55 replies to this topic

[Peter Leversedge]

Some years ago [ 1984 ] Mr Martyn Flower from the UK was doing some research into the history of beach racing around the world for a proposed book, does any one know if this book was ever published ?

[David McKinney]

Pretty sure not, Peter
I supplied him with a bit of NZ stuff back then (perhaps you did too?) but the only thing I ever saw published was a series of articles in The Automobile on racing at Southport and perhaps other venues in the north of England in the 1920s and '30s
I kept in touch with him for years but only had a snail-mail address and that stopped working a while back
It seems I'm not the only one who lost touch with him - see
http://forums.autosp...t=martyn flower

[simonlewisbooks]

Originally posted by Peter Leversedge
Some years ago [ 1984 ] Mr Martyn Flower from the UK was doing some research into the history of beach racing around the world for a proposed book, does any one know if this book was ever published ?

I bought Martyn's extensive collection of motor sport books back in the early summer and we had a long chat while I loaded the van. He seems to have become disillusioned with motor sport over the past decade and indeed the newly purchased titles in his book collection stop dead in the mid 90s. I believe he still has a large file of stuff relating to beach racing but don't believe there is any plan to turn this into a book.

[Peter Leversedge]

Subject - Martyn Flower - Thanks to the members that have replied - Peter

[Peter Leversedge]

It is thirty years this New Years since the last New Zealand Beach Racing Championship was contested at Tahuna Beach Nelson NZ
1949 Hec Green New Brighton Beach
1950 George Smith Murawai Beach
1951 George Smith Oreti Beach
1952 George Smith Murawai Beach
1953 George Smith Oreti Beach
1954 George Smith Oreti Beach
1955 Frank Shuter Oreti Beach
1956 George Smith Oreti Beach
1957 Ron Roycroft Oreti Beach
1958 Duncan Ruthford Waikuku Beach
1960 Bill Harris Jnr Tahuna Beach [ as all remaining events ]
1961 Ron Rutherford
1962 Bill Harris Jnr
1963 Bill Harris Jnr
1964 Neil Stuart
1965 Neil Stuart
1966 Neil Stuart
1967 Allan Rhodes
1968 Norm Smith
1969 Neil Stuart
1970 Peter Leversedge
1971 Rod Mc Elrea
1972 Peter Leversedge
1973 Peter Leversedge
1974 Peter Leversedge
1975 Peter Leversedge
1976 Russell Greer
1977 Russell Greer

[cavvy]

Peter,
what is/was a beach race?

Any photos?

[thunder427]

Gee!! Cavey; where have you been ??!!, you draw a line in the sand,line up the punters,YELL !! Ready ,Set GO!!and the first one to over the other line in sand, some distance away ,gets the ice cream !! ,what did you do at the WA beachs, or don't they have sand!!!

[terry mcgrath]

"We have the best beaches and sand in the world here Western Australia but thats another story"

With regards to beach racing a little bit in Australia but NZ was the main home of it
Australian names include Gerringong NSW, a bit in Qld in the 30's possibly Australind in WA in late 30's.
There was a book published in England 10 years or so ago about beach racing at Redcar in Yorkshire can't put my hands on it at present for title.
The best book is "Beach racing at Takahuni" NZ or similar David McKinney will jump in here and provide full details - all NZ town names are unpronouncible and unspellable particularly
There is another good book on prewar NZ motor racing that has stuff on Murawi Beach
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Gee!! Cavey; where have you been ??!!, you draw a line in the sand,line up the punters,YELL !! Ready ,Set GO!!and the first one to over the other line in sand, some distance away ,gets the ice cream !! ,what did you do at the WA beachs, or don't they have sand!!!
___________________________________________________________________________________________

[terry mcgrath]

How could I forgot Sellick's Beach in South Australia 30's -- to 50's

[David McKinney]

Originally posted by thunder427
you draw a line in the sand,line up the punters,YELL !! Ready ,Set GO!!and the first one to over the other line in sand, some distance away ,gets the ice cream !!

