Rex Flowers: A Story of his 1961 Gemini Mk3A-09 Cosworth-Ford FJ Part 12 of 15

Vic Hudson Memorial Trophy, Levin 12^th January 1963 – start grid from Row 3

Row 3 of the grid (first row in this photo) – 27 Ken Sager Lotus 20 Ford, #25 Rex Flowers Gemini Mk 3A Ford

Row 4 – #3 Tony Maggs Lola T4 Climax 2.7, #18 Tony Shelly Lotus 18/21 Climax 2.5, #47 Bruce McLaren Cooper T62 Climax 2.5, #1 John Surtees Lola T4 Climax 2.7

Back Row – #41 Jim Palmer Cooper T53 Climax 2.7

Photo Euan Sarginson in ‘The Shell Book of NZ Motor Racing 1963’

The Race: The ‘Sporting Motorist 1963’ report in the Unique Motor Books booklet covered the race as follows: “Brabham led the field into the first bend, with Ireland in very close attendance and Hyslop lying third. By the end of the first lap it was still these three from McLaren, Amon, Maggs, Surtees, Shelly and Young, with Thomasen, Levis, Sager, Flowers [13^th] and Palmer bringing up the rear [with ignition problems – and soon to retire on lap 5 with a broken CWP]. McLaren got past Hyslop into 3^rd place on the approach to the hairpin on the second lap, and Shelly was past Maggs into sixth place. Surtees was already in trouble with his gearbox again, and he was also soon to retire.

On lap 3 Amon, Shelly and Maggs all got past Hyslop, and two laps later McLaren was past Ireland into second place. Brabham had already built up a good lead. Meanwhile Palmer was out with transmission trouble [a broken Crown Wheel and Pinion] after five laps and Young dropped a lap or two at the pits – a lead had dropped off the distributor. McLaren and Ireland now raced close together, and a little distance back Shelly was on Amon’s tail. Behind Hyslop, now in seventh place, the rest of the field was a long way back. Going very fast on his home circuit, Shelly got past Amon on lap 6 and Ireland on lap 8, and now lay third. A few laps later Maggs also got past Amon, but otherwise there was little change until Amon retired with magneto trouble on lap 13.

Maggs eventually passed Ireland, and at half-distance the leaders were Brabham, Shelly, Maggs, Ireland and Hyslop. Behind these six was Levis, who had passed Thomasen early in the race, although never able to shake him off. McLaren crept steadily up on Brabham, with Shelly well back behind. But on the 19^th lap McLaren spun [on ‘Cabbage Tree Corner’ or Hokio Bend] on the far side of the long bend out of the main straight – a spot where accidents often happen- damaged his car and was out of the race. The impression was that he had tried too hard.

On lap 23 Hyslop was out with a broken half-shaft. Interest now centred on a dice between Maggs and Shelly, whom the South African had passed again. But just as it seemed Shelly might have the best of it an upright on his rear suspension broke when he was only two and a-half laps from home, and he spun in close company with Maggs. With all these retirements Levis, after a dogged race, found himself in fourth place.

So the race ended with an easy win for Brabham, with Maggs (in second place) and Ireland the only ones to completed 28 laps. Thomasen was fifth and Sager sixth. Also still motoring were Young and Flowers (who had a long stop when a strap holding a fuel tank broke).”