MotorSport Legends Issue 17

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

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The evergreen Jim Richards

John Mann hangs up his helmet

ISSUE 17 Feb-April 2012

ISSN 1835-5544

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THE MAGAZINE THAT BRINGS YOUR MOTORSPORT MEMORIES BACK TO LIFE

Contents Editorial 4 Even in his early days it was obvious Lowndes was going to be a star.

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

Issue 17 16

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F1 history restored 10-15 Paul Faulkner has become the custodian of Alan Jones’ world championshipwinning FW07-04 and we believe the iconic car is in good hands.

Evergreen Richo 16-21 Jim Richards has driven almost everything. In this feature Glenis Lindley covers just a few.

Historic Racer 23-30 Welcome to the 11th edition of our historic racing section, which includes coverage of the Sandown Historics, Adelaide Classic and the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion.

Webb of Intrigue 31 Mick’s not scared to tell it how it was.

The Championship years 32-36 It’s hard to believe that it’s been more than a decade since Craig Lowndes won a championship title. In this feature he heads down memory lane with Mark Fogarty.

Mann retires 38-41 John Mann has hung up his helmet after many years of racing his famous Mustang, among other cars.

Gillian Stillwell 42-45 We take a look at the sport through the eyes of the wife of a great racer.

HDT Monaro 46-49 Rising from the ashes: remembering a crash that began a dream.

Contributors in this issue David Dowsey David has been busy this issue with features on Gillian Stillwell’s view of motor racing as the wife of a famous driver. He’s also dug out the history books to look at a crash at Sandown that ultimately led to success at Bathurst for the Holden Dealer Team.

Grant Nicholas Grant must be one of the luckiest guys in the world. Since last issue he has returned from the USA with a bag full of stories, including his report on the Rolex Monterey Motorsport Reunion. He has also chronicled Paul Faulkner’s rebuild of Alan Jones’ 1980 title-winning F1 Williams and told the story of John Mann’s swansong.

Mick Webb In his popular column Mick recalls a time when working with Alan Jones at Bathurst gave him one of his career highs. He also recounts a difference of opinion he had when working with Australia’s most recent F1 champ on the now defunct A1GP series.

T H E M A GA Z I N E T H AT B R I N G S YO U R M OTO R S P O R T M E M O R I E S B AC K TO 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 Sub-editor Briar Gunther Artists/Design House Craig Fryers, Dianne McBride Raamen Pty Ltd (03) 9873 8282 Contributors Glenis Lindley, Mark Fogarty, Grant Nicholas, David Dowsey and Mick Webb.

Photographers Autopics.com.au, John Doig/ Torque Photos, Glenis Lindley, John Lemm and Lee Kirk.

Advertising Manager Jennifer Gamble Phone: 0431 451 470 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 the 17th edition of Motorsport Legends magazine. Motorsport Legends includes motor racing nostalgia and historic events.

I

was at Sandown in 1992 when someone – I can’t remember who it was – said to me, “watch this kid going around in Formula Ford. He will be a superstar one day”.

Now usually when you hear something like that you take it with a grain of salt, but even to an untrained eye like mine, you could tell from watching this guy race that the comment was likely to become true.

Of course the kid being referred to was Craig Lowndes (pictured above with yours truly), who was ironically later nick-named “The Kid” by News Limited journalist Paul Gover.

While he was a likeable character, it was his obvious talent on the track that made him stand out as a future star. It is any wonder that the Holden Racing

Team took such a huge gamble on him.

And it was a huge gamble when you consider that at the time putting young and inexperienced drivers into your touring car just wasn’t the done thing.

In those days you almost had to be a team owner to get a drive in a touring car, or you had to bring a bag full of the folding stuff to a struggling team.

In fact, it could be argued that it was Lowndes’ success at Bathurst in 1994 and in following years that opened the door for the young brigade of the era – many of whom are today’s veterans, such as Steven Richards, Jason Bright, Cameron McConville and even Marcos Ambrose (all of whom were racing in Formula Ford at the time).

