Dunedin Street Races - revival meeting January 1984

[Roger Dowding]

Lewis Townsend archives.

Specials Saloons and others in the paddock.



Saloons on the startline -quite a few Zephyrs


Saloons in a line again - Zephyrs.


Under the bonnet of one of the Zephyrs, Triple SU's and a Raymond Mays Head rumoured.



On Track - something unusual a Peugeot 203.



A Big Ford ' Customline '.. and a Chev Coupe.



More Saloons to follow - On Track.

[Roger Dowding]

Lewis Townsend archives. some more

Kerry Grant in the A40, the Mini was driven by ... Cowie



Humber 80 of M R Baigent - from Matamata



Jaguar Mark 2 3.8 of Simon Taylor.



Humber 80 Maurice Larsen and Wolseley 1500 of R L Salmon from Taupo


Motorcycles are not in my area of knowledge.**



** " Bikes are a BSA Gold Star foreground. Villiers powered DOT converted scrambler on the right. Triumph twin recognisable in the left background. "
Thanks to Greg T for the notes on the Bikes ..

Will move South for the next sets of the Lewis Townsend collection.

[GregT]

Bikes are a BSA Gold Star foreground. Villiers powered DOT converted scrambler on the right. Triumph twin recognisable in the left background.
The DOT's interesting - it's still got a 21 inch front wheel. Must have been fun finding a road/race tyre for that.

[Oldfart]

The Peugeot 203 was driven often by Brian Lawrence, brother of Graeme and son of Doug, sometimes used to tow the Lola sports to meetings, towbar removed, then raced and with towbar replaced the ensemble returned to Wanganui (with NO H)

[Milan Fistonic]

The Peugeot 203 was driven often by Brian Lawrence, brother of Graeme and son of Doug, sometimes used to tow the Lola sports to meetings, towbar removed, then raced and with towbar replaced the ensemble returned to Wanganui (with NO H)

The Peugeot was driven Tony Lawrence at that 1961 meeting. Doug was driving the Cooper Bobtail in the sports car races alongside Graeme in the Mistral-bodied TR2.

[Roger Dowding]

The Peugeot was driven Tony Lawrence at that 1961 meeting. Doug was driving the Cooper Bobtail in the sports car races alongside Graeme in the Mistral-bodied TR2.

Milan, thanks, I had written Tony Lawrence in the " name of the photo " but not in the post.

Do you have the Saloon Entry Lists or even List of Competitors for the event ?? ..//.. I only have Racing an Sports Cars - as posted earlier.

[Roger Dowding]

Bikes are a BSA Gold Star foreground. Villiers powered DOT converted scrambler on the right. Triumph twin recognisable in the left background.
The DOT's interesting - it's still got a 21 inch front wheel. Must have been fun finding a road/race tyre for that.

Thanks GregT - will add to the photo caption.
Cheers
Roger

[Roger Dowding]

More Lewis Townsend photos
- some of the same cars were at Ohakea later on - the 1961 meeting in previous posts.

Jim Palmer Lotus



The Allan Freeman Talbot Lago.
on the trailer



On the track chasing the field - Sports cars Lotus IX and racing cars



Cooper - Another famous - well would be soon driver.



Maserati 250F Len Gilbert at the wheel.



Next set - Sports Cars and Saloons..

[Oldfart]

The Lawrence Peugeot, I should have said driven by almost all the family at some stage! I wrote an article for the Peugeot Club magazine about the car with input from Brian and Tony. At least I didn't say who was driving at that meeting

[Roger Dowding]

Lewis Townsend photos - from the same meeting.

Rex Flowers in the Lotus - is it a " 6 " or an early " 7 " with race number " 5 ".
***It is a Lotus Six ..
.. and as commented on another thread Car #24 is the Missattor.
- photo here to keep the set together.



Vic Simkin in the Buckler 90 - Humber powered and with a Sunbeam gearbox - presume Rapier.



Jaguar Mark 2, 3.8 of Simon Taylor - car was new and had only done 500 miles before this event.
The car and Simon were at the 1961 Ohakea event too !!.



The Jaguar again - would assume that it is Simon Taylor standing with the car..
Other competitors Mark 2 Zephyr and Ford V8 behind the car.



Something rather different with this Saloon
Alvis
The Alvis raced at Ardmore in 1962 ..



Saloons on the Track to follow..

[Roger Dowding]

Lewis Townsend photos.

Zephyr at the front - Ivan Segedin.


Mark 2 Zephyrs - there were a few and Rootes Group cars too - Hillman, Humber and Singer..



An early Hillman - pre the Audax models " Humber 80 "was unique to New Zealand a Todd Motors badge engineered version of the Hillman Minx, not seen in the UK. an Audax Humber 80 in the photo too !!



Entry list for one of the races at this meeting - Milan Fistonic archives


Placings at the bottom- Ivan Segedin in #41 the winner,Fourth place not in the entry list.

