[Gerard Hodges]

Originally Posted by KA

I'm just trying to recap the movements of the ex-CC (Woodman) car RA2/039 that was sold to Charlie O'Brien-

Debuted at Sandown in 1985, now painted yellow, ('O'Brien/Andrew Miedecke- DNF) then appeared at Bathurst (O'Brien/John English- again a DNF).

http://media.photobucket.com/image/c...agic/85044.jpg

O'Brien then takes it over to NZ for the Nissan-Mobil races at the beginning of '86, now red, with 'State Coal' sponsorship, shared with Glenn McIntyre.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8021817...7606882601980/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8021817...57606882601980

He then runs part of the 1986 ATCC, and the Surfers' Paradise AEC round , however by now, he's also acquired a second, LHD 635, and I'm not sure which car was used
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...agic/86009.jpg

Both cars seem to have appeared at Surfers', O'Brien apparently crashing one of them in practice, and taking over the other, originally slated for Troy Dunstan to drive.
http://tentenths.com/forum/showpost....0&postcount=18
There's a pic in the 1986 Bathurst annual (actually of Graeme Bailey's Chickadee Commodore) which shows O'Brien's yellow/red 635 just disappearing out of shot, but I'm guessing it may have been taken in practice, as there's a similarly-liveried car in the background...

By Sandown, however, he'd joined the Gregg Siddle/Bob Jane Goold Motorsport 635 squad, sharing the orange Bob Jane-sponsored car with Garry Rogers for Sandown and Bathurst.

One of his own cars is at the Mountain though- the RHD car- with yet another change of colour- now white- is leased to John English, sharing with Glenn McIntyre. I can't find a pic of this online at the moment, but it was plain white with BMW Motorsport-style stripes over the RH front and LH rear corners.

(That's an 'interesting' version of the UK history of the car- so much for relying on contemporary sources...)

He then takes both cars (now red again!) to NZ for the 1986/7 Nissan-Mobil races, racing the LHD car himself with Glenn McIntyre...
http://i448.photobucket.com/albums/q...tyreObrien.jpg
....and leasing the RHD car to locals Avon Hyde & Allan Milligan
http://i448.photobucket.com/albums/q...nMilliganb.jpg

Any idea where the ex-CC car (or the LHD car- ex-Gardner/JPS I think?) went after that?

Hi Guys RA2-39 is alive and well living here in New Zealand, I was talking to the owner today, it has not been raced for some years, but has just had a mechanical rebuild and is ready to hit the tracks again. It was supposed to be ready for the NZ Festival of motorsport That was celebrating BMW Motorsport but didn't quite make it in time. It was great to have so many ex works Grp A cars together, The photo that Malcolm posted of my car, chassis#46 and Dougals car chassis#22 together again was great, pity #39 couldn't join us. Chassis RA2-01 is still here in NZ waiting to be restored, we also had 2 JPS 635,s numerous M3,s, including a 1987 Ravaglia driven car, and a 1992 DTM Pirro car, and a JPS car, 4 Sierra cosworths including the 1988 ETCC winning Texaco car. Also a group 2 RS 3100 Works capri, and a Mk2 Zakspeed Escort. Have a look at the photos of the meetings on www.groundsky.co.nz our grid was the Grp A and historic touring cars, you will be impressed.
Gerry.