Northern Sports Car Club - the early years.

[Roger Dowding]

Route Book and Regulations for the events - front cover who owned the Mazda HK6998 ??

The Officials

The Drivers, note 28 entries but only 23 turned up and only 18 went on from the Gymkhana, Rob Williams in Brutus was also a DNF

Gymkhana test and regs

Trial ASRs and Route instructions - Part One

Trial Part one continued and part of the Sprint regs.

More of the Sprint Regs, Trial Part 2 and the Hill Climb to follow, plus the results.
Imagine co-ordinating an event like this today nearly 40 years on.

[Noo Noo]

Route Book and Regulations for the events - front cover who owned the Mazda HK6998 ??

The Officials

The Drivers, note 28 entries but only 23 turned up and only 18 went on from the Gymkhana, Rob Williams in Brutus was also a DNF

Gymkhana test and regs

Trial ASRs and Route instructions - Part One

Trial Part one continued and part of the Sprint regs.

More of the Sprint Regs, Trial Part 2 and the Hill Climb to follow, plus the results.
Imagine co-ordinating an event like this today nearly 40 years on.

Roger
On the driver list, no.28 is Warick Ashton. We had a mate of that name in our little group in the Wellington Car Club in the early '70s. He ran a Fiat 850 Sport in the '73 Heatway, then bought a Fiat 127 to do more rallying. Around the mid 70s he moved to Auckland and we've never heard of or from him since. Did you know him?. I'm wondering if it is the same guy. The 903 cc Fiat fits.

David Hunter

[Roger Dowding]

Roger
On the driver list, no.28 is Warick Ashton. We had a mate of that name in our little group in the Wellington Car Club in the early '70s. He ran a Fiat 850 Sport in the '73 Heatway, then bought a Fiat 127 to do more rallying. Around the mid 70s he moved to Auckland and we've never heard of or from him since. Did you know him?. I'm wondering if it is the same guy. The 903 cc Fiat fits.

David Hunter

Warwick only did the Gymkhana in the Fiat, I probably did know him, The car being 903cc would have been an 850 Coupe.

[Roger Dowding]

Sprint regs and track plan

The Trial part 2







The Hillclimb


ASR's and Results to follow - no pictures though, does anyone have some.

[Roger Dowding]

Supplementary Regs

results


Times and results - Peter Levet did 57.75 in the Hill Climb and took the overall win.



Trial Explanation of check and time - I am sure that a lot of the roads have changed but could be the basis of a Retro Event, using as much of the old roads as possible.



That is all from the event ;

[stubuchanan]

I have a copy of the NSCC "Club Torque" of November 1965, courtesy of my brother being a member for a short time before moving permanently to Sydney. There is mention of work and working bees on a new hillclimb venue at Wharepapa, just south of Helensville, I presume. Did this venue ever eventuate? I don't recall any other mention of it.





The articles on Cosseys Farm were only a year or so later, and are also talking about 'our own hillclimb venue', just wondering.

Stu

PS : I have scanned part of a 1980 edition NZMS 260 topo map of the Cossey's area, but Postimage won't let me upload it for some reason - I'll try again tomorrow.

[Roger Dowding]

Stu,
thanks for the article our man Tom Grace, always ready to help. never heard of the new Hill, but before my time, they may have run it once or twice, hopefully as putting in a lot of work.

The map image would be great if you can get it
cheers

[Roger Dowding]

No photos from the event but here is my car Triumph GT6 MK 3 [ 1971 ] model at a Jaguar Drivers Club invitation Drag meeting at Meremere.
As I only had a restricted licence " closed Club " at the time had to run solo.





and yes rear tyres are bigger, ran 165 x 13 Dunlops on the front and 185 x 13's on the rear good for economy but not for acceleration

Have pictures of a few of the Jaguars - will post on yards and yarns. later

[stubuchanan]

Stu,
thanks for the article our man Tom Grace, always ready to help. never heard of the new Hill, but before my time, they may have run it once or twice, hopefully as putting in a lot of work.

The map image would be great if you can get it
cheers

Here is the map - Edition 1980 NZMS 260 1:50000 scale. Nothing to indicate where Cossey's hillclimb track was, but contours might be a help to someone who knows the terrain out there.


pic upload

Someone must know about Wharepapa??

Stu

[Roger Dowding]

Here is the map - Edition 1980 NZMS 260 1:50000 scale. Nothing to indicate where Cossey's hillclimb track was, but contours might be a help to someone who knows the terrain out there.


pic upload

Someone must know about Wharepapa??

Stu

Stu,
thats is great, roads have changed a bit now.
I will post some of this on Facebook as John Coker, Rod Peat, Alan Boyle, Ron Brown and others some of whom were already racing in 1965 and had connections to NSCC and ACC may remember.

[Roger Dowding]

I have a copy of the NSCC "Club Torque" of November 1965, courtesy of my brother being a member for a short time before moving permanently to Sydney. There is mention of work and working bees on a new hillclimb venue at Wharepapa, just south of Helensville, I presume. Did this venue ever eventuate? I don't recall any other mention of it.





