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Manton Memorial Race
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Author:  slide [ Tue Nov 01, 2005 9:27 am ]
Post subject:  Manton Memorial Race
Anyone on the forum remember the enormous gathering of race and roadgoing Minis that assembeld at Phillip Island in January 1978 for the Manton Memorial Race Meeting. Minis came from far and wide and there was a mouth watering array of Mini Sports Sedans from around the country (most states were running Super Mini race series then and there was also a national series).

The event was organised as a mark of respect to commemorate The Great Mini Master, Peter Manton, who had died in America some weeks earlier of lung cancer (he was a chronic chain smoker). This was seven years after he had hung up his helmet.

The Mini racing and fraternising were fantastic, the only downside to the day being when one of the open wheelers in an earlier race came through the fence and killed a spectator.

Can't recall who won the race but the star of the day was undoubtedly Jon Leighton (founder of Mini Bits in Melbourne and heir to the giant Leighton Construction empire). While most of the NSW / Vic / Qld top superminis were on mega wide 13 inch wheels he kept up with the front runners on a humble set of 10 x 5 1/2 inch wheels in the dry.

I believe Craig Watson is planning to do a feature on this major Australian Mini milestone in his magazine. If anyone has any photos of the day he'd be pleased if you can contact him.
Author:  HistoricRacingS [ Wed Nov 02, 2005 4:52 pm ]
Post subject: 
Great insight Slide.

I was always very curious about the death of Peter Manton. I found a tribute article to him a few years ago which cleared alot of the unknowns up. I have never seen a decent "life story" written about him.

Your notes on this meeting are a real insight into the respect he held at the time of his death.

Perhaps a 30th Anniversary meeting should be held in 2008??

HRS
Author:  slide [ Thu Nov 03, 2005 9:21 am ]
Post subject: 
Sports Car World Magazine did a fascinating article on Manton in 1970/71 and featured his giant killing 1310 Shell Team Mini Improved Production Tourer. It produced 130 bhp with Wade 1760 cam, Brownriggs and a big sidedraught Weber.

It was also relatively light with some alloy panels and every nut and bolt trimmed to the max. Under the rules for the category things like beam axles were not permitted, but Manton still manged to put in much faster lap times than all the much lighter and bigger engined Mini Sports Sedans.

His lap record of 50.0 seconds flat around Calder stood for many years, beating all other Minis and most other makes as well with the exception of the top runners (Moffat's Mustang, Jane's Comaro, Beechey's Monaro, McKewon's Porsche). Manton was supreme in the wet though.

I think the record was finally broken by a Mini around 1974 when Terry Wade did a 49.9 lap, but by then the class structure had been changed allowing more mods.
Author:  Rookiepilot [ Wed Apr 11, 2012 8:04 pm ]
Post subject: 
In doing some research on the history of the Peter Manton Memorial race and the history of my car, I came across this thread by Slide.

I'm a bit confused as according to Watto magazine article in the mini experience, the race at Phillip Island in Jan 78 was the Australian Mini Challenge, a memorial race to Len McDonough who lost his life driving a mini at Sandown, the same month that Manton died. The Actual Peter Manton Memorial Race was held at Calder in May. Both races being won by Ray Molloy.

Does anyone have further information?

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Author:  Flute [ Thu Apr 12, 2012 2:26 pm ]
Post subject: 
Does this mean it wasn't a Manton memorial race after all?
Author:  Haydn [ Mon Apr 16, 2012 3:53 pm ]
Post subject: 
My wife and I were at that fateful meeting. The crash happened just in front of us. Very sad day. Memory has it that the Island didnt have an open meeting for quite some time after that, due to safety issues.

It was alsio a big meeting for Minis as a lot of our members from the then recently formed Mini Club of Vic were entrants in the race. So much so I remember a one John Rainer getting his moniker of 'rollover Rainer' on the same day!!

Ive actually sent this link to Declan Ohara, a legend in Minis here, who raced there that day, who now lives in Kilala, Co. Mayo Ireland!

Memory also tells me that there's a video getting about of the ripper Mini race that day, so I'll check my sources and see what pops. I'm sure there'll be plenty on the forum interested in getting a copy!

And finally, it would b great to hear from other bods that were there that day.

Cheers.

Haydn
Author:  Rookiepilot [ Mon Apr 16, 2012 7:28 pm ]
Post subject: 
Haydn

Video fottage would be awsome. :D

I think I know someone on here with a copy, but it in Betamax broadcast format. Still chasing someone who can do a transfer.

It would be great to get a copy of the entrance list and results for this meeting and the Manton meet as well.

My interest in this is two fold. I'm trying to gather info on the supermini series here in Vic, (currently penning a piece for the 50 year book) and also to validate the history on the Molloy car.

Steve
Author:  Rookiepilot [ Tue Apr 17, 2012 5:30 pm ]
Post subject: 
A poingant reminder of the late Len McDonough.

I found this online today at the age. Exactly 35 years to this day of Lens passing. 17/04/77.

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Author:  mickmini [ Tue Apr 17, 2012 7:16 pm ]
Post subject: 
Good advertisement for HANS in a racing mini right there :shock:
Author:  Haydn [ Tue Apr 17, 2012 7:16 pm ]
Post subject: 
Hi Steve, sure is poingant.

