Classic wheels back on track
Teretonga Park in Invercargill turned back the clock when it hosted the inaugural George Begg Classic Speedfest.
Classic cars from 1952 Jaguar Specials to mid-1970s Formula 5000s took to the race track to celebrate Southland engineer George Begg and classic car racing.
The late Begg ran a successful engineering business in Drummond in the 1960s and 70s, and built 18 single-seater race cars that were raced throughout the world.
HW Richardson Group director Scott O’Donnell said there had been classic race events at Teretonga before but they wanted to add more fun and excitement whilst paying tribute to Begg.
Adding to the atmosphere, pit crews wore outfits from the 1950s to 1970s to match the cars they were racing.
Among the classic Begg cars to take to the track were two Begg FM3s, raced by brothers Dave and Roger McKenzie in the Formula Libre.
Having started his career riding motorcycles, Roger said his friends had encouraged him to buy a race car during a track meet but he wasn’t interested unless it was a George Begg.
Ten minutes after proclaiming he would only buy Begg, he found one with a ‘‘for sale’’ sign, Roger said.
He told his wife that he would like to buy it and she didn’t say no, he said. ‘‘She didn’t say yes, however.’’
Since purchasing the Begg,
Roger has won the Southland Island 1600ccc class three championship three times, and the New Zealand championship twice.
Dave said they had friends who lived in Drummond, and would always stop by Begg’s workshop to look at the cars and ask what he was working on.
A highlight of the speedfest was the Formula 5000 which featured cars such as Tony Roberts’ 1969 Mclaren M10A, formerly driven by famous American driver Sam Posey.
There were only eight M10As left in the world, Roberts said.
The classic car community also reunited friends from throughout the country. Seven years ago Bruce Goodwin from Ohingaiti bought Invercargill resident Trevor Hunt’s Ford Zephyr Mk3, and they have been catching up at race meets ever since.