That may have been the way it was done in Australia, but in New Zealand (and the UK) you didn't have a finish-line at the other end of the beach, you had a pylon or other form of marker that the cars rounded, then returned to the start-line, rounded another marker and did it again. Racing, not sprinting

[David McKinney]

Originally posted by Peter Leversedge
It is thirty years this New Years since the last New Zealand Beach Racing Championship was contested at Tahuna Beach Nelson NZ
1949 Hec Green New Brighton Beach
1950 George Smith Murawai Beach
1951 George Smith Oreti Beach
1952 George Smith Murawai Beach
1953 George Smith Oreti Beach
1954 George Smith Oreti Beach
1955 Frank Shuter Oreti Beach
1956 George Smith Oreti Beach
1957 Ron Roycroft Oreti Beach
1958 Duncan Ruthford Waikuku Beach
1960 Bill Harris Jnr Tahuna Beach [ as all remaining events ]
1961 Ron Rutherford
1962 Bill Harris Jnr
1963 Bill Harris Jnr
1964 Neil Stuart
1965 Neil Stuart
1966 Neil Stuart
1967 Allan Rhodes
1968 Norm Smith
1969 Neil Stuart
1970 Peter Leversedge
1971 Rod Mc Elrea
1972 Peter Leversedge
1973 Peter Leversedge
1974 Peter Leversedge
1975 Peter Leversedge
1976 Russell Greer
1977 Russell Greer

That's actually 31 years, Peter
The 1952 title was in fact decided at Waikanae Beach (Wellington) not Muriwai (Auckland)
I know Mike Stephens's Tahuna book says the 1954 race was at Oreti, but I've seen no other reference to a championship race being held anywhere that year. Have you?
Happy Days

[Catalina Park]

I think that there was racing at Bakers Beach in Tasmania.

[rx-guru]

Attended just one beach race in my live, as some Rallycross cars took part. Must have been in the mid 1980s. The venue was Scheveningen in Holland. The races took place at low tide and after a very few hours the somewhat boring show was over. My best memory: RX legend 'Uncle Jan' de Rooy with one of his monstrous Paris-Dakar trucks… BTW: A prosperous New Year 2008 to all at TNF!

[Peter Leversedge]

David. I got the info from Mike Stephens's book [ my distant cousin ] and like most books does perhaps have a few misstakes !!

[Peter Leversedge]

cavvy - you ask what is / was beach racing. In NZ there was beach racing I understand from soon after WW1 until the mid 70's. Most of this racing took place on some on our large beaches at low tide. The racing was conducted as it is in normal circuit racing. The circuit was formed by having two hairpin corners [ usually 44 gal drums ]and two parallel straights seperated by hay bales so it was a bit like driving down 4 lane or wider hiway, doing "u" turn, driving back the other way and doing the same thing again.Good if you have got no other place to race.

[Terry Walker]

We had similar beach racing in Australia, but not, so far as I know, in my home state of Western Australia. Gerringong in NSW and Sellicks in SA ring bells. You need a wide beach with hard-packed sand. We also had long distance records set on the beach on the Coorong in SA, using the same ploy - long drive one way, hairpin, long drive back, repeat indefinitely.

IN WA a form of racing called a "Southport" consisted of the same simple layout. Southports were sometimes held at Caversham in the 50s on the very wide main straight. It also had the advantage of a lot fewer flaggies needed...

[Peter Leversedge]

Tahuna Beach Nelson was a little bit different from most of the other beach racing venues in New Zealand. The circuit was on what was called "the back beach" [ except one year ] This was a large area of sand in a bay behind the main beach with a narrow entrance to the sea and was covered with sea water at high tide.The circuit was laid out more like a circle track [ speedway ] with a main straight, a large sweeping corner,a curved back straight and a tight corner back onto the main straight. The New Years meeting was a two day meeting and some years a stop bank was built to keep the sea water out at high tide if need be. This was like racing on a speedway track and very popular with competitors and spectators alike. The last meeting was held in 1977. The racing there was discontinued for spectator safety reasons!!, they watched from the surounding sanddunes

[HistoricMustang]

Perhaps the best thread to document these photographs from the Florida State Archives.

Henry

http://ibistro.dos.s...-FLA/87290058/9

[275 GTB-4]

I think that there was racing at Bakers Beach in Tasmania.

Yes...and a friend of mine still holds a motorcycle record there (can't be beaten...don't run anymore!)

[275 GTB-4]

cavvy - you ask what is / was beach racing. In NZ there was beach racing I understand from soon after WW1 until the mid 70's. Most of this racing took place on some on our large beaches at low tide. The racing was conducted as it is in normal circuit racing. The circuit was formed by having two hairpin corners [ usually 44 gal drums ]and two parallel straights seperated by hay bales so it was a bit like driving down 4 lane or wider hiway, doing "u" turn, driving back the other way and doing the same thing again.Good if you have got no other place to race.

as demonstarted by Bert in The Worlds Fastest Indian....

