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Hieronymus

Jul 22 2005, 05:53 Post #5

Member Posts: 1,837 Joined: May 02

I can now confirm that the circuit in question was indeed the Lord Howe Circuit.  The circuit was built on the farm Bergvlei in Kelvin. They mention that it was located about 15km from Johannesburg. Amongst the newspaper clippings that I have of the time, there is nice aerial photo. It was quite a splendid circuit that almost looks like a mini-Indianapolis with an in-field section.  Interesting to note that the circuit was only finally completed on the morning of the first Rand GP in January 1940.

 

 

Ludgate

Oct 3 2005, 09:33 Post #10

New Member Posts: 3 Joined: October 05

Yes I am interested in any information about Dennis and no I don't remember much about him,Dad took me to Earl Howe circuit two or three times, once when the Auto Unions were racing and when Dennis raced against another car, I think it was a terraplane, all white, with white spats on the front wheels. This was a small boys heaven, in the Pits with all the activity going on, Dad busy tuning Dennis's car, Joe Sarkis on what seemed to be the smallest bike there, B.S.A. I think, the E.R.A. spouting flames and noise, great stuff. We were on holiday down the South Coast, Durban, Natal when Dennis was killed and some months later Dad was sent off to the Abyssinian campaign, we moved to Pretoria and I attended the Hatfield School then was sent to Kersney Collage, Bothas Hill, Natal. Left there to join the SA Air Force where I trained as a Radio Mechanic, moved to New Zealand in 1960 at which time the family photo albums were lost but a cousin sent me a photo of Dennis.

 

http://www.kolumbus.fi/leif.snellman/t9.htm

LORD HOWE - Johannesburg (SA)

Type: Park Circuit
Length: 3.59 km/3.91 km
Location: In a park in Johannesburg, South Africa
Used: 1937

1937 RAND GP (Handicap) January
1937 RAND GP (Handicap) December

 

 

 

http://www.saracer.co.za/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=214

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by Bernd Rosemeyer » Thu Oct 09, 2008 8:53 pm

Dennis Woodhead 
Complete name: Dennis Raymond Woodhead 
Birth date: 03.Aug.1914 
Birth Place: Pretoria, South Africa 
Death date: 04.Jan.1940 
Death Place: Johannesburg, South Africa 
Nationality: South Africa 
Gender: male 
Age at death: 25 

Accident date: 01.Jan.1940 
Series: unknown 
Race: Golden City Open Handicap Motor Races, Grand Challenge Final 
Event: race 
Country: South Africa 
Venue: Lord Howe 
Variant: unknown 

Role: driver 
Vehicle type: car 
Vehicle sub-type: single seater 
Vehicle brand/model: Bugatti T35C - chassis #4893; retrofitted with Graham engine. 
Vehicle number: 2 

Note: 
One of the rear tyres of Woodhead's Bugatti-Graham burst, pitching the car into a roll and throwing the driver out of the vehicle. Seriously injured, Woodhead was transported to the Johannesburg General Hospital where he would succumb to his injuries three days later. 

Woodhead was one of the most accomplished drivers in South Africa before the Second World War. He was the winner of the Silver Springbok Series in 1937, the only national racing series held in South Africa prior to the war. 

Dennis Raymond Woodhead was survived by his wife, Rosemarie Avis Woodhead,-- nee Noonan, and three sons, Michael John Ludgate Woodhead, age 9, Anthony Erwin Woodhead, age 5, and Raymond Marshall Woodhead, age 2; his parents, Thomas Ludgate and Mary Ellen Woodhead; two brothers, Frederick Redvers Woodhead and Hylton Ludgate Woodhead: two sisters Thelma Mary and Florence Ivey Woodhead:  

N.B. As I remember it was one of the rear alloy hubs that collapsed causing the rear to kick up, cartwheeling the car which then rolled. I think alloy hubs were quite new then. :: Derek ::

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