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Focus on Howden Ganley for NZFMR 2015

16 December, 2014

There is nowhere else in the world where you will be able to see such a fine collection of Formula 5000 cars running and on display

The New Zealand Festival of Motor Racing (NZFMR) is set to play host to an unprecedented turnout of Formula 5000 cars during the weekends of January 16–18, 2015 and January 23–25, 2015 — fitting given the 2015 Festival’s focus is on Howden Ganley.

With a F5000 and Formula One racing exhibition planned at the location of Hampton Downs, event organizers expect over 50 of the V8-, V10-, and V12-powered machines, covering all years of the F5000’s life.

At least one full grid of the F5000 racers will race during the festival, as well as demonstration laps and static displays throughout both weekends. Headlining the racing action is celebrated racer Kenny Smith in his immaculately presented Interscope Racing Lola T332. Greg Thornton will also be present in his iconic Chevron B24, but the entire field will be crammed full of notable cars and drivers.

NZFMR 2015 is a celebration of F5000 racing and legendary driver Howden Ganley. It also marks the first Formula 5000 World Series, the champion of which will be crowned after the event’s final race. Along with the F5000 content, as many as six Formula One cars will hit the track, as well as a huge Historic Muscle Car entry with eight Australian TransAm racers present. A packed programme for the two weekends will also include a drivers parade of many of the New Zealand, Australian, and UK F5000 stars from the past, and a spectacular NZ Warbirds display on Sunday, January 25, 2015 featuring WW2 fighter aircraft.

A single-day general admission pass will cost $30, a single-day weekend general admission pass will be $40, and both weekends will come to a total of $80. 

Grand Routier — in the french tradition

10 July, 2025

Sitting in Paddy and Patsy Williams’ Dunedin garage is a stunning example of one of these rare French grand routier sedans. It is a 1949 four-door Lago-Record Factory Berline sedan, to give its full name. Daughter Cath let us know how proud she was of her dad, who had been tinkering away in his garage on this car for so many years.
Without exaggeration, it has been a mammoth task. I first saw this Talbot-Lago in mid 2019. The long-nosed, sweeping, curved four-door saloon, clothed in its misty green metallic paint, was quite breathtaking. There’s more than a little English influence in it, too, harking back to company owner Tony Lago’s involvement in the Clement-Talbot-Darracq era. The long front wings and bonnet, usually multi-louvred, highlighted with artful touches of chrome bling, are typical of the era, but these were indeed luxury length. Interiors provided leather-clad, armchair-style seating and ample legroom, with touches of wood and surprising details such as dainty childproof interior locks — a far cry from today’s lozenge boxes.
Paddy, a retired civil and structural engineer, knows his way around a lathe. He has a well-equipped garage-workshop to assist in any machining tasks along with his other passion for restoring classic motorcycles.

The Great River Road

4 July, 2025

A few years ago my family, knowing my fondness for driving, gave me the book Unforgettable Road Trips: Thirty-Six Drives of a Lifetime by Martin Derrick. Most of the road trips listed take less than a day in places like Scotland, Monaco, and Australia, plus one in New Zealand. Most of these places were too far to go just for a short drive but four of them would take several days. My interest was piqued, and those four drives were added to the bucket list. To date, I have done three of them: ‘Route 66’ (USA 21 days), ‘State Highway 6’ (NZ 10 days) and ‘The Great River Road’ (USA 22 days). You can drive all of them in less time, but you could also fly over them. We wanted a decent immersion in their charms.
The great river referred to is the Mississippi. While the name conjures the deep south, the river actually starts at the bottom of the great lakes, before emptying into the Gulf of Mexico about 3800km later. The great road is more of a concept than a specific strip of tarmac, as you can drive down either side of the river on various routes. Regardless of which side you drive, time should be kept aside for detours to places such as Nashville, which is famous for something or other.