MotorSport Legends Issue 12

MotorSport Legends THE MAGAZINE THAT BRINGS YOUR MOTORSPOR T MEMORIES BACK TO LIFE ww w.motorsportlegends.com.au

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CAR MAGICIAN Black Jack at the Indy 500

ISSUE #12

Nov10/Jan11 2010 $6.95

ISSN 1835-5544

Chris Amon: a Kiwi in a hurry

QUARTERLY MAGAZINE

Fred Gibson on the cars he drove and developed

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T H E M A G A Z I N E T H AT B R I N G S Y O U R M O T O R S P O R T M E M O R I E S B A C K T O L I F E

Contents Editorial 04 Fred Gibson’s professionalism in the early 1990s made the other touring car teams lift their game.

News Who did what on the historic and nostalgia motorsport scenes.

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Car magician 10-13 Fred Gibson talks about the cars he drove and developed over a career that spanned four decades.

A fast Kiwi 14-20 They say that Chris Amon is one of the best Formula One drivers never to have won a championship... who are we to argue?

Historic Racer 23-30 Welcome to the sixth edition of our historic racing section, which includes coverage of the Muscle Car Masters, the Winton VHRR meeting and Speed on Tweed.

Leyburn Sprints All of the action from this classic Queensland event.

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A forgotten hero 32-37 John French may be best known for being Dick Johnson’s co-driver in his maiden Bathurst-winning year of 1981, but he also had a substantial career of his own.

A pig of a story 38-39 What does Australia, Britain’s racing colours and pigs have in common?

Bronzed legends 45-46 Read the story of Julie Edgar’s sculptures and then find out where you can go to see them for yourself.

Contributors in this issue Grant Nicholas Chris Amon left New Zealand to take on the world’s best, and while he may not have had the success in F1 of fellow Kiwis Bruce McLaren and Denny Hulme, his 1966 Le Mans 24-Hour win with the former proved he knew how to steer. Grant Nicholas recently caught up with him for a talk.

Mark Fogarty Foges is known as the man who gets the big interviews, and his chat with Sir Jack Brabham about the threetime World Champion’s attempts at winning the Indy 500 is one of his classics. Black Jack may not have won the big race at the Brickyard, but his Cooper changed it forever.

Glenis Lindley In this issue Glenis catches up with one of Australian motorsport’s forgotten heroes – 1981 Bathurst winner John French – and she educates the rest of us about his long and exciting career, especially on the race tracks of Queensland.

T H E M A G A Z I N E T H AT B R I N G S Y O U R M O T O R S P O R T M E M O R I E S B A C K T O L I F E

Managing Editor Allan Edwards Pole Position Productions Address: PO Box 225 Keilor, Victoria, 3036 Phone: (03) 9331 2608 Fax: (03) 8080 6473 Email: admin@motorsportlegends.com.au Website: www.motorsportlegends.com.au Staff Journalist Briar Gunther Artist/Design House Craig Fryers Raamen Pty Ltd (03) 9873 8282 Contributors Glenis Lindley, Mark Cooper, Grant Nicholas, Glenis Lindley, Ivan McLeod and Mark Fogarty.

Photographers Autopics.com.au, John Doig, Glenis Lindley and Terry Marshall.

Advertising Manager Jennifer Gamble Phone: 0431 451470 Email: advertising@ motorsportlegends.com.au Distributors Fairfax Media Publication Solutions Material in Motorsport Legends is protected by copyright laws and may not be reporoduced in any format. Motorsport Legends will consider unsolicited articles and pictures; however, no responsibility will be taken for their return. While all efforts are taken to verify information in Motorsport Legends is factual, no responsibility will be taken for any material which is later found to be false or misleading. The opinions of the contributors are not always those of the publishers.

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CLASSIC

Lines Welcome to issue 12 of Motorsport Legends magazine. Motorsport Legends includes motor racing nostalgia and historic motorsport events.

W

hen I first started as a motor racing journalist 20 years ago, the Holden Racing Team was just starting out and Gibson Motor Sport (GMS) was the one to beat.

Sure Fred Gibson (pictured above with yours truly) and his team had developed the all-conquering Nissan GTR to a point where it was virtually unbeatable, but there was more that made Fred’s team the best. While the rest of the teams in pitlane were still reasonably amateur in their approach to the sport, GMS led the way with professionalism.

Nothing was left to chance – the professionalism shown in all aspects of car preparation and off-track activities were groundbreaking in this country.

Gibson was also a master of developing

cars, from his days at Ford with the GTHO and XA hardtop in the 1970s to his leading-edge work on the Nissan Bluebird turbos in the 1980s right through to Godzilla in the 1990s.

Motorsport Legends caught up with Gibson recently to talk about the development of just some of the cars he has developed over the years and his incite provided an interesting story; let’s just say that he doesn’t hold back with his thoughts about CAMS. Chris Amon is a Kiwi legend and he also has plenty of Aussie fans as a result of his racing in this country.

In this issue we have profiled this fast New Zealander and I’m sure you’ll find it a compelling read.

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for our trip to the 2011 New Zealand Festival of Motor Racing at Hampton Downs in January.

It’s going to be an awesome trip. Details of the Motorsport Legends tour can be found elsewhere in this issue.

The 2010 Bathurst 1000 marked the 20th year since Holden Racing Team’s first victory and 30 years since Dick Johnson’s infamous rock incident.

We have some great features on these two subjects coming up in issue #13 of Motorsport Legends, which is due at your local newsagent in early February 2011, so keep your eyes open for it!

Until next time, drive safely on the road and the race track.

Cheers, – Allan Edwards, Managing Editor

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NEWS

BY BRIAR GUNTHER

SANDOWN HERITAGE SPECTACULAR V8 Supercars will honour the rich heritage of the Australian Touring Car Championship (ATCC) by making its Sandown meet the heritage round.

This year marks the 50th year of the ATCC, which will be celebrated at the V8’s Norton 360 Sandown Challenge in November.

The weekend features historic cars and memorabilia displays while V8 Supercars will reveal the all-time top 10 best Aussie touring car drivers.

On top of Sandown becoming the heritage round, V8 Supercars also recently announced that it had signed a deal with Melbourne Racing Club, Sandown’s owner, to continue racing there for decade, ensuring history will continue to be made at what is Australia’s oldest permanent circuit.

Iconic racer Dick Johnson, who won six ATCC races at Sandown, said he loved the track.

“The circuit itself is one of the best in the country, bar none. I really hope it stays

The launch of the heritage round. Below: (clockwise) The track is famous for its duels between Moffat and Brock; Junior and Senior Johnson both love the Melbourne track; The good ol’ days.

around for another 40 years at least.

“We won two of the original Sandown 500s there with John Bowe and some of the touring car races we had there were absolutely enormous back then. It was huge. “(Peter) Brock and I had run of the mill there for a while but geez we had some great stoushes with (Allan) Moffat and those blokes – just terrific racing.”

ML

CAMS CARNIVAL POSTPONED

BY BRIAR GUNTHER

The Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS) has postponed its CARnival to May 2011 because of a lack of sufficient interest shown in the event.

CAMS released a statement that said with the short lead time into the event, which was supposed to take place early October, it was unable to attract the interest required.

“CAMS is fully support6

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ive of CARnival and much work has already gone into planning and organising the event,” CAMS spokesman Michael Smith said.

“It is unfortunate that we have had to make this decision but the overall level of interest is not what we require to ensure a successful event for the entrants, visitors into the region and the local community of EchucaMoama.

“CAMS believes the CARnival format will be a

success but that the timing of this inaugural event is better suited to May 2011.”

Mr Smith said the decision was made in consultation with key partner EchucaMoama Tourism (EMT).

EMT General Manager of Events, Pete White, said it was disappointing that the event was postponed.

“But given the current level of registrations, this is the right decision,” Mr White said.

“I am confident that the

move to May 2011 will be supported by our existing commercial partners and we look forward to the region hosting the event.”

Mr White said the day-today operations for CAMS CARnival would continue in preparation for the May 2011 event.

The actual dates had not been released when Motorsport Legends went to press but the CAMS CARnival website can be found at www.camscarnival.com.au ML

NEWS

BY BRIAR GUNTHER

JIM RICHARDS GETS REVIVAL Australian motorsport legend Jim Richards took part in this year’s Goodwood Revival as a guest driver.

The seven-time Bathurst champ, who now races in the Touring Car Masters, was invited to the UK to participate in the historic meet which relives the glory days of the Goodwood Motor Circuit.

Last year’s St Mary’s Trophy race was run as a one-make race as a tribute to the Mini, but this year reverted back to its traditional format with some of the best loved saloon cars of the 1950s and Richards was in a 1956 Morris Minor.

Richards competed in the first part of the St Mary’s Trophy race on Saturday against drivers including the ‘Rally Professor’ Rauno Aaltonen, former Formula One driver

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The assembly area for the St Mary’s trophy.

Vern Schuppan and multiple Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen.

Then Russell Martin took over in the second part of the St Mary’s Trophy race for owner-drivers and with the result declared on aggregate the pair came ninth.

Richards was also called upon to drive in the one-hour Royal Automobile Club TT Celebration race.

Closed cockpit GT cars from 1960 to 1964 are eligible for the Tourist Trophy race and Richards shared a Ford Cobra with Rob Hall and the pair finished in fourth.

“I only found out (on the Tuesday before) that I was racing in the TT event,” Richards said. “We had a few problems with the Cobra, but the little Morrie ran fine. It was a fantastic experience.”

The four-time Australian Touring Car champ described the 2010 Goodwood Revival as “absolutely terrific”.

“The event is massive. Each day it was absolutely chockers, there were people everywhere.

We think we have big crowds in Australia, but it’s nothing like this,” he said.

“A big part of this year’s festival was the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain and they had spitfires and Lancasters doing demonstrations, too. It was quite amazing.”

Richards said there were many genuine cars present.

“Where we may have one or two, there are so many of the original race cars at this event,” he said.

A full report on the event will be in the next edition of Motorsport Legends. ML

BY BRIAR GUNTHER

HRT GOES BACK TO ITS ROOTS Holden Racing Team (HRT) ran a livery at the 2010 Bathurst 1000 reminiscent of its original 1990 one when Allan Grice and Win Percy won that year’s Great Race.

The team’s two Commodores were transformed from their usual, predominantly red livery to the black and white one as a tribute to the 20th anniversary of HRT. HRT’s 1990 Bathurst win was considered a major upset on the day when the Grice/ Percy combination beat the turbocharged Ford Sierras.

Grice capped off the feat in style when he waved to fans and spoke to Channel 7’s Mike Raymond, all as he was completing his last lap of the race.

