Ross nova one

[Ross nova one]

Hi all, I'm a long time historic touring car racer and I have to thank Steve for directing me to this site. It's great to see that there are so many knowledgable people out there with the kind of information that you can not find in books. I am desperately trying to find information on the Beechy Nova and in particular when it was raced in South Australia by John Kay and Tony Bowden.
Ross Muller

[markec]

I posted a photo of it when it was yellow at Bay Park, its in the Bay Park thread.

[GD66]

Don't wish to be a nark, but I don't recall Norm racing it at Bay Park in yellow, or wearing #3.
Yes, Norm's Nova was lhd, but when was racing Bridgestone were making motorcycles, not tyres. I think it's likely the yellow livery dates to the car's time in Sth Aust.

[Rod Grimwood]

Don't wish to be a nark, but I don't recall Norm racing it at Bay Park in yellow, or wearing #3.
Yes, Norm's Nova was lhd, but when was racing Bridgestone were making motorcycles, not tyres. I think it's likely the yellow livery dates to the car's time in Sth Aust.

Norms car was not yellow out here. That light blue/green and then dark blue. I think that photo may be a ex speedway boy from Mount who raced one in Pre65 at start of series years ago. Or as GD66 say,s later on in Aus.

[pallmall]

The yellow car is an earlier model Nova to the one Norm Beechy had, and is a more recent 'historic type' race car.

[rogered]

Norms car was not yellow out here. That light blue/green and then dark blue. I think that photo may be a ex speedway boy from Mount who raced one in Pre65 at start of series years ago. Or as GD66 say,s later on in Aus.

Ya dead right
Dave Sutton from only around 10 years ago from memory

[Rod Grimwood]

Rog, was he older or younger brother of "Butch" (Pollock Cranes on cars) good guy, had some fun back then. (about twenty/thirty years ago)

[markec]

You are all correct, I didn't read the tag properly,it mentioned Norm Beechey but the photo is of a pre 65 car.

[Ellis]

Took this at Calder 8/66 with broken front stub....

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y128/falcongtho/66-17.jpg

[GD66]

Rog, was he older or younger brother of "Butch" (Pollock Cranes on cars) good guy, had some fun back then. (about twenty/thirty years ago)



Dave and Butch are the same guy. By the way, Rod, if you worked for Firestone way back then, do you know Peter Broom ?

[markec]

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[Rod Grimwood]

Dave and Butch are the same guy. By the way, Rod, if you worked for Firestone way back then, do you know Peter Broom ?

Yes, but that was very long time ago. I was being smart with name (butch), knew him quite well back then also.

[Steve Holmes]

I'm amazed so little has come to light about the Beechey Nova after it was sold to Kay. It was still a pretty high profile car, and you'd think would have been a top gun at Kay's local track. It did get a photo in Graham Howards "Australian Touring Car Championship" book when Kay raced it at Mallala in 1969, but thats the only photo I've seen of it in Kays hands.

[Ross nova one]

Hi Steve, I've managed to contact Tony Bowden who was the partner of the late John Kay and we have come up with some interesting findings which I will post at a later date

[Steve Holmes]

Thanks Ross, that is great! Good work. I'll look forward to hearing your findings.

[hilstwist]

Thanks Ross, that is great! Good work. I'll look forward to hearing your findings.
Beechey Nova
I have some photos I took at Bay Park in 1968, i think.The car was a light blue from memory and it was #4. didn't he race there twice?

[Steve Holmes]

Thats right Steve, Beechey actually raced the Nova in NZ on at least two occasions, once when it was black, in late 1967, then in its ''68 colour scheme, as seen here.

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[John McKechnie]

This is a great pic of BayPark. I was at the exact same place at the start/Just look at the crowd and cars in the background

[John McKechnie]

Hey Steve, looking at the time that you posted this, do you do this site24/7?

