JAGUAR: A RACING HISTORY IN NEW ZEALAND. PART 11B 1966
Pukekohe 8 Oct 66 – On 8 Oct 66 the annual Wills Three-Hour and Six-Hour races were once again staged at Pukekohe, and Motorman magazine of November 1966 reported on the two endurance races. The 3-hour Gold Leaf Challenge was won by Paul Fahey/Jim Palmer in the new Ford Mustang, having completed 94 laps at an average speed of 67.99 mph/109.42 km/h. In 2nd place was the Morris Cooper 1293S of Bryan Innes/Kerry Grant on 93 laps, and in 3rd place was Barry Phillips/McLean in their Lotus Cortina on 90 laps. In the over 3000cc class, the Fahey/Palmer Mustang was 1st, from Thomson/Scott Taylor in their Jaguar Mk2 3.8, that had been delayed with electrical issues.
Reporting on the 6-Hour race, Motorman said, “Jaguars finished first and second in the rain sodden Wills Six hour event.” Ray Archibald and Tony Shelly won in their #3 black Jaguar Mk2 3.8, having completed 170 laps at an average speed of 61.41 mph/98.83km/h. In 1963 Archibald and Shelly won the first six-hour race at Pukekohe in a Jaguar Mk2 3.8.
With fading brakes, the red #2 Jaguar Mk2 3.8 of Ernie Sprague and Dave Simpson was 2nd on 167 laps at an average speed of 60.43 mph/97.25km/h. In 8th place was the #1 Jaguar Mk2 3.8 of John Ward and Rod Coppins on 164 laps – they won the 1965 six-hour race in their Mk 2 3.8.
Pukekohe 5 Nov 66 – At the Northern Sports Car Club’s meeting held at Pukekohe on 5 Nov 66, Dave Silcock raced his Jaguar XK120 production sports car. The Ward Chandler Handicap race for Sports cars was won by Jim Boyd in the Lycoming Special, from Rodger Anderson in his Austin Healey Sprite, and Dave Silcock was 3rd in his Jaguar XK120 – in the Production car class of the race, Anderson was 1st, from Silcock, with Trevor Sheffield and Trevor Pengelly 3rd and 4th in the Daimler SP 250 Darts.
Alexandra Road 5 Nov 66 – The Wellington Car Club held its first hillclimb at Alexandra Road in six years on 5 Nov 66 – the course being sealed and one of the longest in the county. Fastest time of the day was set by Peter Bennet in his Ford 105E Anglia 1650cc in a time of 68.88s. Brian Watson in his Bagnall Jaguar was 3rd fastest in the over 1500cc Sports car class with a time of 1m 17.22s. In 1st place in the Sports car class was John Nicholson in his Lotus Elan with a time of 1m 11.15, and 2nd was D.J. Walker in his Austin Healey 3000 in 1m 17.15s.
Renwick 12 Nov 66 – Race 1 at the 1966 Renwick event on 12 Nov 66 was for ‘Sports Cars and Specials’ over 6 laps, with three race classes. In Class C, Brian Watson in his #58 Bagnall Jaguar was 4th to A. Smith in his #30 120 EN Special (in race time of 9m 3.9s), Robert Stewart in his Robat Mantis, and Vic Blackburn in his #71 Lotus 18 Ford. In Class B, Brent Hawes in his #111 Tojeiro Jaguar was 3rd to Geoff Mardon 1st in the #53 Stanton Corvette (7m 54.2s), from Andy Buchanan 2nd in the #28 Ferrari 250LM.
In Race 5 over 6 laps, the ‘Sports Cars and Specials Handicap’, Andy Buchanan in the #28 Ferrari 250LM was 1st in a time of 8m 1.1s, from Alan Rhodes in a #87 Zephyr Special, Jim Boyd in the Lycoming Special, and Ian Horley 4th in the #147 Beowulf Ford, but Brent Hawes in the Tojeiro Jaguar and Brian Watson in his Bagnall Jaguar were unplaced. Brian Watson said in his book, at page 249, that he spun, so finished well back.
Ruapuna Park 20 Nov 66 – One week after racing at Renwick, Brent Hawes raced his Tojeiro Jaguar at Ruapuna Park on Sunday 20 Nov 66. Although he led until spinning in the first race for Sports cars and Specials, Brent was not placed in either of the two earlier races. However, he won a 5-lap Handicap race in a time of 4m 22.1s; in 2nd place was Geoff Mardon in the Stanton Corvette, and 3rd was Snow Brogan in a Cooper-Climax. In a 5-lap Handicap race for Saloon cars, Grahame Hitch was 2nd in his Jaguar Mk2 3.8, to Bill Bryce in his ex-Jim Mullins Austin Cooper S. Ernie Sprague in his Jaguar Mk2 3.8 was 3rd in the second Saloon car handicap race, behind Carlos Neate in the Prince Skyline GT, Ron Rutherford’s Lotus Anglia, and Warner Collins in his Lotus Anglia.
Levin 26 Nov 66 – Brian Watson once again entered the #58 ‘Bag-Jag’ sports racing car to race at Levin, this time for the Gold Leaf National meeting held on 26 Nov 66. However, once again, as there is no mention if this meeting in his book, it is assumed he did not arrive. Andy Buchanan in the Ferrari 250LM won the 6-lap race for Sports cars, from David Oxton in his Lola Mk1 Ford 1.5. P. Ransom was 3rd in his Lancer 1500, and N Miles was 4th in his Lotus Super 7 Ford. The same results were tabled for the ‘Triumph Herald Distributors’ handicap race.
Pukekohe 10 Dec 66 – At the 1966 Rothmans National meeting held at Pukekohe in on 10 Dec 66, Motorman magazine of February 1967 reported “at the start of a Modified Production Sports Car race, Dave Silcock in his rapid Jaguar XK120 stormed to the front, followed by Trevor Pengelly (Daimler SP250 Dart), Rodger Anderson (Healey Sprite) and J. Brookfield (MGB). The leading Jaguar continued to circulate at 1m 21.2s and the extremely fast Sprite in 1m 25.7s and the field ran home, Silcock 1st (5m 28.9s), Anderson (5m 50.5s), Pengelly (6m 3.6s), Morrison (6m 20.2s in a Morgan Plus 4), Ross West (Austin Healey) and Trevor Sheffield (Daimler Dart).”
In the Rothmans 30 minute Feature race, Andy Buchanan in his Ferrari 250LM won, having completed 24 laps in 29m 14.2s. In 2nd place was John Riley in his Lotus 19B-Oldsmobile V8 on 24 laps/30m 1.4s, and in 3rd place was Dave Silcock in his Jaguar XK120 on 22 laps.
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