I didnt actually meet Lenny, but he was know as the Gentleman racer as he used to tow his Mini with a Rolls Royce! I remeber something about Len's death was linked to his new style of full faced Bell helmet. There was no cut out at the base of the back helmet and when his neck whipped back in the prang, it actually broke his neck! From this things like head rests on the roll cages and a change of helmet design became vogue. Further to that now of course is the HANS device we all see in racing today.

That Causeway part of Sandown was a real trap. We were officials in the grandsatnd for many years and later progressed to Dunlop Bridge when they deemed it unsafe to walk over, thus the need for officals maning the area. The Causeway was also responsible for the carreer ending crash of Alan Hamiton who had a major shunt right infront of us one day. His Lola T400 was a complete wreck and Alan still walks with a limp from that day.

I was involved a bit with the Super Mini Series as a sort of photographer through Andy McIntyre. Andy is a ripper engineer and did all the work on my quick moke all those years ago. We became friends and thus me following the SMS.

Great that you've got Rays car. What a treat that would be. Lots of the guys are still around. I saw a couple of pics of Graeme Urch at the Mini fest last year. He and Allan Brazzell were right up there with Andy, Ray and Peter Stodardt, Chris Neal amongst others. Allan's Mini World mini was so refined, i saw it Chris Neals place one day and we gave it a shove on the flat concrete when it was out of gear. It had so low resistance i thought it would roll forever! Allan reconed that he reved it to 10,000 rpm, no worries, save for a new set of bearings after EVERY race.... He also calculated that for every 10 pounds he saved on weight would give him 1 bhp. With so many competitve cars reportedly producing a similar 150bhp, every pound counted.

I know plenty of stories, including a few about Rays car so if you want a chat send me a PM and I'll flick you my mobile.

Cheers.

Haydn
Author:  HistoricRacingS [ Tue Apr 17, 2012 10:32 pm ]
Post subject: 
You'll notice the name Draper being the 5th Mini in the photo at the Island. As most would know that is Henry Draper who still runs in Group N to this day. I believe he was at Sandown on the day of the McDonough crash as years later he warned me about the dangers of having the windscreen collapse in my race car! It is my understanding that the windscreen came in and that is what cause McDonough to crash.

If you are after info on the Super Minis your best bet would be to turn up to Historic Winton at the end of May and talk to Henry Draper, Barry Devlin and Len Read as I believe they were all heavily involved at various points and should all be found in the pits at Winton this year.

On the original topic of the Manton Memorial, the Historic Touring Car Assoc of Vic actually awards a "Peter Manton Trophy" for 1st NB car in the 1300cc class of the club championship. You get to keep a geniune Manton trophy that is actually for the Ron Flockart memorial trophy race awarded to Manton in the sixties. Your name is added to the trophy. It is one of my proudest achievements in racing to have my name added to this trophy twice.

Cheers,
HRS
Author:  slide [ Wed Apr 18, 2012 6:20 pm ]
Post subject: 
I was at the PI race and standing close to where the car came through the fence. I distinctly remember the PA announcer paying homage to Manton just before the start of the main Mini race, recounting his great Mini racing feats and how he had recently died (in America).

There were Minis to be seen everywhere both on and off the track. I drove over from Adelaide in my black Cooper S to support David Jarret who was running his Clubman GT in the race. David was from Vimy Ridge Service Station in the Adelaide Hills and had previously run a Shell Team Cooper S along with Graham Bishop here in Adelaide painted in the same Shell colours as Manton's cars. I think Graham's car was the ex Cyril Nancarrow Cooper.

Vimy Ridge also campaigned the ex BL Works Rover 3500 P6B fiited woth the 4.3 Traco Rover/Oldsmobile motor, later uprated to 4.5 by Repco and then to a Repco F5000 Holden based engine, that he bought off Melbourne businessman Jim Smith (when he moved to a Camaro). This was the famous Camel Rover, now in the possession of Sydney Rover enthusiast Robert Harrington (and featured in Australian Muscle Car Magazine a few years back).
Author:  Rookiepilot [ Wed Dec 31, 2014 10:02 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Manton Memorial Race
Here's a teaser, part of the first lap. Notice how Phillip Island resembles a goat track and the commentary of Howard Marsden.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pyO4PITL28

Cant seem to embed this video

I am still chasing a program & results for this race, and the what I believe was the first Manton race at Calder later that year. I have found someone who helped organize the first Manton Memorial race so hopefully they will clear a few things up.

Can anyone tell me what edition of the Mini Experience featured Andy Macs car, a car that now resides in NZ?

And here is a current photo of what my baby looks like now, in its last color scheme. I've had some people say I should paint it back to the blue with checkered roof, but its now how I bought the car.

Image
Author:  9YaTaH [ Wed Dec 31, 2014 1:39 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Manton Memorial Race
8) Very nice machine 8)
Author:  watto [ Thu Jan 01, 2015 9:00 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Manton Memorial Race
Happy New Year to all our Mini friends.

This took me a few minutes to find, but there is a single photo of Andy McIntyre's Mini racing at Winton in 1980 in The Mini Experience Issue 9, p49. This is in the feature on Sports Sedan Minis.

There is another photo of the car in the above mentioned Australian Mini Challenge, PI, in 1978, in TME Issue 27, p13, in the story on Ray Molloy.

There is also a full-page feature on the car in its current condition, by its current owner Marvin Turton in New Zealand, in Issue 1 of The BMC Experience, p13.

Cheers,
Watto.
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