What was your impression of the 5-litres
at Levin? Does you or father remember some
nice stories of McRae and co?
Did you attend the AUS vs NZ F5000 races
at Manfeild in December 1973, 1974 and 1975
("Mick Page Memorial Trophy")?
Brent, did you see the F5000s at Levin&Manfeild?
Started by
island
, Apr 28 2000 21:54
11 replies to this topic
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#2
Brent
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Posted 29 April 2000 - 07:08
Sure did. McRae was just incredible. So was Grame Lawrence. I'm from the Manawatu so Manfeild is my home track. I raced Guzzi's there. F5000 was my favourite class. I got into that before F1.
I was at Manfeild for the F5000 swan song. Really sad. 8 cars on the grid
Oxton,Lawrence and Kenny Smith were there....
I'm waiting on a reply from the Old Man.
But i'm just riddled with stories about F5000. My fav was the Lola....yuuuummm
Also my mom owned motels close to Manfeild so she always had alot of drivers staying with her...they always rebooked as well. Must have been the spa pool.
I remember Ross Cheever (Eddie's brother) absolutely off his face cause he managed to beat Davy Jones in one race. They were here in Graeme Lawrence's team. That was Formula Pacific. Ross was out of it.(puke)
After the meetings these guys would ring home to the States and both of them said things like "Yes Daddy..i did real good today" not that i was listening. Chris Amon also stayed there along with Denny Hulme, Keke Rosberg and so many others....
Levin was the first track i ever went to, long before Manfield was built. My dad used to take me to carting prior to that.
Hell i'm getting sentimental even thinking about it.
AUS vs NZ. Can't remember too much about that but i would've been there. I think Frank Gardner(OZ)was driving...he was awesome.
I remember Gardner and Lawrence getting pissed at one after meeting piss-up. They looked like best buddies and me, as a kid could'nt work that out? I mean they'd just been dicing with eachother at 200mph....
I was at Manfeild for the F5000 swan song. Really sad. 8 cars on the grid
Oxton,Lawrence and Kenny Smith were there....
I'm waiting on a reply from the Old Man.
But i'm just riddled with stories about F5000. My fav was the Lola....yuuuummm
Also my mom owned motels close to Manfeild so she always had alot of drivers staying with her...they always rebooked as well. Must have been the spa pool.
I remember Ross Cheever (Eddie's brother) absolutely off his face cause he managed to beat Davy Jones in one race. They were here in Graeme Lawrence's team. That was Formula Pacific. Ross was out of it.(puke)
After the meetings these guys would ring home to the States and both of them said things like "Yes Daddy..i did real good today" not that i was listening. Chris Amon also stayed there along with Denny Hulme, Keke Rosberg and so many others....
Levin was the first track i ever went to, long before Manfield was built. My dad used to take me to carting prior to that.
Hell i'm getting sentimental even thinking about it.
AUS vs NZ. Can't remember too much about that but i would've been there. I think Frank Gardner(OZ)was driving...he was awesome.
I remember Gardner and Lawrence getting pissed at one after meeting piss-up. They looked like best buddies and me, as a kid could'nt work that out? I mean they'd just been dicing with eachother at 200mph....
#3
Ray Bell
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Posted 29 April 2000 - 08:06
Gardner never raced at Manfeild in F5000, did he?
He was, after his return from England, very much the 'father' of the Lola brigade, the group that McCormack called the 'Lola Push' and Matich disregarded altogether.
I keep forgetting how successful that G. Lawrence chap was in these cars, he always had the best gear and did fairly well.
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Life and love are mixed with pain...
He was, after his return from England, very much the 'father' of the Lola brigade, the group that McCormack called the 'Lola Push' and Matich disregarded altogether.
I keep forgetting how successful that G. Lawrence chap was in these cars, he always had the best gear and did fairly well.
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Life and love are mixed with pain...
#4
Brent
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Posted 29 April 2000 - 15:10
Ray, hell did'nt he? I maybe wrong. It could've been one of the many battles Gardner had with Paul Fahey, great Chev vs Ford fights...who ya reckon won?
ICSM
ICSM
#5
Brent
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Posted 29 April 2000 - 16:38
"I keep forgetting how successful that G. Lawrence chap was in these cars, he always had the best gear and did fairly well."
Beleive me, this G. Lawrence bloke was supreme...and he made the best of the equip that was available...is'nt that what you're paid to do?
Beleive me, this G. Lawrence bloke was supreme...and he made the best of the equip that was available...is'nt that what you're paid to do?
#6
Ray Bell
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Posted 29 April 2000 - 07:29
Oh, yes, Gardner in the Camaro... not in F5000.
I think Graeme would have a good laugh at you suggesting he got paid to drive F5000! I'll admit that I was jaundiced against him because he gave my hero, Niel Allen, a hard time with that Ferrari he ran, but I always had nice conversations with him and we got on well.
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Life and love are mixed with pain...
I think Graeme would have a good laugh at you suggesting he got paid to drive F5000! I'll admit that I was jaundiced against him because he gave my hero, Niel Allen, a hard time with that Ferrari he ran, but I always had nice conversations with him and we got on well.
