New Zealand 1977 Atlantic

[Armco Bender]

Oh roger that,I was just wondering as at that time he was just a struggling F3 driver,and it semed logical to bolt a BDA on the back of it and ship it home.

[Kevin Miller]

I agree with you Chris, there doesn't appear to be a connection with Brett's F3 car and the Atlantic one in NZ. I was given the chassis?/tub? number of 776-U3 when the Atlantic car was landed in NZ in Dec '77. I am waiting on documentation from the third owner to confirm this. I guess his F3 car, with a good 77 season behind it, was worth keeping in one piece for the resale potential, so I guess whoever owned it would have been reluctant to break it up.

[Kevin Miller]

Sorry, that chassis?/tub? no. should have read 763-U3.

[Chris Townsend]

Okay, the Tasman series is starting to look good and after checking
further with Dave Mckinney this summer I think it will become the
first Atlantic posting on oldracingcars [if that's okay Allen!]

Meantime, can we try and finish '77 off with the Gold Star series

1 NZ Gold Star 16.10.77 Where was this race?

1 Richard Melville March 76B [14]-BDA Swindon
2 Ross Stone Cuda JR3-BDA Nicholson
3 Robbie Francevic Modus M4/022/54-BDA Nicholson
4 Norm Lankshear Chevron B34
5 Steve Emson Modus M3/047-BDA Nicholson
6 Eric Morgan Chevron B29 [29.75.30]? What engine?
7 Dave McMillan Ralt RT1/34-BDA Hart
8 Reg Cook March

Only 8 ran?

2 NZ Gold Star 16.10.77 [Two rounds on same day?]

1 Dave McMillan Ralt RT1/34-BDA Hart
2 Richard Melville March 76B -BDA Swindon
3 Steve Emson Modus M3/047-BDA Nicholson
4 Ross Stone Cuda JR3-BDA Nicholson
5 Norm Lankshear Chevron B34
6 Reg Cook March
R engine Robbie Francevic Modus M4/022-BDA Nicholson
? Eric Morgan Chevron B29

3 NZ Gold Star Manfeild 30.10.77

1 Robbie Francevic Modus M4/022-BDA Nicholson
2 Richard Melville March 76B -BDA Swindon
3 Ken Smith March 76B [20]-BDA Nicholson
4 Ross Stone Cuda JR3-BDA Nicholson
5 Norm Lankshear Chevron B34
6 Peter Larner Elfin
7

R electrics Dave McMillan Ralt RT1/34-BDA Hart

4 NZ Gold Star Pukehoe 13.11.77

1 Ken Smith March 76B [20]-BDA Nicholson
2 Ross Stone Cuda JR3-BDA Nicholson
3 Richard Melville March 76B [14]-BDA Swindon
4 Reg Cook March
5 Eric Morgan Chevron B29
6 Norm Lankshear Chevron B34
DNS engine Robbie Francevic Modus M4/022-BDA Nicholson
DNS Dave McMillan Ralt RT1/34-BDA Hart

Can anyone help with race times, laps completed etc?
Also the Larner Elfin? And complete runners for rounds 3 and 4

Chris

[Milan Fistonic]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Chris Townsend
Okay, the Tasman series is starting to look good and after checking
further with Dave Mckinney this summer I think it will become the
first Atlantic posting on oldracingcars [if that's okay Allen!]

Meantime, can we try and finish '77 off with the Gold Star series

1 NZ Gold Star 16.10.77 Where was this race?Ruapuna

1 Richard Melville March 76B [14]-BDA Swindon
2 Ross Stone Cuda JR3-BDA Nicholson
3 Robbie Francevic Modus M4/022/54-BDA Nicholson
4 Norm Lankshear Chevron B34
5 Steve Emson Modus M3/047-BDA Nicholson
6 Eric Morgan Chevron B29 [29.75.30]? What engine?
7 Dave McMillan Ralt RT1/34-BDA Hart
8 Reg Cook March

Only 8 ran? Yes - Dave Saunders was a DNA with his March after it was wrecked at the Grand Prix. Reported to have bought a new tub

2 NZ Gold Star 16.10.77 [Two rounds on same day?]One round - two heats, both scoring points 9,6,4,3,2,1

1 Dave McMillan Ralt RT1/34-BDA Hart
2 Richard Melville March 76B -BDA Swindon
3 Steve Emson Modus M3/047-BDA Nicholson
4 Ross Stone Cuda JR3-BDA Nicholson
5 Norm Lankshear Chevron B34
6 Reg Cook March
R engine Robbie Francevic Modus M4/022-BDA Nicholson
R clutch Eric Morgan Chevron B29

Unfortunately David Mckinney has not given race times in his report.

