Dunedin Street Races - revival meeting January 1984

[Roger Dowding]

I have just joined this site after searching the net for anything about the 1984 Dunedin Street Race. It was me that drove the Pontiac Bonneville. I still have the car and after a hibernation of more than 20 years it is being resurrected. Pictures to come. I am not sure where those pictures of the street sprints are from but in January 1984 for the race competitors the Saturday was taken up with a hill climb at Bethune's Gully. I wonder if maybe the locals had the street sprints as entertainment because there was very limited spectating at the hill climb. I have some pics of the event and I will have to resize them to suit this site.

I entered for the 1986 event but did not make it as the new, bigger, engine was not ready in time. I subsequently did the 1986 and 1987 Queenstown Sprints, the 1987 Wigram Wings and Wheels, and the 1989(?) Lyttelton Street Race. I was a regular at the local drag strip as well.

Mark D, got your private message, I was visiting from Auckland, working in Dunedin for two weeks and this event was the middle weekend of my trip, so didn't go back home, and had my camera, a bonus !! Yes the programme was for the racing on Sunday, but they had Sprints, down by the wharves on the Saturday, combined event between two clubs, wished I had known about the Hill Climb. All my photos are on the thread, plus some I bought from the Otago Daily Times, which I ordered on the Monday and were at work by mid-week.. a great weekend, and the Dunedin weather was good too !!

Would be great to see other photos of the Car.. post them here if you wish as connected to Dunedin and Street Races.. or start your own thread.. Is all Good ..

[MarkD]

Somewhere. someone must have a copy of the video taken at this event. I remember they showed it at the after match function. The camera had picked up the spin I performed trying to follow the line taken I had seen taken by the ERA (in a different race) turning left from the main straight on Fryatt onto Halsey St. I got a little too far out onto the marbles and turned it around as I turned left. I remembered the car stopped facing the right way but it had stalled. It fired up easily and I took off in a cloud of tyre smoke. One wheel only of course with the standard non-LSD rear.

[MarkD]

Some pics from Dunedin in 1984. The first one is at the start of the Bethune's Gully hill climb. It is quite steep.

These are some quite low resolution scans I did some years ago which seem to be all that this site will accept. I have some more photos to scan but haven't worked out how to modify the size of the files.

I have only recently found the envelopes with the paperwork, programmes and souvenirs of both the 1984 and 1986 events. I entered for 1986 but didn't get the car going again in time, so went to Dunedin as a spectator.

The last pic was taken on 2 Jan this year, the first day the car's original engine had run since some time in early 1986. Lots more work to do yet.

[Roger Dowding]

Some pics from Dunedin in 1984. The first one is at the start of the Bethune's Gully hill climb. It is quite steep.

These are some quite low resolution scans I did some years ago which seem to be all that this site will accept. I have some more photos to scan but haven't worked out how to modify the size of the files.

I have only recently found the envelopes with the paperwork, programmes and souvenirs of both the 1984 and 1986 events. I entered for 1986 but didn't get the car going again in time, so went to Dunedin as a spectator.

The last pic was taken on 2 Jan this year, the first day the car's original engine had run since some time in early 1986. Lots more work to do yet.

Mark D, great to see the race photos and to know the car still exists, keep up the good work, the photos came out well.

[Roger Dowding]

Guys, this is a small thread because, I got sidetracked with my Pukekohe shots - there are another 30 photos to come Saloons, Specials Gee Cee S etc and Vintage - the ERA, and 50's single seaters, must get back to it soon.

Have just been provided with the race entries by [ Mark Dawber [ was Annie Swain on Facebook - now Carnerd Mark ] on the South Island Motorsports Facebook page where I posted some of the photos ; Front Cover came from GD66 Steve Nisbett



Race 1


Race 2


Race 3


Race 4


Race 5


Thanks to both GD66 Steve and Annie for the information. has helped identify cars,including the Jaguar powered Special, the Furi which I had a photo of and its supercharged engine !!