Since then the factory Holden team has racked up

The new and the old: HRT ran its Commodores in retro livery at Bathurst.

six driver titles, 82 Australian Touring Car/V8 Supercar pole positions and six Bathurst 1000 victories – 1990, 1996, 2001, 2002, 2005 and 2009 - with motorsport luminaries including Peter Brock, Mark Skaife, Craig Lowndes, Greg Murphy and Garth Tander

behind the wheel.

“The terms Holden and Bathurst are intrinsically

linked and we are incredibly proud of HRT’s achievements over the past 20 years,” Holden Motorsport Manager, Simon McNamara, said.

“It is only fitting that we celebrate the excellence and racing success of our official factory team where it scored its very first win.”

Besides marking 20 years since HRT’s first win at Mount Panorama, this year’s Bathurst 1000 was also the 30th anniversary of the rock incident with Dick Johnson at the 1980 Great Race which has now become a part of Bathurst folklore. ML

Correction: A photo on the bottom left of page 40 in the last issue of Motorsport Legends was captioned incorrectly.

It should have read: “Gaze flew alongside many famous pilots, including Douglas ‘Tin Legs’ Bader (above).”

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A DRIVE DOWN MEMORY LANE Fred Gibson was a great driver; you don’t win Bathurst by accident! But it was his skills in developing cars to their full potential that saw him make his mark as one of the best race engineers and team managers in the business. Here he remembers some of his favourites...

STORY BY ALLAN EDWARDS; PHOTOGRAPHS BY AUTOPICS.COM.AU

F

red Gibson has been around Australian motorsport for over four decades and he has been successful in everything that he has turned his hand to – driving, team managing and developing cars. Motorsport Legends Managing Editor Allan Edwards recently caught up with Gibson to talk about his Bathurst victory as a driver in 1967 and the development of some of his cars, from the mighty XA Falcon to the all-conquering ‘Godzilla’ – the Nissan GT-R. MSL: What does Bathurst mean to you?

FG: Bathurst to me was my first real 10

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drive. I had been to Bathurst in 1963 in a sports car race and I had driven a Cooper S there as well, but to get offered the Ford drive in 1967 was pretty special, and driving with Harry and having him tell you what to do all of the time and how to do it was pretty entertaining for me because I was only a young guy. I wish I could have won Bathurst more often; that’s the only time that I’ve won it; but at least I have won it once as there is a lot of drivers who haven’t won it.

MSL: How did that win in 1967 unfold?

FG: In 1967 I was very fortunate to get a drive with Harry Firth in the Falcon GT. We didn’t cross the line first but

we ended up winning the race anyway when they recounted the laps, so it was a good year. It was a great car and Harry prepared it well. When we look back to those days and the way that Harry did things and the way that he worked on the car himself… it was typical of one of Harry’s teams.

MSL: And then in 1972 you had the roll over…

FG: That’s Bathurst isn’t it? There is all sorts of things that go wrong and I only finished a couple of races at Bathurst.

In 1972 we started on dry tyres and there was a dry line (on a wet track) and I moved over to pass a car and got on to the wet stuff and next thing I knew

Gibson won Bathurst in 1967 with Harry Firth.

“THE DISC BRAKE REAR END COMPARED TO THE DRUMS ON THE HO WERE JUST LIKE CHALK AND CHEESE. IT WAS A NICE CAR TO DRIVE…” it was rolling over. I must say that the Ford guys were good because there was a manufacturers’ championship then and they had a car ready for me at Surfers Paradise, which was the next race. I said when I came out of the pits that it was my mistake.

MSL: Then you moved on to the XA; was that a special car?

FG: The XA hardtop was a development car and I did a lot of testing in that orange car that we had. It was the first XA that we had. We ran disc brakes on the back for the first time. Up in Sydney we developed the engine with the cross double Webers on it, so the XA was a new generation from the HO. The HO

was more a beast of a car and the XA was a more sophisticated race car with a different manifold and Webers on it.

It was a nice car to drive with bigger wheels and disc brakes on the rear end.

The disc brake rear end compared to the drums on the HO were just like chalk and cheese. It was a nice car to drive.

Also by then the Torana was becoming a better car.

MSL: You must also be proud of the development of the Nissan Bluebird?

FG: The Bluebird was really going to be a class car and like all racers (Howard) Marsden wanted to do more than just win the class. I think that the car could have won its class every time that we

went out and raced, but we were very adventurous and we wanted the car to go better and give the V8s a hard time.

It was a fragile little car. The car that we had was a European car and it was a shocking car suspension-wise, so we had to make it work within the regulations.

There were a few people that didn’t like the way that we made it work. We also homologated a better turbo for the car to try to stop blowing turbos. We also had to run the boost really high and if we didn’t run it that high it would have been more reliable. We were getting over 400 horsepower out of that little car and it was a very nervous little car… it was a hard car to drive and in a lot of ways I was not sorry to see it go. ❯ MotorSportLegends

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MSL: Then the DR30‌ FG: That was the ďŹ rst race engine that we really had. It was a four valve, two-litre with a good-sized turbo. That wasn’t a good handling car, but it had a lot of torque and we really enjoyed that car. It gave us a lot of rewards because it looked after its tyres. We were the ďŹ rst team to use radial tyres on touring cars really. We were all using cross-ply tyres up until then, but we found that with the Dunlop radials that they had just developed they really suited that car, especially the rear tyres. We had the cross-plys on the front and radials in the rear to start o with but then we got the radials to work on the front as well.

MSL: On to the HR31‌ FG: The HR31 had six cylinders over the front wheels and that was a problem. The DR30 was a four cylinder and didn’t have a lot of weight forward of the front wheels. But once we sorted that it was a great car. That was when Richo ( Jim Richards) came on board

Gibson said the XA Falcon was a more sophisticated race car than the GTHO.

and he could drive it and it really looked after its tyres better than the Sierras.

The Sierras had much more power, but they chewed up their rear tyres. I used to tell Richo to drive our cars at out, drive the wheels o it. The Sierra guys couldn’t drive their cars hard for the whole race.

Gibson described working for Firth as a young bloke as “pretty entertaining�.

MSL: Godzilla then came along‌ FG: People think that it was easy because this new car came along. The car was front heavy again. It was an expensive car to develop, but once we got it going it was great. It was a car that you really had to know how to get the best out of it and we were lucky that the drivers who developed it were the same ones who raced it. Our Australian cars were better than the Japanese cars. The Japanese couldn’t believe how well our cars handled. We had to develop our own cars because of the cost. We did an analysis on what it would cost us to buy the parts from Japan and it was going to cost us over half a million dollars to build a car. So we started to make our own wheels and our own uprights ‌ we did everything in-house, we had our own dyno and we did all of the engines in-house and all of our own fabrication. Japan was just too expensive; they

1/26 Burgess Rd Bayswater Nth Vic 3153 12

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Above: Gibson with Jim Richards and the Nissan crew at Sandown in 1991. Right: Gibson believes that CAMS and the other competitors were just jealous when the GTR was dominating.

wanted something like $28,000 for a water pump… it wasn’t an easy car to develop and we worked very hard. I’m extremely proud of what we achieved with that car.

MSL: Are you still annoyed with how CAMS handicapped and then eventually banned the car?

FG: I can understand what they were trying to do, but we had the best

mousetrap and it was legal to run and it was allowed to run under FIA rules. I think that adding weight wasn’t a good thing to do to the car. Larry (Perkins) even wanted us to cut the front driveshafts off and make it rear-wheel-drive.

But whatever they threw at us we made a way of getting around and I think that is great for our knowledge of how to do that. We were dark and I even took CAMS to court to get an injunction

taken out against the weight penalties; we lost that because of time more than anything. In the early days we had a car that wasn’t good enough and then it came to our turn to win some races and everyone else got upset… ML

The Nissan Bluebird (below left) and the Nissan HR31 (below) each presented Gibson with their own unique development challenges.

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AMON IN A HURRY The story of a boy from the other side of the world who wasn’t scared to take on the best STORY BY GRANT NICHOLAS; PHOTOGRAPHS BY TERRY MARSHALL AND AUTOPICS.COM.AU

T

he NZ Festival of Motor Racing in January 2011 will celebrate the career of former New Zealand Formula One driver Chris Amon. A national sporting icon who participated in 108 F1 events over 14 years, regrettably victory eluded him in the sport’s pinnacle class, but he scored glorious victories at Le Mans 24-Hour Race, Daytona 24-Hour Race, Tasman Series and the New Zealand Grand Prix.

After learning to drive as a six-year-old on his parents’ farm in New Zealand, Chris Amon spent some time in a locally built Austin A40 Special openwheeler,

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competing in local events and hill climbs before venturing into a purpose built machine.

“I started getting interested in motor racing when I was 11 or 12 years of age, sort of quite by accident after reading Grand Prix reports in various magazines as regular race reports were virtually nonexistent here in New Zealand… As a youngster I saw the likes of Stirling Moss, Peter Whitehead, Reg Parnell and Jack Brabham. I was fascinated with their cars as I was quite keen on things mechanical and I enjoyed looking at the various things on them as much as the thrill of the racing,” Amon said.

“My first true racing car was a 1.5-litre single camshaft Coventry Climax powered Cooper T41, which Jack Brabham had originally raced throughout Europe in 1956. I raced it briefly before getting into the Maserati 250F, which was a front-engined car. Some people no doubt would have seen this as a backward step; in fact the 250F was a fantastic race car and it taught me a great deal about motor racing.

“In hindsight, to have the opportunity to drive it was fantastic, as it was one of the most perfect Grand Prix cars of all time, you could steer them on the throttle – my four-wheel drifting through ❯

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CHRIS AMON

“THEY EPITOMISED EVERYTHING THAT A GRAND PRIX CAR SHOULD HAVE BEEN AS THEY LOOKED RIGHT, SMELT RIGHT, SOUNDED RIGHT AND HANDLED RIGHT…” corners got the attention of the trackside photographers.

“They epitomised everything that a Grand Prix car should have been as they looked right, smelt right, sounded right

and handled right; they were terrific back then and still attract a huge amount of attention when they compete in historic races today.”

Like many Kiwi racing drivers, Amon

headed to Australia early in his career.

“Sydney racer David McKay put together a package that allowed my father and I to purchase his 1959 leaf-spring 2.5-litre Cooper T51 plus organised for us to run under his Scuderia Veloce banner in Australia,” Amon explained.

“The deal made it affordable for us to race at Warwick Farm, Lakeside, Mallala and Katoomba plus back at Warwick Farm later in the year where David put his low-line Cooper T53 through the infield toilets and almost wrote the car off,” Amon laughed, before adding, “that’s a record that not many racing drivers would be able to claim.”