[Lee Nicolle]

How could I forgot Sellick's Beach in South Australia 30's -- to 50's

But that was bikes only

[Lee Nicolle]

We had similar beach racing in Australia, but not, so far as I know, in my home state of Western Australia. Gerringong in NSW and Sellicks in SA ring bells. You need a wide beach with hard-packed sand. We also had long distance records set on the beach on the Coorong in SA, using the same ploy - long drive one way, hairpin, long drive back, repeat indefinitely.

IN WA a form of racing called a "Southport" consisted of the same simple layout. Southports were sometimes held at Caversham in the 50s on the very wide main straight. It also had the advantage of a lot fewer flaggies needed...

Having driven on the Coorong a few times in recent years that would be way scarey. As it is never ever smooth. Far more suitable for off road vehicles. The Landcruiser was struggling a bit as in places it was bloody rough!

Sellicks Aldinga beach however is generally quite smooth in summer. Storms occasionally tear it up but a week or two and it is smooth[ish[ again.

My father raced Sellicks once. But really it was not him. He was far better at endurance trials. He said it was a bit scarey, and he doesnt scare easy!

[David McKinney]

But that was bikes only

Cars used Sellicks Beach for a "records day" in 1935

[Lee Nicolle]

Cars used Sellicks Beach for a "records day" in 1935

A little before my time,, or my fathers and he is 91!

[simonlewisbooks]

Sellicks Aldinga beach however is generally quite smooth in summer. Storms occasionally tear it up but a week or two and it is smooth[ish[ again.

I was told or read somewhere (memory fails me on detail) that record attempts on Pendine sands coincided with stormy seas which battered that particular beach flat (?).

[wenoopy]

cavvy - you ask what is / was beach racing. In NZ there was beach racing I understand from soon after WW1 until the mid 70's. Most of this racing took place on some on our large beaches at low tide. The racing was conducted as it is in normal circuit racing. The circuit was formed by having two hairpin corners [ usually 44 gal drums ]and two parallel straights seperated by hay bales so it was a bit like driving down 4 lane or wider hiway, doing "u" turn, driving back the other way and doing the same thing again.Good if you have got no other place to race.

Here are a couple of photos from Muriwai Beach showing the typical layout of beach circuits in New Zealand, with a single oil drum to indicate the corner; there was another 1 mile to the North to mark the other end of the circuit. I don't recall any hay bales, but there may have been another drum at the start/finish line as a receptacle for the flags. Simple! The spectators sat on the sand dunes with a nice elevated view.

1962 winner Bill Thomasen in a Cooper which was more usually seen on drier land.



Second-placed in a race of attrition, Ivan Cranch in a 1930's 6CM Maserati (with 3.4 Jaguar engine) still then being used in hillclimbs and club events



Somewhere out there about 2000 km beyond the horizon is Australia.

Stu

[Lee Nicolle]

Here are a couple of photos from Muriwai Beach showing the typical layout of beach circuits in New Zealand, with a single oil drum to indicate the corner; there was another 1 mile to the North to mark the other end of the circuit. I don't recall any hay bales, but there may have been another drum at the start/finish line as a receptacle for the flags. Simple! The spectators sat on the sand dunes with a nice elevated view.

1962 winner Bill Thomasen in a Cooper which was more usually seen on drier land.



Second-placed in a race of attrition, Ivan Cranch in a 1930's 6CM Maserati (with 3.4 Jaguar engine) still then being used in hillclimbs and club events



Somewhere out there about 2000 km beyond the horizon is Australia.

Stu

Oh the expense of setting up those circuits, gee it might cost $5 and $4 of that is fuel for a ute to carry the drums.

[D-Type]

Oh the expense of setting up those circuits, gee it might cost $5 and $4 of that is fuel for a ute to carry the drums.

Really, does a 4ft length of hose cost $4 in the Antipodes?

[bradbury west]

Is it timely to mention this old thread? . The DVD is very worthwhile IMHO.
http://forums.autosp...w...c=97917&hl=
Roger Lund

[275 GTB-4]

Here are a couple of photos from Muriwai Beach showing the typical layout of beach circuits in New Zealand, with a single oil drum to indicate the corner; there was another 1 mile to the North to mark the other end of the circuit. I don't recall any hay bales, but there may have been another drum at the start/finish line as a receptacle for the flags. Simple! The spectators sat on the sand dunes with a nice elevated view.

1962 winner Bill Thomasen in a Cooper which was more usually seen on drier land.

Second-placed in a race of attrition, Ivan Cranch in a 1930's 6CM Maserati (with 3.4 Jaguar engine) still then being used in hillclimbs and club events

Somewhere out there about 2000 km beyond the horizon is Australia.

Stu

Gee the cars have either rubbered up the sand or dropped a lot of oil...look at the colour of it!