The articles on Cosseys Farm were only a year or so later, and are also talking about 'our own hillclimb venue', just wondering.

Stu

PS : I have scanned part of a 1980 edition NZMS 260 topo map of the Cossey's area, but Postimage won't let me upload it for some reason - I'll try again tomorrow.

Stu,
a gem from Bob Homewood, so It did exist, see below : we are getting lots of information..

Yes I went to both Birdwood Road and Wharepapa at different times ,I think the Wharepapa venue came about because of Tom Grace's efforts he lived just around the corner ,trying to think back and add what I can ,there are quite a few well known names there from those times ,Dud Badham from memory he worked for one of the Engine Reco firms at that time ,some one can correct me if I'm wrong .I see Bill Stone there in the ex Levis / Hollier Cooper Ford ,I think I actually tried to help him with his woes that day ,Jamie Aislabie I'm sure he can add a bit more to it all

[Roger Dowding]

The location of Wharepapa " Hill " , just South of Helensville, would have been right in Tom Grace territory as he had a farm that backed onto Woodhill Forest and Muriwai Beach the scene of NSCC's first forest Rallys .. before that were grass sprints on Tom's farm.. here are photos by Dennis Green, the Mini in 1971, the Sprite in 1975, same driver same helmet, hopefully more skill..





patch of bog on the sill of the Sprite, used to leak and fill up with water inside - under the carpet, drove well though, one of those you wished you had kept.. like my TR4A, some of the others maybe..

sideways was a theme.. same driver same helmet but 1979 at Bald Hill, nr Waiuku ..



Anyway, It is now nearly time for the big Guy in the Hot Rod sleigh, so Merry Christmas ..

[Allan]

Any of these yours?

[Roger Dowding]

Any of these yours?

Wrong Country Allan all left hookers, lots of Spares though and that SCCA sticker , cheers.
My car was rebuilt however with a second hand bonnet from Eugene in Oregon purchased in 1982 while on my " USA Road Trip "

[Roger Dowding]

Have found a few of the results sheets from 1979/80 series.
Can anyone remember how many clubs ran events .. I thought 10 ..??

Answering my own Question = 8

Auckland Car Club
Auckland University Car Club
Hamilton Car Club
Hibiscus Coast Motor(sports) Club
MG Car Club
Northern Sports Car Club
Pukekohe Car Club
Triumph Car Club - Auckland.

here are results from NSCC's Round [ round 2 Cosseys Farm ] 4 November 1979







The results overlap as on Foolscap pages - times in the mid 50's, so quicker than 1967 when 62 / 63 seconds was best, now 53.35 was best my time of 60.42 was better than the GT6 the year before at 65. seconds

[Roger Dowding]

Any of these yours?

Interestingly my car almost went to a place like this after this accident, tendered and got it back from the Insurers to be rebuilt and later sold to another Racer who did some modifications / improvements [ twin D'ell Orto's and a hot camshaft ], we kept in touch and he told me had to rebuild the engine at around 100,000 miles, had done 85,000 approx when i sold it in 1985, to help buy a house, pity that had to happen.





as it was before the accident

[Roger Dowding]

In the 1960's meetings at Pukekohe were run by Auckland Car Club, Northern Sports Car Club, NZ International Grand Prix Association [ for cars ] and the Auto Cycle Union [ for bikes ], sometimes the Car Clubs and ACU would run joint meetings as happened in other parts of NZ.
With the introduction of the Wills Six Hour and Gold Leaf Three Hour Challenge, in October started a busy year
With NSCC meeting in November, ACC in December NZIGP January then NSCC and Auckland again
This is the details of Auckland Car Clubs Autumn Meeting, there last one for the year 4th April 1964
programme provided by John Hatton. thanks John.

[Roger Dowding]

the race entrants continued.








Well known names here including the Man who did the legal work for my first House purchase Hugh Kettelwell in a Mini Cooper, Trevor Sheffield in his Daimler SP250, the aforementioned John Hatton in his Zephyr, some Big names in saloons over 2001cc field.

[Roger Dowding]

No photos ** from the event but here is my car Triumph GT6 MK 3 [ 1971 ] model at a Jaguar Drivers Club invitation Drag meeting at Meremere.
As I only had a restricted licence " closed Club " at the time had to run solo.





and yes rear tyres are bigger, ran 165 x 13 Dunlops on the front and 185 x 13's on the rear good for economy but not for acceleration

Have pictures of a few of the Jaguars - will post on yards and yarns. later

** Found a couple of " distance " shots of the GT6 at the Motorsport Day at the sprints at the club circuit Pukekohe.

[Allan]

I remember two incidents on the "club" circuit as it was known. In the first one one of the competitors was too far forward according to the start official and was asked to move back a few feet which he did, only to leave the car in reverse so when the flag dropped he went one way and the rest of the field went the other. I don't recall too much damage. In the second incident a competitor came round the stables corner, got into a major tank slapper, then veered across the grass in the centre of the track. There was only one car parked in the area and the un-named competitor got that car dead centre between the doors.