It’s history that Craig went on to become a three-time ATCC title-holder

before the 1990s were over. However, it is somewhat bemusing that he hasn’t won a championship since. While he’s had success at Bathurst, the series’ trophy has since eluded him. He nearly turned that around last year and he tells Mark Fogarty in this issue that he is still chasing as hard as ever for his fourth title. Others featured in this issue include Jim Richards, John Mann, Gillian Stillwell, as well as Alan Jones’ Williams and the first ever Holden Dealer Team Monaro. We hope you enjoy reading them as much as we did bringing them to you.

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

Cheers, – Allan Edwards, Managing Editor

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NEWS

BLOOMED AT BATH To honour motorsport legend Peter Brock a very unique rose was planted at Bathurst.

September 2011 marked the fifth anniversary of Peter’s tragic death and the Peter Brock Foundation Rose is a growing symbol that honours the legacy of “Brocky” and continues his passion for helping others.

When Brock retired from full time racing in 1997 his driving passion and energy took a turn away from the track to establish the Peter Brock Foundation. His kindness, drive and selfless devotion

in giving back to society made a real difference to many Australians who needed a helping hand.

Danees Denman, Director of the Peter Brock Foundation said: “We are delighted and extremely honoured to be associated with this magnificent blooming rose, a truly perfect rose.

“The Peter Brock Foundation Rose acknowledges Peter Brock’s integrity and tireless dedication to provide a better

quality of life for those less fortunate. Peter Brock was a wonderful individual who captured the heart of all those he met.

The Foundation hopes this rose will capture your heart. The Peter Brock Foundation is very grateful for Knight’s Roses’ inspiring passion and unyielding support to make a difference.”

For two years Knight’s Roses have been propagating this magnificent rose.

Knight’s Roses Director Daniel Knight said it had

been one of the most exciting projects the company has ever undertaken.

“Out of the hundreds of rose varieties that we have grown this is by far the most outstanding red rose I have ever seen,” he said.

“When I think of Peter Brock I, like most Australians, immediately remember the famous number 05 and the unmistakable bright red Holden race cars. This stunning red rose is big on impact just like the late great Peter Brock.”

Peter’s brother Lewis Brock is very proud to represent the Brock family in the release of the Peter Brock Rose.

“Peter came from humble beginnings in Hurstbridge, outside Melbourne, to dominate race tracks around Australia and the world.

“He was a living example of the power of dreams and a great spokesperson for the underprivileged and downtrodden. This rose is a stunning tribute that embodies the energy of Peter. It has a beautiful large stem that stands tall and proud just like Peter. His dream lives on in this rose.”

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H URST Knight’s Roses is a family owned and operated company with a long and proud history dating back almost 50 years.

Located at Gawler, gateway to South Australia’s famous Barossa Valley, the company has enjoyed great success in the industry, taking out the prestigious award for Best Australian Bred rose in 2002 and 2004.

Knight’s Roses is also very proud of its community involvement, highlighted by the 2010 launch of the FireStar Rose. Already this project has generated nearly $100,000 for volunteer fire brigades around the country.

To continue the legacy of Peter Brock, Knight’s Roses will proudly donate a percentage of the purchase price of the Peter Brock Foundation Rose to Variety, the children’s charity.

Jack Cannons AM, National Chairman of Variety, said the children’s charity was proud to be associated with the Peter Brock Foundation Rose.

“Peter will be remembered as a generous man who did so much for charity. His legacy will continue through the sale of this beautiful rose and we are very grateful that a percentage of the proceeds will go towards

KING COBRAS REUNITE supporting special needs children across Australia.”

Knight’s Roses is one of Australia’s largest wholesale rose suppliers, producing around 500,000 roses to nurseries in every Australian state.

“As a young kid growing up in Gawler, I always admired Peter Brock. To now have the privilege to actually name a rose in Peter’s honour is an amazing opportunity,” Daniel Knight said.

“My friends and family think my passion for this rose has gone to extremes, as I have spent the last 12 months restoring a LX Holden Torana Hatchback, the model Peter drove with great success in the late 1970s. It’s become a little bit more than a promotional vehicle for the rose.”

