The New Zealand International Grand Prix Racing Team about to fly to London via Sydney, Singapore, Hong Kong and Bombay, arriving at the beginning of April 1961. Auckland Airport, from left is Bill Hanna, Angus Hyslop and Ross Pedersen. Don’t stress guys, it’ll be ok!
Once in the UK they meet up with Denny Hulme, basing themselves around the Kingston-upon-Thames area. As a Driver to Europe alumnus, Denny also drove under the NZIGP Team banner.
This is the second of three articles written by Alec Hagues around photographs taken by Bill Hanna, Alec’s father in law who was Angus Hyslop’s team manager/mechanic during 1961. The first instalment is here; Angus Hyslop, Kiwi Champion through Bill Hanna’s lens… | primotipo…
Enjoy the fabulous photographs and first hand account of elite level international Formula Junior from another age.
On 15 or 16 April 1961, before they started racing, the team visited Oulton Park in Cheshire for the GT Cars Trophy Race. Here above are the Lotus Elites of John Wagstaff #16, Bill Allen and Peter Arundell; there are some seven Elites in the race.
However, the big news was the debut of the Jaguar E-Type in racing, the first production example having rolled off the production line in Coventry only the month before. Note the group of admirers all-over Graham Hill’s Jag, shunning Jack Sears’ Ferrari!
Roy Salvadori #5 above leads Graham Hill #4 off the grid, both driving E-Types. Just behind are John Wagstaff #16 (Lotus Elite Climax), Jack Sears #3 (Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta) and Innes Ireland #8 (Aston Martin DB4).
The Cars
Angus’ Lotus 20-Ford/Martin in green, seen in the paddock at Goodwood above. A recap, Angus shipped his Cooper T43-Climax 1964cc over to the UK. We know this because it ‘comes back’ at the end of the season, at least as far as NZ Customs are concerned.
He is on the NZIGPA Driver To Europe scheme which is affiliated with Cooper Cars Ltd, and the team spend time at Cooper’s garage in Surbiton. Yet he drives a Lotus the whole time he is in Europe.
Denny’s Cooper T56-BMC (later Ford) in blue/silver, is seen here at Roskilde during practice for the Copenhagen Cup in May, he is ahead of Angus who later won the race, Denny placed seventh.
While Angus has Bill and Ross on his team, Denny enlists the help of journalist Eoin Young. With no disrespect to Eoin’s memory, it seems highly likely Bill gets involved with both cars!
The NZIGP Team drivers wear silver helmets with a maroon stripe.
Angus’s first race in Europe (above) is the BARC Whit Monday Meeting at Goodwood, 22 May 1961. A number of sources report that he wins the race.
At the Roskilde, V Copenhagen Cup, 28 May 1961 Denny bravely returned to the track where his Kiwi team-mate George ‘Joe’ Lawton was killed the previous September.
As noted above, Angus won the race, David Piper was second in another Lotus 20 Ford.
Angus and Denny’s cars on their trailers in the paddock – the depot – at Roskilde.
On 4 June 1961 in the IX Grand Prix de Rouen Junior at the Circuit de Rouen-les-Essarts, Angus takes 11th and Denny DNF with both suffering engine problems.
Le Mans 10-11 June 1961: XXIX Le Mans 24 Hour.
There are many pictures out there of the Abarth 850S co-driven by Angus and Denny so successfully in this race. So here’s a picture of Denny Hulme in a suit with a tanker and a theodolite.
Having taken somewhat disappointing sixth and 18th spots respectively on 2 July 1961 in the V Coupe International de Vitesse des Formule Junior, Circuit de Reims-Gueux, Denny and Angus returned to the UK before embarking on the long trip towing their cars in convoy to Sicily.
Here are Denny (in classic barefoot pose) and Eoin with the convoy parked up, probably waiting to board the ferry at Villa San Giovanni (below).
23 July 1961: III Gran Premio di Messina, at the Circuito Laghi di Ganzirri.
In their best joint performance of the summer, the Kiwi duo took first and second places with Angus edging Denny out of the top-spot.
The grid shot above is probably heat 1, Massimo Natili, Taraschi Fiat #6 on the grid alongside the Lola Mk3 Ford of Britain’s Bill McGowen #15 and Geki #42 Lotus 20 Ford. This heat was won by Lorenzo Bandini from Jo Siffert and Angus.
Above is probably the Lotus 20-Fords of Bandini #50 and Siffert #37 on the front row of the grid, with Angus’s similar car creeping into shot at left.
The stunning panorama below is probably heat 2, Bob Anderson’s Lotus 20-Ford and Colin Davis’ Lola Mk3 Ford leading, with Denny probably largely concealed behind them. Davis won the heat from Anerson and Hulme.
Brands Hatch, 7 August 1961 a John Davy Trophy meeting. I think I see Angus and Denny in there, mid-grid. Hyslop was 12th and Hulme a DNF in the race won by Peter Arundell’s Team Lotus Lotus 20 Ford.
And below, on a typical grey English summer day at Goodwood, 19 August 1961 II BARC Formula Junior Championship, perhaps that’s Alan Rees leading in the Lotus.
Rees won from Gavin Youl’s MRD Ford and Dennis Taylor’s Lola Mk3 Ford with Angus fourth. Denny was in Sweden that weekend contesting the Kanonloppet, he too was fourth.
Back at the Roskildering for the Danish Grand Prix weekend of 26-27 August 1961 above.
Aside from the Formula 1 Grand Prix (non-championship) feature race and Formula Junior (in which Angus and Denny were third and fourth respectively), and saloon car racing featuring John Whitmore in his Austin Mini Seven, the organisers put on this display of stunt driving.
You are seeing about half of the entire circuit in this one photo.
Angus’ final 1961 race seems to have been the September Trophy meeting at Crystal Palace on 2 September 1961.
In the line up above we see Angus Hyslop #6, Eric Harris Alexis Mk3 Ford, Steve Ouvaroff with the #15 Competition Cars of Australia built Ausper T3 Ford, Gavin Youl in the first first Brabham, the MRD Ford #8 and Denny at far right in #31; an all-Australasian crew with the exception of Harris. In the background is Ian Raby’s Cooper T56 Ford.
Angus was seventh, while Denny DNQ, Trevor Taylor’s works Lotus 20 Ford won.
The butt shot below is of Youl’s MRD at the same meeting.
Angus and Bill returned safely to New Zealand and although Angus only drove two more seasons in racing cars, both enjoyed a lifelong passion for motor racing.
Meanwhile, the tale of how when Angus’s Cooper T45-Climax 1964cc arrived back in New Zealand a couple of months later it had become a T53 2495cc Lowline has been told elsewhere.
Part 3 soon…
Credits…
Photography by the the late Bill Hanna and words by Alec Hagues
Tailpiece…
Angus is putting on his helmet somewhere in the UK, one of our readers, Roger H has kindly identified the shot as probably the Snetterton meeting on 14 May, 1961.
The Lola Mk2 front and centre is the Scuderia Light Blue machine of Hugh Dibley. It’s possibly Brian Hart in Len Terry’s Terrier #8, then Angus #1, Reg Brown in the Lotus 20 #3 and Bill Moss in Lotus 18 #10.
Many thanks!
Finito…
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