At the Christmas 1972 Bay Park event, the promoters went wild, and imported four international saloon teams to take on the locals. Allan Moffat and Pete Geoghegan from Australia, Pete with his 600hp Super Falcon, Frank Gardner was over from Britain, with a '67 Camaro he'd been campaigning in the British Touring Car Championship and selected European races, and Joe Chamberlain returned, having raced in NZ at the 1970 Christmas event. As in 1970, Joe had a '69 Camaro which he'd been racing in the Trans-Am. He would have been at a disadvantage, given the Trans-Am rules had a maximum engine limit of 5,000cc, and 8" wide wheels, but he was a privateer who enjoyed his racing.
The local drivers included Paul Fahey in the PDL Mustang, Rod Coppins in the ex-T/G Racing '69 Firebird which Roaring Season member Bruce302 now owns, plus Dennis Marwood in the '69 Camaro Joe Chamberlain had with him the first time he visited NZ, and Red Dawson in his beautiful 1970 Kensington Carpets Camaro. Up from the South Island was top OSCA driver Clyde Collins in his V8 Cortina.
Unfortunately, the locals didn't fare at all well, with Fahey out in practice, and Coppins out early on race day. Dawson was the best of the Kiwis, but the overall honours were battled out among Moffat, Gardner, and Geoghegan. Gardner parked the Camaro backwards in the fence trying to pass Moffat in race 2 (I think), while Geoghegan won race 3 after Moffats Mustang retired. Geoghegan was the crowd favourite, with his brutal driving of the big Falcon, as he sprayed dirt and gravel everywhere from running out of race track on most corners.
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