The Peter Brock Foundation Rose is now available to be purchased online at www. peterbrockfoundationrose.com. au MSL

Not one, but two King Cobras will be featured at the Ford-Cobra-Shelby Reunion scheduled for April 19-21 in the United States.

The 50th Anniversary Cobra exhibit opens on April 20 at the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum in Pomona, California, in conjunction with the FordCobra-Shelby Reunion.

Exhibit guest curator Lynn Park said getting two King Cobras to a single event was very exciting.

“The King Cobras, of which there were only eight, were a short but exciting chapter in the Cobra story,” she said.

Owners Bill and Evelyn Hartman and Donn Vickery will bring the two King Cobras to the reunion.

The Hartman’s car was driven to victory by the late Dave MacDonald at the

1963 LA Times Grand Prix at Riverside and at the ’63 Monterey Pacific Grand Prix at Laguna Seca.

Mr Vickery’s car (chassis #CM 6/64) was driven to victory by Parnelli Jones in the LA Times Grand Prix at Riverside in October ’64.

Parks Museum director Tony Thacker said the museum was extremely excited about the addition of these two significant King Cobras to the Reunion.

“This is going to be an exciting event with more Cobras coming out of the wood work than you can shake a stick at,” he said.

Scheduled for April 19-21, the Ford-Cobra-Shelby Reunion is a three-day fun fest for all Cobras, Ford and Ford-powered vehicles, including GT40s and Ford GTs as well as all Shelby vehicles. MSL

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NEWS

The outstanding collection of motor cars owned by the famed watchmaker George Daniels is to be sold by Bonhams at auction at the Goodwood Festival of Speed on June 29, 2012.

The seven motor cars and two motorcycles are expected to realise in excess of £8,000,000.

As a specialist watchmaker, Mr Daniels created less than 100 pocket watches and wristwatches during his lifetime, each of which would typically involve 2500 hours of work.

His love of engineering also led to his abiding interest in fine motor cars and he accumulated an impressive collection over the years.

He took part in numerous vintage car races until he was politely ‘warned off ’ by the RAC Motor Sports Association on grounds of age. In 2010 he was awarded the CBE, and he is the

Photo: Goddard Picture Library

WATCHMAKER TO SELL COLLECTION

Above: In 1931 the dashing Sir Henry ‘Tim’ Birkin raised the Brooklands Outer Circuit lap record to 137mph in his ‘Blower’ Bentley Single-Seater.

only watchmaker ever to receive the honour of ‘Master Watchmaker, for services to Horology’.

The jewel in the crown of the George Daniels Collection is the ex-Sir Henry ‘Tim’ Birkin 1929-32 Bentley four-litre supercharged single-seater, which set the Brooklands Outer Circuit Lap Record at more than 137mph in 1931.

Enthusiastic bidding is also expected for another Birkin car, the 1932 Alfa Romeo 8C-2300 Long Chassis Touring Spider.

It formed part of the 1932 Le Mans Team Car entries with Birkin sharing driving duties with his great friend Earl Howe for the endurance race.

Other highlights of the collection include the ex-1908 French Grand Prix and 1910 Brooklands All-comers Plate winner (fastest lap at 101.8mph), 1908 Itala 100hp Grand Prix Car and the ex-Frank Taylor of Taylor Woodrow Construction 1954 Bentley R-Type Continental Fastback. MSL

MICK DOOHAN MODEL WINNER Congratulations to Ian McLass of Oak Park who is the winner of our Top Gear Mick Doohan model. All Ian did was subscribe to Motorsport Legends Magazine and describe in 25 words or less what he most enjoys about the magazine. We thank you for your effort and hope you enjoy your prize. MSL

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CALL US DIRECT ON 03 9331 2608 or ORDER ONLINE AT

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RECORD GRIDS FOR 2012 PI CLASSIC A record grid of up to 38 high-powered open-wheeler racing cars will be a spectacular highlight of the 23rd annual Phillip Island Classic Festival of Motor Sport organised by the Victorian Historic Racing Register from March 9-11, 2012.

