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Following the problems with the track at the opening meeting run by the Levin Car Club, a new organising club, the Levin Motor Racing Club, was set up and they had the track remade including proper consolidation of the base course. A practice day was held early in October 1956 to test the surface. Tom Clark (HWM), George Palmer (Cooper-Bristol) and a number of 500 drivers took part and proved the improvements were successful.
Colliers sealed it the first time and they had said that there was not enough time etc to do it properly and it fell apart, dont know who repaired it but they were not included in the second iteration of the circuit which added some distance and it was widened by two meters. The original collier had moved on or retired when the third iteration was done and colliers came back in, there was a bit of patching of relationships for this to go ahead and an acknowledgement that it wasn't entirely colliers problem the first time around., I recently talked to the collier who did the last extension/alteration and this came from himQuote:
Originally Posted by Milan Fistonic
On the newly sealed track, the sports car race is about to begin.
The front row L-R Jim Boyd in the Buckler, Ross Jensen in his Austin Healey 100 S and R. Crowther in a beautiful Lotus 11.
In behind the Lotus is an Austin Healey driven by a young man making one of his first starts, Bruce McLaren.
Attachment 73619
(Ken H)
In another race the crowd enjoyed the battle between a 1934 Alfa Romeo # 21 driven by John McMillan and a new Austin Healey 100S #18 driven by Ross Jensen.
Attachment 73623
Attachment 73624
Attachment 73625
Attachment 73626
(Harold Plimmer photos.)
In 1957 John sold the Alfa Romeo P3 to Ernie Sprague for 500 pounds and Ernie sold it for about the same price a year later.
It was P3 chassis # C50006 and it was just a 22 year old worn out race car !
In 2017 that same P3 chassis # C50006 was sold at an auction in Paris.
1934 Alfa Romeo Tipo B P3
VIN:50006
Status; SOLD
€3,920,000 ($4,180,680)
Attachment 73628
An interesting read.
https://rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/p...po-b-p3/408013
(Ken H)
In the late model spec with the Dubonnet front suspension...
You don't get that for a Vauxhall or Master Chev.
Great stuff ... Ken H,
Had posted some Lewis Townsend photos from Levin on another thread.
Would you like them shared here as the thread is a designated " Levin " story.
The Programme Cover for the October 1956 event - David McKinney archives [ RIP David ].
posted elsewhere but belongs here.
Attachment 73637
Cheers Guys,
PS the AH 100S is AHS3908 imported by Austin New Zealand and sold to Seabrook Fowlds, - the car is still in New Zealand, fully and sympathetically restored as Ross Jensen raced it.
It later went to Graham Pierce in the 1960's and others..
Just back from a quiet 2 and 1/2 weeks on peaceful Waiheke Island .. largely fee of electronic media .. a mobile phone and an older TV ..
got a few Levin Programmes but none that early Levin Motor Racing Circuit
1961 SAT JAN 14TH
1961 SAT NOV 25TH
1963 SAT JAN 12TH
1963 SAT MARCH 23RD
1963 SAT NOV 30TH
1964 SAT JAN 4TH
1964 SAT NOV 28TH
1965 SAT JAN 16TH
1965 SAT MAR 27TH
1965 SAT NOV 27TH
1966 SAT JAN 15TH
1966 SAT MARCH 12TH
1967 SAT JAN 14TH
1967 SAT NOV 25TH
1968 SAT JAN 13TH
1968 SAT MARCH 23RD
1968 SAT NOV 30TH
1969 SAT MARCH 22ND
1970 FR1 2ND SAT 3RD JAN
1971 JAN 2ND
1972 SAT MAR 4TH
1973 SAT JAN 13TH
1973 MAY 26TH HUTT VALLEY MCC
1975 SAT JUNE 7TH HUTT VALLEY MOTORCYCLE CLUB
1975 DEC 7TH
1976 SUN MARCH 14TH HUTT VALLEY MCC
Ron Roycroft arrived at the 1956 Levin event with his 1925 Bugatti Type 35A now fitted with a 3.4 liter 6 cylinder Jaguar XK 120 engine and gearbox instead of the wornout original French straight 8 assembly.
What roll cage and safety suit ? (A brave driver indeed.)
