New Zealand/Australian Camaros And Firebirds

[Trans Åm]

Whatever it takes to build and/or restore some awesome race cars, those aussies got it!

[Steve Holmes]

Thanks, Steve. If the filler was not up there while it raced in the Cambridge livery and he's (obviously) restoring it to that era, then I'm of the opinion that he made the right choice.

Yes that was ultimately John's reasoning, but it did require plenty of consideration, as that relocated gas filler was what saved the Monaro from the crusher.

[exracer29]

Wow! What a wonderful restoration. That looks absolutely awesome!

[group/7]

don't know if this one has ben posted here before ? Coppins Firebird being lettered.

http://stiffspeed.co.uk/image/114671233264

Mike

[Jon Mello]

Mike, I've seen the photo before but can't recall if it was posted on this forum previously. Thanks for providing the link.

[Steve Holmes]

I've recently started uploading a new photo collection to The Roaring Season: www.theroaringseason.com The collection is from New Zealander Allan Porter, and follows early New Zealand drag racing, from the 1960s onwards. Its been one of the most enjoyable collections I've had the privilege to share.

Organised drag racing in New Zealand didn't begin until the mid-1960s. The first drag strip, for want of a better term, was Kopuku Drag Way, just south of Auckland. It was built on the vast land on which there was a working coal mine. The drag strip was a 1/4 mile long, but it was unpaved. The dirt surface didn't seem to bother the racers, they ran everything down there from muscle cars to dragsters.

Meantime, organised drag racing events were also run elsewhere, including the straights on road race tracks, and cordoned off streets.

I thought you guys might enjoy a couple of photos that relate to the CRG website.

It was a common sight to see road racers taking their cars drag racing on an otherwise quiet weekend in New Zealand back in the '60s ad '70s. This is Rod Coppins, in his '67 Camaro. Rod won the 1970 NZ Saloon Car Championship in this car. This photo was taken at Bay Park Raceway, which is an old road race track in the Bay Of Plenty, which is now long gone and replaced with houses. Drag racing events were run on the Bay Park back straight, run in the opposite direction to that which the track normally operates.

[Steve Holmes]

Of the various street tracks used in the early days, Kerrs Road, in south Auckland, was probably the most popular and successful. Kerrs Road was an industrial estate, and very quiet on the weekends, which made for the perfect place to go drag racing.

This is Dennis Marwood in the ex-Joe Chamberlain '69 A/Sedan Trans-Am Camaro that Joe brought out to New Zealand in 1970.

[Steve Holmes]

Great shot here showing various racers and spectators pouring into Kerrs Road, including nice looking '68 Firebird.

[Steve Holmes]

'67 Camaro owner grabs some shut-eye at Kerrs Road.

[Steve Holmes]

This is Jim Richards, about to do a run at Kerrs Road in his HT Monaro GTS350. Richards went on to become a hugely successful New Zealand road racing driver, who moved his young family to Australia in 1975 to take up the sport professionally.

Back when this photo was taken, Richards would race anything, anywhere, from road racing, drag racing, speedway, rallys, you name it. He usually raced cars owned by other people, but this Monaro he himself owned. In fact, it was his daily transport, and he used it to tow his race car to most events. When he'd get to the track, he'd un-hitch the trailer, pop off the hubcaps, remove the tow bar, and race the Monaro in production car road racing events, just so he could get in more racing.

I guess there was no other racing happening this weekend, as he decided to take the Monaro for a run at Kerrs Road.

[Steve Holmes]

Last one that relates to this website. The first purpose built drag strip in New Zealand was Champion Dragway, in Meremere, south of Auckland. This track first opened in 1973.

This is Red Dawson, about to run his Camaro road racer down Meremere drag strip. Looking at the paint scheme and sponsors, I'd say this was around 1973, so not long after the track first opened.

What I find interesting here, apart from the fact a road racer is taking his car down a drag strip, is the Camaros leaf spring arrangement. For some reason the car is running spring shackles, and the car appears to have flat leaves. Was this common practice?

[group/7]

Steve, great photos ! I really enjoy seeing the cars raced in Australia. the "Roaring Season" is a great site !
is there a reason Coppins would have '68 side glass on that "Cambridge" '67 Camaro ?

Mike (group/7)

[Jon Mello]

Thanks for posting those for our enjoyment, Steve.

Always appreciated and it's fun to learn more about the cars from down under. The only Trans-Am car I can think of off the top of my head that went to the drag strip was the Bob Tullius Dodge Dart and that was after he sold it. Nobody knows what became of it after it became a drag car.

[Steve Holmes]

Couple of update pics on the Cambridge Monaro restoration.

[Jon Mello]

Gorgeous car, Steve. He's doing a wonderful job with the restoration. Thanks for posting the pics here.