John Broomhead's 723

John had started his single seater racing with the New Zealand Racing Drivers School. This was another part of the Valour Car business. John got is NZRDS qualifying car in October 1971 that made him eligible to use both the Formula Vee and Formula Ford cars

John built his car up from a kit over two years. He campaigned the car at various club meetings usally as car number 64 and three national meetings at Baypark during 1973 till 1974. It was at the October 1974 meeting that they car was destroyed. The car had the normal engine with a Hewland gearbox and did not run with the rear covers.

"The reason for the accident - well I left the braking for the hairpin very late - after having been in the wrong gear for the rolling start and being left behind by everyone - leapt on the brakes - everything locked up so I eased the brakes and they wouldn’t release - the balance bar between the master cylinders jammed in its housing and kept the brakes full on as a result the car continued in a straight line until it encountered the fence, where upon time slowed down the right front suspension went whistled over my shoulder along with various other bits and I began, very seriously to pray, because we were airborne and it looked as though we were going to fly in amongst the group of tree trunks and stumps which were stacked up not vary par from the fence and I was going to die."John Broomhead

John suffered a 20cm cut to his hand and a very very vary bad attitude for the rest of the day.

The chassis was a write off and dumped. The other parts that were of value were sold to other drivers or used on a car called a Radar the was built by Steve Grant