An expected 35 thundering Formula 5000 V8-engined racers from the 1970s, including leading cars from New Zealand, the USA, Canada and the UK, will be joined by several former Formula One cars from the 1980s in races at the meeting, each of which will feature a rolling start.

Another highlight will be the huge field of former Group C (1973-1984) and Group A (1985-1992) touring cars, with seven-time Bathurst winner Jim Richards and four-times Australian champion John

Bowe amongst the drivers on the planned 40-car grid.

The ‘Class of 1972’ will be a further feature of the meeting, marking the 40th anniversary of Peter Brock’s memorable Hardie-Ferodo 500 win in a Holden Dealer Team Torana XU-1 – the first of his record nine Bathurst victories.

A special painting created by noted Australian motorsport artist Mike Harbar showing Brock’s Torana leading John French’s second-placed XY GT HO Phase III Falcon and Doug Chivas driving the

third-placed Chrysler Charger is being created specially for the meeting and will be auctioned for charity.

The 1972 race was notable as the last Bathurst where competitors were allowed to complete the full distance without a relief driver and it was the only time the big three Australian manufacturers all had representatives in the top three finishers.

The 2012 Phillip Island Classic Festival of Motorsport is also on track for another 500-plus entries, with those received to date at the same level as the all-time record received for the 2009 meeting.

The meeting will again be supported by Shannons, CoolDrive and Penrite, with race officials supplied by the Victorian Mini Club.

Other highlights of the meeting will be:

• Celebrations of 60 years of Lotus engineering • The appearance of several special cars flown in from the Porsche Museum in Germany • Displays by up to 40 different car clubs and their members • An anticipated record number of trade stalls.

The Phillip Island Classic Festival of Motorsport remains one of the largest and most respected motorsport historic motorsport events on the international calendar.

It was recently short-listed in Octane Magazine’s inaugural 2011 International Historic Motoring Awards, coming in just behind the Goodwood Revival in the prestigious ‘Motorsport Event of the Year’ category.

More meeting details can be found by visiting www.vhrr. com MSL

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ALAN JONES FW07-04

KEEPING OUR HISTORY

DOWN UNDER Leading up to the Sotheby’s Australia Auction in Melbourne on April 18, 2011 many Formula One historians and car owners believed that the Williams FW07-04 that thrust Australian driver Alan Jones to the top of the World Drivers Championship in 1980 could possibly be heading to an overseas buyer. Little did they know of Paul Faulkner’s desire to retain this highly significant F1 race car on Australian shores.

STORY BY GRANT NICHOLAS; PHOTOGRAPHS BY JOHN DOIG/TORQUE PHOTOS, ROB LANG AND AUTOPICS.COM.AU

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F

or several years Paul Faulkner and several other enthusiasts in the historic racing group had been eyeing off four or five aluminium chassis F1 cars with Cosworth DFV engines and Hewland gearboxes that would be a manageable package to race in Australia. He was all set to go and buy a car in England when the Williams was advertised for the Sotheby’s auction. West Australian Peter Briggs brought the car to Perth in 1981 and it was on display at the world renowned Peter Briggs Family Collection before taking residence at the Fremantle Motor Museum.

The FW07 was the second car that

young engineer Patrick Head designed for the Frank Williams team, and it was launched in spring ’79 featuring ‘ground effects’ under-body venturis and moveable side skirts to create a low pressure area under the chassis in a similar manner to Mario Andretti’s 1978 World Driver’s Championship winning Lotus 79. Head had created an iconic car that took a technological lap forward over its rivals and with incredible high-speed cornering ability.

Briggs noted that the Williams FWO7 racecars are recognised as one of the most successful Grand Prix designs of all time. They were the first Williams ‘ground effects’ car. The box-like pods

on either side of the body carry carefully shaped ‘underwing’ panels that cause the airflow beneath them to draw the vehicle down against the road. This aerodynamic effect loads the tyres to increase their cornering grip and traction under power and braking. The spring loaded “skirts” which slide along the road surface are protected by ceramic skids and act as aerodynamic fences to divide the airflow beneath the car from that around it. At around 290 kmh (180 mph) the vehicle generated an incredible 1.8 to 2.2 tonnes down-force in addition to its normal static weight of 580 kilograms.