[Milan Fistonic]

Round 3 was held at Timaru on October 23, 1977.

Seven entries - five starters.

1 McMillan Ralt
2 Stone Cuda
3 Francevic Modus
4 Lankshear Chevron

Melville retired after accident with McMillan on lap 26
Emson crashed in private pratice on Friday
Morgan crashed in unofficial practice on Saturday

[Milan Fistonic]

4 NZ Gold Star Manfeild 30.10.77

1 Robbie Francevic Modus M4/022-BDA Nicholson
2 Richard Melville March 76B -BDA Swindon
3 Ken Smith March 76B [20]-BDA Nicholson
4 Ross Stone Cuda JR3-BDA Nicholson
5 Norm Lankshear Chevron B34
6 Peter Larner Brabham BT36-BDA England
7 Eric Morgan Chevron B29

R electrics Dave McMillan Ralt RT1/34-BDA Hart[/b]
R Graeme Crawford Birrana 273- BDA England retired because of weather conditions "If it's good enough for Niki Lauda, it's good enough for me."
R Reg Cook withdrew after a couple of major spins.

DNA David Oxton Chevron B39
DNA Dave Saunders March

[Bryan Miller]

Chris, confirming Albert Poon Chevron , actually B34/39-76-37 , with a letter from Roger Andreasson 4/4/1990 stating last car built of that series , picked up in U.K. by Poon and used in Macau G.P. 1976 and in N.Z. 1977 , sold 1979/80 to Peter Nicol in Western Australia , been in Aust. ever since ,1980-1982 Peter Morris, 1982-1994 Jim Runciman , all those in W.A. thence to Richard Fearon in Victoria 1994-98 , then Noel Robson till 2002 , now with Peter Mohr of Queensland.

Will check Peter Larner Elfin type and advise.

Bryan.

[Milan Fistonic]

5 NZ Gold Star Pukehoe 13.11.77 25 laps

1 Ken Smith March 76B [20]-BDA Nicholson 22m 24.3s
2 Ross Stone Cuda JR3-BDA Nicholson
3 Richard Melville March 76B [14]-BDA Swindon
4 Reg Cook March
5 Eric Morgan Chevron B29
6 Norm Lankshear Chevron B34
7 Dave Saunders March 722 (tub borrowed from Frank Radisich) 24 laps
R broken radius arm Dave McMillan Ralt RT1/34-BDA Hart 12 laps
DNS engine Robbie Francevic Modus M4/022-BDA Nicholson

There seems to be some confusion about the number of rounds in this championship. The programme states that the Pukekohe round was round four, yet David McKinney calls the Timaru race round three. Which would make Manfeild round four and Pukekohe round five.

Can you throw any light on this David?

[Milan Fistonic]

A correction to the points awarded. 9,6,4,3,2,1 were awarded for the two heats at Ruapuna. At the other rounds the points were 18,12,8,6,4,2.

The points score printed in the Pukekohe programme tallies with there having been four previous rounds.

[Milan Fistonic]

According to David's Manfeild report Larner's Brabham BT36 was a 1969 model, built up fairly recently, having been raced in Australia 18 months ago by Andrew Miedecke. Then [1977] owned by Paul England, the red Brabham was fitted with one of his BDA motors and had an Elfin nose.

[Bryan Miller]

Milan Fistonic , yes , thanks , Chris has an Elfin listed for Peter Larner at the Manfield round , so I was looking for a ref. to that.
The ''Brabham BT36 '' is not , it is one of the 3 Brabham/Dolpins as we now call them , and as discussed elsewhere , this car is car #3.I don't know how Chris wishes to record this car.

Did you print up rd. 5 out of N.Z. report , if so it gives the number of 022 to my ex. Modus, as opposed to using info.Chris had posed.
Regards Bryan.

[Bryan Miller]

Chris, Graeme Crawford Birrana is 273-010 .
Bryan.

