that is, I think, Max Stewart at Levin in the Mildren Waggott. Last two pics show Ulf Norinders Lola.

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[Steve Holmes]

Ok, couple shots here of Mike Goth in the Surtees, followed by Graeme Lawrence in the Ferrari, and Kevin Bartlett in the other Midren Waggott.

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[Steve Holmes]

These are the last of the single seater pics, all the rest for this part are production touring cars. Here we've got Derek Bell on his way to 2nd in the 1970 NZIGP, in his Brabham BT26, followed by a couple of more shots of Allen, and, lastly, from the same event, a nice shot of the cars soaring up the long Pukekohe back straight.

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[Steve Holmes]

OK, now I'm really going to struggle to ID many of the drivers/cars in the following pics, so any help would be appreciated. I do know the first pic, of the brown Charger, is that of Rod Coppins/Jim Richards, on their way to winning the 1972 Shell 100 at Levin. This is the same car which this pair drove to victory in the B&H 500 a few weeks earlier, although following the B&H 500, Todd Motors sold both this car and the second Todd Charger driven by Leonard/Sprague, into private ownership. The car posted here was bought by Jolly & Mills, while the Leonard/Sprague car was bought by Graeme Addis, and eventually became his wild rear-engined Sports Sedan.

I believe the Datsun could be the Wayne Jones/George Wilson car. Orange Fiat is Allan Carter.

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[Steve Holmes]

Same track, different year for most of these.

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[Steve Holmes]

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[Steve Holmes]

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[Steve Holmes]

Does anyone have info on this roll of what appears to be the Leonard/Sprague Victor?

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[Steve Holmes]

OK, last ones folks, I'll post the remainder of Garrys collection in the coming weeks. Thanks again to Garry for allowing me to share these with you all.

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[Rod Grimwood]

Jim Richards in the two tone Imp, it went on to become a well known Imp

[AMCO72]

Post #34....... Car No 17......Collingwood/Boyle Riley 1300. Levin long distance race 1971.

[Shano]

Great photos indeed. My Mum ended up with one of those ex B&H 500 Simca 1000s.

That Collingwood Riley Kestrel was a rocketship.

[Rod Grimwood]

What happened to the Toyo in the last photo, did it stay on all four ? Not alot of opposite on yet.

[AMCO72]

Not a Kestrel, Shano. The 1100's were Kestrels, the 1300 was just that, a 1300. They had a very good engine package, almost Cooper S but not quite. We owned one for a while, until it collapsed in a pile of rust taking it to Glen Horn's wrecking yard. It was a car that had lived for the first 10 years of it's life in the UK then imported privately. It eventually failed the WOF here in NZ due to rust, the English salt had got to it, and was put up for sale. At this stage we bought it, and Angus did some events at Mystery Creek rallycross in it. For an unmodified car it did amazingly well, giving the Datsuns and the like a big fright. We then put the engine into the Amco Mini, and this is pretty much the tune in which we raced the Mini in those early years at Taupo. The body was then dragged to the wrecking yard to be dismembered. It was known, for obvious reasons as 'The Rusty Riley'.

[Rod Grimwood]

That little act with the Victor, may account for it appearing at B&H 500 with black and white chequer roof. One way of hiding the little ripples, etc. Think Leonard and Hawes drove it at Puke and think it won.

[Carlo]

The chequer roof was the year earlier. Seem to recall the car may have lost a wheel with axle failure hence the flip. Must catch up with Leo and refresh the memeory. Think Gary Sprague and Barry Cottle won the race with a Fiat 125

[Rod Grimwood]

#34 Background to BMW, looks like McMillan Motors Falcon GT (Richards ?) and not sure of the Monaro, think Thomsons was a brown colour.

[bob homewood]

The Ernie Sprague / Leo Leonard car lost a wheel and crashed on lap 166
There are a couple of photos that are out of sequence for the details I have but I will try to sort them later,you can sort out the numbers yourselves to the photos
This is what I have
1972
1 Coppins
13 George Wilson

Then !969
8 Baron Robertson /Tim Bailey
17 Collingwood / Boyle
1 Ernie Sprague / Leo Leonard
25 Jim Richards / Brian Patrick
9 Gary Sprague /Barry Cottle (They were the winners )
19 Dennis Hamill / John Riley
23 Jones / Wilson
36 ?????????????????????????
6 Jim Kennedy / Ron Rutherford
3 Harvey / Davie
5 Hyslop / Langley
7 Don Dawson / Haggett
24 Robertson / Holland

The others I will try to place with a name and a year later

[bob homewood]

The BMW no 85 I would believe is Doc Langley ,which could possibly make that photo from 1973

[Shano]

The 19 Hamill/Riley Simca is the one my mother bought. Ended its days rotten with rust, but not before having and losing a huge argument with a powerpole in Papatoetoe with yours truly at the wheel. They were a popular cheap car back then (and they had a heater that worked, which is something most British cars lacked).