Alan Jones steered the Saudi Williams FW07-04 to three victories in ‘79 ❯ MotorSportLegends

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ALAN JONES FW07-04

“FW07-04 ONLY RACED IN SIX GRANDS PRIX AND WON FOUR OF THEM; HENCE IT WAS RETAINED AS A TEST CAR” Alan Jones driving the car at Calder (above) and in the pits (right).

beginning with the German Grand Prix in Hockenheim where he led throughout the event, the Austrian Grand Prix at the famous Osterreichring circuit and from pole at the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal. Jones finished ninth in the Italian Grand Prix at Monza due to battery failure and suffered a DNF in the car at the USA Grand Prix at Watkins Glen after losing a wheel while leading the race from pole position. January saw Jones snare pole position for the Argentine GP at Buenos Aires in FW07-04 and lead the race until a plastic bag became lodged in one of the car’s radiators and the engine started to overheat. He promptly pitted and dropped to fourth place; by lap 30 of the 53-lap race he had forged his way back into the lead and established a new outright track record as he raced to a secure 24-second victory over Nelson Piquet’s Brabham BT49 Cosworth. FW07-04 only raced in six GPs and won four of them; hence it was retained as a test car after the FW07B was launched having only raced minimum kilometres. During the summer of 1980 Jones crashed the car while testing Goodyear radial tyres at Donnington Circuit in England. A front tyre came away and bounced off the body before leaving a black mark on his helmet, with the young Aussie stating that it was a frightening moment. The car was rebuilt and toured Saudi Arabia and the 12

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Middle East as a show car before Briggs purchased the car from Williams.

After the car was dismantled at Faulkner’s workshop a year of labour was spent completely restoring the car to its the current pristine condition. “We stripped it back to the bare aluminium tub which only weighs 30-odd kilograms then inspected and crack tested all of the components as we were not sure what they would be like in a display car,” explained Faulkner.

“Amazingly they had put all good

gear in it, so we removed some corrosion in the tub and didn’t polish it up, we just cleaned it as we wanted to keep its original character. Every sub-assembly received the same treatment with all bearings, fasteners and consumables replaced with new units – there is nickel or chrome plating on the car. Apart from the engine all of the bodywork, panels, tub, gearbox and other assemblies are original. It is the most original FW07 that exists as the others went to privateer teams and ran in different series. Wayne

Eckersley, Alan’s chief technician at Williams, moved down from Queensland for eight months and worked on the car which was great because he knew the ins and outs of the car that he built over 30 years earlier. We also located Englishman Rodney Harlow who is an ex-Williams fabricator who made numerous components for the car back in ’78 and ‘79; he resides in suburban Melbourne and is currently making some louvres for the radiators. It is just marvellous to have two people who have a vast wealth of ❯

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ALAN JONES FW07-04

“CONTACTS MENTIONED TO ME BEFORE I TOOK TO THE TRACK IN THE WILLIAMS THAT IT WAS JUST LIKE A BIG FORMULA FORD” knowledge about the car and still enjoy working on it after such a long period of time. People come out of the woodwork and want to work on it as it is so special.

“As the engine is an integral part of the car’s structure, the Cosworth DFV in it had no internals, it was simply a block with holes in it. On the other hand the gearbox was perfectly good and still had oil in it from the Williams mechanics all those years ago. It was in good condition, so we crack tested all of the internals and changed the bearings plus an input shaft that had a crack in it – same gears, same differential and drive shafts. I purchased a brand-new DFV from Geoff Richardson Racing Engines in England and Geoff happens to be friends with the car’s designer Patrick Head. We made sure that we got the correct specification engine as

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raced in 1979 – 80 because Williams ran a longer piston stroke version compared to the other teams as they wanted more torque to pull basically this vacuum cleaner along. The others went for peakier engines where the Williams’ engines were lower revving and had a better torque spread. Thankfully there are no electronics on the engine, only one spark box and mechanical fuel injection, so it is fully legal for historic F1 racing worldwide.”