[Milan Fistonic]

Originally posted by Bryan Miller
Did you print up rd. 5 out of N.Z. report , if so it gives the number of 022 to my ex. Modus, as opposed to using info.Chris had posed.
Regards Bryan.

I'm not sure what you are asking here. I only added the bits in bold type to Chris' post.

[Bryan Miller]

I see what happened , you changed the round from #4 to #5.

What I was asking was , did David Mckinney list that ch.no.in his race report or did you gather it from Chris's list.?
Bryan.

[Chris Townsend]

Bryan

It was in my list based on Modus chassis histories and our discussions about your car.

Chris

[Bryan Miller]

Chris, the first time you listed it was M4022/054 and when Isaw it listed as just 022 I thought it may have come from a N.Z. period race report.
Bryan.

[allenbrown]

Originally posted by Chris Townsend
Okay, the Tasman series is starting to look good and after checking
further with Dave Mckinney this summer I think it will become the
first Atlantic posting on oldracingcars [if that's okay Allen!]...

Very okay!

-A

[Milan Fistonic]

Originally posted by Milan Fistonic
.
There seems to be some confusion about the number of rounds in this championship. The programme states that the Pukekohe round was round four, yet David McKinney calls the Timaru race round three. Which would make Manfeild round four and Pukekohe round five.

Can you throw any light on this David? [/B]

The confusion is all mine.

There were four rounds but round one had two heats making a total of five races.

Therefore we have:

Round One Ruapuna (two heats)
Round Two Timaru
Round Three Manfeild
Round Four Pukekohe

It was very late!

[Chris Townsend]

Milan

A couple of questions about Pukekohe:
You mention a programme. Do you have a full list of entrants, including DNAs and race numbers?

Saunders runs a March 722 courtesy of Frank Radisich. Is this Radisich's ex Ken Smith 722-1? or does he just build its tub into his existing bitsa?

Chris

[Milan Fistonic]

Originally posted by Chris Townsend
Milan

A couple of questions about Pukekohe:
You mention a programme. Do you have a full list of entrants, including DNAs and race numbers?

Saunders runs a March 722 courtesy of Frank Radisich. Is this Radisich's ex Ken Smith 722-1? or does he just build its tub into his existing bitsa?

Chris

This the entry list from the programme.

0 Dave McMillan Ralt RT1
1 Robbie Francevic Modus
10 Richard Melville March 76B
11 Ken Smith March 76B
15 Eric Morgan Chevron B29
16 Norm Lankshear Chevrom B34
22 Ross Stone Cuda JR3
25 Dave Saunders March 75B
99 Reg Cook March 742

This is what David McKinney wrote about the Saunders car.

Dave Saunders had the fourth March in the entry. It was very much an interim car, built up while awaiting the new bits from England - hopefully in time for the Stuyvesant series. So the car at Pukekohe had a 722 tub borrowed from Frank Radisich and braced here and there for strength, the patched -up bodywork from the car crashed at the Grand Prix, and whatever other bits he could find.

[Chris Townsend]

Moving swiftly on from 1977, can we consider the 1979 Tasman series [leaving '78 on one side for a few weeks]

I have virtually all the chassis numbers for cars in this series. In fact the only gap seems to be Jeff Woods's March 78B. I'm hoping Dave McKinney was there!

On the other hand I don't have race times, laps completed retirement reasons, or full runners and riders for rounds 3 and 4. Bryan, do you have similar resources to 1977?

Chris

[Bryan Miller]

Chris, nowhere as good as 1977 I'm afraid.
I have just pulled out Racing Car News of Feb. and March 1979 and whilst there is 4 full pages nowhere near the detail on grids , it does have the top ten qualifiers for Baypark, Pukekohe and Manfield .
How about I photocopy and post to you if you Email me your U.K. address.
Bryan.

[Kevin Miller]

Chris, you mention that you have all the details for the '79 Tasman series. I was wondering if you could post details of car and chassis no.s for any Brett Riley entry. Cheers, Kevin.

[allenbrown]

Talking about future Atlantics...

I'm just going through the 1974 Tasman results prior to publication and found the John Leffler March 722. Which one was this? The ex-Smith 722 [1] or the ex-Robertson 722[37]? Vercoe says 722/37 but I wanted to be sure.

Also out was Smith himself in his 732 (with a 2-litre Cosworth Ford BDG according to Autocourse). Vercoe says chassis 9 - can anyone confirm this?

Thanks

Allen