[GD66]

This is a great pic of BayPark. I was at the exact same place at the start/Just look at the crowd and cars in the background


Surprising how often that bloody Laughing Pipi Citroen appears in the Bay Park pics...:)

[hilstwist]

This is the meeting i was at and took the photos.I will send or try to post on here.There is some great shots of Dawson,Fahey,Black or Coppins? and Beechey racing very close at the corner before the pit straight.funny thing though I don't remember the E type nor is it in any of the pics!

[Rod Grimwood]

Same grid,same race, but better looking cars in back ground GD

[Oldfart]

Background cars?? Barely Hold in together?

[stubuchanan]

This is the meeting i was at and took the photos.I will send or try to post on here.There is some great shots of Dawson,Fahey,Black or Coppins? and Beechey racing very close at the corner before the pit straight.funny thing though I don't remember the E type nor is it in any of the pics!

Aha, the Scott Wiseman E-Type.
Look more closely at the picture and you will see the aerofoil. A fairly liberal stretch of the rules for saloon cars.

Stu

[John McKechnie]

The pink godess?

[Steve Holmes]

Surprising how often that bloody Laughing Pipi Citroen appears in the Bay Park pics...:)

Yeah I was thinking the same thing!

[Steve Holmes]

Aha, the Scott Wiseman E-Type.
Look more closely at the picture and you will see the aerofoil. A fairly liberal stretch of the rules for saloon cars.

Stu

Yep, thats right. I have to assume this was just an Allcomer type race.

[hilstwist]

Now my curiosity is peaked! This must be the meeting I was at but do I not remember or photographed The E type because it didn't last a lap? Is there a story behind that car? was this a one time race? The rest of the field is group 5? Lastly why wouldn't the E type have been ok for that class. I know it looks out of place in that field but what why would it have been outlawed rule wise? I know there are guys on this site who can clear up this so i can sleep tonight!!

[Rod Grimwood]

hilstwist, the E-Type ended up backwards through the fence at Harmans, so if you missed it on warm up lap and start it did not come past again. Photo somewhere on sight i think, i got one at home anyway.

[Dave Silcock]

That shot is already on this site somewhere, I thought it was at Levin as Wisemann had a huge off there going backwards, so may be he did it twice. Little story about that. He used to come down to the shop in Aotea Square put on his smelly old work clothes, potter about a bit, declare "I'm not going to finish this today, I might as well go home" put his good clothes back on and off he would go. This saying is still in use in my shop to this day. But it was repaired eventually.

[Dave Silcock]

Got it , post 9 Dave Silcock Jags

[Steve Holmes]

Got it , post 9 Dave Silcock Jags

Nice piece of investigative work there Dave! As for why the Jag was racing in this event, could it be the race was just an Allcomer type race? Australia and NZ were running to slightly different saloon car regs, so I think a lot of those events where an international car/driver appeared usually didn't run to a strict set of rules. They were just for pulling a good crowd and putting on a show.

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[EType]

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Here's a photo of the Wiseman E Type I took at Ray Larsen's place late last year.

Stewart

[Steve Holmes]

Thanks for posting Stewart. The car looks in very original condition. Does it still get raced at all?

Hope you don't mind I just rotated your photo.

[stubuchanan]

Aha, the Scott Wiseman E-Type.
Look more closely at the picture and you will see the aerofoil. A fairly liberal stretch of the rules for saloon cars.

Stu

My point, somewhat tongue-in-cheek, was about the aerofoil not being a normal saloon car thing. It does seem to have been properly engineered, and looks to have stood up to the off track excursion, unlike similar high wings on Formula One cars around the same time, which didn't even stand up to the aerodynamic stresses put on them.

http://s6.postimage.org/7gvsoos4x/Puk_Dec_68_Sports011.jpg (http://postimage.org/)

Here is a December 1968 photo from a poorly supported sports car race.

"Pink Goddess" - Are you referring to an E-Type Stock Car raced by NZ-born Morry Morice in England in the 1970's(??), who also ran in a couple of minor Formula One races in the 1950's in a Cooper-Bristol.

