Motor Racing pics - my early years, 1964-71 ; Pukekohe Racetrack ;by - Roger Dowdingl

[Roger Dowding]

Ardmore Airfield was the site of the New Zealand Grand Prix from 1954 to 1962, when the event moved to Pukekohe.
Auckland Car Club and Northern Sports Car Club used to run events at Ardmore called " Little Ardmore " in January February annually and when the Races at Ohakea Air Force Base and Airfield were cancelled because of Military requirements an additional event was run at Ardmore - the " Ardmore 50 ".

In 1983 an event was held at Pukekohe called the Ardmore - Pukekohe Reunion meeting.
- in January 1989 a real Reunion Meeting was again held at Ardmore.

Photos have been posted before but in response to my photos being put on Old New Zealand Motor Racing, Mike Courtney of Austin Seven and RA Vanguard fame -
[ he owned the RA Vanguard as bits in the 1980's as a running machine but not restored ]
posted these images.
The List of Entrants and Notes from the " Historic Racing and Sports Car Club, and a montage of photos that appeared in a Newspaper - not named.

The HRSCC list
Many great names on there, sadly some of them have gone to the Race Track in the Sky.



The HRSCC notes



The Montage of photos ;



The Car Sticker from the meeting archive of Ross Hollings who was racing that day in his Mini-Cooper.



One of my photos from the Day - the Sports Cars on the dummy grid - with the three Austin Healey entries a BN2 100 Mark Donaldson, who still has the car and two AN5 Sprites Steve Hill Red AN5, Anthony ' Tony' van de Water AH5L758, the white Sprite that he also still has. Have recently discovered that Tony's car was originally Left Hand Drive,

[Roger Dowding]

Photos from a Wings and Wheels meeting at Pukekohe - remember attending one of them, main sponsor was an Auckland Radio Station.
This set of Sports Cars from one of the events.

The Peter Bruin restored Lotus X1, now with the Sharp / Ganley family - was Howdens car back in the 1960's with the Motordrome Team.



The Dave Silcock XK120



The Paton Ford Special, that was owned by Jim Short at one time, he had it at Ardmore in 1989 - the Reunion meeting.



Facing the other way.

The Tony Herbert Ginetta, now in Europe with Richard Bauz.



Buckler - the MGA powered Ian Hallet car



Another photo of the Lotus XI



The other cars feature are in the background of some of the photos, the Buckler and also another Buckler the Green / Yellow car that is now in Europe.

[Roger Dowding]

A photo that had apparently been lost for a while - a Mini hitting the Bank at Rothmans, people scurrying away from the edge of the track.
- All looks OK but look up high.
Distinct lack of fencing along Rothmans, just the men in White Coats - did that job myself with NSCC many times.

Photo from " Ethel de Aardvark " - correct name not known, but a friend of " JohnB " E de A - now lives in Australia.
Date of photo not confirmed 1966 is a guess
- * note from Milan Fistonic " November 1965 meeting at Pukekohe "

.

Lost a front myself back in 1967 in Titirangi, came a round a corner and the nose dropped as the wheel had torn away from the stud holes.
Early Mini wheels were known to have this issue.
They, the " 10 x 3.5 inch " with 5.20 x 10 tyres got replaced by later Mini wheels widened by Dave Jolly to " 10 X 5 " and had 5.90 x 10 Firestones fitted, as seen here.

[Milan Fistonic]

Quote: Date of photo not confirmed 1966 is a guess

It was at the November 1965 meeting at Pukekohe.

The Motorman report of the incident.

[Roger Dowding]

Quote: Date of photo not confirmed 1966 is a guess

It was at the November 1965 meeting at Pukekohe.

The Motorman report of the incident.

Thanks Milan,
can detail the photo.

342,243 views, and growing, still not up with ERC at 2,066,652 .. and rapidly growing.

[Roger Dowding]

A series of photos have emerged - John Larry Lawton has been given Terry Baker photos from the 1971 - The October Winfield meeting.

Should go on the Baypark Story - but here is an example.

Jim Smith brought the car to NZ, not sure how many meetings he attended.
Rod Grimwood and Milan Fistonic both have images from Magazines of the time - Autonews etc

[Roger Dowding]

What began as the " Wills Six Hour " Race - for Standard Production Saloons - in October 1963 Developed into two Races by 1965 with the Introduction of the " Gold Leaf Three Hour Challenge " Race for Modified [ Factory ] Saloons and Sports Cars in 1965. By 1967 the Challenge Race was " Wills Challenge Race ".

The Race became the Benson and Hedges 500 and continued into the 1980's as such.

A selection of photos from Kevin Lancaster of the 1971 race.
First 2 photos - first lap first corner - the Elbow / Stables.





Ralph Emson - Doug Bremner Triumph 2.5PI, pursued by another 2.5PI.



Graeme Harvey - Don Davies 2.5PI at the hairpin.



Barry Phillips Bruce McLean Ford Cortina 2000GT



A couple of the " Big " cars ;
- Bruce Anderson Pat Smith Ford Falcon 500 and Tim Bailey Merv Neil Chrysler Valiant V8.

[Roger Dowding]

A selection of programmes covering the early to mid years of Pukekohe 1963 to 2023.

1963 December Blue Cover and 1964 April Red Cover ACC Meetings - White cover is from 1960 - presume meeting was at Ardmore.