Faulkner said he has always had a fascination for cars, even though his father was an aviation buff.

“I loved tinkering with cars and they were there for fun while aviation was work,” he said. “The first race meeting I went to was as a teenager in 1984 to see the FIA World Endurance Championship round at Sandown Raceway where

the factory Porsche 956s dominated the race. Next I went to Calder Park Raceway and it wasn’t until I was 30 years old that I got to race on a track. I started in the Porsche 944 Challenge Championship (winning the series three times) before moving across to an Elfin 600 in the Historic Formula Fords and currently I have a Van Diemen RF86.

“My first test drive in the car was at Moorabbin Airport last March on a runway that had been shut off for us to give the car a quick shakedown – it was a quick squirt and basically all was good with it. We took it to the Phillip Island Classic the next weekend and a valve insert dropped out in the engine and it was sent back to Geoff Richardson who repaired it at no cost to us. While driving the FW07 during the two high-speed demonstrations at Sandown Raceway in late 2011 I immediately noticed that it has five times the power of the Formula Ford and only weighs slightly more than the Van Diemen. Contacts in England mentioned to me before I took to the track in the Williams that it was just

There are a number of FW07s racing on the European historic scene.

like a big Formula Ford and they were right. The whole thing is getting over the power and the wide slick tyres plus it pulls hard in every gear and you get to every corner a lot quicker.

“At Sandown we had it geared to run 320kph (200mph) and I was running at around 295kph due to the bumps, so

I am looking forward to running at the next Phillip Island Classic where the track is smooth. You can’t pull many Gs in a Formula Ford but in one of these you sure can. When you get the ‘ground effects’ skirts working on this car it will really develop a hell of a lot of more grip.

Peter Briggs was only the car’s second

owner and now I am its custodian and curating its Formula One history – its really mobile history that makes noises and provides a lot of enjoyment to a wide range of people. I’m not a fan of sticking these types of cars in museums, they should be out on tracks where spectators can see and hear them.” MSL

RE-UNITED Former chief technician and engineer in the Saudi Williams team, Wayne Eckersley, believes the rebuilt FW0704 is even better than the original.

“FW07-04 is now back to better than brand-new specifications and condition than when I built it at the Williams factory back in 1979,” he said.

“The car was a real mess before I started on its restoration, there were a number of missing parts plus it had been neglected while on display in Perth. The first thing when I inspected the tub was to look for the chassis number that I secretly placed in all of the cars that I built in case the plate that had the number stamped into it was removed from the bulkhead at some stage – it was there so I knew that the car was the original FW07-04.

“It is a credit to Paul that the car is now in such a pristine condition as he allowed me to replace every nut and bolt, washers, fasteners, drive line components, etc. I was able to source some parts from the Williams factory at no

expense, as they were delighted that we were bringing the car back to racing condition again. A current F1 110-litre fuel cell replaces the original 220-litre unit and all of the wiring looms and ancillaries have been replaced and Paul never once quibbled about what was happening to the car at any stage during its comprehensive restoration.

When Patrick Head inspected that car at the 2011 Australian Formula One

Grand Prix he stated that it was better than when it first rolled out of the factory.

“The FW07 not only won a Driver’s Championship for Alan Jones and Constructor’s World Championship for Williams it also changed the face of F1 racing and many teams copied its design without success – it would be great to see FW07-04 running on all of nation’s major circuits.”

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JIM RICHARDS

THE RACING EVERGREEN Originally from New Zealand, Jim Richards has happily called Australia home since being enticed here around 36 years ago. The big incentive for this passionate car lover’s move was a greater chance to continue motor racing. Far more opportunities presented themselves across the water, with sponsorship in his own country slowly drying up.

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY GLENIS LINDLEY

K

iwi Jim Richards was able to come to Australia from New Zealand to race after friend Jerry Clayton bought the Sidchrome Mustang.

As a youngster, Jim would wander past a local garage in the small town of Manurewa, south of Auckland, and watch with fascination as the owner, Brian Yates, worked on all sorts of vehicles from regular road cars to speedway midgets.