He continued, “we purchased the car without the engine for almost nothing and we extensively rebuilt it back in New Zealand as it had been quite badly Top: On his way to second in a 250F at Renwick in 1962. Above: In a Cooper at Sandown in 1963. Left: Driving to victory at the 1969 NZGP at Pukekohe in the Ferrari 246T Dino.

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damaged. So in 1962 we took the engine out of the older Cooper and put it into the low-line chassis and contested our local series races before venturing across to Australia and joined David’s Scuderia Veloce team for their series races – it was then that English driver and team owner Reg Parnell picked me up and took me to Europe.”

BOUND FOR FORMULA ONE Early in 1963, 19-year-old Amon farewelled his parents and friends as he followed his dream to become an F1 driver.

“I arrived in London on the Friday evening and was practicing in an F1 car at the Goodwood circuit the very next morning. Until that Saturday I had never seen a current F1 car; it was quite surreal at the time and it all happened without allowing me to have any time to think too much about what was happening,” Amon said.

“I just climbed into the team’s Lola and prepared for the pre-season races.

At that period it was an excellent time to get spotted as young people like myself were really making up numbers on the grid and to be out on the track with professional drivers like Stirling and Jack in front of team owners and managers was an opportunity that no longer exists.”

As Amon travelled through Europe

racing at F1 venues that he had read about as a youngster, he also started racing sports cars and got involved testing tyres.

“I was working for fellow Kiwi racer and team owner Bruce McLaren as the majority of the financing for the McLaren team came from Firestone,” Amon explained.

“Their income was related to the amount of testing that they performed for the US tyre manufacturer, so I was extremely busy testing throughout those two years.

“The 1.5-litre F1 cars we were racing in those days were horrible things; they

Above: Amon oversteers out of the hairpin at Levin during 1971 in his March 701 Cosworth. He eventually finished third behind Neil Allen and Graham McRae. Below: In a Ferrari Dino V6 at Warwick Farm in 1969.

were gutless and took a totally different driving technique to the 2.5-litre Coopers that I had raced earlier.

“Most of the tyre testing was in the McLaren Group 7 sports car, effectively a Can-Am car, that was great preparation for the forthcoming three-litre F1 cars; finally you were at the wheel of cars that had some power!

“Driving the Can-Am and three-litre F1 cars suited my style of driving where you steered the car by the throttle. In ❯

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CHRIS AMON

the little 1.5-litre things as soon as you got them sideways they felt like they had stopped, actually they were a disaster.”

It wasn’t long before the talented youngster made his Formula One debut.

“My first World Formula One Championship race was the Belgium Grand Prix in 1963 at the old Spa Francorchamps circuit and the 1.5-litre cars were good for 160 miles per hour (256kph) with a strong wind behind them.

“I remember when you approached the kink on the long fast straight you would brake a hundred metres before it and change from sixth down to fifth and tear through it at around 140mph.

“Such was the development of the cars that in 1970, on the last lap of the Belgium Grand Prix at the old Spa circuit I took the same kink flat-out at 200mph (320kph) in my March 701 whilst attempting to get past Pedro Rodriguez – funnily enough I still hold the lap record there as it was closed after that race meeting.”

KIWIS CONQUER LE MANS Amon describes his win in the 1966 Le Mans 24-Hour with fellow Kiwi Bruce McLaren as one of his greatest victories.

In ‘66 Bruce and I drove the race-winning (Ford) GT40 and in hindsight it became the biggest race win that I ever had, at 22,” Amon said.

“It was most important for me, given what happened to Bruce (he was killed at Goodwood in 1970 while testing a new McLaren M8D sports car in readi-

Although Amon won the Teretonga round of the 1975 Tasman Series, he DNFed at Surfers Paradise two rounds later.

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Above: Although he was triumphant with fellow Kiwi Bruce McLaren in the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans, Amon’s 330 Ferrari (co-driven by Nino Vaccarella) DNFed at the event in 1976.

Left: Amon returned to Down Under in 1968 for the popular Tasman Series and is pictured in a V12 Ferrari at Warwick Farm 1968. Amon finished second to Jim Clark in that year’s Tasman Series but won it in 1969.

ness to defend his championship status at the upcoming US Can-AM series) as we worked extremely hard to get that race victory.

“The race end was a messy situation as Ford orchestrated a formation finish.

Bruce and I started on intermediate Firestone tyres as the track was partly wet and we were the only car on Firestones as we were contracted to them.

“The tyres started throwing treads as we hadn’t tested them at those sort of

speeds. We had something like three or four tyre changes in the opening hourand-a-half and it became obvious unless we put Goodyear tyres on the car we weren’t going to finish.

“As Bruce climbed out of the car and I hopped in he mentioned that he would go to talk to the Firestone people and request to have Goodyears fitted to the car for the balance of the race, and he got the approval to change to the Goodyears.

“We were well behind after two hours

Amon contested the last Tasman Series in 1975.

He finished fifth at the last round, Sandown, (pictured) in a Talon MR1 Chevrolet and fifth overall.

of racing due to the extra pit stops, so Bruce said let’s drive the thing flat out as we have nothing to lose and by the morning we were in the race lead.

“We had a comfortable one-minute lead over fellow Kiwi Denny Hulme and US-based Ford factory-driver Ken Miles, then we were all told to back off slightly in preparation for a formation finish as Ford wanted a photograph of the top three GT40s crossing the finish line together.

“Bruce backed off as requested; however, Miles never slowed and promptly closed in on our car. If it had been a straight contest Bruce and I would have won easily.”

FERRARI SIGNS KIWI DRIVER Amon believes his Le Mans win opened doors for him at Ferrari.

“It most certainly got me noticed there,” he said.

“As my Formula One exploits were a disaster because the McLaren team was struggling to get a budget together to run a car for Bruce let alone enough for a second car for me.

“When I asked to go and meet Enzo Ferrari I was very much going there with the view of driving F1 and not just sports cars; I ended up with a contract to drive for them and it didn’t specify any

type of cars.

“During my discussions with Ferrari, he stated that I drove for him and he would decide what cars I was to drive which was typical of how he ran the team even though he gave me the opinion that I would be driving both F1 as well as sports cars.

“It all became a bit irrelevant as there was a clear pecking order which was associated to the driver’s speed, so I had no problems alongside Lorenzo Bandini, Mike Parkes and Ludovico Scarfiotti as we headed towards the 1967 F1 season.”

Amon ended up being Ferrari’s only regular driver after Bandini was killed at the Monaco Grand Prix then Parkes broke both of his legs at Spa contesting the Belgium Grand Prix, which prompted Scarfiotti to retire from racing.

1969 TASMAN SERIES In 1968 and ‘69 Amon returned Down Under for the hotly contested Tasman Series, which was held for 2.5-litre openwheelers.

Despite running in a smaller capacity Ferrari, he took the series honours in ‘69 with several rounds remaining.

“Apart from their sports cars the F2 Dino V6 was the most competitive car that Ferrari gave me to race as the F1 cars were struggling.

“In ‘68 I gained several pole positions and should have won several races but in ‘67 and ‘69 the cars weren’t on the pace.

“The Dino V6 was pretty competitive with the other cars on the grid during that time and it provided me with my best single seater results while I was with Ferrari.

“In ‘68 I finished the Tasman Series a close second to Jim Clark’s F1 Lotus 49 2.5-litre Ford Cosworth DFV V8 and the following season I was the series champion.

“I reflect back to that Sandown Tasman race where Jimmy beat me by a small margin.

“I am sort of happy that he won it and not me, as it was the last race that he ever won because he was killed a few weeks later in a F2 race at Hockenheim, Germany.”

NEW DECADE, NEW DIRECTION After experiencing three seasons of V12 engine unreliability and missing F1 GP victories Amon decided to leave Scuderia Ferrari and join a new small British constructor – March Engineering which ran petite lightweight chassis powered by the proven Ford Cosworth DFV V8 engine.

“The reason for going to March Engineering was that it was going to be ❯ MotorSportLegends

19

CHRIS AMON

“AFTER HAVING SEEN WHAT HAD HAPPENED TO NIKI, WHERE IT SEEMED LIKE IT TOOK HALF A DAY TO GET HIM OUT OF THE BURNING CAR… I TOLD MY MECHANICS THAT I HAD ENOUGH OF THE F1 RACING.” a concentrated high-tech operation and within the space of two months after my signing it became a very low-tech multicar situation where they had to construct six or eight customer cars to finance themselves – it was a totally different story to the one that was sold to me,” Amon said.

“The March 701 was a very average car and had very little development during the season, it was not the car that designer Robin Herd would have put together if he didn’t have to produce a string of customer cars, its potential was very limited. The politics within the team with team director Max Mosley is not hard to understand, as he and I fought all year; after several second placings I decided to move into a more competitive and friendly environment.

“In ‘71 and ‘72 I joined Matra and raced F1 and sports cars for them. They were a good team constructing their own chassis and manufacturing their own V12 engines, which tended to be a bit of a problem and weren’t really competitive.

“They were a good team with a genuine bunch of people working for

them and they almost got there but not quite so it was disappointing to not have won the ‘72 French Grand Prix for them on their home circuit. After that I ventured to Tecno, who built their own car that was a disaster as they were under resourced for such a technically advanced car.

“I started to have enough of F1 racing and travel after getting close to winning so many times only to have something go wrong with the car and that tends to discourage you. Some of my enthusiasm had gone, and then the opportunity came to drive in a couple of races for Ensign in ‘75.

“The car was quite nice so we decided to progress on into ‘76 despite the team being under resourced as we were qualifying in the top six regularly but dropped back as the races progressed due to the lack of funding. Niki Lauda’s horrific crash where he was severely burnt at the German Grand Prix at Nurburgring was coincidental to my decision to leave F1 as I had experienced two big accidents earlier in my career.

“The Ring was a bumpy circuit and

the Ensign was so fragile and after having seen what had happened to Niki, where it seemed like it took half a day to get him out of the burning car, I thought if my car falls apart halfway round here it might not be good - I told my mechanics that I had enough of the F1 racing.”

CHRIS AMON FESTIVAL The 2011 Chris Amon Festival organised by the NZ Festival of Motor Racing will celebrates Chris Amon’s career over two three-day weekends at Hampton Downs Motor Sport Park south of Auckland. A series of special classic and historic racing cars, sports cars and sedans from Australia, United States of America, UK, Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium, and Germany will line up with local New Zealand competitors in a series of races starting on January 21 to 23 then one week later from the 28th to 30th.

“The festival is possibly a bit daunting, but it is a nice thought to be at Hampton Downs next January as I will be reunited with an array of the cars that I raced during my career,” Amon said. ML

Above: In the Talon MR1 at Wigram (above) and at Sandown (top) in 1975.

