Wanted: Group A Commodore NZ History / Bowkett / Billington / Barrow

[TonyG]

Interesting shots. I have some here that I will scan and post on Weds night when I have finished putting my desktop PC back together.
They are a little water damaged around the edges but I should be able to fix them up ok.
1) Is the Sleepyhead car through the esses at Puke in Benson and Hedges trim as per Steves photo but minus the Go To Bed on the side.
2) The Castle/Billington AC Delco scheme coming through the start of the esses at Puke.
3) I also have a couple of shots of another with Crosby/Wilkinson across the windscreen and Wang sponsorship. Is this the same car ?

Interesting you mention the black lower colouring on the Grice car. I have a shot of it in the pits at Puke with black on the lower side panels but the front panel is all red and the grill is silver. Maybe it was smashed in Wellinton and was not finished on the Friday when I took the shot.

[TonyG]

The Castle Billington shot I have is the same car in the newspaper clipping above about a trouble free series sought by drivers.

[TonyG]

Unfortunately not real good photos, quite faded and some quite water damaged.




I tried to crop it a bit but made it worse


This is the Wang sponsored car

[SPS]

Hi Tony

Thanks for you photos.The first will be 17 11 85 B&H 6 hour at Puke as there are no spoiler.Next shoot Billington/Caslte will be 16 11 86 B&H 6 hour also Finishing 4th .Most likely the first Puke outing with there new car.Last is Croz and Wilkinson. NM500 at Puke 2 2 87 .This car is the HDT Built car that Ray Smith had built in Gold AC&B colours before Croz purchased it and ran in the ATTC in 86.This car is restored and currently in the Bathurst Museam.
Tony I noted that your profile is on the GC .The car is there also.

Regards
Warren

[TonyG]

HI Warren I had noticed that you were on the Coast in your profile. Nice to see another enthusiast here on the Coast.
I wondered if the Wang car was the ex Coin and Bullion car as I new Ross and Jimmy Stone had dealings with both cars (same car as it turns out).
Regards
Tony

[Steve Holmes]

Crosby actually raced the ex Smith/Hulme car briefly in its original gold and black colours in one or two early ATCC races, before the Bob Jane T-Marts backing arrived, with the colour change. I asked Croz once if the Bob Jane sponsorship was a lucrative one for him, assuming it would have been given the car was decked out in it. Turns out there was no money involved, just free tyres. How times have changed!

[TonyG]

I always remember Croz in incar footage from either Calder or Adelaide and he was explaining about all the labels for everything on the dash. They asked about the one for G/Box and he replied, "oh thats the Glove Box"

[PhotoSmith]

Hi Martin

Good to here from you.Thanks for the Picture.Got anymore.Are you still taking photos?The car on the left is mine.The other was Grices Roadways car which was co driven by Grahame Cameron.It had a black lower section with Yokohama signage which was one of Grices sponsors

Regards
Warren

Hi Warren,

Recently found these 2 photos - Pukekohe (using the long track) and Bayaprk rounds of the B+H series 1986 (?)

Cheers
MS

[SPS]

Hi Martin
Thanks. Both shots are B&H series but October 85.Car got upgrades in January 86 including Spoilers.It only ran once at Puke on GP curcuit in B&H 6 hour. Not sure where it Finished.At Baypark it Finished 3rd.Need to find some more time in my life to get on with the resto after looking at all the old Group A cars etc running at Hampton Downs the last few weeks.They need a Commodore in there to spice things up a bit. Planning on racing the car there in the next couple of years. Looked like a great event again.
Regards
Warren
Warren

[Marty]

Hi Warren,

The Bowkett car was maintained by "Rapid" Ron Bartel. I'm pretty sure he went to Roadways when it was getting built.
I think that Rapid is still in Auckland and wouldn't be hard to find.

Every time I think of this car I can remember a Pukekohe race, early 86? it had fuel pouring out the boot floor on the warm up lap. Maybe the first case of Ram filling ?

