Rex Flowers: A Story of his 1961 Gemini Mk3A-09 Cosworth-Ford FJ Part 10 of 15
[Continued from Part 9]
Bay of Plenty Road Race, Bay of Plenty Car Club, Mount Maunganui – 29th December 1962. Rex entered the Gemini in the inaugural Bay of Plenty Road race held on a street circuit near the harbour at Mt Maunganui on Saturday 29th December 1962.
Graham Vercoe in his ‘Golden Era of NZ Motor Racing’ book, at page 181, records: ‘There was one final race before the international series began and it was organised by the Bay of Plenty Car Club which mapped out an almost rectangular circuit near the wharf-industrial area of Mt Maunganui.
The first race for Rex in the Gemini was Event 4 Formula Libre Racing & Sports Racing Cars. The race was held over 10 laps for a race distance of 18 miles. In his 2016 book ‘The Master Mechanic’, page 57, Gordon Campbell writes “…where Chris [Amon] came an easy second to Shelly and ahead of Maurie Stanton in each of the Formula Libre races …” It is not known where Rex finished in this race.
The second race of the day for Rex in the Gemini was Event 9 – Formula Libre Racing & Sports Racing Cars, and again, the race was held over 10 laps giving a race distance of some 18 miles
The result was the same as for Race 4 – Shelly, Amon and Stanton. No other results are known except that the David McKinney reported Rex in his Gemini was in placed 9th.
The main race of the day was Event 12, the ‘Bay of Plenty Premier Road Race’ for Formula Libre Racing and Sports Racing Cars held over 20 laps. Rex qualified the Gemini in 9th place of the 16 cars that started the race. Des Mahoney in the 1963 ‘Rothmans Book of NZ Motor Racing’, page 72 reported: “On 29 December a new event of the calendar was staged, this being the 36-mile Bay of Plenty Grand prix on a rather rough circuit near Mount Maunganui. Shelly was once again the winner, although he did not have Hyslop to contend with. The Hastings sheep famer had reputedly retired. Amon was there, however, with the Scuderia Veloce’s newer Cooper [T53], the machine McLaren had raced in New Zealand and Australia in 1962. He had no trouble in finishing second, but further back there was an exciting scrap between South Island visitors David Young (Cooper T65 Ford FJ) and Stanton [Stanton-Corvette]. Young, who was making his first appearance in New Zealand since his return from Europe, was handling the little Ford-engined car expertly and just managed to hold off the much bigger car to take third place.” Shelly took the fastest time on the new circuit at 1 minute 14.0 seconds. Rex recalls he finished 5th in the Gemini, but David McKinney recorded him to be in 9th place.
NZIGP meeting Pukekohe – 8th January 1963. Rex entered is Gemini Mk3A in the first event to be held on the new circuit at Pukekohe on Saturday 5th January 1963. Autosport magazine of 18th January 1963 reported “Sweltering in New Zealand’s summer heat, an immense crowd ringed the 2.21 mile Pukekohe circuit on Saturday 5th January….”
The first race for Rex in the Gemini at the brand new Pukekohe circuit was in ‘Event 3, the ‘Pukekohe Championship for NZ Drivers’, held over 15 laps of 2.1 miles for each lap.- Des Mahoney reported in the ‘Rothmans Book of NZ Motor Racing’, page 73: ‘Chris Amon [Cooper T53 Climax 2.5] led the Pukekohe Championship practically from start to finish in the red and green Cooper, with Hyslop [Cooper T53 Climax 2.5] second and Palmer third in the Lotus [20B Ford 1.5]. Tony Shelly
[Lotus 18/21 Climax 2.5] was penalised one minute for jumping the start, which relegated him to fourth position at the finish, ahead of the duelling Bulcraig [Aston Martin DBR4 3.0] and Thomasen [Cooper T51 Climax 2.0]. David Young [Cooper T65-Ford 1.5] was an excellent third before retiring at half-distance. Gordon Campbell in his 2016 book ’The Master Mechanic’ [about Bruce Wilson], page 58, said : ‘Ken Sager and Rex Flowers hit a stalled John Histed in his front-engined Lola T2 Ford 1.5 on the start grid.” Gordon also said ‘Flowers was black-flagged for a loose bonnet that looked on the point of flying up” – a curious statement as the engine cover on the rear engined Gemini had four catches to hold it securely in place. David McKinney recorded Rex as finishing in 9th place in his Gemini Mk3A Ford (1475cc?) in this race.
Results of Race 3 – Pukekohe Championship for NZ Drivers
1st 29 Chris Amon red with green nose band and central stripe Cooper T53 Climax 2500cc
2nd 5 Angus Hyslop white with blue nose band Cooper T53 Climax 2500cc
3rd 41 Jim Palmer red Lotus 20B Cosworth-Ford 1475cc
4th 17 Tony Shelly dark blue with white nose band Lotus 18/21 Climax 2.5
5th 30 Thomasen mid-blue Cooper T51 Climax 1960cc
9th 25 Rex Flowers red Gemini Mk3A Ford 1475cc (?)
Event 9 – NZIGP Pukekohe 75 laps – After official practice/qualifying on the Friday before the GP there were 14 cars that made the grid for the NZIGP; further cars would be added if the drivers in the earlier ‘Pukekohe Championship’ NZ Drivers race had lapped at 1min 40sec or faster. In Friday’s qualifying, Bruce McLaren recorded fastest lap of 1 min 26.8 (91 mph). John Surtees was next with 1….
[Continued in Part 11]
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