It didn’t take long for Jim to decide that this business, Speedway Auto Services, was where he wanted to work. Soon he was enthusiastically sweeping floors and washing car parts before asking for an apprenticeship as a mechanic. At 16, he was on his way!

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Above: Mechanic Don Harper stands next to the Sidchrome Mustang at Lakeside in 1976. Top: Richards racing in the Pro TR7 Series at Amaroo Park.

Young Richards had begun racing karts as a 12-year-old, thanks to encouragement from his mechanic father Albert, who also raced karts, athough his talented son outclassed him. Karting was the natural stepping stone to racing

sedans (saloons) because open-wheelers were unaffordable on Jim’s meagre wage.

He opted for a road car which could be raced at weekends so he purchased a Ford Anglia 105E on hire purchase.

Being near standard, Jim didn’t win much, so he later upgraded to a more modified, competitive model, plus an Anglia tow van.

Still the need for a more fancied machine became obvious, so he chose (or rather funds dictated) an Escort 1300cc, which sadly still lacked power.

Then came the big break every aspiring young driver seeks. He’d been beating fellow Escort driver, Jim Carney in his more powerful twin-cam, hottedup version. They’d become firm friends, and unexpectedly, at the beginning of ❯

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JIM RICHARDS

Above: Richards chats to Volvo rival John Bowe before the 1986 Bathurst 1000. Right: Richards, again at Bathurst in 1986, this time with his BMW co-driver Tony Longhurst.

1969, Carney suggested Richards drive his car, with Carney footing the bill for running costs and repairs.

“I didn’t get paid to drive, but being able to win races was payment enough.

“If it hadn’t been for this chap, there’s no way I’d be here now,” Richards gratefully and humbly said.

Soon the young mechanic was preparing the car himself (except for the engine at that stage), as more doors began opening for this promising newcomer with a bucket-load of talent.

Competing successfully in all manner of vehicles including speedway and rallying and clinching most major championships increased his profile considerably, earning him the respect of fellow competitors and his ever-increasing band of devoted fans. It was often the case of rallying one weekend, speedway Saturday nights, and circuit racing the following weekend.

Although he’d become a sought-after

star, Richards remained unassuming – not flashy nor ego-driven – letting his results do the talking.

He was and still is the quiet achiever, very under-rated in terms of his actual achievements, but totally dedicated and committed to motor racing.

He’s also enthusiastically passionate about his sport and just the nicest guy imaginable.

Nicknamed ‘Gentleman Jim’, the man himself says, “I like to think I’m a gentleman driver who drives hard”.

Along the way he married Fay in 1972, and wouldn’t you know it, the bridal cars were his Jim Carney Escort and Team McMillan Falcon GTHO! During his rise to fame in New Zealand, Richards spectacularly raced a little 1000cc Imp, which attracted Sidchrome sponsorship plus plenty of admiration from the crowd. Eventually he updated to a Sidchrome Mustang, and his success just escalated.

What an amazing career-span unfolded for this versatile competitor, racing everything from Saloons, Speedway, Sports Sedans, Supercars to Production Cars and Porsche. If we listed every car Jim raced or owned in both countries and every major trophy or title received, plus the countless people who helped him reach the top (including mechanics like Don Harper and Mick Webb), we’d fill the entire magazine!

When it came time to unsettle his family (which by now included two small boys) and head to Australian shores, there were some initial hesitations all round, as the decision wasn’t easy. This was his third visit to Oz – only this time it was to be permanent.

He’d spent a holiday at Surfers Paradise (and what else do you do but visit the then-operational track ‘spying’ on our touring car stars), plus he raced at Bathurst on another occasion.

That was 1974, and Richards joined

Richards and Frank Gardner talk to Denny Hulme.

The Nissan Skyline HR31.

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Kiwi friend Rod Coppins in a Torana L34, impressing everyone with his brilliant charge in the rain to finish third – even more incredible as there were virtually no brakes. That was the start of his reputation as a ‘wet-weather wonder with web feet’.