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Life and love are mixed with pain...
#7
island
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Posted 29 April 2000 - 22:53
Brent,
why was McRae so incredible at Levin? It was
a rather quick circuit, I believe. Did he
excel in the high-speed corners?
Graeme Lawrence came good when he got the
Lola T332 in 1974. He cleaned up Levin in
1975 and missed the Tasman Cup by a point.
His father (a former racer himself, I think)
supported his racing and he also had some
nice sponsors, like Singapore Airlines,
Johnson`s Wix and Marlboro.
The Manfeild promotor invited the Australian
F5000 brigade for the International race
in December. And they were rather successful!
Bartlett won in 1973, Brown in 1974 and
Allison in 1975.
why was McRae so incredible at Levin? It was
a rather quick circuit, I believe. Did he
excel in the high-speed corners?
Graeme Lawrence came good when he got the
Lola T332 in 1974. He cleaned up Levin in
1975 and missed the Tasman Cup by a point.
His father (a former racer himself, I think)
supported his racing and he also had some
nice sponsors, like Singapore Airlines,
Johnson`s Wix and Marlboro.
The Manfeild promotor invited the Australian
F5000 brigade for the International race
in December. And they were rather successful!
Bartlett won in 1973, Brown in 1974 and
Allison in 1975.
#8
Brent
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Posted 30 April 2000 - 02:08
Ray, yeah you're right. Paul Fahey was driving a Capri and Frank was in a Corvair (?) definitely not a Camaro...had a really long tail. Also Richards in a Mustang...
"is'nt that what you're paid to do?"
Ok i just made that up cause it fit..
Island, McRae was incredible everywhere. I remember Barlett over here but not the other guys? The Manfeild promotor,Robbie Lester, was over taken by my brother at Pukekohe in the rain, on the outside at the end of the front straight in Formula Vee..that takes guts. Lester went on to take the title however.
"is'nt that what you're paid to do?"
Ok i just made that up cause it fit..
Island, McRae was incredible everywhere. I remember Barlett over here but not the other guys? The Manfeild promotor,Robbie Lester, was over taken by my brother at Pukekohe in the rain, on the outside at the end of the front straight in Formula Vee..that takes guts. Lester went on to take the title however.
#9
Ray Bell
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Posted 30 April 2000 - 04:27
Your brother should be able to hold a conversation with Keir, who didn't know before today that there were Vees in NZ.
And I apologise about Gardner... if it was in the Corvair it might as well have been a Lola, only the tub was changedto protect Eric Broadley.
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Life and love are mixed with pain...
And I apologise about Gardner... if it was in the Corvair it might as well have been a Lola, only the tub was changedto protect Eric Broadley.
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Life and love are mixed with pain...
#10
island
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- Joined: April 00
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Posted 30 April 2000 - 20:34
Brent,
the Begg F5000s of Drummond/Southland
were sort of a mainstay of NZ F5000 racing.
Do you recall their Levin/Manfeild performance against all those Lolas?
Oxton in the black FM5 or Murdoch in the
neat 018?
And what about Lake Bend at Levin(the fast
left hand sweeper which followed the front
straight)? As hazardous as the reports say?
the Begg F5000s of Drummond/Southland
were sort of a mainstay of NZ F5000 racing.
Do you recall their Levin/Manfeild performance against all those Lolas?
Oxton in the black FM5 or Murdoch in the
neat 018?
And what about Lake Bend at Levin(the fast
left hand sweeper which followed the front
straight)? As hazardous as the reports say?
#11
Brent
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Posted 04 May 2000 - 11:33
Ray, i remember someone saying at the time that Gardner's car was a F1 car with a body on it. Is that right? Don't remember Eric Broadley.
Island, you have me on the back foot. I've meet David Oxton a couple of times. Once when i was in a hospitality suite at the Wellington Street races and we had a few beers together. Was fun. That was years after the demise of F5000.
The Levin track was really before my time even though i was there, i don't really remember a whole lot about it. Manfeild really got me interested and i feel is still the best track over here by far. Pukekohe gets the big meetings as there are more sheep there
I've hassled the old man for some stories and i'm waiting......
Island, you have me on the back foot. I've meet David Oxton a couple of times. Once when i was in a hospitality suite at the Wellington Street races and we had a few beers together. Was fun. That was years after the demise of F5000.
The Levin track was really before my time even though i was there, i don't really remember a whole lot about it. Manfeild really got me interested and i feel is still the best track over here by far. Pukekohe gets the big meetings as there are more sheep there
I've hassled the old man for some stories and i'm waiting......
#12
Ray Bell
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Posted 04 May 2000 - 14:57
The Eric Broadley bits in the Corvair were the uprights and steering box. Perhaps the bellhousing, too. The rest was a corvair 2-door shell (circa 1966) that Tom Nailard put together for Frank. Originally, Tom was building it for himself, but while getting advice from Frank he realised he couldn't afford to do it properly. A deal was struck and Frank had himself a racing car and a mechanic. All he had to do was find a sponsor and he could run away with the Australian Sports Sedan title.
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Life and love are mixed with pain...
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Life and love are mixed with pain...
