The Orange Times Bruce McLaren Trust Sept, Oct, Nov 2017 Issue #19 BMT Heritage Centre Official Opening On August 30th, on what would have been Bruce’s 80th birthday, we were delighted to officially open our Heritage Centre. And what a crazy rush it was to get everything ready in time. Areas that weren’t quite ready, along with many unopened boxes, were carefully disguised or hidden away. Around 120 members, friends, sponsors, associates and volunteers, including our new Patron Greg Murphy, Waikato District Council Mayor Allan Sanson, and representatives from the Franklin Tourism Board were welcomed with champagne, canapes and warm hospitality. Our MC for the evening was John Tomlin and he did a wonderful job despite a sore throat and the usual last minute alterations to plans that every event planner knows only too well. Jan opened the evening with a story about the Waikato and the McLaren family connections to the area. Whilst we don’t usually associate Bruce with the area, the McLaren family farm was in Ngaruawahia and she recalled many a family trip from Remuera to the farm, with Bruce in the Austin Ulster and Pop McLaren driving in the V8 Pilot. She remembered too the Mercer fog, the Rangiriri Straight and Bruce, from the moment they left Remuera, way out in front. He was usually not seen again until the V8 Pilot got to the Rangiriri Straight and there would be Bruce just high-tailing over the brow of the hill at the far end, both drivers naturally obeying all the speed rules! The straight on SH1 that leads to Hampton Downs surely does know Bruce well, and might we add that some of the McLaren family still live on that very Ngaruawahia farm today. In this Issue… Official Opening P1/2 Moving Forward - Trust Update P2 Vale – John Nicholson P3 Vale – Jim Kane P4 Our New Chairman, Paul Hunter P5 Trust Register Update P6/7 Denny Hulme Display, ‘Years Gone By’ P7 General News, Events Calendar P8 Bruce McLaren Trust Kenny recalled his school days at Seddon Tech when Bruce Waikato District Mayor, Allan Sanson, spoke of the was a prefect there, and when he owned the Austin Ulster, development in the area and was delighted to know of the and other anecdotes. Kenny is one of our very regular McLaren involvement in the Waikato. With the Franklin visitors – he just loves the new setup and can’t wait to Tourism Board due to open their i-Site (Information Site) move in. We will settle for a sky bridge between us! in the Industrial Units opposite us by the end of the year, and Toyota Racing already moved in, it is becoming a busy community. We have exciting times ahead of us and whilst we are now open for a minimum of three days a week, we are looking to try and open more days if possible. We are looking for volunteers to help with visitors and if you can spare a day or two from time to time, please do let us know. The Trustees Greg enlightened us all with his McLaren enthusiasm and MC John Tomlin did a very good job of trying to sell him Moving forward Roger Williams’ M8EF, complete with #51. In the last couple of months we have finally implemented two of our planned changes. Firstly, as you will read further on in this Orange Times, we have elected our new Chairman – Paul Hunter. Whilst Paul has been on the Board since 2002, he has taken a back seat due to work commitments. However, retirement has now seen him step up to the role and, as my nephew, I am delighted to have his family support and hands-on involvement. Secondly, we have appointed a Manager for the Heritage Centre. I might add this was not an easy task as we needed someone with great office skills, knowledge of motorsport, who knows many of the motoring personalities and people, loves to chat with them, has a great sense of humour, and a personality to encompass all of this. We needed someone who we could trust with looking after all that is the Heritage Centre. It was a big ask, but we found her! After leading us all in a rendition of Happy Birthday, and his last official duty for us, we were sad to advise that trustee Whilst she was present at the Official Opening, it was her choice to just be in the background at that stage, looking, listening and Tony Roberts had resigned and was moving to Napier – a learning. We welcome Zeta Panton as that Manager and I little bit far for him to attend Trustee Meetings! personally am delighted with the way she is fitting in with all of us. We are a formidable bunch, along with all our volunteers We take this opportunity of again thanking Tony for all the and members, so please take the opportunity to say hello next years of hard work and keeping us supplied with various time you are passing or calling in to the Heritage Centre. “new” historic McLarens for display in conjunction with Group 7. All at no cost to the Trust. Jan McLaren All Photos: Mark Donaldson 2 Bruce McLaren Trust So, by 1976, he had to wind down the racing mainly because the Vale time pressures meant he had to focus on his thriving engine th business. John Nicholson 18 September 2017 But by 1977 he returned to the powerboat racing and won the Born in October 1941, John Nicholson was another incredible New British title in 1979. In 1980 he had a major crash at the Embassy Zealander - he may have made just one grand prix start at GP and suffered 18 rib fractures and a punctured lung. But he Silverstone in 1975 but he won two Formula One World bounced back again to win the 1981, 1982 and 1983 British titles. Championships as an engine builder – what an achievement. John Another crash saw him eventually retire from boat racing and the was best known for those engine building skills and, of course, mid-80s saw him briefly run in the World Sportscar Championship known worldwide for founding Nicholson-McLaren engines, one of where several of the teams used his engines. the premier suppliers of Cosworth DFV engines. At the start of 1973 he went into partnership with the McLaren F1 1980 also saw Nicholson-McLaren become independent of the new Team to prepare Cosworth DFV engines for the team. His skills McLaren International and the company turned its attention to powered Emerson Fittipaldi to the title in 1974 and James Hunt preparing engines for a range of other single seater and sports two years later. And John showed considerable ability himself in cars, historic F1 and hillclimb racing cars. Today the workload the lower ranks of motorsport beating many future stars but never includes the development of engines for the use of alternate fuels. had the time or finance to pursue that driving career. He had A wonderful legacy and a life time full of wonderful achievements followed his father into powerboat racing before moving into cars both behind the wheel and under the bonnet. and racing Lotus and Brabham single seaters. Bruce would have been extremely proud of those associations and It was in 1969 that he headed to the UK in search of a future in the Nicholson-McLaren name. motorsport, along with many many other young Kiwi lads. It was John’s reputation as an engine builder that earned him a job offer And therein lies another rather special story ………………. as told by from Bruce McLaren and he was put to work on the Can-Am and Jan McLaren. F5000 programmes. I first met John some ten or fifteen years ago but only very briefly He set up his own business under the Nicholson-McLaren name each time we saw each other. However, back around 2009 or and continued to service the F1 engines for McLaren throughout thereabouts, I had a most interesting conversation with a cousin the DFV era, whilst also supplying other F1 teams including on my mother’s side who told me of a connection to a John Embassy Hill. Nicholson that had something to do with McLaren, and that he was related by marriage. At the BRDC luncheon in Hamilton the following January I went up to John and said something to the effect that I had heard we were related. He looked at me as if I had come from outer space and I got a fairly short shrift and a “no, don’t know what you’re talking about.” “Okay”, said I, “had better check my facts again”. I duly did so and, yes, I did have it right. I emailed John and asked again, this time with the question “was your mother Alma Moxham? If so, then yes, we are related.” His instant response was “yes, that’s my mother.” It turns out that one of our cousins is married to a Moxham and his grandfather and John’s grandfather were brothers. John’s delighted response was – ‘You mean that I can now say that Nicholson-McLaren is a family company?”. “Absolutely” said I, and we both burst out Photo: As supplied by John Steenson. John Nicholson in front laughing and thinking of what Bruce would have made of it, if only Having established himself in the UK, he rekindled his own racing he had known. We both agreed he was up there laughing his career, competing with a March in Formula Atlantic in 1971 and head off as well and John and I have addressed each other as then the following year he drove a Lyncar and gained second place “Cousie” ever since.