Lineup of Formula Juniors - Calder Raceway
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Lineup of Formula Juniors - Calder Raceway |
Following the New Zealand leg the four cars were bundled into the container at Taupo and shipped to Melbourne . From the wharf all the containers were transported to Calder Raceway arriving on Monday 25 th February. On board our container were three cars that were running well and one with problems, namely the McEntee. The McEntee Formula Junior rear seals were leaking and fouling the rear brake drums and the gearbox ratios were not suitable for the cars power band (we had fitted a Formula Vee box whilst repairs were undertaken on the original box). On board the container was the gearbox casing, crown wheel and the ratios for the original Hollinger box out of the McEntee. By now were had repaired the linkages and layshaft to refit all the correct parts. Lance left on Monday the 25 th February to greet the container at Calder with the necessary parts with him to put it together. Meeting him was Stewart Garmey to provide help and he and his wife Bev put Lance up for the couple of days until we arrived.
Bob, Mandy and myself arrived on Thursday and immediately directed our attention to assisting Lance with the McEntee.
 Lotus @ Phillip Island - image Terry Smith |
Friday was practice for the Formula juniors and problems with the linkages and shims plagued the running of the McEntee. Lance and I caught up with Bob Jane and mentioned among other things that we had the Jane Repco Brabham in the container and that we were also running our Lotus Formula Junior which was the first racing car to have won at Calder in February 1962. Bob was keen to put the fun back into motor sport and this was evident on Saturday where there were three races with the first two earning points. Bob Jane put on a Lamb on a spit for the drivers, crew and officials for lunch. Lance and I met with Bob for afternoon tea and we discussed the Jane and Lotus histories. It was refreshing to see the commitment Bob had to motor sport in running the Calder leg of the Tasman Series. The Formula Juniors were predominantly the only category running as there were several other motoring events on that weekend and the production of grids were difficult. I am sure that Bob would have carried the loss for the event as his contribution to Motorsport.
Lance and myself were working on the cars right up to the race and both fronted up to the dummy grids without our engine covers attached (my engine cover no longer fitted as we had fitted extra catch tanks and breathers to stop it dumping the oil in the race). The pit marshal asked me why I did not have the engine cover fitted to which I replied “the car is not log booked with an engine cover” which was technically correct as the historic log has not been issued (running under a temporary permit) and the old log book had no engine cover. We were able to proceed. Lance was unable to come up with a similar excuse and was forced to return to the pits to fit it. This meant that Lance was late to the circuit for the event and started from pit lane.
 Formula Juniors at Phillip Island - image Terry Smith |
I ran in the first two events but in the second race we blew a head gasket on the last lap and I finished and coasted back to the pits. The head was removed and a new gasket fitted before we packed the cars away. During the process I burnt my right hand on the hot exhaust.
To be sure we could run at Phillip Island we needed a modified head gasket for the Lotus, taller gears for the McEntee and other parts which required a number of calls to our team in WA. Terry Smith, Sonny Rajah, Matt Lloyd and John Illig all dug in to help the group get their cars ready for the next leg at Phillip Island
On Saturday night we were invited to dinner at the house of Peter and Jane Strauss in Toorak. This was something out of a Hollywood movie arriving at the mansion covering several blocks and opening the front gate to be greeted to a huge collection of exotic cars including a low drag alloy E Type Jag, Fastback Bentley and about 20 other concourse cars. We entered the front doors and moved past the billiard room where a large crowd of Formula Junior drivers and their partners had assembled in the rear courtyard next to the fountain. Following the cocktails and finger food we were invited to join them for dinner in the underground garage. We wound our way down the spiral staircase to the underground garage where you could have believed that you were in a five star hotel.
 Garage at Phillip Island |
Interestingly, the garage used a large lift to move cars in and out of it, a clever way to store your cars and every one we spoke to were very impressed. The food was spectacular and I thought it was appropriate that we had taken Bob Betts along as it was his 76 th birthday and one he won't forget. During the evening I was presented with a trophy for embodying the “Spirit of Formula Junior” This I believe was for providing help to keep a lot of cars going or from our persistent approach to keep our cars running. It would have been good if we did not need to work on them at all!
We arrived at our house at Phillip Island on Tuesday lunch time and unloaded the car. That evening we travelled back to the Elfin Heritage Factory in Morrabin to a BBQ with all the Formula Junior drivers. Bill Hemmings who was driving an Elfin FJ in New Zealand and the east coast put on an impressive spread for us. However, we were all blown away by his setup and the great Elfin cars on display. To show us that this was normal in Morrrabin we strolled a few metres to the next factory where Norman Falkiner's Lotus 18 and Stanguellini were proudly sitting on display along with all the other big boys toys.
Lotus FJ
 The oil at Honda -Phillip Island - image Terry Smith |
On Friday the Formula Junior first practice was at 9.20 and it was pouring with rain for the whole event, not the ideal situation to try out the circuit. The second period was qualifying and the track was perfect and dry. I qualified in 11 th position which I was happy with given the large field.