Wills Six Hour meetings 1964 - 1967 - anticlockwise from bottom right 1964



1966 ACC and NSCC National Meetings



1967 ACC and NSCC



1980's
- 1981 and 1985 Benson and Hedges Programmes and the 1986 New Zealand Grand Prix
- Only two makes of cars entered for the Grand Prix Race - Ralt RT4 [ 13 cars ] and Chevron B34 [ 2 ]. The GP had lost its status but had 5 drivers from the USA and one Private Entry from Australia.



The Programmes came from Allan Cameron, Lloyd Gleeson, and Ross Cammick.

[Roger Dowding]

At the Elbow - 3 images, Photos two and three from the same Race, 1st Lap by the looks - the third believed to be the same meeting ACC April 1964 the Season Ending meeting for ACC, NSCC ran one in May.







John Hatton in his Mark One Zephyr at the tail of the field.
John gave me the Progamme some years ago and in 2022 I got another copy from Lloyd Gleeson with the handwritten details.

Entry Lists for a three of the Saloon Car Races. with results



These two Race pages were blank apart from the Race details and has handwritten names and numbers for the cars - have added the drivers names and cars to the original copies.



The last Saloon Car Race for the day.

[Roger Dowding]

Pukekohe in 1970 Dave Silcock in his Mark 2 Jaguar Saloon - lost he windscreen and kept racing ;

Three different images of the racing.

Photo by Kevin Lancaster ;



from a magazine article - Rod Grimwood archives. edit - just checked.



From Allan Dick Autonews a 1970 Edition - photo was across the pages, so a join in the middle.

[Roger Dowding]

Entry lists and " Official Report " of results as issued by the Club running the event - all images from Milan Fistonic.

Entry Lists have notes on them ;


The Results - the NZ International Grand Prix meeting January 1973.



1974 at the NZIGP meeting

Correction from Milan
[ The 1974 NZIGP was held at Wigram.

The Pukekohe event was called the Peter Stuyvesant $100,000 Championship Air New Zealand International Race. ] details on the Results List too !! my oops.



The Results.



1975 - at the NSCC National Meeting in March [ posted on NSCC thread - belong here to keep together ].



The Results.



In each case as the " Official Report " there are the Race Incidents noted as well as fastest lap and Placings.

Notes - newspaper article on the 1975 event to follow

[Roger Dowding]

" newspaper [ Magazine ] article on the 1975 event to follow ".



The Entry List - First Division Race 3 of the day [ again ] ;



Austin A40 Farina pair and the Anglia - would have been " Old " cars by then - even though repowered.

[Milan Fistonic]

Quote: 1974 at the NZIGP meeting.

The 1974 NZIGP was held at Wigram.

The Pukekohe event was called the Peter Stuyvesant $100,000 Championship Air New Zealand International Race.

[Roger Dowding]

Milan, thanks will correct saw the " Peter Stuyvesant " details but had forgotten, would have been there but .. 50 years ago.
Cheers
Roger

[Roger Dowding]

Notes from David Zeunart;
" Maybach Month : November 2024 : Day #3
A "Magnificent" photograph of a "Beaming & Tired BUT Jubilant" Stan Jones being congratulated after his fabulous win in the Charlie Dean / Repco Research Maybach Special racing car which had just won the Auckland International Grand Prix @ the Ardmore circuit in New Zealand on January 9th 1954 : 2nd place winner British racing driver Ken Wharton pictured here shaking hands with Stan : Next to Ken Wharton is Mr Phillip Seabrook : President of the Auckland International Grand Prix organisation : Lex Davison is next with Charlie Dean in overalls & Bib Stillwell with the Bolex movie camera in his hand : Without any doubt whatsoever this was the Maybach specials finest racing win beating the might of the fabulous B.R.M. P15 - 1496cc : V16 supercharged racing car of Ken Wharton plus also Peter Whiteheads Ferrari F1 - 125 : 1995cc : V12 whose clutch & flywheel collapsed on lap 15 of the 100 lap event forcing him to retire from the race : "
note words as on the post " Bolex - is probably Rolex ".



Photo courtesy of the Charlie Dean family archive : "Zeunert Motorsport Archive" "

The results;



More details are in the Graham Vercoe books on New Zealand Motor Racing, especially " The Golden Era of New Zealand Motor Racing " 14 cars finished another 10 were DNF's and more either did not start including a few that did not arrive..

Ardmore and Pukekohe Race programmes - missing from the image is the 1954 Programme.
Have the 1957, and 1960 - 61 and 62 issues, thanks to " Allan " on TRS..

[Milan Fistonic]

Quote: note words as on the post " Bolex - is probably Rolex ".

Bolex is correct.

The Bolex H16 is a 16mm motion picture camera. It is powered by a constant speed, spring-driven motor that is wound via a large winding handle on the side of the camera. It has a variable speed shutter with options for 8, 16, 24, 32 and 64 fps - with the ability to change speeds while the camera is filming.

[Roger Dowding]

Quote: note words as on the post " Bolex - is probably Rolex ".

Bolex is correct.

The Bolex H16 is a 16mm motion picture camera. It is powered by a constant speed, spring-driven motor that is wound via a large winding handle on the side of the camera. It has a variable speed shutter with options for 8, 16, 24, 32 and 64 fps - with the ability to change speeds while the camera is filming.

Milan, great thanks, had never heard of them and Rolex are probably more known for watches, thanks as always for your information.
Cheers
Roger

The poster of the photo and the words - David Zeunart - has a great archive on Australasian Motor Racing mainly Australian with a lot on Stan Jones and the Maybach posted recently on a Facebook Group " Pre 1960 Historic Racing in Australasia " - well worth a look and joining.