Rex Flowers: A Story of his 1961 Gemini Mk3A-09 Cosworth-Ford FJ Part 3 of 15
[Continued from Part 2]
Assembling the Gemini in New Zealand – The Chequered Flag Ltd’s ”Notes on Preparation and Maintenance of the 1961 M3A Gemini Formula Junior Car”.
IN NEW ZEALAND
A story from the Wellington newspaper, ‘The Dominion’, titled ‘Dark Horse In A Car’ was dated sometime after the Friday in early December 1961 that the Gemini arrived in New Zealand. The story said: ‘Two young Lower Hutt motor mechanics have been working into the early hours of each morning over the past week in an effort to assemble an assortment of car parts – covered in oil and battery acid – into a racing car. Twenty-one-year old Rex Flowers’s Gemini – the first of its type to come to the Dominion – arrived from the manufacturers in London last Friday, and since then Rex and his elder brother, Brian, have managed to assemble and clean up the car in time for a short “feeling out” period on the track [Rex has since confirmed this was at the Levin circuit]. The sleek racer shown to “The Dominion” yesterday was testimony to their efforts.
Rex has been accepted as a starter in the Grand Prix at Ardmore [held on Saturday 6th January 1962] and hopes to qualify, even with the limited amount of practice he is likely to get. He hopes this will be the start of his driving career proper, and his eyes are set on the “Driver to Europe” scheme.
A competition driver for two years, Rex has had his heart set on big-time motor-racing since he gained his driving licence at 15. So far he has competed only in sports car events, first in a Mark 120 [XK120] Jaguar and later with a Mark 6 Lotus. He has driven well enough to cover expenses – being placed at most starts – and has shown sufficient promise to receive sufficient of the limited import allocation of the New Zealand Racing Drivers’ Association. This, or course, enabled him to bring the car into the country. If keenness is any criterion, he should preform with distinction.
The car arrived a month behind schedule – in kit form – upside down in the case. Battery acid and oil covered the engine, upholstery and body. The young mechanic takes the initial trial spin in his new car on Saturday, when he will burn off the miles round Levin circuit.
Made by Chequered Flag (Engineering) Ltd., of London, the Gemini has scored increasing success in Britain with each model brought out. Rex’s model, the Mark 3 is the latest. It is the first rear-engined version of the brand, and the most successful. Its fibreglass body houses a Ford 105 motor – the same as used in the latest Anglia, modified in such a way that it is a true, high-powered racing engine- and is braced by a tubular steel framing and duralumin linkages. The result is a featherweight car weighing a mere eight hundredweight.-
The new face of Rex Flowers among the big guns of Grand Prix competition in a barely tested car of unknown calibre locally will add interest to the already highly colourful scene. In car and driver, Wellington has its own Ardmore “dark horse.”
Vehicle Registration – Rex completed the New Zealand Government’s ‘Form 2’ and under the law prevailing at the time in The Transport Act 1949 and he registered the Gemini racing car at the Lower Hutt Post Office on 19 December 1961.
Testing the Gemini with George Palmer – Having earlier declined the request from Rex for him to arrange the purchase a Lotus racing car for use by Rex, George Palmer subsequently became very supportive when he heard that Rex had secured the Gemini. George invited Rex to bring his Gemini and spend the weekend at George’s home in Hamilton; when he arrived in Hamilton, Rex said George involved him in a most interesting, informative and useful series of race craft discussions before they adjourned to the Hamilton airport at Rukuhia where George set up a series of chicanes on a mini-track that was delineated with empty 44-gallon fuel drums. Rex was then given instruction on how to handle the Gemini to best effect around the ‘track.’ This probably took place in the weekend before the NZ International Grand Prix (NZIGP) event that was held at Ardmore on Saturday 6th January 1962.
Rex’s First Race meeting in the Gemini – the New Zealand International Grand Prix (NZIGP) Meeting, Ardmore, Saturday 6th January 1962 – Rex had entered his Gemini in the NZIGP at Ardmore, but he knew he would first to qualify for the GP race. Qualifying was based on lap times set in the ‘Official Qualifying’ session held on Friday 5th January. ‘The Herald‘ newspaper reported there were frequent heavy showers on the Friday. Together with his lack of any more than a cursory amount of experience in the Gemini, the very wet track conditions at Ardmore, and clutch problems in the Gemini, Rex’s lap times in Official Qualifying were just not fast enough for him to make it onto the start grid for Saturday’s NZIGP. Instead, Rex raced his Gemini in two other races at Ardmore on Saturday 6th January 1962.
Event 3 – Bardahl Ardmore Championship – for NZ Drivers only. The Bardahl Ardmore Championship Race for New Zealand Drivers only was held over 15 laps of the two-mile Ardmore track, giving a race distance of 30 miles. Des Mahoney in his 1963 ‘Rothmans Book of New Zealand Motor Racing’, recorded at page 65 ‘Taking place of the heats was a national race, the fastest six drivers in which would be offered positions on the grid of the Grand Prix’. In his brand new car and on a circuit that was new to him, Rex qualified in 19th position of the 24 cars that started the Ardmore Championship race. He finished in 14th place in his first race in the Gemini, having covered 13 of the 15 laps. The entry list for Race 3, some of whom did not race, is as follows:
[Continue with Part 4]
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