Northern Sports Car Club - the early years.

[Roger Dowding]

As one of the founding members of NSCC an early Club Captain and later President, I am pleased to say had a good conversation with Ed today on his 96th Birthday.



Here he is on the left as a 20 year old .. with Ted Kippenberger

[Roger Dowding]

1924 White Bus, photo from mid 60's.

[Roger Dowding]

NSCC, was formed during the second world war - believe or not and from what I have gleaned from my Uncle Albert Edward " Eddie " Dowding, initial discussions took place on the Ferries bewteen, Auckland City and the North Shore jetty's, Devonport, Northcote and Birkenhead. Eddie lived at the time in Herne Bay and caught the Ferry to Northcote to visit his girlfrend. amongst the group initially involved were, Phil Seabrook, Alan Pybus, Laurie Powell and others, Ron Roycroft was a member in the late 1940's too !!. Eddie Dowding and his brother-in-law Jack Boot both belonged, Eddie was Club Captain in the early days / years.

Eddie is still alive and well at 95, and many years ago gave me a few photos on NSCC and some events.
Here are a few to start

Attachment 29131
NSCC Concours 1947 -

Attachment 29132
NSCC Helensville Mud Trial 1949



Attachment 29133
Jack Boot Riley Special - raced at a Cinder Track in Huntly - year not known but late 1940's.

As I find more will post them.

Please add to the thread.

Rather than start a new thread, I have other articles photos, etc, connected with Northern Sports Car Club. Bob Homewood posted a photo on Facebook about his property, which would makes a great grass hill climb site, and Brent Thomas, Owen Thomas' son, Owen was President of NSCC back in the late 1960's made a comment which prompted me to reply.

Some of this has been posted on other threads, Hillclimbs Sprints etc by Ross Cammick and Yards and Yarns,
This will connect related pictures and articles, results etc.

PS, Eddie is still getting around, at 96, not in Riley these days, but a little Dae Woo. I was talking to him last week.

[Roger Dowding]

Michael Clark now lives at the site - there was a video posted a while ago which shows the new sealed road is different to the original metal track, with a concrete pad at the start.


I first ran there in 1971, in this Mini [ this is a Dennis Green photo - at Woodhill - Tom Grace's farm also 1971]

[Ross Hollings]

One from my wall, Mini Max [me] Cosseys Farm 3/12/67 FTD and new hill record . 54secs .Not sure if they always used same start finish but seem to remember start was uphill on concrete.

[John McKechnie]

Ross- 1974 Cosseys Farm was still uphill start on concrete.

[Roger Dowding]

Ross- 1974 Cosseys Farm was still uphill start on concrete.

Yes, they used to chock a non driving wheel, so at the back on the Mini easy, not so on rear wheel drive, as had to get the chock out quickly, and the hockey stick ..

[Trevor Sheffield]

I found that when I ran my quite warm 1275 Cooper S at Cossey's it was near impossible to get traction at the start and recording a decent time was therefore hopeless. I somehow recall cow dung on the concrete.

[Roger Dowding]

Bob Homewood who competed on the day posted these pages from The Club's magazine " Club Torque ".;
The article and results.




Some pictures ;
a few well known names and cars ;




I has only just joined NSCC in February, when I purchased my first car a 1960 Mini, so unsure if I was there or not.

[John McKechnie]

I found that when I ran my quite warm 1275 Cooper S at Cossey's it was near impossible to get traction at the start and recording a decent time was therefore hopeless. I somehow recall cow dung on the concrete.

Yep, I found the same with my Cooper S,, a lot of wheel spin.Too bad if you had a big cam, I can remember a yellow racing Mini Cooper 998- Sandringham Service Station on the side...Sid Ward?. At flat Andersons Farm , he absolutely flew, here, just couldnt get the revs right...high revs, then it would bog, rev then bog,,,sad.and cow dung was in abundance- but , hey, it was a farm.No road closures.And I dont think the gate posts were ever intentionally widened.

[Trevor Sheffield]

Exactly, it was not a place for sissies. LOL

[bob homewood]

Exactly, it was not a place for sissies. LOL

You are right Trevor ,it took some hard dedication to keep the foot flat there

[Roger Dowding]

You are right Trevor ,it took some hard dedication to keep the foot flat there

Bob thanks again for the articles and photos from " Club Torque ",
I remember when I competed in my 850cc standard Mini, except for the wider wheels, the start was steep and I overrevved as I scrambled from the start, lots of wheelspin and not much traction, before slamming that long gearlever down into second, and yes Trevor the cowdung was prevalent, they did try to wash down the concrete start. Wonder what my times were in the Mini,?? very slow I would say.

[Oldfart]

Bob thanks again for the articles and photos from " Club Torque ",
I remember when I competed in my 850cc standard Mini, except for the wider wheels, the start was steep and I overrevved as I scrambled from the start, lots of wheelspin and not much traction, before slamming that long gearlever down into second, and yes Trevor the cowdung was prevalent, they did try to wash down the concrete start. Wonder what my times were in the Mini,?? very slow I would say.

Might have been slow (don't know) but you were there doing it, and the national body encouraged club events, yada yada.

[Trevor Sheffield]

Might have been slow (don't know) but you were there doing it, and the national body encouraged club events, yada yada.

Having been on hand as a member of the NSCC executive I can assure you that the national body was and has always been obstructive and arranging events was hard yacka. However at the time they were unable to tap into the commercial sector which rules at present. Money talks. LOL

[Roger Dowding]

Not at Cosseys, but an NSCC event at Mangere Town Centre, back in the day when no shops were open on Sunday and a lot of sport was played in supermarket / shopping centre carparks, this is 1974, just before the roll bar [ by Reg Cook ] was put into the Sprite so I could do sprints / Hill Climbs and other events, already used in trialls and very close to the ground

Ross Hollings was there too in a Cooper [ mini ]

Photo by Dennis Green, who took a huge number of photos at Northern Sports Car Club events in the 1970's , he should have lots more, must follow that up..

[Roger Dowding]

One from my wall, Mini Max [me] Cosseys Farm 3/12/67 FTD and new hill record . 54secs .Not sure if they always used same start finish but seem to remember start was uphill on concrete.

Ross, love the attitude of the car and the driver, a great shot gives us some idea of the hill, done the start and the right hander then the short straight, the left hander on wards and upwards .. great memories for this guy.. thanks. Ross..
and the start was always the concrete pad, the finish, not so sure.

[Ross Hollings]

Hi Roger,The finish was a straight over a series of yumps,have a photo somewhere all crossed up going for it.The 90 degree turn through the fence posts was fun.!!
The Mangere thing would have been my trusty little 850 Mini,which did circuit,grass track hillclimbs,never let me down.Was full race,extractor and twin carbs,!!

[Roger Dowding]

The article by NZ Herald 1967 the event was March 1967 - as noted in Bob Homewood's " Club Torque " article


Rob Williams Ford V8 Coupe.


The course

[Roger Dowding]

Map and a view of the area


Close up of the road where the track was


the start road, where we waited to run is at the corner of Appleby Road and Drury Hills Road, nervous piddle in the hedge before the run.
Cossey Road is a small No Exit road back from the corner running from Appleby Road.

Does anybody have an old Lands and Survey Dept map of the area, would have had many back in the day as was seriously into Car Trialling at the time and had to have the correct edition for the map reading section - especially if John Crombie was the plotter.