[Roger Dowding]

From the programme - Sports Car race - Race 2 #76 Crowe Special.
Correction ;
This not the Crowe Special It is a FURI with Jaguar power, Furi 2 - as confirmed by Warren Bennett, son of the builder Jim Bennett. was raced a bit in the South Island by Jim and Thelma Bennett raced a different model of the Furi with a V6 engine





Some information from Jim Bennett and his son Warren - copied below from South Island Motorsports Facebook page
Jim Bennett ;
" I had this car road legal by 1979. At that stage it was powered by a Mk 7 Jag engine bored to 3.8 and fitted with Chrysler Valiant pistons to keep the compression low enough to supercharge. I later fitted a 3.8 block when the Mk7 split a bore. In this image it is still running with the MK 7 cylinder head and 1 3/4 SUs. The car did a low 15 sec run from memory. I was using the Moss gearbox and started in 2nd gear. Buzzed the tyres too much on the fastest run. Some years later I ran it in a flying 1/4 with a short run up and was a little quicker than Norman Masters Lister Jag replica and at a Bethunes Gully hillclimb piped Alistair Gilmore's Lister Jag replica. I drove it to most events and towed my wife Thelma's Furi 6 on an A bar on several occasions. It fullflled my ambitions in my attempt to build a "poor mans" Ferrari. On an engine dyno it was putting out 200 BHP at 3000 rpm and at 4500 RPM the needle on the Dyno was off the end of the scale which would have been somewhere around 300HP. About then detonation set in and although the ignition was cut the engine continued to diesel until the throttle and fuel were cut. Needless to say the engine was not in a happy state.

More notes from Warren Bennett, Jim’s son

Original motor was 3.8 jag yes. A 4.2 was fitted later in its life. Supercharger off Commer 2 stroke diesel Truck...

And more about the Commer TS2, that provided the supercharger ;
Jim Bennett
They were a 2 stroke diesel with the supercharger used to force air into the cylinders in a similar way to GM 2 stroke diesels. I think the design was of German origin with 6 pistons opposing in 3 cylinders working through rockers and 12 conrods to a crankshaft under the cylinders, a design also used in some heavy diesel ship engnes I believe."


Thanks to for the information on the Crowe Special on the thread.

[John McKechnie]

Looks like Jag 3.8 camshaft covers. 4.2 are different

[Roger Dowding]

Looks like Jag 3.8 camshaft covers. 4.2 are different

Thanks John, probably is the Crowe Special .. don't see it in any of my race photos though !!
Change of information, the Car is a Furi built by Jim Bennett part of a long line of Furi's using all sorts of engines. Warren Bennett, Jim son think that it took part in the Sprints only hence not in the programme, so now do not know what the Crowe Special is / was.

[Paul B]

I think this might be it? but on the race entry sheet it said the engine capacity was 3.8L - found this on the net
1960 MGV Crowe Special
Driven by Geoff Townshend - 2015

[Oldfart]

That's a great photo of what we knew as the MGV8, which he entered as V8 special at Tahunanui.

[Paul B]

I guess he may have been running a 3.8L Rover/Buick v8?. Sure would be a quick car with that set up.
Sounds like the car is still about... somewhere in the South Island

[Oldfart]

I guess he may have been running a 3.8L Rover/Buick v8?. Sure would be a quick car with that set up.
Sounds like the car is still about... somewhere in the South Island

Which car are you referring to Paul? If it's the Crowe "MG" I thought it was a side valve V8, but as usual could be wrong. Trevor built that car and was running in the late 60s and early 70s. A bit too soon for the Rover/Buick.

[Paul B]

Yes the Crowe MG. Of course it would be a sidey V8 would be the 3.8 capacity. I did not think of that. It would still get along well, and have that great side valve V8 noise.
Cheers

[Roger Dowding]

These photos were posted on a Facebook site called OLD NEW ZEALAND MOTOR RACING about NZ Historic Motor Racing photos by by Norman Agnew ; site is run by TRS member " seaqnmac ",
Sean hope you don't mind that I borrowed them.
there are another 7 or so in two groups will play with them too !!
Have asked Norm if he could scan them individually..



have split the photos but could not make them bigger without losing quality !!