Attachment 73648
Attachment 73649
Ron lighting up the tyres as he exits the Hairpin.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]73650[/ATTACH
Battling with Tom Clark.
Attachment 73651
With that engine installed it was given the rather inglorious name of "Bug-Jag"
(Harold Plimmer photos)
Unlike other classics that left NZ this vehicle has been kept by the Roycroft family and beautifully restored and maintained by Ron's son, Terry. (Seen driving the car in 2022.)
Attachment 73652
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/stratford...VGDUYID6FPZZM/
(Ken H )
Ken H,
I understand that Terry Roycroft has the Bugatti engine, but the car is still running the Jaguar one..
I know BMC Boy had a few photos of the car at a Chelsea Walsh Hill Climb, before they, VCC, were stopped from running it after the 2017 event.
More important to have a Cafe and Factory Tours [ a recent concept ] than to let the VCC Boys have one day a year for the Hill Climb!!
The Hill Climb ran from the 1960's I understand - must check that detail.
Roger,
The Jaguar and Bugatti engine info. is in that attached Herald site.
Could you open that ok ?
I see Ralph Watson was involved, was he the one who built the Lycoming Special ?
Ken
Ralph Watson built the Lycoming Special in the mid 1950's and a BSA Special too, he was Ron Roycroft's mechanic / engineer for many years. looking after the Bugatti, The " Blue " Ferrari and the pre-war Alfa Romeo for Ron.Quote:
Originally Posted by khyndart in CA
Will have a look at the Herald link ..
Had a quick look - they only give you a few minutes - then you have to subscribe !!
Cheers and thanks Ken H,
Roger
I might be in trouble for this !
" Further tweaks to the car involved the importing of a C-type cylinder head and D-type pistons, resulting in the car, with Ron driving, taking that sixth place in the 1956 Grand Prix. How fast could it go? Ron and Terry recall a timed speed of 250km/h on the Ryall Bush road circuit in Southland.
A year after the Grand Prix success, a dropped valve during a race near Christchurch led to the Bugatti's retirement. The Jaguar engine was removed and the car sat, engine-less, in the Roycroft garage. A decade or so later, Ron, Terry and Ralph rebuilt its original Bugatti engine and gearbox, restoring it to original specs and getting it back on the road.
After over four decades or being back on the road as both a touring and competition car the Bugatti went back to the workshop in 2012, when Terry removed the Bugatti engine and gearbox again, to replace them once more with the Jaguar parts.
The original Bugatti parts are still in the garage, should Terry feel like taking it back to its factory specs again, but for now, the one of a kind Bug-Jag is back, and driving as beautifully as ever before."
(NZ Herald clip )
At least that's one car with NZ history that hasn't been "restored" to a form with very little history
So often they are changed "because it's a Bugatti" or whatever and the car with the history is lost.
When I was speaking with Terry he told me that he had put the Bugatti engine back, in quite recent times, and also tried the larger diameter original wheels. He said, his words "The Bugatti is so gutless I couldn't stand it, and the wheel patter under braking with the big wheels is horrendous" so back went the Jag engine, which had also sat in another special Ron had never completed. In my worthless opinion, as the car is never to be passed on to other than family, the history is best with the Jag engine.
When I visited Ron in 1968 the engine was sitting in the Special, but only someone as small as Ron could ever have driven it. I sat in it while he took off in my own car. I think that Pete Benbrook may have that car now.
Some more Harold Plimmer photos of Ron Roycroft at Levin. Oct. 1956.
Attachment 73667
Leading the field through Cabbage Tree Corner.
Attachment 73668
Drifting the "Bug-Jag" through the Cabbage Tree.
Attachment 73669
Out front in his race.
Attachment 73670
Ron Roycroft taking the chequered flag.
(Ken H)
Some of the saloon car racing at the Levin Meet.
Attachment 73676
# 47 W. Watt in his Javelin leading Tom Doherty's V-8 Ford coupe and George Lawton in his Mk1 Zephyr # 45 coming through the Hairpin.
Attachment 73677
George Lawton rounding the Cabbage Tree turn in his Zephyr # 45
Sadly George was to lose his life while racing in Europe a few years later.