Edited by 275 GTB-4, 27 June 2012 - 00:58.

[David McKinney]

No, that's the natural colour of NZ's western coastal ironsands

[austmcreg]

It seems to me that Tasmania was Australia's home of beach racing. Up until 1948 or so, when ex WW2 disused airfields became available, ALL car and motorcycle racing in Tasmania was conducted on beaches.

Beach racing continued into the 1960s, at least for motorycles, and certainly to late 1950s for cars.

The main venues were:
Seven Mile Beach (near Hobart)
Greens Beach (near Tamar mouth north of Launceston)
Bakers Beach (near Port Sorell)
Turners Beach (near Ulverstone)
Brickmakers Beach (near Stanley)

There were also others used on odd occasion.

There were genuine races, with massed starts of multiple cars, as well as time trials, plus standing and flying start 1/4 mile and 1/2 mile events. There were even a few record attempts such as the well publicised Austin Miller Cooper Corvette episode, and a lot more for motorcycles.

The weather and tidal conditions were natural hazards that had great impact on racing, and times were very dependant on how waterlogged the beach was.

I suspect that any vehicle which particpated would have needed thorough washing down to remove salt, so probably not many survivors!

Rob Saward

[275 GTB-4]

No, that's the natural colour of NZ's western coastal ironsands

Hmmmm the IRONy has been lost on some.....I married a Bay of Islands girl who had lived in New Plymouth for many, many years...yes David, I have seen some black sand in my time

[David McKinney]

Rather difficult to detect the irony of your post, unless we knew you'd had first-hand experience. I'm sure many people reading it would have taken it as a serious observation

[TIPO61]

No one has mentioned Daytona Beach. Long long ago I co-drove the winning Daytona Beach car of that year. Not ON the 'Beach' of course. The son of its owner from Lansing, Michigan and I, drove it to the to the Indiana shop of Ray Nichols where it was 'massaged' back to 'stock' for the return trip. It was there that the Air-Lift Special became more than just a Pontiac. A 'Beach' car in 'Beach specs' on the open road with two teenagers at the wheel. For those moments it was PURE ADRENALINE! Bob Pemberton raced his colors more than once in Florida and his son Jim and I had our own Saturn V in that (now deceased make...Damn you GM) Pontiac. Using words from that era...'it could REALLY get with the program'. A while back Jim wrote me that his younger brother was restoring the machine top to bottom. May he succeed.

[Amphicar]

Back in 1966, while on holiday in Guernsey, I watched beach racing (known there as sand racing) at Vazon Bay. More than 45 years later it still takes place:

[Lee Nicolle]

Back in 1966, while on holiday in Guernsey, I watched beach racing (known there as sand racing) at Vazon Bay. More than 45 years later it still takes place:

One of the asociated clips was even more interesting with the bikes. A real mish mash of bikes. Speedway solos, chook chasers and even a 4 cyl road type bike.Quite entertaining.
Though way over capitalised. Dozens of whitchs hats. Makes NZ look pure and simple!

[simonlewisbooks]

Back in 1966, while on holiday in Guernsey, I watched beach racing (known there as sand racing) at Vazon Bay. More than 45 years later it still takes place:

Back in 2000 I was lucky enough to take part. The organizers even loaned me a car and a mechanic names Nev who was a proper character. Great fun, really nice people and not, as far as I could tell, a tax-exile among them! One of the most enjoyable events I've ever done.

I'll try and dig out the photos. For a backdrop, Vazon bay with it's mix of Napoleonic and Nazi fortifications takes some beating.
There is a sprint course along the coast road at the same point. Possibly the closest proximity of any two MSA-regulated venues? Less than 50 yards!

[275 GTB-4]

Rather difficult to detect the irony of your post, unless we knew you'd had first-hand experience. I'm sure many people reading it would have taken it as a serious observation

Demolition [1.1]Rick: I suppose you think it's pretty weird, don't you Mike? Well, you'd be right. 'Cause THAT'S the kind of guy I am, right? WEIRD. Which is why I go over people's heads. A bit like an aeroplane! You think I'm an aeroplane, don't you, Mike? Well, I'm not.

[Amphicar]

Back in 2000 I was lucky enough to take part. The organizers even loaned me a car and a mechanic names Nev who was a proper character. Great fun, really nice people and not, as far as I could tell, a tax-exile among them! One of the most enjoyable events I've ever done.

I'll try and dig out the photos. For a backdrop, Vazon bay with it's mix of Napoleonic and Nazi fortifications takes some beating.
There is a sprint course along the coast road at the same point. Possibly the closest proximity of any two MSA-regulated venues? Less than 50 yards!

