TAUPO TT (Taupo Trophy) RACE MEETING, CENTENNIAL PARK RACEWAY, TAUPO
8am Saturday, 4 December to 4pm Sunday, 5 December, 2010
This is a social event formulated for you to enjoy your car, the Taupo track and fellow competitors.
With the exception of Alfa Romeo Tropheo Series cars, which for the past 10 years or more have been a traditional part of this HRSCC event, this meeting is aimed at Historic and Vintage cars and a race programme will be worked out to accommodate fast and slow groups for each category as required.
The Alfa Series cars will be running up to six races for their championship, Vintage Car Club entrants, Historic Sports Cars, Formula Ford and Formula Junior/Formula 3 will have exclusive races as well as mixed grid historic events, split into fast and slow groupings.
Documentation and scrutineering for all categories will commence at 8.00am Saturday followed by six-lap practice runs. A social dinner will be held on Saturday evening in the Taupo Car Club’s clubrooms at the circuit, limited seating restricts the number able to attend so it must be on a first come-first served basis. $20pp, BYO refreshments. A prize-giving “ceremony” will be held at the conclusion of racing at 4pm Sunday.
Trophies to be competed for include …
- HRSCC FORMULA JUNIOR TROPHY: A one-off presentation of a trophy designed and presented by Wayne Rodgers for the best performing Formula Junior at the meeting
- CLASSIC COVER TROPHY: Donated by Mark Joblin of Classic Cover Insurance for presentation to the winner of the Feature Event which this year will be for Formula Ford, to celebrate 40 years of the formula.
- BIG TREE TROPHY: A very historic trophy presented to the Historic Racing and Sports Car Club by the family of the late Phil Seabrook for competition among Historic Single-Seaters.
- THE ARTHUR MALLOCK TROPHY: Presented by Susanne (nee Mallock) and Bill Stone to the person with a U2 connection who best represents Arthur’s ideals.
- IAN IVERS MEMORIAL TROPHY: A beautifully mounted model car trophy presented by Colin Waite in memory of his friend and mechanic, Ian Ivers, for competition by under 1100cc sports and racing cars.
- BRABHAM WHEEL TROPHY: A genuine Brabham single-seater steering wheel mounted on a plinth and donated by the late Bob Wigg to be presented to the best prepared car as chosen by our Scrutineers.
- BIG REV TROPHY: An artistic trophy presented by HRSCC member Tony Garmey, now of Seattle, for presentation to the “Best Whoopsie” of the weekend.
… and lemons!
THE RULES:
- Protests will be ignored!
- Documentation and scrutineering irregularities could count against your car’s trophy total!
- Not all winners will be recognised!
- The Organising Committee reserve the right to change the rules at any time during the weekend (without prior notice) – depending on who is winning!
- The Organising Committee, Steward and Clerk of the Course are all available to be “bought” at any time during the weekend. A “nod and a wink” from the Starter can be had for as little as a bottle of bourbon !
Entry forms were sent out by Ian Garmey on 8 November but if you haven’t got one but want to enter just contact me and I will forward the documents to you.
We have unfortunately been advised by the Waitemata Branch of the VCC that they have decided that our FJ cars are no longer welcome to compete at their Chelsea hillclimb. We are uncertain as to why they have come to this decision as they are allowing other similar cars to compete.
The Waitemata Branch of the VCC are organising an historic event at Hampton Downs at Easter 2011 and are keen to attract as many cars as possible in order to make the event a success for them. As such, they would like our FJ cars to enter.
On the new car front, Mike Sexton is coming close to the finish of his restoration of his Gemini Mk2. I have had a sneak preview and it will be a stunning car with a high polished alloy body and great lines – as the first Gemini Mk2 built it is also a special car. Coincidentally, the other recent Gemini import (Noel Woodford’s Gemini Mk3A) is also nearing completion and it appears possible that this car could be the first Mk3A made. There is still some verification needed to support this deduction but as the car was purchased from the US west coast and as there was only one Gemini Mk3A running on the west coast in period, we think they may be the same car. If so (and some original body colours appear to match) then the car could be Ed Leslie’s 1961 US car. Ed was a well known and respected driver having driven for Carroll Shelby, Jim Hall and Roger Penske. Noel has contacted the late Ed’s son Leslie V Leslie, who remembers the Gemini well (he recollects as a 10 year old the painting over of the Chequered Flag white and black with Ed’s favourite red) and he holds period records including a photo of the Gemini at Brands Hatch in August 1961 with Mike Parkes driving for the works Chequered Flag team. More information on this car is coming to light all the time and it is hopeful that its history will be able to be verified one way or another.
Allan Cattle was out in his newly acquired Volpini at the Icebreaker meeting and it was looking very smart in pale blue, Unfortunately it dropped a valve early in proceedings but knowing Allan it will soon be back in running order.
The other event for FJ cars is of course the Chris Amon Festival at Hampton Downs on 21-23 and 28-30 January 2011. Following in the footsteps of the Bruce McLaren Festival it will be a great show but unfortunately there will not be the level of UK and European entrants we had last time. However, there is a good group of Australian FJs coming so racing should be brisk and exciting. The cost of putting this event on is considerable and as a result the organisers have had to increase the entry fee to $920 for the two weekends. This includes $345 for use of the marquee which is compulsory housing for our cars – you can leave your tent at home and not have the hassle of putting it up and stopping it blowing away. All details can be found at http://www.nzfmr.co.nz/. I am the FJ co-ordinator so if you have any queries or problems just ask.
Cheers,
Roger