He along with Denny Hulme was one of NZ's most promising young race drivers.
Attachment 73678
The Watt Javelin rounding Cabbage Tree corner.
Attachment 73679
Tom Doherty in his Ford V-8 coupe # 59 at the Cabbage Tree Corner.
(Ken H)
" Sadly George was to lose his life while racing in Europe a few years later.
He along with Denny Hulme was one of NZ's most promising young race drivers. "
Sad indeed, Ken H, George and Denny were joint " Drivers to Europe " in 1960 as organised by the New Zealand International Grand Prix Association,Bruce McLaren, having been an earlier " Driver .. to Europe ".
George raced an Austin Healey 100 Six and a Cooper Bobtail, before going to Europe.
George's cars around 1959/60..
Attachment 73681
Enjoying these photos Ken H .. keep them coming
Cheers from a very wet Bay of Plenty, so lots of time to look at photos and TRS, Facebook, write Letters to the Editor of NZ Classic Driver .. et al ..
Poor George was racing amongst a very talented field. His accident happened right in front of Stirling Moss on that fateful day in 1960.
I Danmarks Grand Prix
Date
September 10, 1960
Circuit
Roskilde Ring
Distance
1.400 m x 40 Laps = 56.00 Kms
Pole Position
Stirling Moss , 43.7
Fastest Lap
Graham Hill , 43.2
Race sponsored by
Race Result Qualifying Entry List Reviews
Race uploaded by AdminRY
Pos # Driver Entrant Chassis Laps Time/Retire
1 1 Jack Brabham Cooper Car Co Cooper T51 - Climax 40 53m53.6
2 11 Graham Hill Team Lotus Lotus 18 - Climax 40 54m06.0
3 2 Innes Ireland Team Lotus Lotus 18 - Climax 40 54m23.5
4 7 Stirling Moss R.R.C. Walker Racing Team Porsche 718/2 40 54m50.3
5 9 David Piper DRW Engineering Cooper T43 - Climax 40 56m15.2
6 3 Mike McKee Jim Russell Racing Driver School Cooper T45 - Climax 40 56m19.0
7 10 Denny Hulme New Zealand International Cooper T51 - Climax 40 56m41.3
DNF 4 Geoff Duke Reg Parnell Racing Team Lotus 18 - Climax 0 -
DNF 5 George Lawton New Zealand International Cooper T45 - Climax 0 Fatal Accident
DNF 6 Carel Godin de Beaufort Ecurie Maarsbergen Cooper T51 - Climax 0 -
DNF 8 Tim Parnell Reg Parnell Racing Team Cooper T45 - Climax 0 -
(Ken H)
Bruce McLaren took the family 1954 Austin Healey 100-4 # 19 to the 1956 Levin Meet.
He got in driving experience driving up Auckland's One Tree Hill as shown in this Bruce McLaren Trust photo.
Attachment 73707
On the second row of the dummy grid at Levin.
Attachment 73712
With the race underway, Bruce is coming around with the Len Gilbert Cooper Mk 7 # 12 tucked in behind, ahead of Gavin Quirk in his Cooper Bristol # 4 followed by Jim Boyd in his Buckler Ford # 23.
Attachment 73709
Later, McLaren moves over to let Gilbert and Boyd go by.
Attachment 73710
A young, 19-year-old Bruce McLaren at work, on the road to greatness.
Attachment 73711
(Harold Plimmer photos)
(Ken H)
Some of the Specials and unusual cars at Levin in 1956.
Attachment 73730
Doug Lawrence racing away at the back of the field in a Citreon 15 # 32. (Perhaps leaving the spare wheel on slowed him down !)
Attachment 73731
Doug Bransgrove in his Wolsley Hornet Special # 25
(Harold Plimmer photos)
(Ken H)
Some great Levin photos on this thread
http://www.theroaringseason.com/show...ander+turnbull
" Some great Levin photos on this thread
http://www.theroaringseason.com/show...ander+turnbull "
Thanks again Bry3500 - yes great photos and many I had not seen before, some [ a few ] I had - but without knowing the origins.
I wonder who the Evening Post photographer was ?? - Did the EP hire him/her or just buy the negatinves ???