[Roger Dowding]

This was a two day event.
Saturday, with straight sprints in the Port Area by the storage warehouses, and the local car clubs, not just the Classic Historics were allowed to run.
Sunday, the Classic Historic races.
My set of photos I will break into, types, NZ Specials and Open Wheelers, Sports Car saloon, and there is even a couple of Motorcycle shots.
Unfortunately have lost or given away the programme, probably the latter, so again any help identifying the cars would be appreciated.
Reshowing the photos from the Otago Daily Times to start with - posted on Yards and Yarns and Minis and Imps threads.
The Allard J2.
Attachment 30862
thanks for identifying it as Rob Boult's.

Attachment 30863
The Minis and Jaguars, plus something large in the back of the pack..

The ERA, and a single seater..

Attachment 30864

The Lycoming Special, built by Ralph Watson - powered by, yes I remembered a Lycoming Engine - turned upside down. Trevor Sheffield's article " Ralph Watson - Special Engineer " can tell you much more.

Attachment 30865

And the book that was on sale at the time about the original races; Racing Around the Houses, by Scott Thomson, 1983.
Attachment 30866

Attachment 30867

Have photos from other Reunion / Revival meetings and Wings and Wheels meetings, only a few photos so will post as a continuation of this thread, First Ohakea 1982

Have been given some old Programmes by Bruce Dyer " Spgeti " which will post here progressively from Dunedin,Wigram,Ohakea and others ..

Bruce Dyer has now [ January 2017 ] sent me photos from around Manfield of various sports cars, Bucklers, Fiat Targa, Mallock U2, and others Ralph Watson BSA Special and a Kieft single seater, have posted the Bucklers on the Oldfart Buckler thread.. will post a lot of the others here :

Have added some photos from Napier in the early 1960's by Norman Agnew .. maybe the thread need a new name .. " Old Racing Circuits as so far has Dunedin Revival 1984, Ohakea 1982, and some other shots plus now Napier 1960's .. will ask Steve !!
What do you Guys think .. ?? or does it need a new thread !!..

See my note about the Old Racing Circuits !!

[Roger Dowding]

More photos from the same event - just as they have been scanned - will separate later.
Norm has indicated he will scan them separately when he has time !!.





Article and map of the track from Graham Woods - Graham has a large number of programmes and articles on 1960's motor racing - he had the George Lawton 100/6 and Cooper photo posted on the Austin Healey thread among others I have " borrowed ".
Allan Dick of Autonews and Classic Driver and other publications noted that he had only ever seen 3 or 4 photos from the Napier Races.
According to a comment the road used are much the same today.

[Roger Dowding]

Don't want to start another thread, but have recently been seeing a lot of photos and parts of programmes, entry list etc, for tracks no longer used !!

Ryal Bush
Napier
New Plymouth - Paritutu
Mairehu ??
Matamata
Waimate
Seagrove
and others ..

Graham Woods, Bob Homewood Milan Fistonic and others have a wealth of information on these events.

So the Question is Start a New Thread ???
or,
Add to an old one - this started with Dunedin and expanded - may need a new Title ..

Ideas Guys.
I am happy to add the information that has come from the above Guys plus others

This is from Graham Woods - posted on South Island Motorsport,in response to a photo of racing at Ryal Bush in 1957

[Roger Dowding]

Seems to have two titles the " NZ Road Racing Championship " or " NZ Championship Road Race "
These both state Championship Road Race ..
The front pages of;
1953
from Allan Dick - Classic Autonews



1954 from Bruce Dyer "Spgeti "



error seem to have 3 copies of the 1953 one and cannot delete - driver error !!

[Milan Fistonic]

This is the actual programme for the 1953 event. Allan's could be a newspaper advert.

[Roger Dowding]

Not Dunedin but some of the cars would have come South during the "Summer of Racing " that was NZ in the 1950's/60's

These are photos by John Sheppard who drove a rather quick Morris Minor in the Saloon Car Race.
Pictures are small but some good shots.









The entry list NZIGP from Graham Woods


The Saloon Cars from Graham Woods