Stu

[John McKechnie]

Hi Stu,The Pink Goddess is the pink Citroen-this model is known as "the goddess"- in the background, a.k.a.bloody laughing pipi.In the sports car race , while numbers are low, its a good quality field.The Elfin big block is there, usual suspects..........wheres Jaimie A?

[GD66]

At his 50th bash, probably ! :D

Is that Brent Hawes on pole in the Begg ?

[Steve Holmes]

My point, somewhat tongue-in-cheek, was about the aerofoil not being a normal saloon car thing. It does seem to have been properly engineered, and looks to have stood up to the off track excursion, unlike similar high wings on Formula One cars around the same time, which didn't even stand up to the aerodynamic stresses put on them.

http://s6.postimage.org/7gvsoos4x/Puk_Dec_68_Sports011.jpg (http://postimage.org/)

Here is a December 1968 photo from a poorly supported sports car race.

"Pink Goddess" - Are you referring to an E-Type Stock Car raced by NZ-born Morry Morice in England in the 1970's(??), who also ran in a couple of minor Formula One races in the 1950's in a Cooper-Bristol.

Stu

Wow, superb photo Stu. Whats the car at the rear, is that the HWM-Cadillac? Boy the wing on the Wiseman Jag sure sits up high!

[stubuchanan]

Wow, superb photo Stu. Whats the car at the rear, is that the HWM-Cadillac? Boy the wing on the Wiseman Jag sure sits up high!

GD66 - Grid as follows :
Jim Boyd (Stanton Corvette) Brent Hawes(Begg Chev)** Pole Posn**
Scott Wiseman(E-Type) Grahame Harvey(Elfin)
Bob Hyslop(JRM-Ford) John Riley(Lotus)
John Monehan(HWM Corvette) Ivy Stephenson(Lola)

Steve : Corvette (or Chev at least) engine in HWM this time. Pity this wasn't in colour, I think it was a very fetching shade of deep purple at this stage. It had many engines and many colours over time J Donnelly entered it as the HWM-Thunderbird in 1965, painted red I think. At the 1962 GP meeting (Ardmore) Ron Roycroft drove it to 3rd with apparently a 7850 cc Continental aero engine - pale green was the colour then!

Stu

[Oldfart]

About this time was the HWM raced by ? Haskett?
Likely to be wrong about the spelling.

[Dave Silcock]

Graham Hallen I think Rhys. methinks I saw him entered some where recently in a Mustang or similar

[Ross nova one]

Does anyone have photos or contacts who might have photos of the ex Beechy Nova from the period 1969 - 1971 when raced by Tony Bowden and John Kay?
It was raced several times at Mallala between 69 and 71 and also at Calder in 1971.

[Steve Holmes]

Thats right Steve, Beechey actually raced the Nova in NZ on at least two occasions, once when it was black, in late 1967, then in its ''68 colour scheme, as seen here.

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I posted this photo on The Roaring Season Facebook page, and queried Beecheys decision to retro-fit the steel wheels the car raced on when first built in 1966, and since replaced by 5-spoke wheels. Allan Dick posted that Beechey was actually trying to sell the car in NZ. That would explain why the steel wheels found their way back on. Keep the good 5-spoke wheels, and sell it with the old steel ones. Unfortunately for Norm, it didn't find a buyer in NZ.

[Steve Holmes]

A couple of beautiful Terry Marshall photos here, showing Beechey during two of his three Bay Park appearances. The first is from the Xmas 1967 meeting, being chased by Fahey and Dawson. The second, with the big Nova suffering severe understeer, is from the Xmas 1968 meeting.

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[rogered]

Graham Hallen I think Rhys. methinks I saw him entered some where recently in a Mustang or similar

groundsky photos
http://www.groundsky.co.nz/index.php?Action=SRC

[rogered]

type in grahams name and you will see he is very active:)

[Oldfart]

Pretty sure this is not the person I was referring to.

[kiwi285]

http://i48.tinypic.com/34zg306.jpg

Ross Nova One - Is this the car you were looking for photos of ??

[rogered]

Pretty sure this is not the person I was referring to.