I did photograhphy early on of bike meetings but it was going to send me to the poor house. I went to the local newspaper and got three films each visit, a press pass to the race meetings and i think $10 a shot for any published. I lost a few years of my own photos, but they were all avaialble and recently all of them surfaced recently and brought back memories. Some geek collector nerd had managed to get hold of them, long live geek collector nerds i say.Quote:
Originally Posted by Roger Dowding
More Harold Plimmer photos from 1956.
Attachment 73744
Ross Jensen in his Austin Healey # 18 making his way to the starting grid.
Ahead of the Fordy Farland Singer Special # 41 powered by a Buick 8 cylinder and in front of Bruce McLaren's Austin Healey # 19
Ross Jensen at work.
Attachment 73746
Davis, Bruce Valentine, 1913-2003Quote:
Originally Posted by Roger Dowding
Amateur photographer, born Raetihi. Living in Wellington in 1980, later resident of Masterton.
Cheers Roger , the only details I could find about the photographer was that he was a keen amateur
More great photos on these links
https://www.cabbagetreecornermedia.c...levin-pictures
https://www.cabbagetreecornermedia.c...the-newspapers
https://www.cabbagetreecornermedia.c...ns-work-page-3
https://www.cabbagetreecornermedia.c...ns-work-page-5
and lots more on that web page
With John Climo encouraging and giving permission to present more of his material it is time for me to get going.
More Harold Plimmer photos from the Oct. 1956 event.
Syd Jensen driving a 1955 Cooper MK 9 500 CC # 5
Attachment 73885
Attachment 73886
At speed along the straight.
Attachment 73887
Syd Jensen approaching the Levin Hairpin. Note the crowd size.
Attachment 73888
Syd Jensen leading Ron Frost out of the Hairpin.
A bit of information about a Cooper Mark 9 T36/ T 37. (Do any 500cc racers still exist in NZ today ?)
http://500race.org/marques/1955-mk-ix-t36-t37/
(Ken H)
There are enough 500's tucked away that Auto restorations did a batch of 500 JAP engines some years back. I saw the raw castings and some machined cases too. I suspect that any 500 Manx Norton engines used in cars are now back in bikes due to the high prices being achieved for Manx Nortons.
I have been in touch with my friend , Graham Donaldson, and it was a shock to learn of the serious health issues he is battling with and we should keep Graham in our prayers. He was a great race mechanic sought by many teams and drivers back in the 70s and 80s.
Here is a photo of Graham running to assist Peter Gethin in the VDS Chevron # 2 wearing a floppy hat, white t shirt and sandals!
Before the start of 1974 Tasman International Series first race, January 5th 1974 at the Levin Motor Racing Circuit,
Attachment 73917
(Ken H)
Jim Clark first drove at Levin in 1961 in a Lotus 18 and the track was slightly longer at 2.09 kms. When he returned in 1965 the circuit was now 1.77 kms in length. The races were about 30 laps long which was not much time to see some of the greatest drivers of that era.
Clark put on a masterful drive in 1965 driving a Lotus 32B. ( I liked the cars then as you could easily see the driver's name on the car, compared to the tiny lettering of today!
The 1965 start at Levin and one can clearly see who is behind the wheel of car # 1 )
Attachment 73946
There is a Primotipo article about the 1965 race.
https://primotipo.com/2017/11/02/lev...-zealand-1965/
It appropriately mentions the fine work of our Milan Fistonic. (Thanks Milan, you are a tremendous asset to all of us on TRS (Ken H )
" Levin event held on 14-16 January 1965.
Kiwi enthusiast Milan Fistonic took some marvelous photos at the event which are posted on Steve Holmes ‘The Roaring Season’ website, check it out if you have not, it’s a favourite of mine. They are paddock shots which ooze atmosphere- Milan focuses mainly on local boy Bruce McLaren and Clark, they are magic shots which I hope you enjoy. This account of the weekend draws heavily on the sergent.com race report. It is another ripper site I always use as my Kiwi reference source." (Primotipo)
( I was a great admirer of Jim Clark and when I saw this 1965 ? clip of him at his Scottish family home it was like a scene from "All Creatures Great and Small" and I almost expected James Herriott to come walking around the corner!