Levin was a tight track - here a photo from a 1958 Programme [ 1.175 miles ]
- there were minor variations to the track over the years from the first meeting in 1956. Programme says " 1 MILE ".



Map of the the track in 1964 - from a programme.
both images from Graham Woods.

[jellywrestler]

There was a third version too, a more sweeping corner onto the front straight to make a higher front straight speed done ready for 1966.

[Milan Fistonic]

There was a third version too, a more sweeping corner onto the front straight to make a higher front straight speed done ready for 1966.

This one. From the November 1966 programme.

[Roger Dowding]

Thanks to " jellywrestler " for the above images.
[ must reply to your message ].

The events were known as the Dunedin Festival Races and became part of the " Southern Festival of Speed "

Dunedin 1992 to 1997 and 2003 Programme Covers.





.

Thanks also to Milan for the 1966 Track Map of Levin.
I had been told there were three variations to the track and seeing the 3 images side by side you can see that.
Not major changes.
- Another of New Zealand's " Lost Tracks " with Pukekohe scheduled to join the category in April 2023.

[Milan Fistonic]

The Carlos Neate Prince GT at Ruapuna in 1966

[Roger Dowding]

Mt [ the Mount ] Maunganui Street Races ran in late December 1962 [ 29th ] and 1963 [ the 28th ], using roads in what is now the heart of the Commercial Area around Hewletts Road - the main way into the Mount from Tauranga across the " new " bridge.

These photos from Graeme Kennish archives.
Jaguar of Alistair McBeath and Ernie Sprague in his Zephyr in pursuit.
The Zephyr without the Oil Cooler through the grille - that must have come later.
December 1962.



Small capacity Saloons


- Note by Milan Fistonic - when the photo was put on the " Mt Maunganui Not Baypark " thread
" The cars in the second photo are:

Kerry Grant - A40
Paul Fahey - VW
Morrie Hogan - Anglia
Neil Johns - Mini
Brian Ax - A40

They finished in the order Grant, Johns, Hogan, Murray Charles and AX. Fahey retired on lap 3. "

From the 1963 event an Anglia in the Haybales. J Murphy in #34.

.

Entries for the two events - originally posted by GD66 - the 1962 event and Milan the 1963 - on the Mt Maunganui Not Baypark thread started by " Oldfart " back in August 2014.





Results for a Mount event shown as 1964 - from Motorman, but would be the 28th December 1963 event - Graham Woods archives.
[ bringing it all together ].

[Roger Dowding]

A bit more on the events -
This about the 1963 event.

From a Car Club magazine - Graham Woods archives;



from Motorman - about the Stanton incident.



Map of the Track - from Glen Ducey archives - presume that is GD66..



Another photo from GD archives -Racing cars on the startline.



Saloons at the start from GD archives. 1963



Front row ; left #43 Kerry Grant Cortina GT, Ernie Sprague Mk 3 Zephyr Paul Fahey #108 Lotus Cortina

Bringing the information together..

[Roger Dowding]

1963 .. The Sports Car Races.

The starting grid with Frank Matich. pole Johnny Riley and the Jaguar



The Entry list. Milan Fistonic archives



Report in the Graham Vercoe Book with grid places and finishers of the Premier Race [ Ken H archives ].



1963 the Saloons - Alan Boyle photos.
- posted elsewhere - now all together.

McBeath, Jones and Nazer


Dancing at Hull Road corner ;


Ford Dancing at the same corner - the front row of the grid posted earlier.. Sprague, Grant and Fahey..

[Roger Dowding]

Not Dunedin City, not even Otago but perhaps the first racing in the South Island regions after the Second World War.
- Ohakea held events in 1949 1950 and Seagrove, and Muriwai Beach were being used for big meetings, not just Club events..

Te Pirita Airstrip, near Dunsandel, in Otago. 6th June 1949 - Was it " Kings " birthday weekend ?..

Big oops on my part Te Pirita is near Dunsandel, near the Rakaia River and close to Christchurch as noted by " Allan ", " jellywrestler " and " Greg T " !!
[ my apologies gentlemen - now suitably corrected.
I should have remembered I had commented on the place when "jellywrestler " was seeking information for his book on Motor Cycle Racing venues back in 2020.

Have also edited the photo titles in my archive to relate to Motor Racing in Canterbury - by attaching them to my " Wigram " file,
- not " Dunedin "

Advert in a magazine for the event - Graeme Staples archives.



Results from the event from Milan Fistonic vast archives.

Some well known names in there Hec Green in his Wolseley, Don Ransley in a Riley. Pat Hoare in a Singer and Geoff Mardon on an A J S motorcycle - would be before he went to England. Les Moore in a 500cc Triumph motorcycle.
Les also went to the UK for motorcycle racing
Event was a combined Car and Motorcycle event.

part one


part two


Does anyone have any more information on this early Post War event?.
There was Beach Racing in Otago Southland at the time, I understand.

[Allan]

Te Pirita and Dunsandel are in Mid Canterbury nowhere near Dunedin.