The 1974 England Stockcar Team (Read 6,962 times)

[pallmall]

Over the past 15 to 20 years we have been used to seeing drivers from England and other countries competing at the 240 world Champs and the newer 248 global challenge. Some have had success, it has really depended on the standard of machinery supplied.

Back in 1958 and 1959 Australian teams raced at the Epsom track with their own cars, as they also did a couple of times in the early seasons at Palmerston North, later Australian teams drove local cars.

For 1974 the switched on promotion at Waikaraka Park arranged for a team of top English drivers to race out here, originally they were bringing their own cars, but this proved impossible at the time and 6 local cars were hired for a couple of months and painted white, red and blue. Although success was not good for the poms in the teams races they certainly held their own in the individual events and apparently the NZ drivers learnt lots about car set up and handling, while the poms learnt about drinking NZ style!
All of the visitors, except one, were either past Brisca World Champions or would become a Brisca World Champion.

The team raced at Waikaraka Park, Forest Lake, Paradise Valley, Te Marua, and apparently Ocean View in Wanganui (I would love some info on this, please!)

These were the men and their cars.

1GB Chick Woodroffe, Team Manager and driver.


252GB Dave Chisholm current 1973 World Champion for the third consecutive year. Unfortunately Dave could not stay out in NZ and was replaced by Tony Allen.


393GB Stuart Smith 6 time World Champ, 13 times British Points Champion.


2GB Willie Harrison. World Champion 1982.


100GB Tony Neal. World Champion 1968.


343GB Tony Allen. F2 World Champion.


Such was the impression gained of NZ, its lifestyle, and maybe the stockcar racing two of the above were back in New Zealand with their families to live within 12 months of the January/February 1974 visit.
Tony Neal and Tony Allen went on to create their own bit of history in the NZ stockcar and speedway scene.

This first visit by an English team opened the doors for competition between the two countries, hopefully this coming season will see further development when Frankie Wainman Jnr brings out his English version of a NZ stockcar, if it goes as well a Tony Allen's did, watch out.

[Nellie Irvine]

Yo pallmall. The pommy team that came out in 1974, did they race at Forest Lake. If so I seem to remember one of them getting fired into the wall at the beginning of the back straight and braking a leg. The team would have been Graham Smith (snoopy) 8H, Ian Jenkins 66H, Barry Featherston 99H and one of the KO cars. Please correct me if I am wrong.

[pallmall]

Yes, one of the later meetings of the tour, don't think it was a teams race at that one.
Willy Harrison drove Graham Mitchells car and badly broke his leg in the race you mention. The leg wasn't fixed properly here and he had another operation on it when he got back to England, missed a season of Brisca racing. We were talking about it with Peter Falding and Mitch at the Palmy 75th in January, and a lot of other things about that tour, most of which can't be published on here!

The Waikato team that took on the Poms earlier in the tour was Kevin Free, Owen Shaw, Graham Smith, Barry Featherstone, plus a Mini bodied car 94T.

[Nellie Irvine]

pallmall, the 94t would that be W. Aikman or called Bill Aikman from the King country one of the hillbillies

[pallmall]

I checked properly! It was actually 92T!



The English team at Forest Lake for the teams race against Hamilton. This probably would have been their first teams race, and I think it was the week following their debut at the World Champs race at Waikaraka that was won by 2A 'Wee Mac' Graham McLachlan with 252GB second, Dave Chisholm.

1GB Chick Woodroffe in the second car he drove, the VW bodied car was wrecked at Waikaraka in the World Champs race.


391GB Stuart Smith in the Wally Page car.


252GB Dave Chisholm in the Graham Mitchell car that Wille Harrison later drove at FL and broke his leg in.


100GB Tony Neal in the Joel Wright car.


2GB Willie Harrison in an ex Dave Greer car.

[epmurc]

Crikey, that brings back a memory or two. The meeting at Waikaraka was the first ever speedway racing I went to. Seem to recall one car sitting in the middle of the front straight and trying to either drive or reverse into other cars as they drove past.

[Nellie Irvine]

OK, 92T try Mic Gannon and a hillbilly, his overalls give him away. They never fitted properly and had patch's stitched onto them. A real hard case guy.

[pallmall]

I thought it might be fun to bump an old thread up about 16 pages!

[wal86]

teams race in welly

[woodart]

saw the meeting at wanganui, unfortunatley cant remember much , poms were beaten by a NZ team with,(I think) big bad charlie , gary scott(stratford),roy eaton, and maybe gary hanright and wilbur chiles.

[pallmall]

Thanks Wal86,have you any more of those great shots hiding away? Woodart, thanks for the Wanganui info.
If anybody has any newspaper cuttings, adverts, photos, etc of the England Team visit I would be grateful for it.

Here is a shot of the 93 Wally Page car painted up in the England colours.

[Sharns With Sparky]

who was in the nz teams from each track

[wal86]

the new zealand team was 21 ian taylor(capt),22 charlie bernstein,4 roy eaton,83 gil mallia and 1 kevin free.
new zealand won the race 45 points to 30
this was the teams race at te marua

[pallmall]

Thanks for that.

As I recall without checking my files, the NZ team was not allowed to be called a NZ team and it could not be called a Test because the Blue Coats (ACUSCB) of the day, 1. Hadn't selected the team, 2. Hadn't approved it as a Test. !!!!!!!!
And you think SNZ is bad on promoting speedway!

Thank goodness the Promoters with guts carry on regardless.

[porry41]

92t in a shed in ngauwahia but i dont want it its not the car im looking for ?

[silver]

my name is patsy Vermunt in 74 me patsy tainui i was thee kid who wrote to willie in waikato hospital hamilton make a correction they did race at forest lake twice the second time they raced against the king country hillbillies with mick gannon john picton john mildon the late willie curtin and brother inlord at the time gerry carmichael and bill

that was the night willie was taken to hospital and didnt race again that tour i was also sat on board willies car and got the team to sign thats night programme mick gannon had naughtie words across his t shirt micks son david races sidecars out of kihkihi stuart smith jnr races ss now it is any change of getting copies of those photos for my wall at home as i have lots photos and have a cool photo of Koro stan hickey too

[silver]

92t is it for sale if so how much

[YankeeClipper10H]

Was on trademe two years ago, can't recall the price.

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[silver]

great photo fond merories

[thewatcher]

Chick Woodcliffe 1974 Teams race in welly