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2011 NEW ZEALAND FESTIVAL OF MOTOR RACING TOUR celebrating CHRIS AMON

13 days commencing Wednesday January 19th 2011 Proudly brought to you by

MotorSport Legends Celebrating New Zealand Formula One star Chris Amon, featuring a number of cars that he owned and drove Over 400 cars at the Hampton Downs Motorsport Park over two weekends January 21-23 and 28-30 The largest classic and historic car race meeting ever held in New Zealand Classic and historic racing cars, sports cars and saloon cars from New Zealand, Australia, United States of America, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium and Germany.

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HISTORIC RACER

MotorSport Legends T H E M A G A Z I N E T H AT B R I N G S Y O U R M O T O R S P O R T M E M O R I E S B A C K T O L I F E

Big bangers come out to play at Masters

Bowe takes on Winton

All the Speed on Tweed action

HISTORIC NEWS

BY BRIAR GUNTHER

LONG TRACK SUCCESS The Victorian Historic Racing Register (VHRR) will run the Winton Festival of Speed again in 2011 after the inaugural one was a success.

The full three kilometre circuit that the V8 Supercars race on was used at the festival instead of the shorter ‘club’ circuit that historic categories usually race on.

“A lot of people who have cars with bigger engines get more pleasure driving on a longer track, particularly if you’ve got a V8 and it’s a bit unsafe on the short track because they are all bunched up,” Ian Ross from the VHRR explained.

One special attraction was the turbocharged Porsche 935 Martini that Jacky Ickx and Jochen Mass used to win the 1976 World Championship of Makes for Porsche which was in Australia on loan from the Porsche Museum in Germany.

John Bowe drove a fully restored and rare 1967 Brabham BT23B-2 while John Bowe in the 1967 Brabham BT23B.

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Noel Cunningham in his Talbot Darracq.

Ex-Bruce McLaren Cooper T70.

the Cooper T70 that Bruce McLaren used to win to win the 1964 Tasman Championship and a 1926 Talbot Darracq, one of only a few in the world, also took part in

Ex-Jacky Ickx and Jochen Mass Porsche 935.

the Winton Festival of Speed.

“We had 240 entries; that’s the highest entries we’ve had there for a long time so we will call it a success and we would expect to have 340

next year,” Ross said.

The official date had not been confirmed at the time of press but Ross confirmed the event will take place again in August next year.

Warwick Williams in his Maserati 250F replica.

THAT’S ONE AUSSIE SPECIAL One of Australia’s most famous home-grown racing cars, the Maybach 2, starred in a tribute to Australian Specials at this year’s South Coast Automotive Speed on Tweed in September.

Stan Jones raced the Maybach 2, which is now owned and driven by former race team manager John Sheppard, in the 1954 Australian Grand Prix at Southport, Queensland.

It was one of more than 180 historic and classic cars contesting the annual time trials on a temporary street course through the Tweed River town of Murwillumbah in Northern New South Wales.

Jones, father of Formula One Champion Alan, was leading the 1954 grand prix when a chassis failure caused the car to crash heavily and

it never raced again.

Sheppard has just three original parts when he began rebuilding the car in 2000, which took seven years.

The Mayback 2 has made regular appearances at historic meets in Victoria and at its Speed on Tweed debut this year it was entered in the Flat Cap Masters section rather than a full-bore run.

“I like driving it. It’s got enough power to spin its wheels. I drive it as fast as I’m game,” Sheppard said.

The theme of Australian Specials celebrated the ingenuity of enthusiasts who sought to build themselves less expensive but effective alternatives to imported racing cars from Britain and Europe.

Racing greats Sir Jack Brabham, John French, Denis Geary and Colin Bond all attended this year’s

event as special guests while four-time Australian Rally Champion crew Neal Bates and Coral Taylor made an on-track appearance.

Fireworks over the Tweed River, a street party, grand

parade, rock concert, show and shine display, demonstration laps and children’s rides ensured the festival maintained its reputation as one of the region’s most popular major events.

John Coffin’s 1952 Robbins 500.

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STORY BY GLENIS LINDLEY ; PHOTOGRAPHS SUPPLIED BY GLENIS LINDLEY AND JOHN DOIG

Jason Richards in the ex-Harvey A9X. Below left: Harry Firth signing autographs.

FIFTY YEARS OF MUSCLE MAGIC!

Over the weekend of September 4-5, Sydney’s Eastern Creek International Raceway turned on a fantastic Father’s Day Muscle Car Masters meeting, featuring famous cars and drivers, along with the 50th celebration of the Australian Touring Car Championship.

B

illed as ‘Australia’s largest gathering of racing muscle cars from as early as the 1960s’, fans witnessed some thrilling action during the sixth edition of this popular annual event. Attracting more and more competitors and fans each year, this family outing has become a must-see occasion for all car lovers.

Slightly inclement weather at the start

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of the weekend did not dampen anyone’s enthusiasm although there were a few excursions from the track, while Sunday’s sunny conditions put smiles on a lot more faces.

For our legendary drivers it’s a trip down memory lane, but for ardent fans too, the Muscle Car Masters experience is a chance to relive some of those memorable, traditional ‘battle royales’ be-

MUSCLE CAR MASTERS

tween cars of that golden era. Once upon a time as they say there were those awesome Mustangs holding off those mighty Minis, with a host of other manufacturers in the mix.

So, where does a fanatical fan begin?

Merchandise Alley is a good starter, but even in pit lane or the competitor’s paddock, there’s an amazing array of goods for sale – which can be personally autographed.

Most of the former ‘heroes’ were very approachable, stopping for a chat and to sign items at any time during the weekend. That’s one of the big drawcards, being able to wander through the pits, paddock and display areas, experiencing that friendly atmosphere once a trademark of early race meetings, before today’s world of professionalism and high-profile pressure crept in.

As Queenslander John French (of Johnson/French Tru-Blu Falcon fame) said: “The ARDC has done a great job here. This is motor racing as it used to be – where fans and drivers can actually chat.”

Another well-known identity, John

Bowe in his Mustang. Below: Harvey (left) and Moffat were all smiles and happy to mix with the fans.

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MUSCLE CAR MASTERS

Goss (AGP and dual Bathurst winner) said: “I’ve been to five of these events and absolutely love it. It’s a chance to catch up with some of the drivers I once raced against.”

Motorsport Legends also caught up with the likes of Allan Moffat, Harry Firth, Allan Grice, Jim Richards and son Steve, Leo Geoghegan, Colin Bond, Murray Carter, Garry Rogers, John Bowe, Jason Richards, Kevin Bartlett, Spencer Martin, and John Smith.

John Harvey, best known for his association with Firth’s Marlboro HDT and the late Peter Brock, was once the darling of the speedway crowd before his move to road racing.

‘Harves’ summed it up well: “These types of gatherings are very good; fans come from everywhere, not just Sydney.”

V8 Supercar driver Jason Richards took one of Harvey’s old cars, the #76 HDT Torana A9X, for a spin at the Masters.. Then Motorsport Legends discovered a car which had slipped most people’s memories – the Mobil BMW M3, the last M3 built by the late Frank Gardner. Once driven by Brock/ Richards in 1988, Jervis Ward had the driving honours at Eastern Creek.

Glenn Seton, with his father Barry ‘Bo’, also sang this meeting’s praises.

“We absolutely love it,” declared Glenn, who drove in at least three different categories, with Barry still performing his engineering magic.

Icon Bob Jane was there too, plus his collection of famous cars, as was Bob Holden – still competing at well into his 70s.

He proudly said: “I’ve been racing now for 61 years, been at every MCM event, and look forward to it every year.”

There was a long line of avid fans paying tribute to their heroes from yesteryears, queuing to shake these legends’ hands or obtain a treasured autograph.

A full program of 19 events featured on Saturday, with an even more massive listing for Sunday, covering thundering Group A and C touring cars to Touring Car Masters, and the more modern ‘buzz-boxes’ – Aussie Racing Cars.

With Master Blast, Heritage Hot Laps, Match Races and a host more program events, plus the ever-popular Group Nb and Nc historic with capacity fields, it’s no wonder a bumper crowd attended.

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Above: The ex-Jack Brabham and Brian Muir Torana leads the Group C pack. Below: Just as it was in the ’90s, the ex-Gibson Nissan GTR leads the ex-Holden Racing Team Commodore. Bottom left: Seto returned to the driver’s seat. Bottom right: Replicas such as the one of the Johnson Tru-Blue XD Falcon were clearly marked.

The tin-tops in full flight were the favourites of many. It was a sight to see those beauties being put through their paces again in some very serious racing.

And the static displays of replicas mixed in with the real-deals brought back happy memories of our proud, past heritage.

Not to be outdone, the Touring Car Masters turned up the heat, with past Bathurst/ATCC stars like Jim Richards, Bowe and Andrew Miedecke mixing it with today’s current crop of fast peddlers, which included Leanne Tander, wife of

V8 driver Garth.

Bowe’s Trans Am Mustang made a clean sweep of this round, snatching pole and three from three wins after some incredibly close racing, to head the championship.

It was however a little strange to have a new breed of car, Aussie Racing Cars, at this ‘blast from the past’ meeting, but they were a big crowd-pleaser.

Young-gun, Jack Perkins, son of legend Larry, stole the show by claiming the round victory after four exciting races.

Roll on Muscle Car Masters 2011!

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BY BRIAR GUNTHER

HISTORIC BUT STILL COMPETITIVE An MG TC Special driven

by Peter Gostelow stole the show at the 15th annual Leyburn Motor Sprints in August which commemorated the running of the 1949 Australian Grand Prix on a nearby airfield.

Keith Carling drove a 1980 Tiga SC800 sports car to claim the title as the fastest competitor in a historic car with a time of 53.39 seconds.

Although the supercharged MG single-seater was a good 10 seconds slower than the Tiga, it was the car driven by Ray Gordon that finished second outright in the very grand prix that the event commemorates.

With a time of 1:04.7761 the 1949 MG was the faster of the two cars competing in

Above: Peter Gostelow’s 1949 supercharged MG TC Special.

the Group L (log book) class with Gostelow finishing ahead of John Anderson in a 1955 Nedelko MG. Dick Johnson was another who proved age had not diminished his speed.

Johnson won the class for touring cars over 5.1 litres, driving an 800 horsepower, 1971 Ford Falcon XY GT. Current V8 Supercar drivers Shane van Gisbergen and Tim Slade competed in the

same class as Johnson.

Johnson was one of the weekend’s busiest drivers, completing more than 14 runs in the Falcon, a1971 Ford Escort and a Ford V8powered 1956 Morris Minor.

He also was one of many who praised the quality of $100,000 hot-mix surface laid for this year’s event.

In a self-built Skelta G-Force sports car, Ray Vandersee clinched a record

sixth outright victory with a time of 48.98sec.

