OldRacingCars.com

New Zealand Gold Star Race

Manfeild, 16 Apr 1978

ResultsLapsTime/Speed
1 Andrew Miedecke March 763 - Ford BDA Dewhurst
#8
25 time not issued by organisers
2 David Oxton Chevron B34 - Ford BDA Hart
#18 (see note 1)
25
3 Steve Millen Chevron B42 [42-78-01] - Ford BDA Hart
#19
25
4 Graeme Lawrence March 76B [17] - Ford BDA
(see note 2)
24
5 Norm Lankshear Chevron B34 [34-76-19] - Ford BDA Hart
#16 (see note 3)
24
6 Eric Morgan Chevron B29 [29-75-30] - Ford BDA
#15 (see note 4)
21
7 Ross Stone Cuda JR3 - Ford BDA Nicholson
#22
21 Electrics
8 Robbie Francevic Modus M3 [022(B)/054] - Ford BDA Nicholson
#17
20 Engine cut out
9 Richard Melville March 76B [14] - Ford BDA Swindon
#10 (see note 5)
19 Gave up, conditions
DNS Ken Smith March 76B [20] - Ford BDA Swindon
#11 (see note 6)
Did not start
(Conditions too bad)
DNA Dave McMillan Ralt RT1/76 [36] - Ford BDA Hart
(see note 7)
Did not arrive
DNA Hugh Owen Ralt RT1/77 [73] - Ford BDA Nicholson
(see note 8)
Did not arrive

All cars are 1.6-litre F/Pac unless noted.

Qualifying
1 David Oxton (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Chevron B34 - Ford BDA Hart 1.05.91
2 Andrew Miedecke (F/Pac) 1.6-litre March 763 - Ford BDA Dewhurst 1.06.13
3 Steve Millen (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Chevron B42 [42-78-01] - Ford BDA Hart 1.06.13
4 Ken Smith * (F/Pac) 1.6-litre March 76B [20] - Ford BDA Swindon 1.06.32
5 Richard Melville (F/Pac) 1.6-litre March 76B [14] - Ford BDA Swindon 1.06.45
6 Ross Stone (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Cuda JR3 - Ford BDA Nicholson 1.06.66
7 Norm Lankshear (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Chevron B34 [34-76-19] - Ford BDA Hart 1.07.04
8 Graeme Lawrence (F/Pac) 1.6-litre March 76B [17] - Ford BDA 1.07.06
9 Robbie Francevic (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Modus M3 [022(B)/054] - Ford BDA Nicholson 1.07.08
10 Eric Morgan (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Chevron B29 [29-75-30] - Ford BDA 1.08.21
 
* Did not start

Notes on the cars:

  1. Chevron B34 (David Oxton): A car built by David Oxton using a spare monocoque acquired from the Opert team. Raced by Oxton in the New Zealand Formula Pacific series in January 1978, then in the 1977/78 Gold Star, and also in the January 1979 and January 1980 Internationals. Next seen in 1984 Internationals, when it was raced by Charlie Thomasen, and then in several more seasons by Heather Spurle. It is reported that this car then went via Kenny Smith to John Wigston for his daughter Joanna to race.
  2. March 76B [17] (Graeme Lawrence): New to Sonny Rajah with a fuel-injected Hart engine, and run for Graeme Lawrence in South East Asia.
  3. Chevron B34 [34-76-19] (Norm Lankshear): Tom Bagley (Centre Hall, PA) raced a yellow-and-blue Chevron B34 run by Fred Opert Racing in three IMSA Formula Atlantic races in early 1976, with Kent Oil sponsorship. This car was then raced by Juan Cochésa (Venezuela) in the Players Formula Atlantic series, starting at Edmonton on 16 May. Chris Waddell's report from Edmonton for Autosport described Cochésa's car as "an Opert B34 driven earlier in the year by Tom Bagley". Cochésa then moved to a new car, and the ex-Bagley car was sold to RJ Nelkin (Roslyn, NY/Woodbury, NY), who first raced it in an SCCA National at Summit Point in late June. He then raced it in Pro and SCCA races for the rest of 1976. Nelkin recalls that the car was then returned to Opert to be used as a spare car for Keke Rosberg and Mikko Kozarowitzky to use in the New Zealand Formula Pacific series in January 1977. After the 1977 New Zealand series, the car was sold to Norman Lankshear (Feilding, New Zealand) and raced in the Gold Star series in 1977/78 and 1978/79, and the International series in early 1978 and early 1979. It was then sold to Bryan Hartley (Palmerston) and raced by him in the 1981/82 season. The car was then sold to John Wigston (Auckland), fitted with a Ford crossflow engine and used in hillclimbs in New Zealand in the late 1980s. Wigston was reported to still have the car in October 2016.
  4. Chevron B29 [29-75-30] (Eric Morgan): Built as a works development car, and tested by Brian Redman. Then entered by Jörg Obermoser's Team Warsteiner Eurorace for Hans Binder to drive in Formula 2 with a Rosche BMW engine, when it was reported to be chassis 32. Brian Redman drove it in the 1976 New Zealand Internationals, still with its 2-litre BMW engine, this time as part of the Fred Opert team. Sold in New Zealand to David Oxton, fitted with a Formula Pacific BDA engine and raced in the New Zealand Formula Pacific series in January 1977. Then to Eric Morgan for Gold Star and International races from 1977 to 1981. Sold to Chris Read for 1982. Later history with the car indicates that it was sold by Read to Kenny Smith in 1991, then to Brian Sampson in 1992, then Peter Whelan in 2000, and Miles Jackson in 2008.
  5. March 76B [14] (Richard Melville): An orange March 76B invoiced to Shierson in March 1976. Believed to be the orange #4 March 76B entered by Doug Shierson Racing for Marty Loft (Olympia, WA) until Mosport Park in August when Loft crashed, but this is still uncertain. Then the black #91 car for guest driver Vittorio Brambilla at Trois-Rivières two weeks later. Sold to Richard Melville and used by him in New Zealand racing in 1977 and 1978, where David McKinney noted that is was "ex-Brambilla" and that it carried chassis plate 76B-14. Sold to Unipart for Tiff Needell to use in the 1979 Macau GP, then sold to Sonny Rajah in time for the 1980 Malaysian GP.
  6. March 76B [20] (Ken Smith): Sold via Doug Shierson to Ken Smith (New Zealand) and debuts in early 1977 New Zealand races. Retained to 1981 then sold to Warren Binning. Returned to Smith in 1982 and retained to at least 2003.
  7. Ralt RT1/76 [36] (Dave McMillan): To Cavanaugh Racing and run for Kevin Cogan in two late-season 1976 Canadian Formula Atlantic races. Sold to David McMillan and raced in the 1976/77 New Zealand Gold Star season, and in the January 1977 New Zealand International Formula Pacific series. Taken back to Canada for McMillan to race in two Canadian series races in 1977, then back to New Zealand for the 1977/78 Gold Star series and the January 1978 International series. Retained by McMillan for the 1978/79 and 1979/80 seasons, while also used in a handful of North American races in 1979 and 1980. Rebuilt as a Formula Super Vee for McMillan in 1980. McMillan moved to Ray Lipper’s Centreline Wheels team in 1981 and the old RT1 was raced by Lipper that season. CT
  8. Ralt RT1/77 [73] (Hugh Owen): New to Brian Robertson's Ralt America for Craig Hill to drive in the CASC Formula Atlantic series, backed by Quick-Trans and Castrol. To Hugh Owen in New Zealand for 1978, and raced in the New Zealand Formula Pacific series starting in January 1978. Retained by Owen for the 1978/79 and 1979/80 seasons. Then sold to Dave McMillan and used as a spare car to his Ralt RT4/81 in the 1980/81 season, McMillan's earlier RT1 having been converted to FSV specification by this time. Fitted with a Nissan LZ14 engine for the 1981/82 and 1982/83 seasons when it was raced by McMillan at some races and also by Ray Lipper. Reappeared at Baypark Raceway in January 1985 when owned by John Crawford. CT

Sources

Note that the identification of individual cars in these results is based on the material presented elsewhere in this site and may in some cases contradict the organisers' published results.

The New Zealand race results have been provided by Chris Townsend based on material in Autosport and Motoring News reports in the UK, Motoraction in New Zealand plus the information supplied by a wide range of contributors.

All comments, clarifications, corrections and additions are most welcome. Please email Allen (allen@oldracingcars.com) if you can help in any way with our research.