Noel was 10 when he got his first taste of motor racing. He watched the 1954 Australian Grand Prix in Southport, Queensland, Australia and was hooked for life. He started racing at age 19, learning on the job to find and sort problems with his cars. With his sharp, almost photographic mind, he would read and research and apply all he learned.
By 2000, he was re-building a 1964 Lotus Elan. He went on to win at many racing events all over New Zealand until he sold it in 2005. It was such a special car, it was hard to know what to do next.
The challenge:
He had always wanted to design and build and race his own car. The reading and research started in earnest.
After two years, he produced the one of the ugliest cars I have ever seen from parts of other cars plus parts that he made himself. Underneath was reliability (hard to find in motor racing) and simplicity in a rear mounted Honda engine. Noel went on to win time and again with the combination of his driving and the reliable car. He was the winner of the NZ Sports Car Series in 2006/7 and again in 2008/9. The car won the George Begg Trophy for best NZ Built Car in 2005/6.
He talked about designing a more attractive body (for the car), but then it all changed...
When the new circuit at Hampton Downs opened with the Bruce McLaren Festival in 2010, Noel didn't have the right car to qualify. A friend asked him to drive his car and Noel discovered a new kind of racing where going fast was only a part of the fun. He discovered Formula Juniors.
A few months later, through a tip from a friend with a Gemini, Noel found one in California that needed rebuilding. It arrived in pieces, many of which were unusable. Noel set about finding out about his new toy so that he could understand it and rebuild it correctly. Emails spun around the world and excitement grew. By this time many people had their hands in, trying to piece together the car's history. Noel realized that almost by accident, he had stumbled on a very special car. He painstakingly started work to rebuild it.
The rest is history... see About The Car.
In November 2012, we shipped the car along with other NZ FJ's to Perth (and on to Sydney) to celebrate Bruce McLaren's win at the Australian Grand Prix there 50 years ago. Noel won the re-enactment of that race which was quite a thrill as he has always been an admirer of Bruce. Bruce's sister, Jan was there to congratulate him. Also at Perth for the occasion, was the man who single handed has restored the class of Formula Junior internationally: Duncan Rabagliati. Duncan mentioned Goodwood which is like the Holy Grail to Noel and we began to hope that it might be possible to go, not just a spectators but as participants.
In March 2013 Noel participated in Leadfoot Festival. It is a hill climb event for special cars by invitation only, run along Goodwood lines. It was a fabulous weekend with Noel doing some good times.
The invitation finally arrived for us to go to the Goodwood Revival September 2013. Noel was so excited. However, it has meant a huge amount of work on the car, the box to ship it in, arranging shipping, working out logistics for getting around the UK and Europe, and reams of paperwork. We will also apply to enter other race meetings, including Spa in Belgium, Brands Hatch and Castle Combe in the UK. It is a long way from New Zealand, but it will be the experience of a lifetime and for Noel, a dream come true.
