Sprague- Emson Fiat 128's

[Steve Emson]

Hi Grant, thank you for the emails, it is great to hear from you after all these years. I tried to send these photo's privately however, it did not seem to work. As for the little cars 3 wheeling everywhere, I thought you of all people would enjoy these photos. I never managed to roll a car, however have been known to tempt fate a time or two.
If anyone else looks at these photo's, Grant and myself raced these cars in the GTX Championship about 1975?? Grant was the top dog in the South Island, and I was in the North Island. I raced this car with John Woolf in the Benson & Hedges, then the GTX series. I took the car down to the SI on a camping holiday with John Woolf, Grant Whitaker and another of their friends. The 4 of us towing the camper behind Allans Woolf's racing Vitesse.
I wanted to see just how quick Grant was . The 2 different shots on 2 wheels are in the SI at Wigram, corner off the back straight, and are the 1st and 2nd lap around that corner. Grant wasn't present at this meeting, but would face off at the other tracks.
Grant, do you have any photos of your car to add?

[Steve Holmes]

Steve, these are amazing photos! The first two shots of the car up on two wheels I initially thought was the same photo posted twice, then I noticed the car parked in the background of the second photo. That is REALLY impressive driving, and have it up on two wheels like that, so consistently, is really amazing.

[Grant Sprague]

Hi Grant, thank you for the emails, it is great to hear from you after all these years. I tried to send these photo's privately however, it did not seem to work. As for the little cars 3 wheeling everywhere, I thought you of all people would enjoy these photos. I never managed to roll a car, however have been known to tempt fate a time of too.
If anyone else looks at these photo's, Grant and myself raced these cars in the GTX Championship about 1975?? Grant was the top dog in the South Island, and I was in the North Island. I raced this car with John Woolf in the Benson & Hedges, then the GTX series. I took the car down to the SI on a camping holiday with John Woolf, Grant Whitaker and another of their friends. The 4 of us towing the camper behind Allans Woolf's racing Vitesse.
I wanted to see just how quick Grant was . The 2 shots on 2 wheels are in the SI at Wigram, corner off the back straight, and are the 1st and 2nd lap around that corner.
Grant, do you have any photos of your car to add?

LOl , Steve I will have a hunt through some pics at home tonight , have got one some where of a good 3 wheeling action the other i told you about was testing at levels with Ernie & Peter Wilson , I did the 3 wheeling act only to push it a weeeeee bit more & over it went , then learnt to hve lose belts & climb over the other front seat to balance the weight, looks like you might have been doing that also , Peter Wilson use to say our 128's looked like a dog lifting its rear leg for a pee, never forgot that , talk soon ....... Grant

[TonyG]

"our 128's looked like a dog lifting its rear leg for a pee, never forgot that ,"

Lol, thats a classic and very apt.

[Steve Emson]

Grant, talking of rolling over, if you look at the damage to the left rear door of my little 128, that is where one of my very desperate competitors took a dive up the inside, was on his way to roll it over big time (so everyone told me) but was saved by my car. I must have given him too much room, and copped the damage for my trouble. :cool:
Oh almost forgot, you asked were i was; I have been in OZ since 1986. Did some stuff at Lakeside in the Gemini series 1994, and briefly HQ's then group NC historic in my favorite car, .........Falcon XY GTHO (replica of course).

Driving the V8's around Lakeside, now that will get your attention! Back then it had 429BHP at the wheels, 143mph (232KPH) through the left hand kink, 3rd gear slides out of hungry corner, .......bloody good fun!!!
I knew I should have bought the Sidchrome Mustang from JR when I had the chance back then, instead of the formula pacific, which was a problem child.:rolleyes:

[Grant Sprague]

I knew you were doing some thing over there as you bumped into Tony Shanks , [ex gtx si mate ,timaru] was not sure what exactly you were up to re motor sports but now I do sounds like a good fun class , what size donky ?? . As for yr pacific venture I do remember a little about it but was living in London at that time & missed out on about 5 or 6 yrs of kiwi motor sports , would have been fun driving one . As for V8's I did a bout 3 yrs in a pre 65 mustang 289, we managed to get it to go, turn & stop, similar to appendix J in aussie , they went good but limited to rear drums , good road tyres , some times dot rated tyres depending what venue , no slip diff so there was a lot of engineering, changing allowed pick up points etc etc , g/b free sort of , spring & shocks etc, front solid discs lol, now they have opened the brakes up a bit [vented discs] my old girl was a good car , eng about 420 hp puke was fun as 3.5 ratio you could just get to 78000 rpm 14 in wheels = 250k give or take, we had good fields of v8.s 7 yrs ago ,time were about 1min 8 for the old bone shaker but a lot of fun , the north , south [island] challenge was fun . Hey we have plenty to talk about keep in touch , I will get you some pics of mustang & fiat to morrow with luck ..... great chatting my friend .......

[markec]

16451

[Grant Sprague]

Steve, just bumped into a good old boy in Tauranga [tell your Dad] he knows Ralf & Paul same era , use to belong to Auck car club , he does a bit of work on my 135 massey fergy tractors . & he still hill climbs cars just short of 80 yrs old lol lol geeeeee what a guy,..... his name is Allen Watson , he use to hang about in trials & hill climbs with Bruce McLaren cool stuff , hope all good over there .. ps Gave Steve H a few piks ,a couple of 128 etc plus a few of Dad & Gary for a bit of history to add here under links etc , my PC probably not up to speed [or could be me ], the one of us two at bay park, cant bloody find ... never mind .
The screaming eagle arrived have been riding it , big learning curve for me , as only got on a nifty 50 around trees at home yikkss some one saw it & had to own it so its sold ..... as soon as he has paid full amount I will get an other , new experience for me a big heavy grunta but love it ok later Grant