Marty

[stirlingmac]

If I remember correctly, he fuel spill was caused by the team chilling the fuel to fit more in the tank but it started expanding faster than expected...

[Lurker]

If I remember correctly, he fuel spill was caused by the team chilling the fuel to fit more in the tank but it started expanding faster than expected...

That is correct, they chilled the fuel with liquid nitrogen to decrease the effective volume and allow more fuel to be put in the tank as it would been just enough to save one pit stop as the final stop only required a small amount of fuel. Unfortunately the start was delayed for reasons I cannot remember but it was long enough for the fuel to warm up and expand the tank and break the metal straps that secured the tank. Then it happened as Marty explained it

[SPS]

Hi Marty
Hope things are good with you.Im sure you have lots you can add to some of the threads.Do you have any contact details for Ron Bartel?.Do you know him?.I spoke to Bowkett a few years back and he made mention to 'Rapid' Bartel.I think he did work for Roadways at some point.Also the fuel issue would have most likely been at athe B&H 6hour in 85 as the previous photo shows and the other races at Puke where the January 86 sprint race NZTCC and the car was crashed in Practice for the Nissan Mobil meeting in early 86.
The Bowkett car was maintained by "Rapid" Ron Bartel. I'm pretty sure he went to Roadways when it was getting built.
I think that Rapid is still in Auckland and wouldn't be hard to find.

Every time I think of this car I can remember a Pukekohe race, early 86? it had fuel pouring out the boot floor on the warm up lap. Maybe the first case of Ram filling ?

Marty[/QUOTE]

[Steve Holmes]

Hi Martin
Thanks. Both shots are B&H series but October 85.Car got upgrades in January 86 including Spoilers.It only ran once at Puke on GP curcuit in B&H 6 hour. Not sure where it Finished.At Baypark it Finished 3rd.Need to find some more time in my life to get on with the resto after looking at all the old Group A cars etc running at Hampton Downs the last few weeks.They need a Commodore in there to spice things up a bit. Planning on racing the car there in the next couple of years. Looked like a great event again.
Regards
Warren
Warren

I'm glad you were able to fill in the gaps here. This one had me scratching my head. I knew the Johnson Mustang raced in NZ in the black JPS colours in Jan 1986, and I knew it struck homologation issues and couldn't race in NZ in Jan 1985, so figured this must have been taken at some point in between.

[SPS]

I'm glad you were able to fill in the gaps here. This one had me scratching my head. I knew the Johnson Mustang raced in NZ in the black JPS colours in Jan 1986, and I knew it struck homologation issues and couldn't race in NZ in Jan 1985, so figured this must have been taken at some point in between.

Hi Steve

NC ran with DJ in B&H race in Oct/Nov 85 in Green John Andrew Ford Mustang and Jan 86 Nissan Mobil races in same car in Black JPS colours.
Not sure about the Homolagation issues in early 85.{first i have heard of that]Was the beginning of Group A in NZ & OZ so most likely struck some Nazi at this point.Car had run in OZ in some events in 84 at end of Group C.

[PhotoSmith]

Hi Warren / Steve

DJ's Mustang at Wellington in Jan 1986 - black on the outside - Green on the Inside.

[SPS]

Thanks Martin
I think this is the car Robbie ended up with.Was restored by Ken Hopper a few years back[2007/2008?]and is in Sydney still for sale now at about $150K.Not silly money. I,d be happy to have it parked in my Shed.

[Mike Price]

Thought you might find these of interest.
I went to Manfeild to see this meeting in '86 as an 8 year old. I took some photos too but have to find where I put them.
The autographs are from - Denny Hulme , Robbie Francevic, David Oxton, John Morton, Charlie O'Brien , Trevor crowe, Graeme Bowkett and Graeme Crosby.

[peterwgpa]

Some Paper work that may be useful for COD purposes

[SPS]