Although some of the passing here looked a bit dodgy!
What a great driver and a humble man.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wt3oinrK54w
(Ken H )
January 1968.
Jimmy was a busy man when he last drove at Levin, January 13th 1968.
On Monday Jan. 1st 1968, Clark won the South African F1 Grand Prix at Kyalami.
On Jan. 6th he competed in the NZGP at Pukekohe and on Jan 13th he drove at Levin.
(Perhaps all the travelling led to him making rare mistakes during the race ?)
This was the last time the Lotus 49 was seen in the team’s green and yellow colours.
By the time he had reached Wigram at Christchurch Jan. 20th, his Team Lotus 49T had been repainted in Gold Leaf cigarette sponsorship colours.
Attachment 73961
Pukekohe. Jan.6th 1968
Attachment 73962
Jan.13th. Levin. Rare mistakes by Jim Clark.
Attachment 73963
Jan.18th 1968. Christchurch. A healthy-looking Jim Clark in his newly painted Gold Leaf Lotus 49T. (Sponsorship had arrived!)
(Ken H)
The cars were completed the Thursday prior to Wigram. They were based in Hutchison Ford premises in central Christchurch. I don't know if they were painted on site or fresh bodywork was freighted out from the UK. I walked in the back door to find the cars deserted but finished. Just as in the pic of Jimmy but no-one around. While I stood there a guy in a suit walked in and said "what do you think /" I said Denis Jenkinson is going to have a fit. I asked if Eoin Young had seen them yet. He said "He's just left "
I'd been in the previous day and they were flat out with both cars stripped to the chassis.
If you knew where the teams were based and had the time you could go round and see how things were going. I regularly parked my motorcycle out the back of Ransley Motors where a number of the kiwi privateers were based. Ernie introduced me to G lawrence and we had a 3 way discussion on space frames while looking at the Loti and brabhams on view.
A different time.
I remember watchimg a mini harassing clyde colins falcon from cabbage tree up to the hairpin.mini would closeup on the falcon then use hime for brakes and turn down inside clyde on the apex and nip off for a half a lap. colin roberts was the mini driver i think, what ever happened to him?
Ken H,
John has a lot of Levin Programme's - they are duplicates - would you like some -let me know.
Cheers
Roger
this is what I have, always on the hunt for more....
Levin Motor Racing Circuit keen on any missing ones please
1961 SAT JAN 14TH
1961 SAT NOV 25TH
1963 SAT JAN 12TH
1963 SAT MARCH 23RD
1963 SAT NOV 30TH
1964 SAT JAN 4TH
1964 SAT NOV 28TH
1965 SAT JAN 16TH
1965 SAT MAR 27TH
1965 SAT NOV 27TH
1966 SAT JAN 15TH
1966 SAT MARCH 12TH
1967 SAT JAN 14TH
1967 SAT NOV 25TH
1968 SAT JAN 13TH
1968 SAT MARCH 23RD
1968 SAT NOV 30TH
1969 SAT JAN 11TH
1969 SAT MARCH 22ND
1970 FR1 2ND SAT 3RD JAN
1971 JAN 2ND
1972 SAT JAN 15TH TASMAN INTERNATIONAL
1972 SAT MAR 4TH
1973 SAT JAN 13TH
1973 MAY 26TH HUTT VALLEY MCC
1975 SAT JUNE 7TH HUTT VALLEY MOTORCYCLE CLUB
1975 DEC 7TH
1976 SUN MARCH 14TH HUTT VALLEY MCC
JUST SCORED NOV 29TH 1969 TODAY.
I know this is getting away from the subject but when I checked our family heritage I found my uncle had first entered the RNZAF at Levin before he headed off to the war and sadly died in England, January 1944.
Could someone kindly point out where the air force training was located at Levin in 1942 ?
Thank you.
Attachment 74303
Ken H
Slightly similar Ken, Mum taught maths to navigators during the war, and until the day she died she regretted having done so as she felt she sent young boys off to die in the bombers! Also because she had done that with no pay, she was forever denied a salary step in education.
they were going to war anyway, one could also take comfort in knowing she had improved their chances of surviving too.Quote:
Originally Posted by Oldfart