Yes and about 5 km away on the other side of the island there is Les Val des Terres hillclimb course. As I recall, quite a few of the cars I saw racing on the beach were Channel Islands hillclimb specials built for Les Val des terres and Bouley Bay in Jersey.

[TIPO61]

My apologies for not spelling Ray Nichels name correctly. Not cool etc.

[wenoopy]

The weather and tidal conditions were natural hazards that had great impact on racing, and times were very dependant on how waterlogged the beach was.

I suspect that any vehicle which particpated would have needed thorough washing down to remove salt, so probably not many survivors!

Rob Saward

The above would probably apply to New Zealand beach racing as well as Tasmanian. However, for NZ races on west coast ironsand surfaces this might not have been such a problem. The "iron" component in ironsand is Ilmenite granules - Iron Titanium Oxide (FeTiO3), and as one of the notable properties of Titanium is its resistance to rust, might this not counteract the effect of the salt water. What does our scientific community think?

Stu

[Tim Murray]

Yes and about 5 km away on the other side of the island there is Les Val des Terres hillclimb course. As I recall, quite a few of the cars I saw racing on the beach were Channel Islands hillclimb specials built for Les Val des terres and Bouley Bay in Jersey.

Not to mention the Petit Bot hillclimb and the 'Nautocross' in St Sampson's harbour. There's a thread on motor sport in Guernsey, which includes a photo of the sand racing at Vazon:

Motor racing & Guernsey

[Stephen W]

Yes and about 5 km away on the other side of the island there is Les Val des Terres hillclimb course. As I recall, quite a few of the cars I saw racing on the beach were Channel Islands hillclimb specials built for Les Val des terres and Bouley Bay in Jersey.

I suspect that it was the other way round! Beach racers running on the hills. At the up-coming Harewood meeting (7th/8th July) Tara Harvey and Peter Clark will be out with Jaggernought. NB we also usually get three or four popping over to do the Gurston Down Hillclimb Championship rounds.

[275 GTB-4]

The above would probably apply to New Zealand beach racing as well as Tasmanian. However, for NZ races on west coast ironsand surfaces this might not have been such a problem. The "iron" component in ironsand is Ilmenite granules - Iron Titanium Oxide (FeTiO3), and as one of the notable properties of Titanium is its resistance to rust, might this not counteract the effect of the salt water. What does our scientific community think?

Stu

No expert...but I don't think the type of sand would matter at all Stu...the salt water depositing and getting under the skin of the metal would do the damage

[wenoopy]

No expert...but I don't think the type of sand would matter at all Stu...the salt water depositing and getting under the skin of the metal would do the damage

Quite probably, I would think. However, I was struck by the lack of rust on the brake disc on these vehicle remains on an iron-sand beach just south of Auckland NZ. An upside-down Holden Ute or Panel Van has been suggested on another forum. Not in any way connected with beach racing, maybe joyriding, or a surf-casting fisherman's wagon broken down and abandoned to the tides.




Just wondered if electrolysis or oxidation or some other process might be at work.

Stu

[Peter Leversedge]

After racing my car in a beach race I always gave my car a quick wash down as soon as I could after a meeting but when I returned home I would take most of a day cleaning it.
A few weeks ago I un bolted the LR arm type shock off my old "beach racer" and out fell some sand from between the shock housing and the frame
It had been there for over thirty years.............

Edited by Peter Leversedge, 02 July 2012 - 11:30.

[275 GTB-4]

Quite probably, I would think. However, I was struck by the lack of rust on the brake disc on these vehicle remains on an iron-sand beach just south of Auckland NZ. An upside-down Holden Ute or Panel Van has been suggested on another forum. Not in any way connected with beach racing, maybe joyriding, or a surf-casting fisherman's wagon broken down and abandoned to the tides.




Just wondered if electrolysis or oxidation or some other process might be at work.

Stu

Ummmm....HIGH CARBON, GREY IRON COMPOSITION Cast Iron Rotors are resistant to destruction and weakening by oxidation (rust).

[simonlewisbooks]

Thats me on Vazon beach in 2000 in an MG Maestro kindly loaned by the organizers ( I think Amos Ozanne in particular was the prime mover and shaker).
Lots of fun, even though I finished last in every race!

[Amphicar]

Thats me on Vazon beach in 2000 in an MG Maestro kindly loaned by the organizers ( I think Amos Ozanne in particular was the prime mover and shaker).
Lots of fun, even though I finished last in every race!

Looks as if you're just about beating the incoming tide at any rate!