The 15th annual Leyburn Sprints featured a record entry of 212 racing, sports and touring cars ranging from Watson’s 2010 ProSport Eclipse to a 1932 Triumph Wolseley Special driven by Steve Anderson.

More than 1400 timed runs, a speedcar parade, show and shine display, perfect weather and a historic pub situated close to the starting line combined to attract one of the biggest spectator crowds in recent years.

Proceeds from the notfor-profit event benefited local community organisations.

Visit www.leyburnmotorsprints.com.au for information on next year’s event. ML

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31

From champion cyclist to champion racing car driver, John French was a natural born speed machine.

JOVIAL JOHN FRENCH

Queenslanders think fondly of John French as Dick Johnson’s Bathurst co-driver for their first ever victory, while those with a little more age maturity will also remember ‘Frenchy’ in his own right as a Mini champion and driver of the extraordinary Centaur Waggott.

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY GLENIS LINDLEY

B

est remembered for the 1981 James Hardie 1000 fairytale triumph in the Tru-Blu Falcon, John French was also known for his expertise with Fords, producing some memorable dices with the likes of Ford legend Allan Moffat.

What most fans don’t know is that he was born in Millaa Millaa (Atherton Tablelands) in 1930, his parents later shifted to Brisbane and as a teenager he raced pushbikes instead of go-karts.

Not being particularly fond of school, he left at 14 to work as a bicycle mechanic for Tom Wallace Cycles, hence his bike

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MotorSportLegends

racing interest.

Eighteen Queensland cycling championships were won before job changes ranging from a truck driver for timber merchants Brown & Broad, to working as a milking machine salesman in the Northern Rivers (NSW) interrupted his cycle racing.

So began his new-found car interest, thanks to mechanic friend Bill Jeffs, who also raced bicycles. At long-gone Strathpine Circuit, while watching some FJ Holdens race (the road car then driven

by French), with his jovial and modest quick-witted humour, John casually remarked, “we could beat him,” referring

to a driver called Leo Geoghegan.

And so the challenge began! During the long months ahead in their spare time, and when money allowed, considering there were normal family commitments and mortgage repayments, the two young hopefuls developed a modified ‘hot’ engine to replace the standard version in Frenchy’s ‘56 FJ work car for race weekends. Along the way, other established racing identities chipped in, including Glyn Scott and Wally Anderson, who lent this ‘battler with heaps of potential’ a limited-slip-diff and a Repco head, saying with a hand-shake, “pay for it when you sell the car”.

Those were the ‘good old days’ when humble but aspiring young enthusiasts actually drove to the track in their road cars, slipped in the race engine, then at the end of the weekend reconverted the race car to a road car. Driving suits weren’t exactly fireproof, there were no lucrative sponsorship deals, no computerised technology, nor pit crews in fancy gear, and if you had your very own mechanic - that was something special!

During that era, racing was also held at Lowood (another extinct major circuit) while French’s first significent victory came at the 1958 Easter Bathurst races, when he claimed Leo’s scalp after a hard-fought battle. ‘Father French’ as he was affectionately known, clinched the Queensland and NSW touring car championships before selling his beloved FJ to car dealer and racing identity, Ron Hodgson. Sadly this car was later stolen from Hodgson and never recovered.

French, the cheerful man with a constant smile on his face, was to experience an on-again, off-again motor racing career spanning three decades.

After driving with Norm Beechey in a Standard Vanguard (claiming second in Class D) at the 1960 Armstrong 500 at Phillip Island, his next ambitious project was undertaken. Extending over a year, helped by a host of passionate motor racing friends, they meticulously constructed the legendary ‘Centaur Waggott’, a unique, locally-designed and built, awesome machine – culminating in French clinching the 1962 Australian Grand Touring Championship. ❯

French at Lakeside in 1970 in his Mini.

French with Jack Brabham at Bathurst in 1978.

French with his Alfa during 1971.

French’s Alfa Romeo dealership.

Right: Though more recognised down south for winning Bathurst in a Ford Falcon with Dick Johnson, French was well-known up north for his feats in his wheel-lifting Alfas.

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JOHN FRENCH

Above: French’s famous ‘Centaur Waggott’, a unique locally built and designed race car. Right: French with Alf Grant. Below: At Amaroo Park in a Falcon.

Engineer whiz Merv Waggott developed the twin overhead cam Holden engine, designer/engineer Tim Harlock created the car’s aerodynamic design, the chassis was constructed by Dave Evans while Wal Anderson again came to the rescue as part owner - just some of those associated with this fantastic machine.

When French drove it many years later, the master of one-liners said, “we must have been bloody good to drive these things”.

Winning the GT title came effortlessly for French, so CAMS in its wisdom changed the category rules. The car, minus the ‘you-beaut’ motor, was subsequently sold to car dealer/racer Denis

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Geary who competed for several years in a different class before selling it. Today, this iconic ‘special’ appears at selected events such as Speed on Tweed, Leyburn Sprints and historic meetings.

When the Mini Cooper S craze arrived, Frenchy campaigned these little ‘flying bricks’ with a great deal of

success against the likes of top-rated Brian Foley and Peter ‘Skinny’ Manton.

Those ‘Mighty Mini Men’ showed no fear when lining up against the daunting Monaro and Mustang muscle cars.

Having achieved the distinction of rising to British Motor Corporation (BMC) works driver, French partnered international stars such as Finland’s Timo Makinen at Bathurst in 1967 where they finished seventh outright, despite Makinen barrell-rolling the Cooper S during the race.

Frenchy was the kind of guy who repaid favours by also helping others.

For some years, French worked for Mini dealerships in Brisbane, acquiring the necessary expertise to later seek his own business opportunities. So in 1966, he took control of an Alfa Romeo dealership in Fortitude Valley with mechanic mate Brian Michelmore (who also raced) fronting the service department.

Gradually his allegiance switched towards this marque and while he won a three-hour classic at Surfers Paradise, the 1969 Hardie-Ferodo wasn’t too kind.

Coming over Skyline, he saw the yellow flags being waved frantically and jumped on the brakes thinking, ‘there’s big trouble here’. A fair statement, as then he was hit from behind and shoved up the bank to bounce back, landing upside down on Bryan Thompson’s Alfa, taking a few more hits for good measure.

“The next thing I knew a head came through the window asking ‘Are you okay mate?’”

It was friend, Dick Johnson, then spectating on the Mountain!

Above: French drove a Falcon XC at Bathurst in 1978 with Warwick Brown. The pair failed to finish the Great Race. Right: French also failed to finish Bathurst in 1979 with Colin Bond.

Some years later, in 1974, Johnson partnered French at Bathurst in an Alfa 2000 GTV, an experience that still has Dick shaking his head. As the story goes: “The fuel tank leaked at the top and every time we jumped on the brakes hard, fuel would spill and catch alight, so the boot lid would go up and we’d have to stop to extinguish the fire.

“That was the year Frenchy’s car did its best to kill me,” Johnson explained.

With a grin on his face, his good mate simply said, “I never used my brakes as much as Dick, so I didn’t have the same problems”.

Having established himself as easy on cars, competent and reliable behind the wheel, approaches began coming from Ford. This ever-cheerful character found himself sharing a Ford Falcon ❯

“THE NEXT THING I KNEW A HEAD CAME THROUGH THE WINDOW ASKING ‘ARE YOU OKAY MATE?’” IT WAS FRIEND, DICK JOHNSON…

In 1980 (right) French was nearly a Bathurst winner, but Johnson’s XD Falcon was stopped by the infamous ‘rock’ ... however, in 1981 (below), they paired up again to take the home the big trophy.

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JOHN FRENCH

Above: 1981 was a crowning moment in French’s career. He may have been the ‘lunchtime’ driver, but he still has his name in the record books! Left: While it is the drivers who get most of the plaudits after a win, the crew are just as important.

“THAT WAS THE YEAR FRENCHY’S CAR DID ITS BEST TO KILL ME.”

GTHO with Allan Moffat in the 1969 Sandown enduro which they won, giving Ford its first major victory.

“I couldn’t race at Bathurst that year (being a slight conflict of interest) as Alec Mildren suggested that seeing I was selling Alfa Romeos, perhaps I shouldn’t be driving Fords.

“I didn’t take much convincing!”

By 1970 he had shifted to his own business, John French P/L at Woolloongabba, also selling/servicing Subarus, and was able to race either Alfas or Fords, so his illustrious career continued with the big bangers.

He was asked on a few occasions to fill in for Moffat and Ian ‘Pete’ Geoghegan, who were at that stage steering Mustangs, because the new Improved Production XY Super Falcons needed further development.

The Ford works team recruited French for the 1971 Great Race along with Moffat. Being allowed to drive solo that year, they qualified one and two. Moffat led French for most of the race until Frenchy’s Phase 3 GTHO began to misfire courtesy of disintegrating foam blocking the petrol tank filter. Moffat finished first; French sputtered home in fifth.

Left: French returned to Bathurst with Johnson in 1984, but couldn’t pull off another victory.

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In 1972, opportunity knocked from Brisbane car dealer, Byran Byrt Ford to drive the purple XY GTHO. This proved a blessing for French as the works Falcons of Moffat and Fred Gibson didn’t feature in the top results.

Having started from pole (Moffat) and fourth (Gibson), Moffat spun in Reid Park (discounting Frenchy’s favourite saying of ‘only duds spin’) then copped a one-minute penalty for starting his engine while re-fuelling - twice. He also suffered brake problems and limped home ninth. Gibson hit the bank at McPhillamy Park, the car rolled a couple of times, and he retired.

The Queenslander, who started third, steered his purple beast into the lead in atrocious conditions and although he was overtaken by Peter Brock’s nimble HDT Torana XU-1 when his car copped a puncture, Frenchy saved the day for Ford with his fine second place.

“If only... but that’s motor racing,” shrugged French.

Always a bit of a character, French developed a reputation for carrying a cutlunch in the car’s centre console - either Vegemite or cheese sandwiches, but not banana as they “got too squashy”.

During his 20-odd Great Race starts, his 1972 effort remains memorable “because I drove the whole distance myself ”.

“Those were the days when men were men and women were glad of it,” quipped French.

On reflection, taming the Mountain with Dick in 1981 was his most satisfying after years of expectations and disappointments, although he respected every Bathurst because it separated the men from the boys. On several occasions he also drove at Bathurst with another good friend and well-known Brisbane Real Estate Agent, Alf Grant.

“In 1979 I was paired with Colin Bond in a Falcon XC, but only drove about a lap because Bondy had been too hard on the gears,” said Frenchy with a grin.

“Then in 1980, Dick hit that rock which rolled on to the track,” he shrugged, referring to the famous rock incident which has become part of Bathurst folklore.