Gerald - I stand corrected. In my defence yer 'onna, I clearly recall the car being billed as a Kestrel at the Pukekohe meeting where it proved competitive with the Chrysler Chargers in the production series. Mind you, that was probably due to the nut holding the steering wheel.

The Sprague/Leonard black/white chequered Victor - shot taken at the B&H 500 in 1969 according to my photo album (which has proven to be less than 100% reliable in these matters).

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v298/benderboat/Motor%20racing%20at%20Pukekohe/BH50069SpragueLeonardVictor.jpg

[Lurker]

Gerald - I stand corrected. In my defence yer 'onna, I clearly recall the car being billed as a Kestrel at the Pukekohe meeting where it proved competitive with the Chrysler Chargers in the production series. Mind you, that was probably due to the nut holding the steering wheel.


[[/IMG]

I believe it was definitely a Riley Kestrel, check out the chrome trim below the indicator on the front guard and compare with the one in the picture from the link below

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Riley_Kestrel_1300_1275cc_October_1968.JPG

[AMCO72]

Lurker, these things were always called 'Kestrels' by all and sundry The plain fact of the matter is that only the 1100 version was called a Kestrel by the factory, all the 1300's were officially just '1300's'. Had an 'almost' 1275cc Cooper 'S' engine, nitrided crank etc etc, just over 70bhp, and a full instrument panel, including rev counter. The 1100 Kestrel had a strip speedo with fuel and water gauge at each end. The trim I think was the same on both models so you wouldn't know by looking outside what the car was except maybe for a 1300 badge on the boot lid. The one shown in your link was exactly the colour of the 'Rusty Riley', only ours didnt have a different colour roof. The wheels on the 1100 version may have been plain ie no holes, but in fact these got swapped quite regularly with the 1300 variety. Allan Dick did an article in NZ Classic Driver some time ago on Rod Collingwood, and the racing with the 1300 was mentioned. Rod would have liked to buy the 1300 back, so impressed was he by it, but it has probably rusted away like ours.

[markec]

I spoke with Rod today and he tells me the Riley was a Mark11 GT,one of 72 made, 1275 block, different head with larger valves,also with a close ratio gearbox.They had leather trim and covered steering wheel. Not a Kestrel.
Rod onsold this car to an Auckland Car Club member complete3, the new owner used it in club events.

[Lurker]

Thanks for clarification Amco and markec. I, too, was always under the illusion that all Riley 1100/1300 were branded Kestrel but now stand corrected.

[Shano]

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My younger brother, who is real sharp with driver/car recognition from this era, reckons this is more likely to be Neil Doyle than Geoff Marden. Neil also had a yellow Begg and wore a full face helmet, whereas Marden wore an open face.

[pallmall]

My younger brother, who is real sharp with driver/car recognition from this era, reckons this is more likely to be Neil Doyle than Geoff Marden. Neil also had a yellow Begg and wore a full face helmet, whereas Marden wore an open face.

It was the yellow Begg that convinced me it was Geoff Mardon, I can't remember the Doyle car in works Begg Agricultural Yellow. But if it was, certainly more likely to be Doyle.

[seaqnmac27]

The Ernie Sprague / Leo Leonard car lost a wheel and crashed on lap 166
There are a couple of photos that are out of sequence for the details I have but I will try to sort them later,you can sort out the numbers yourselves to the photos
This is what I have
1972
1 Coppins
13 George Wilson

Then !969
8 Baron Robertson /Tim Bailey
17 Collingwood / Boyle
1 Ernie Sprague / Leo Leonard
25 Jim Richards / Brian Patrick
9 Gary Sprague /Barry Cottle (They were the winners )
19 Dennis Hamill / John Riley
23 Jones / Wilson
36 ?????????????????????????
6 Jim Kennedy / Ron Rutherford
3 Harvey / Davie
5 Hyslop / Langley
7 Don Dawson / Haggett
24 Robertson / Holland

The others I will try to place with a name and a year later

Yes it looks like the back left, you can see the wheel in the third image in the foreground and a noticeably absent back left in the second image of the accident.