He is the same gent that owned the HWM

[Oldfart]

So do you know where Peter Haskett fits in?

[David McKinney]

If you're referring to the HWM, OF, Haskett was the first owner after the Avery brothers, and ran it with the 8-litre Continental aero engine. Then John Donnelly (4.6, later 5.4 Ford), Graeme Hallen (5.7 Chevrolet), John Monehan briefly before it joined Ron Roycroft’s private collection in 1970

[Dave Silcock]

Now with Gavin Bain, saw it at Auto Restorations last month. It has a Cadillac motor and Jaguar gear box fitted and is getting a full restoration.

[Steve Holmes]

There is an interesting and happy conclusion to this story. The reason Ross was trying to gather photos of the Norm Beechey Nova, was that he was gathering information on the car to present to CAMS, in order to have the 1967/67 Nova make/model added to the list of eligible vehicles to compete under CAMS Historic Group Nc rules for cars dating from 1965 through 1972. Previously, Ross had been racing an earlier model Nova/Chevy II in Historic Group Nb.

There were some complications involved, aside from simply proving that a 1966/67 shaped Nova raced in Australia in period. Obviously, the Beechey car was pretty famous, and a very high-profile vehicle, so providing proof of that fact was easy. The complications arose when Ross wanted to run the car fitted with front disc brakes.

Norm Beechey built his Nova in 1966, at which time, this model was only available with 4-wheel drum brakes. And this is exactly how Beechey raced the car. However, Chevrolet offered the Nova with front disc brakes in 1967. But for whatever reason, Beechey decided to retain his car with drum brakes.

Ross and I had been emailing each other quite regularly, as I tried to provide him with period photos of the Beechey car as it raced during the later part of the 1967 season. It was during this time Beechey aesthetically upgraded the car by fitting it with a 1967 grill. In doing so, this helped Ross' cause when working with CAMS to get not only the 1966 Nova accepted as a Group Nc car, but also the 1967 model, as the Beechey car represented both during its different guises. CAMS accepted not only the 1966 model, but also the 1967 model, and, more importantly, even though Beechey chose to retain four wheel disc brakes on his car, CAMS have allowed anyone wanting to build a 1967 Nova, to do so with disc brakes on the front. Result!

So, in conclusion, the photos our various Roaring Season members have unearthed over the years, showing, most importantly, the Beechey Nova as it raced in New Zealand in late 1967, proved that this car raced under the guise of a '67 model, which helped Ross in his plight to get the model accepted under Group Nc rules. The absolutely beautiful Chevy Nova pictured below, which Ross recently completed building, is the result. Great work Roaring Season members! And well done Ross for all your work, getting this model accepted, and for building such a beautiful race car!

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[Noo Noo]

I posted this photo on The Roaring Season Facebook page, and queried Beecheys decision to retro-fit the steel wheels the car raced on when first built in 1966, and since replaced by 5-spoke wheels. Allan Dick posted that Beechey was actually trying to sell the car in NZ. That would explain why the steel wheels found their way back on. Keep the good 5-spoke wheels, and sell it with the old steel ones. Unfortunately for Norm, it didn't find a buyer in NZ.

I checked it out one afternoon when it was sitting on a trailer at Manthel Motors ( Wellington's Holden and Chev dealers ) used car yard in Taranaki Street. It was late in the day and there were no salesmen around - probably in the public bar of the Panama Hotel, next door - so I never learnt what it was doing there. Perhaps someone in the Capital was a potential buyer.

[Steve Holmes]

Thanks Dave, thats interesting. The Nova ran a couple of events at Bay Park in late 1968, from memory the Labour Weekend event, then the Christmas event. There was a big gap in between, but he was racing a Camaro in Australia by this stage, and was building an HK Monaro for the 1969 season, so the Nova wasn't required.

So perhaps it was sent down to Wellington to be stored? You'd think it'd just stay up in the BOP area? Or maybe it was trucked around a bit for promotional purposes.

[Rod Grimwood]

Steve it was stored at Rorisons next to Baypark.