Apart from years spent driving touring cars, it’s a little known fact that this versatile driver, who also took the wheel of a Nissan Bluebird with Fred Gibson

French joined Fred Gibson at Bathurst in 1983.

at Bathurst in 1983, drove Speedway at the Brisbane ‘Ekka’ for Blair Shepherd Performance Cars. His powerplant hot rod was previously driven by American ace Marshall Sargent. Under Frenchy’s control he cleaned up everyone until CAMS stepped in again, stating that its rules didn’t allow participation in both road and speedway racing... so, back to road racing!

For French, racing was always fun, but he emphasised it was “not my whole life”. A little surprisingly, son Geoffrey didn’t follow in his dad’s footsteps, but chose motorcycle racing, where he achieved considerable success with Matich Racing.

When his Subaru/Alfa Romeo dealership was sold a few years ago, French transferred his amazing level of mechanical expertise, experience and loyal customers to the new owner. In new premises - John French Motors, Balaclava Street, Woolloongabba, he became consultant and “message boy for the business”, having already achieved the tag of “oldest Service Manager in Brisbane” (perhaps Australia).

He’s lost none of his sparkling wit and this year French celebrates his 80th

Above left: French with Larry Perkins in 2002. Above: French drove the Bowden-owned ex-Moffat GTHO at Surfers Paradise last year.

birthday, but quite astoundingly he took part in last year’s Legends Race, supporting the Gold Coast V8 SuperGP. At the wheel of Moffat’s ex-XY GTHO Phase III, mixing with the likes of Dick, Jim Richards, Bondy, Bob Morris and Kevin Bartlett, he performed well until the brakes overheated - “then I slowed down a little”.

Considering he’s Patron of the Alfa Romeo Club of Queensland, makes regular appearances at the Eastern Creek Muscle Car Masters and attends various other historic events such as Speed on Tweed, life is always interesting, while his large circle of friends includes the likes of ‘Moff ’, Dick, Freddie and Jim. “I’m also friends with Skaifey, while I rate ‘Pete’ (Geoghegan) and Frank Matich as some of the best-ever past Aussie drivers,” he said.

Frenchy is the sort of guy you can’t help but respect. Even though he loves giving his friends a ‘bagging’, he has very few, if any, enemies and a large number of genuine, good friends instead. ML MotorSportLegends

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STORY BY IVAN MCLEOD; PHOTOGRAPHS BY THE GRAND PRIX LIBRARY AND SUE MCLEOD

Pictured left to right is Charles Jarrott, Chevalier Rene de Knyff and Selwyn Francis Edge.

THE RACING EDGE Ever wondered what the connection is between Britain’s race colours, Australia, and pigs?

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orn in Concord, Sydney in 1868, Selwyn Francis Edge enjoyed a number of careers in his busy life. Variously the manager of Rudge cycles, London manager of the Dunlop Pneumatic Tyre Company, Minister for Munitions, and Managing Director of AC cars, he is best remembered as the first Australian ever to win an international motoring event.

This was the Heroic Age of motoring; a time when leviathans raced from city to city over the cart rutted tracks of Continental Europe. French industrialists had welcomed the new fangled horseless carriage with enthusiasm and the vehicles of ‘la belle France’ were all conquering. Meanwhile an American newspaper magnate by the name of

Bennett had seen the advantages, which might accrue from motor racing, and sponsored an event in which every part of a vehicle was required to come from its single country of origin. It was to be a race of nations, a showcase of international design, reliability and initiative.

Unfortunately no one told the French, who proceeded to dominate the first two events, and by 1902 the mere four

PRODUCING 45 HORSEPOWER; SUFFICIENT TO PROPEL IT AT 80MPH (130KPH) ON ITS WOODEN SPOKED WHEELS, CART-LIKE SUSPENSION, AND LEATHER-LINED BRAKES! 38

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entries for that year’s ‘Gordon Bennett’ had been subsumed into the much bigger (and far better supported) Paris – Vienna race.

Following the previous year’s effort when their British made tyres had failed disastrously, Edge and his Lambeth based engineering friend Montague Napier produced a new and much lighter car for the 1902 event; though not everything went entirely according to plan. The head cracked before they reached Dover, the gearbox needed rebuilding – twice – and if race organisers ever discovered they had used French facilities to case harden second gear they would likely be excluded.

The green Napier which fronted the start line in Paris was the result of a marriage between Edge’s racing experience and Napier’s engineering talent, its 6.5 litres said to be capable of producing 45 horsepower; sufficient to propel it at 80mph (130kph) on its wooden spoked wheels, cart-like suspension, and leather-lined brakes (heroic it decidedly was!). By the end of day one they had completed nearly 200 miles, needing

only to deal with a solitary puncture.

However day two which would take them through Switzerland started ominously with four flat tyres, and by the end of the day Edge was a worried man. He had been using only first and third gears in an effort to save the retempered second, and his brakes were by now next to useless. The following day would take them across the inhospitable Arlberg pass to the finish of the race at Innsbruck, and while the ascent was unlikely to be problematic, the descent without brakes might be more than just a trifle entertaining.

In the cold morning hours of day three, Edge knew that two of the French entries had retired leaving his Napier trailing Chevalier Rene de Knyff ’s Panhard by a long margin, and the race was now one of attrition. Yet again, all four of his unreliable tyres were flat. It was not a good omen. Meanwhile the brown bearded de Knyff roared off toward the Arlberg pass to increase his already impressive lead. Edge set off in pursuit, his brakes – such as they were – fading at an alarming rate. At the base of the precipitous 6000 foot Arlberg, Edge knew the road ahead would twist and turn across unprotected mountainside and even if the grand vista was some compensation, his path would be crossed by deep gullies and water run-offs, constantly threatening suspension and steering.

Unfortunately there was one factor

UNFETTERED OTHER THAN BY ENGINE RESISTANCE, NEARLY A TON OF NAPIER PLUNGED DOWN THE TWISTING MOUNTAINSIDE… which Edge had not bargained on – the pass had been built for horse drawn traffic. Following each steep gradient, the road had been levelled out to allow exhausted animals to rest and while ascending the pass was not a problem; the descent without brakes was fraught.

Unfettered other than by engine resistance, nearly a ton of Napier plunged down the twisting mountainside, crashing headlong into the leveled sections, before bucking wildly as it plunged over into the next steep descent.

At the bottom of the pass, severely shaken and thankful to be in one piece, Edge and his cousin, Cecil Edge – who was along for the ride as a mechanic – stopped to survey the damage. The rear undertray had disappeared, taking with it their tools, jack, spare parts and inner tubes, which they had so covetously protected throughout the journey.

At this point Charles Jarrott arrived to confirm that de Knyff ’s Panhard was irreparably broken. The trophy was theirs for the taking – if only they could reach Innsbruck! Edge was now confronted with a dilemma. He knew other competitors would offer help, though at this late stage of the race he also knew

the organisers would use the rules to his detriment if they did so. Should he continue to the finish on his existing battered tyres – in which case, without spare inner tubes a puncture could end their race – or should he change them and protect the only inners he still possessed? Edge chose the latter – then, without jack, tools or tyre irons, he and Cecil laboriously turned each wheel, inch by inch, forcing the worn tyres off with bare hands before replacing them with new, which had fortunately remained securely bolted on the back.

And so they won – hands bloodied, stiff and sore – the first time a British car had won an international motor race.

Edge was feted as a national hero; the green of his Napier later adopted as Britain’s racing colours. And the pig?

Well, in 1912 when Edge sold his shares in Napier to take up farming, he could honestly claim an Australian born pig breeder was largely responsible for British Racing Green. ML The author would be pleased to hear from anyone able to contribute further to his research on S.F. Edge. He can be contacted at ivanmcleod@hotmail.com

An Edge & Napier.

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STORY BY MARK FOGARTY; PHOTOGRAPHS SUPPLIED BY IMS PHOTO

Sir Jack with Jim Clark.

LEFT TURN AHEAD ‘Black Jack’ recalls his Indycar revolution and other Indy 500 adventures…

ack Brabham contested the Indianapolis 500 just five times, but he left an indelible impression on the self-styled “Greatest Spectacle In Racing”.

Although most famous for his three F1 world championships, Brabham also started the rear-engine revolution at Indy, turning the famed Brickyard into a graveyard for the traditional frontengined roadsters.

In his first appearance at the 500 in 1961, he rocked the Indycar establishment in his little rear-engined Cooper-Climax T53.

Initially, the slender, low-line machine 40

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was derided as “the funny car” by Indy regulars, but the smiles were soon wiped from their faces.

Although heavily outgunned, the F1-based Cooper – using an enlarged 2.7-litre four-cylinder Coventry Climax – ran rings around the big front-engined 4.2-litre roadsters in the four banked lefthand turns of the rectangular 2.5-mile (4 km) Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Brabham finished ninth after running as high as third, falling back because he couldn’t get hard-wearing tyres to fit the Cooper’s small wheels and had to make more pitstops to change his shredding rubber.

But, just as the ’59 Cooper in which he won his first world title was the death knell for front-engined cars in F1, his performance precipitated the change that within just a handful of years made the Indy roadsters extinct.

Brabham competed at Indy four more times with the Offenhauser-powered BT12 in ’64, the Repco V8-engined BT25 in ’68 and again in ’69 - when teammate Peter Revson was fifth - and the awesome Offy turbo-propelled BT32 in his last appearance in 1970.

Just as he believes he could have driven into Victory Lane on debut if he’d had the right tyres, Sir Jack remains

convinced his final Indycar was also fast to have won the Indy 500, which in his day was arguably the most important and certainly the richest race in the world.

The Indy 500 pace lap in 1961.

MF: I’ve always been fascinated by your Indianapolis 500 exploits. You’re credited with starting the rear-engine revolution at Indy.

We did the same thing we did with Formula One. MF: When you went there for the first time, it must have been very strange?

JB: Oh, yeah, particularly driving around with those big cars (front-engined roadsters), coming up on them as they were going around the corners – it was scary. And when those big cars got out of control, it was unbelievable. When we first went there in ’61, we only had, basically, a Formula One car. There was very little difference. We got the 2.5litre Coventry Climax and stretched it to 2.7 for Indy. The 2.7-litre engine was specifically for Indianapolis. But, of course, we were racing against 4.2 litres, so that wasn’t easy. But I could sail underneath them and pass them in the corners, then they’d pass me going down the straights. That was happening on every lap. And the other problem I had was that we didn’t have any tyres that were any good. We tried to get Dunlop to make some special tyres for us, but they wouldn’t do it, so we were using virtually Formula One tyres, which were

no good for Indy. We couldn’t buy any American tyres because all the American wheels were 20-inch diameter, I think, and we only had 15-inch wheels. So we could only go with the tyres we had in England and they were nowhere near good enough. But if we’d had the proper tyres, I’d definitely have won the race. I can’t remember how many laps we got out of the tyres – it wasn’t too many. I had to stop and change tyres all the time.

