10 replies to this topic

[pete3664]

Wondering if anyone on the other side of the world might know if Dennis Dunbar of Mercer N. Z. is still around. He bought the sister car to my 1984 Doug Shierson Racing DSR Indycar and was going to try for a New Zealand land speed record a number of years ago. I'm trying to find out some info on the Cosworth Turbo and have lost rack of his adress or phone #. As often as I see Aussie's and New Zealanders posting, I'm hoping someone knows the whereabouts of either Dennis or the car. Thanks

[maoricar]

Shouldn't be a problem. Dennis was pretty well known, esp. in the Auck. area, during the 70's ...as a competitor and seller of 'pre-owned' vehicles.
Always had a plan. An essay on tne NZ LSR sounds like him. Probably in his early 60's by now

[ghinzani]

They made TWO DRS1's?????

[Patrick Fletcher]

This car may have been the one that was demonstrated by Dr. Roger Freeth [mathematican - rocket scientist] during a Wigram meeting years ago. NZLSR attempts were talked about during the day.

[hatrat]

Dennis was around - at least a month or so back. The annual Kellyville hill climb is held up his road and his front paddock is used as the "pits". If you send me a PM I can forward on his contact details.

[GD66]

I have a feeling that Rodger Freeth had a successful run at the NZ record in that car on the Hauraki Plains, south of Auckland. Muz Bee would know, let's see if he's watching....

[pete3664]

Ghinzani, There were actually three DSR 1'S built, Danny Sullivan drove all of them during development, with Sullivan and Johnny Rutherford attempting to qualify 2 of them for Shierson @Indy. They were parked and the engines put in the 84 Lola's that Sullivan drove the rest of the season. They were parked and one is in New Zealand the last I knew, I have one and the other was sold to Chuck Haines who said he sold the remains to a private museum in the East coast of US. That one was only bits and pieces

[Huw Jadvantich]

I met Dennis a couple of years back in NZ at Pukey. he was touting around a note book on how to improve your race-car handling. It was quite good. Unfortunately I don't have a contact for him.

[Muz Bee]

Originally posted by GD66
I have a feeling that Rodger Freeth had a successful run at the NZ record in that car on the Hauraki Plains, south of Auckland. Muz Bee would know, let's see if he's watching....

(Woken from a deep sleep) Didn't know Dennis, GD, but I'm sure you would have met him back in the 70s. I couldn't say if this was the very car (it was an Indycar) but I suspect so and will make enquiries in the classic racing world. On a slightly divergent note the Canal Road, Hauraki Plains, that Rodger set the record on, stands as a testomony to the bravery of Rog. Narrow and bumpy with only a deep canal to catch you if you arced off I would be reluctant to do more than about 200kph in any car, maybe on a motorcycle. Won't say what I managed on a quick fang one day but it fell well short of the machine's maximum - let alone 180 something mph.

[kingswood]

The Dunbar Indycar was not the car that was used by Roger Freeth to set the speed record on that
narrow bit of road on the Hauraki plains. That particular car was an '89 Lola HU1 powered by a DFX
Cosworth, and owned by the Algie brothers It was an ex Luyendyk/Dick Simon Provimi veal car that they
had repaired after it had been badly crashed. The car went back to the US after Freeth drove it and now
resides in a museum in Indy somewhere, in Foyt livery The Algies pretty much rescued this chassis from
the dead, as it was a real mess before they took it on The Dunbar car is now part of Gary Devons
collection, the last I heard Dennis Dunbar was at the HRC meeting at Puke' in January, but I don't have
a contact for him

[pete3664]

Do you have an e-mail adress or contact info on the gary devon collection-- I'm looking for info on a few aspects of the car so I can finish mine correctly. A PM would be great, I basically need a few photos of some components to verify and would really appreciate any reply or contact. thanks Pete