[David McKinney]

The 1971 yellow Begg FM2s were driven by Graham McRae, Geoff Mardon, Pierre Phillips and I think once by Leo Leonard

One of the cars was sold to Neil Doyle, who ran it in blue the following season

[GD66]

Well, of that list I'd say Leo Leonard's your best shot, as I can only ever recall Geoff Mardon using an open-face helmet.

And I think I can also recall Graham McRae driving an FM2 in unpainted alloy, a good look. Maybe a season-opener at Levin...:confused:

[pallmall]

The 1971 yellow Begg FM2s were driven by Graham McRae, Geoff Mardon, Pierre Phillips and I think once by Leo Leonard

One of the cars was sold to Neil Doyle, who ran it in blue the following season

I think 1970 David, not 1971.

[pallmall]

Well, of that list I'd say Leo Leonard's your best shot, as I can only ever recall Geoff Mardon using an open-face helmet.

And I think I can also recall Graham McRae driving an FM2 in unpainted alloy, a good look. Maybe a season-opener at Levin...:confused:

Pukekohe late 1969, and may also have run unpainted at BayPark and Levin.
http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i275/Checraft/Motor%20Racing%20F5000-%20Sports/BeggFM1001750x365.jpg

[David McKinney]

I think 1970 David, not 1971.
Thanks Gvain. You're quite right of course
Sorry for the confusion

Although McRae's mount was unpainted when he first raced it, it was in works yellow when he raced it later in the season, at Timaru f'rinstance

[openwheeler]

[QUOTE=Steve Holmes;13167]I love this group of photos, that capture some of the drivers either about to do battle, or following a race. Look at the crowd surrounding Chris Amon here (and, I'm guessing, McRae and Niel Allen???). A top flight F1 driver, and yet completely accessible. I figure this is possibly either just before or just after the driver awards at the Levin International, in 1971, given that looks like a podium just behind Chris.

Next photo captures John Cannon getting set to do battle at Levin, as well as Amon again, in the same race. The last shot has me stumped. I want to say Leo Leonard in a Begg FM2. Can someone put me straight here?

the fm2s never had that colour scheme while,george owned it. Just a note leo leonard never drove a fm2.

[openwheeler]

the year cannon was here pierre phillips and jeff mardon drove the fm2s .mcraes only drive was the one timaru drive

[David McKinney]

McRae had also driven an FM2 in a couple of races before the Tasman series

And Leo did race an FM2, at Ruapuna in March 1970

[openwheeler]

leo did not drive the fm2 in march 1970 and i should know my butt was in the seat!!!!!

[David McKinney]

AutoNews and Motorman must both have been wrong, then :)

[openwheeler]

well lets try this a driffrent way.if you read georges book when the engine roars . there is a photo at
ruapuna early in 71 that is no leo in the middle fm2

[openwheeler]

sorry was not in nz march 1970. over the years grown tired being called leo when i was driving.

[Rod Grimwood]

sorry was not in nz march 1970. over the years grown tired being called leo when i was driving.

Can you clarify for us please,

1 was it you or Leo in 1970 as was originally quoted.

2 did you drive the FM2 in 1970 or 1971.

3 how many times did you drive the FM2

Cheers

[John McKechnie]

-ruapuna early in 71 that is no leo in the middle fm2-


Ruapuna Park- March 14 1971.-not a Leo in sight.
I have found Russell Thomson running FM2 number 64, 2nd in Scratch race .
Also was Neil Doyle FM2.-looks like 55 ?- 2nd in Feature Race
Ross Williams was in the ex Leo Leonard Begg FA.:confused: Ross won the Handicap race
All this is in Motorman May 1971.
Is this helpful here?

[Milan Fistonic]

In case anyone is still interested in identifying the cars in Garry Simkins' photos here is the entry list.

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[Grant Sprague]

Roddy Brent & Leo drove the year before in a different 3.3 ....... this was when Brent sadly got killed in the Begg Sports car , Then Ernie & Leo teamed up , in the 2nd car