MF: Did you enjoy the Indy 500? Did you like racing on the big oval?

JB: Not particularly, no. It was just one of those things we had to do. I didn’t go there for the pleasure of it. But we felt that Indy was something we’d like to go and do, so we did. But, unfortunately, we went there with a motor car that you could say never really had a hope of winning. But it did pretty well, anyway. I was running third, actually, with 10 laps to go and, unfortunately, I looked in my rear vision mirror and I saw the canvas coming up on the outside tyre. I thought to myself “well, it’s not going to do 10 laps”, so I went in the pits. I had an American pit crew working for us and they rushed over, changed the right rear wheel, put the wheel nut on, hit it with a hammer and it was cross-threaded. They put it on cross-threaded and they just hammered it. So then they had to knock it off, file the thread and get the nut back on, and I went back to ninth.

MF: Still, you showed them the way forward, didn’t you?

JB: Yes, and for quite a few years after that, every time I went near Indy, all those ‘old boys’ were telling me that I cost them a fortune. They had to throw everything ❯ Left: On the grid at the Brickyard in 1961.

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JACK BRABHAM

they had away and start again. And they did, so we must have gone there with the right idea because the engines are all in the rear now. When we first went there, they called it “the funny car”!

MF: You then went there with your own cars…

JB: The next time I went after ’61 was in ’64 with a Brabham car. It had an Offy (four-cylinder Offenhauser) in it and that particular race was the nearest I came to being killed. It was the year of the big (second lap) fire and I was behind that and had to drive through the fire, but luckily I managed to get the car slowed down enough to go through it at right angles. If I hadn’t, well, I’d have been in there with the two drivers who were killed, Eddie Sachs and John McDonald. I had a very narrow escape and it was just lucky, actually, that I got warned. When I first went there at that meeting, I was having a look around the cars and I bumped into Masten Gregory, who was actually my teammate in some of the F1 races – in ’59, mainly – and I said to him “what are you doing here, Masten?” And he said, “I’m going to try and qualify the Mickey Thompson car”.

So he took me over to show me this car.

God, I couldn’t believe what I was looking at – I couldn’t believe that they accepted it there. It had tiny wheels. It had a bag tank between the left-hand wheels, with only the bodywork holding it. It was just unbelievable. Anyway, he tried to qualify it and he couldn’t. I bumped into him a bit later and he said, “look, I’ve never driven anything so lethal in all my life. It scared the daylights out of me.” So I thought, if it scares Masten, it must be pretty bad because he was pretty brave, really. And that stuck up here (tapping his head). I couldn’t qualify the first weekend because we were doing a Formula One race, so we had to qualify the second weekend and I was behind this Mickey Thompson car.

This chap McDonald actually qualified it at a very slow speed, but didn’t matter because he’d done his speed on the first weekend. So when the race started, I was

Brabham’s Cooper in 1961 pretty much marked the beginning of the end of frontengined race cars at the Indy 500.

two rows back from him and Eddie Sachs was immediately in front of me. We went off on the first lap and McDonald actually made it around the first lap. But I was only looking at that car. I never looked at anything else, I was just looking at that car all the time because I knew there was going to be an accident. There was no way this bloke was going to handle it, you know? If Masten couldn’t do it, what hope’s he got? And sure enough, on the second lap around he lost it and as soon as the car started going out of shape, I was on the brakes. I nearly pushed the pedal out through the front of the car, I wanted to stop that badly. And the thing went off and hit the fence and exploded, and there was a huge line of fire from the inside to the outside of the track, on an angle. I was coming around the fence on the outside and I just managed to get it slowed down enough to go through that fire at right angles. I was able to turn into it. If I hadn’t done that, I’d have been in the same wreck as the other two. You can’t suddenly turn when you’re going 180 miles an hour (290kph) or something. But I got it slowed down enough that I was able to just turn it and go through it at right angles, and it was just absolutely sheer luck. I’m sure if Masten Gregory hadn’t have warned me about that diabolical car, I’d have probably been in the fire as well.

MF: Was there one particular year when you thought you had a really good

“LOOK, I’VE NEVER DRIVEN ANYTHING SO LETHAL IN ALL MY LIFE. IT SCARED THE DAYLIGHTS OUT OF ME.” 42

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chance of winning the 500?

JB: Only in 1970, the last time I went to Indy. It was the only time we would have had a chance of winning it. After ’64, we went to Indy twice more with the Repco (quad cam V8) engine – in ’68 and ’69.

The first year we were there with the Repco, it had a sort of a magneto thing on it that wasn’t positioned all that well and the Americans convinced me they had a transistor ignition, one of the new ones that had just come along, that was going to be fantastic. They said “we’ll put one on your car – we’ll make one for you.”

So I let them do that and it seemed to be going pretty good, but wouldn’t you know it, on the first lap round, the car quit. The ignition stopped going and that was it. It only did one lap in ’68. Then in ’69, Peter Revson drove for us and he finished fourth or fifth, I think. My car blew up.

MF: Why do you think your best chance of winning the 500 was in 1970?

JB: Because I had a turbocharged Offenhauser. It had 960 horsepower. It was pretty good. When you put your foot on it, you knew you were going places!

Unfortunately, I hadn’t had enough experience with Indy and didn’t have the car really set up properly, but I could pass anybody down the straight. It was really quick. Halfway through the race, it broke a gudgeon pin and cut the engine in half.

But that car was quick enough to win, really. ML Mark Fogarty has covered the sport at the highest levels in a varied international media career. Just as well known by his sobriquet ‘Foges’, his probing and punditry are regularly featured in Auto Action and Motorsport Legends magazines.

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lutches are obviously vital for transferring the power from your car to the ground, but if you’re restoring your first Historic Racer how do you go about selecting the right clutch assembly?

Individual class rules in the CAMS Manual don’t specifically mention that much on clutches, so where do we start? Obviously we are dictated by the engine/gearbox combination and what is available for your car. And what you

select needs to be dependent on the torque output of your engine.

Back when your historic racer was a state-of–the-art piece of kit your choices were limited compared to modern times, and organic based clutches may well have been all that was available.

Now we have a much broader range of material options, all with slightly differing friction, heat control and wear characteristics. You must take into account though, that exotic materials

BOOK REVIEW

BY ALLAN EDWARDS

LIFE IN THE FAST LANE

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et’s get one thing straight right up front. Skaifey: Life in the Fast Lane is a good read.

It is worth having on your bookshelf, and despite what I’m about to write, I did enjoy the book. It’s just that I personally thought it could have been better!

I didn’t like the fact that I had to read through 100-odd pages of Skaife’s most recent V8 Supercar career before I got to anything that I couldn’t remember myself.

I wanted to read about Skaife’s childhood; about how he broke into motor racing and his early days.

Unfortunately, I had to wait until later in the book to get to what little of that there was. I was also disappointed that Skaife’s memory was rather hazy when talking about his most controversial days – those when he was ousted from the ownership of the Holden Racing Team (HRT).

The funny little stories that usually

The

make these types of biographies were also missing.

Where were the stories of racing his mates in old bombs as a youngster; or the countless funny incidents Skaife must have experienced when away on tour at various race tracks?

We learnt more about these from Fred Gibson’s little piece towards the back of the book than we did from Skaife’s actual words.

I did enjoy Skaife’s occasional words of wisdom and his insights and background into some of the happenings in his Gibson Motor Sport and early HRT days.

I also believe the book is a great record of fact and that Andrew Clarke’s research into the detail of how each stage of Skaife’s career unfolded can’t be faulted, it’s just that Skaife needed to allow him to dig a little deeper and actually write about the controversial and interesting things that have happened in his life.

As I indicated at the beginning of this review, this book is worth reading. Would I rush out and spend my hard-earned on it? Probably not. Would I tell an auntie to buy it for me for Christmas if she asked what I wanted? Probably. After all, it’s better than another pair of jocks or socks.

Rating ★★★✩✩

Classic

Phillip Island 18th 19th & 20th March 2011 www.vhrr.com

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BRONZED LEGENDS STORY BY IAIN BUCKLAND; PHOTOGRAPHS BY JULIE EDGAR

LEGENDS IN BRONZE In an unremarkable studio on the picturesque Mornington Peninsula, an easy hour’s drive from Melbourne, Julie Edgar creates portrait sculptures in clay, which, when cast into bronze, are destined for display in prestigious galleries, museums and private collections around Australia.

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any of Julie Edgar’s subjects are famous Australians, such as Dame Elisabeth Murdoch, immunologist Sir Gustav Nossal, principle ballet dancer Steven Heathcote and Aboriginal activist, Faith Bandler.

What makes Edgar somewhat different to other artists is her interest and passion for motorsport and the heroic drivers that have competed successfully in Australia and abroad.

This led her to embark on a long-term project to portray Australia’s motorsport legends in bronze.

Edgar’s life-size bronze portraits of the late Peter Brock, Wayne Gardner, Bob Jane, Sir Jack Brabham and Jim Richards form a Hall of Champions for the National Motor Racing Museum at Mount Panorama in Bathurst. Editions of Edgar’s sculptures of Sir Jack Brabham and Peter Brock are also in the permanent collection of the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra, ❯

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PHOTO COURTESY OF THE NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

BRONZED LEGENDS

Above: The late, great man himself, Peter Brock, with sculptor Julie Edgar. Right: Can you pick the likeness of these four Aussie racing legends?

one of only four dedicated portrait galleries in the world.

Edgar says that her goal is to capture the character of the subject in her portraits and not just the physical appearance so for this reason she insists on meeting the subject and involving them in the process of creating the work. This enables her to understand something of the subject’s personality and ensures that they are also happy with the final result. Subjects often suggest minor changes, which are accommodated where possible. With sporting legends of all kinds, the passage of years brings often unwanted but inevitable physical changes. A question always arises as to how, or rather at what age, the subject wants to be depicted. Edgar uses photographs and press cuttings as well as measurements of the subject’s facial features to model the initial clay version of the sculpture, depicting them as they are now or as they were at the peak of their racing career. There is something forensic about Edgar’s ability to peel back the years in her famous subjects and it comes from a highly precise approach to her art. It’s a precision that her motor racing legend subjects can appreciate.