Saturday was a sunny brilliant day and I was able to move the car up to 8 th position and thoroughly enjoyed the driving. They are great little cars to drive and the racing was close and intense. I had better brakes than Bill Hemmings Elfin (the elfin had drums and the Lotus discs) but I lacked the power and was content to follow him for most of the two races, after all it was about the cars and not the drivers. That night we all went to the Formula Junior dinner at the RSL in Cowes and by now the laughter and relaxed atmosphere was endemic throughout the entire group. It was a great night out.
Sunday Morning we were out at 9.20am . I had a good start and was right behind John Rappley in his Brabham as we headed down the straight flat out on the second lap. Prepared to take turn one flat out I suffered a minor technical problem and failed to take the turn. I continued on to the grass and kitty litter as I solved the problem and then joined the race at Southern Loop . After two more laps I decided it was appropriate to park the car and sit out the race.
In the last race I started 31 st on the grid and was able to move up to 12 th through the race, the last lap saw a FJ drop considerable amount of oil on to the track from Honda through to Lukey Heights . After hitting the oil at Honda and recovering I drove the next 500 metres on the ripple strip to avoid the oil.
 Calven Bonney in the Macon @ Phillip Island image Terry Smith |
Macon F2
YouTube video of Calven Bonney driving the Macon (18mb & 9 mins long)
Calven Bonney who drove the Macon at Taupo came from New Zealand to run the Car. It was the first time Calven had driven at Phillip Island .
Calven drove well to get the car to the pointy end of the group. During the weekend he was able to run at 1.44 which given the output of the engine was excellent. I believe that Calven thoroughly enjoyed himself and the close racing in the group.
Calven was having problems getting second gear at Taupo and on Friday morning I changed the dogs on the Hewland Gearbox. This was only marginally better. Calven disappeared for a second and returned with the guys from New Zealand who were crewing for the McRae GM1, they quickly changed the second gear and Calven was back in business. Apart from some engine breathing and heating problems the car ran well for the weekend given it was due a rebuild late last year. One of the highlights for Calven was being mistaken for John Bowe at the end of the meeting and given a couple of beers by the locals. Phillip Island has many other attractions apart from the circuit and I am sure Calven and Anne Bonney also enjoyed the penguins on Saturday night.
On Sunday night after loading the container we caught up with Calven and Anne and the New Zealand FJ drivers in Cowes for a great dinner.
 Lance driving the McEntee - image Terry Smith |
McEntee FJ
At the end of Calder the gearbox had come adrift from the adaptor plate. On Friday we discovered that the helicoils had pulled out of the adaptor plate and fitting new ones would not hold. Lance tried to buy a new adaptor, but it could not be obtained in time. In desperation we rang John Illig in Perth to explain our problem. John was due to fly out later that night for Melbourne and had a large engineering workshop. Without any hesitation, John suggested that he could make some stepped studs and bring them and the tap with him. The next morning John arrived in Melbourne and the friend who was to meet him there and provide the car had failed to turn up, he was still stranded in Perth . John was unable to hire a car at a reasonable price and realizing the urgency of his cargo caught a Taxi to Phillip Island – what a lucky break for the taxi driver and us.
The Studs were fitted and the gearbox fitted and the car ran on Saturday, however there was still linkage problems and the car was retired after the warm up lap. Through out the weekend we worked on the car and finally managed to get it out for race one on Sunday morning. After a few laps, where Lance seemed happy with the gearbox the front carby came loose and Lance was unable to complete it. At this stage we thought it appropriate to retire the car until we had the time to properly sort it out.
Jane Brabham F2
There were some eligibility problems about running the Jane Brabham at Phillip Island for the weekend as it needed to run by invitation. After discussions with Bob Cracknell, Ian Tate and Michael Holloway a solution was achieved by mid day on Friday. It was refreshing to see that CAMS were supportive in helping us get the car on the track.
On Friday, Paul and Kath Kenrick joined the team from New Zealand .
During the weekend Lance had a persistent misfire and the car would not perform over 6000 revs. The distributor, coil, resistors, and every electrical component were replaced together with a thorough clean of the carbies failed to overcome the problem. Lance merely drove the car in the event but it certainly was not on song. This we found hard to comprehend that there should be any problems given how it finished its last race in Taupo.
Conclusion
The containers were to be picked up just after the racing stopped at 5pm and the F2 were still running at 3.30pm . This gave us little time to load them and place all the bits and pieces we were bringing back to West Australia . With help from Guy and Lance Carwardine as well as the rest of the guys the cars were stowed and the container locked. The Tasman Series was over. However during the four events we were invited to run our F2s in the UK as well as the Formula Juniors in the USA and South Africa . Given the logistics and costs we believe that perhaps it could be possible to perhaps compete in the South African leg of the world FJ series in January and February 2009.
During the four events we met some fantastic people, visited some great places, enjoyed all four circuits and believe we all had a hoot. The camaraderie within the Formula Junior group was what we hoped historic motor sport would be. Our wives, partners and crew all felt welcome and part of the larger Formula Junior family. If there was to be a Tasman series held every two or three years we would do our best to part of it again.
Neil
 images Terry Smith |
//ends.........