Educated at RMIT, Caulfield Institute of Technology and the University of Melbourne, Edgar has more than 30 years of experience in sculpting portraits and figures. Edgar reached a turning point in her career with the decision in 2000 to sculpt Peter Brock, her first motorsport subject. Brock was establishing his own V8 Supercar team at the time and was 46

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difficult to pin down for a sitting for the sculpture. When they eventually met, Brock was highly supportive and being an amateur artist himself, took a keen interest in the outcome. The National Portrait Gallery committed to acquire the work in 2001 and Brock impressed the arts community at the launch of the sculpture in Canberra with an explanation of the fine art of race car control. Edgar said the public response to the Brock portrait convinced her to extend the series and strong support from the then director of the National Motor Racing Museum, Rod Harvey, led to the creation of the Hall of Champions at Bathurst. Portraiture creates a bond between the artist and subject and Edgar was very much saddened by Brock’s later tragic death. It was left to Brock’s brother Lewis to unveil the portrait at Bathurst in 2008.

The conversion of the original sculpture into bronze is a specialist process, not far removed from the precision engineering techniques of the motor racing world.

One of the main benefits of casting in bronze is the ability to produce a limited number of multiple editions of a sculpture. However, to achieve this, a number of labour-intensive steps are involved.

Edgar’s role is to produce the initial sculptural form in clay using her original drawings, photographs and measurements of the subject. The clay sculpture is then completely covered in rubber. The rubber is then backed by a supporting plaster casing, which helps to keep the form of the sculpture. The clay is naturally destroyed when it is removed from the rubber mould.

The two-piece rubber mould is reassembled and hot wax is poured into the cavity. When cooled, the wax positive impression is removed from the rubber mould and after any imperfections are fixed, it is ready for casting using the lost wax process. The wax positive is coated in many layers of granulated ceramic material to make what is termed the ‘investment’. The investment is placed in a furnace at about 600 degrees Celsius, with the open end downwards. The heat melts out the wax and hence the term ‘lost wax’ casting. What remains is a ceramic mould, into which the molten bronze can be poured to produce the casting. Even after casting, many hours are spent grinding and detailing the work and applying the final patina, or surface colouring, to complete the sculpture. Bronze casting using these techniques will produce a sculpture of enduring beauty and durability, conveying the personality of a subject better than any other material.

Edgar says that she is constantly inspired by the dedication, courage and strength of character used by her motor racing legend portrait subjects to achieve their levels of success in their difficult and dangerous profession. She is currently very busy working on a wide range of portrait commissions, but would like to extend her motor sport legend folio. At the top of her wish list for future portrait sculptures is Mark Webber.

He is probably a bit preoccupied at the moment trying to win a world championship, but one day she hopes that he will agree to join her growing list of sculpture subjects. ML

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ENGINE SPECIAL STORY & PHOTOGRAPH BY MARK COOPER

MAKING POWER R ebuilding the engine in your historic race car is one of the most expensive pieces of work you’re going to have to undertake. Therefore the last thing you want is to be told to take it away and get it done according to the rulebook before you bring it back to race again.

Where do we start with this one?

There’s obviously a myriad of engine and car configurations and we could never cover every rule regarding engine building for your historic car in this magazine.

We’ll leave that to CAMS and their Manual of Motor Sport.

However there are a number of simple rules that we can outline that will give you some basic guidelines when it comes to having the motor for your historic racer screwed back together.

As with all things historic motorsport related it all comes down to keeping within the spirit of the rules. Historic motor racing exists so we all get to view these cars on the track, not in a museum, so that needs to be taken into consideration.

So let’s take a look at the rulebook and see what we can and can’t do, and to make it easier we will split it into the different historic categories so we don’t get ourselves too confused.

Remember to check eligibility rules so you are not throwing your hardearned down the drain.

GROUPS J, K & L As with many of the historic classes the engine’s internal components are unrestricted except that you must maintain the original cylinder block and cylinder head. The head (or heads) may be modified but you can only remove metal, not add any or build up any surfaces.

Crankshaft stroke must remain standard and any increase in engine capacity can only be gained by practices common during the period on the particular type of vehicle. Toothed belt drives are not permitted under any circumstances. A dry sump lubrication system is not permitted unless it was standard equipment on the particular vehicle.

must be used. There are some cases where a CAMS-approved alternative may be used and once again they are listed in the applicable vehicle Specification Sheet.

Internal engine components (eg, pistons, piston rings, connecting rods, crankshaft, bearings and gaskets) are mostly free; however there are some bore and stroke restrictions dependent upon the subgroup of the vehicle (ie Group Na, b or c).

You are permitted to use main bearing cap supports or girdles, and the block may be sleeved to achieve correct bore dimensions.

Apart from the fact that they must be in the original location and you can only use the original quantity, camshafts are free.

The original type and design of cylinder head casting as originally used in the make, model and year of the vehicle in question, or a CAMS-approved alternative as shown in the vehicle spec sheet must be used.

The cylinder head (or heads) may be modified only by the removal of material, however welding to repair damaged cylinder heads is permitted and you can insert or replace valve seat inserts if necessary.

Cylinder head components not forming part of the cylinder head casting are free.

HISTORIC TOURING CARS GP N With Group N the original type and design engine block as used in the make, model and year of the vehicle in question

HISTORIC TOURING CARS GROUP A & C The engine crankshaft and conrods are free, but must be of the recognised

weight and style for the engine as set out in the recognition document for the year represented. The crankshaft must retain the stroke dimension and phasing of the original, and the rest of the engine, may not be modified outside of the boundaries set in the 1984 edition of the CAMS Manual. The cylinder bore may be increased by a maximum of 1.5mm beyond the norm.

GROUP S The head and block of your Group S race car must be original, or a CAMSapproved alternative. Internal components of the engine are free however the crankshaft stroke must be original. Once again cylinder bore may be increased by a maximum of 1.5mm beyond original dimensions, and cylinder head/s may be modified only by the removal of metal.

Toothed belt drives and dry sumps are not permitted unless they were fitted to the original vehicle as standard.

So there you have it. As with most things historic, there’s not a whole lot of leeway to be had. Be sure to check with your class eligibility officer and ensure you read the current edition of the CAMS Manual and check the CAMS website (www.cams.com.au) for any amendments before you go throwing money down the road by not following the rules to the letter of the law. ML MotorSportLegends

49

TRADE TALK

QUALITY BELTS FROM DAYCO

A

ll Motorsport Legends readers share the same passion for their cars and the optimum maintenance of them as well. Dayco is a global leader in engine belt and thermal component technology and development, ensuring that its replacement drive belts are the best quality available for a vast range of aftermarket applications. To see for yourself just how vast the Dayco range is, simply visit the Dayco online catalogue at www.dayco.com.au Dayco was the first to develop the raw edge sidewall construction V-belt, which facilitated controlled slippage around pulleys. Top Cog V-belts Raw edge construction is combined with the Dayco patented cogged top design to ensure the top performance that today’s vehicles and drivers demand.

The Dayco Top Cog V-belt delivers more flexibility, and increases airflow around the belt, so it runs cooler and lasts longer than competitor brand V-belts. Three plies of neoprene impregnated fabric resist heat, oil, and grease, and a specially formulated treatment of the polyester cord provides strength, stability, and reliability.

In another first, Dayco also developed the Polyrib or Multirib belt for the Ford Mustang in the USA back in 1979. The multiple rib and flat design provides better belt to pulley contact for less slippage compared to conventional V-belts. Multiple ribs also eliminate the need for matching and allows for controlled slippage in overload situations, such as when an air conditioning compressor engages.

Today, as in 1979, this Dayco drive belt sets the industry standard. The grooved design provides flexural stress relief for increased flex50

MotorSportLegends

ibility in both normal and backside bending. The grooves also render the belt less susceptible to environmental factors such as dust and splash induced slip. Dayco’s superior manufacturing technology uses rubber impregnated fabric backing that maximises load carrying capability and minimises noise often associated with competitors belts. The cord is saturated with a specially formulated treatment that ensures length and belt stability for its service life.

Dayco also has a motorsport legend of its own as a key brand ambassador in talented V8 Supercar racer Jason Richards. The global company has enjoyed a strong alliance with the BOC Gases Commodore driver over the past four years. The familiar Dayco logo can be seen at the front of Richards’ racing helmet when competing in V8 Supercar events.

Jason Richards started his motor racing career at the age of eight in 1985, driving in karting events in his home country of New Zealand. He ended his karting career in 1993 after

V8 Supercar driver Jason Richards has a strong alliance with Dayco and the global company’s logo is featured on his race helmet.

winning no fewer than 35 championship titles.

This led to Formula Ford success both in his native New Zealand and in the UK for a short time. Richards then became a factory BMW Motorsport NZ driver, winning the 1995/96 Class 1 Touring Car Championship for the team, winning nine out of 12 series races on his way to the title.

Three NZ Touring Car Championships later, the Dayco driver crossed the Tasman to make his Australian V8 Supercar debut with Team Kiwi in 2001. He was then signed by Team Dynamik in 2003 gaining stronger results, including almost winning the 2003 Sandown 500 if not for a freak last lap incident.

Richards then joined forces with Tasman Motorsport from 2004 to 2008, gaining a number of strong results, including fourth at the 2007 Bathurst 1000.

In 2009 Richards joined Brad Jones Racing and has proven to be a fiercely quick and determined competitor, particularly at Bathurst, where he has competed on 10 occasions to date and finished last year’s race there in second. ML

%*4$ #3",& 1"%4

Advanced engineering Bendix Street Road Track brake pads have been engineered with advanced technology that was originally created for European racetracks. Now it is available for you to match your high performance driving style. Street Road Track has been developed by one of the world’s leading high performance friction material manufacturers incorporating the latest race technology and extensively tested under extreme conditions. The rear of the pad also features a gasket, for reduced noise and increased heat resistance. These brakes are the standard choice for highly skilled drivers who command absolute control of their vehicle.

Street CONTINUOUS HARD BRAKING WITH LOW FADE • Ordinary brakes heat up after a few hard stops and the friction level typically fades meaning you have to push harder to engage the brakes.

• Bendix Street Road Track maintain their friction level even as the temperature rises with continuous stops, for the same pedal effort.

Road FRICTION LEVEL MAINTAINS OPTIMAL RELIABILITY • Street Road Track are designed to maintain excellent performance through the rigours of stop start braking as found in heavy traffic situations.

• Street Road Track deliver outstanding friction stability for complete control on the road.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Freecall the Bendix Brake Advice Centre on 1800 819 666 (8am-5pm Monday to Friday EST) or +61 3 5327 0211 from overseas.

Or visit bendix.com.au/performance or bendix.co.nz Bendix is a trademark of Honeywell International Inc.

Track STABILITY THROUGHOUT THE STOP AT ALL TEMPERATURES • Street Road Track’s race materials offer the stability that is paramount for optimal brake balance.

• Street Road Track deliver even brake distribution preventing the car from locking up and spinning.

• Street Road Track have proven extremely stable and reliable in performance compared to other leading competitors.

Put your foot down with confidence