On arrival in Melbourne a year later, Richards, who’d never even seen Sandown before, towed his trusty Mustang to the track with a borrowed tow truck, and experienced his first race – and victory – there. Virtually unannounced and unknown, he faced the might of our Aussie superstars of that era – personalities like Allan Moffat, John McCormack, Frank Gardner, Pete Geoghegan and Bob Jane and demolishing a few egos on the way.

The rest is history, as the likeable Kiwi slowly set about establishing himself and finding his feet. His fast, smooth style of driving in that hughly competitive Sports Sedan category took racing from very satisfying to highly successful.

In 1978 Richards found himself in the hotseat with Peter Brock, as Sports Sedans were being replaced by touring cars, which were rising in popularity.

He became far more than just a ‘lunchtime driver’ and he shared his first of three consecutive Bathurst triumphs with Brocky in a HDT Torana.

With his faithful Mustang reaching its use-by date, his next big break came when Frank Gardner was looking for a driver for his new JPS Team BMW in 1982.

Gardner had competed against him in NZ, and regarded Jim as one of the best drivers of the day.

Jim raced with his son Steven at Bathurst 1996 for Garry Rogers Motorsport.

“Going to Frank’s new team was a dream come true,” a delighted Richards said. By 1985, Richards had snared his first Australian Touring Car Championship, winning seven from 10 rounds in the BMW 635CSi. That year was positively brilliant for the ex-Kiwi, easily defeating rivals Dick Johnson and Peter Brock, claiming the Sandown 500, being undefeated in the AMSCAR Better Brakes Series at Amaroo Park and just for good measure, winning the Nissan Turbo Super Challenge.

I was privileged to work in the same team ( JPS) as Jim, and witnessed first-

hand his amazing ability to understand mechanical aspects of whatever car he was driving, then combine this with his own special brand of professional driver finesse. Pressure never seemed to worry him.

Teammate Tony Longhurst said described him as dedicated.

“He’s fair on the track but he’s a tough competitor,” Longhurst said.

In the following years, three more ATCC titles would be secured (another with JPS in the pocket-rocket M3, two with Nissan).

Two consecutive Bathurst 1000 ❯

One of the famous Godzillas used to win the Great Race back-to-back gets taken for a run on the Gold Coast street track in the late 2000s.

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JIM RICHARDS

victories were also achieved with Mark Skaife in 1991 and 1992.

It’s part of Bathurst history, but when Richards uncharacteristically called the unruly, unsporting crowd “a pack of arseholes” after their controversial win in 1992, everyone was shocked, but there’s far more to that story.

A decade later came one of his bestever Bathurst triumphs, again with Skaifey and this time in a HRT Commodore. In his true sporting fashion, Jim had kinder words, saying with a big grin, “ You’re a bunch of lovely, lovely people.”

On a more serious note Skaife added, “ There was nothing more gratifying in my career than winning this again, with my best mate,” a sentiment felt by both men.

The irony of the situation was that when Skaife first teamed with Richards, Jim was lead driver. Skaife later became HRT owner and Jim’s ‘boss’, but they remain good friends and have a mutual respect for each other’s ability.

“Brocky was my hero, but Jim my mentor,” declared Skaife.

The year 1997 was another proud moment with Jim partnering son Steven for a crack at Bathurst, in a Garry Rogers Motorsport Valvoline Commodore. Even though they finished second, Jim said, “That result with Steve was as good as any win.”

Richards was rapt to win the 2002 Bathurst 1000 with his best mate, Mark Skaife, a decade after their last Great Race victory.

Richards Snr had one small regret in life. Steven was born to race, having such an accomplished father, but dad is the first to admit that Steve created his own career.

“I was so busy doing my own thing, he had to fend for himself,” Jim said.

“I wish it wasn’t like that, but then, we both haven’t turned out too bad.”

They raced against each other on occasions at Bathurst. In 2003 they even had a slight ‘paint scrape’ towards the end during a determined passing manoeuvre and also raced together on another occasion in 2004, almost creating history in the Castrol Perkins Commodore. Steve

had snatched his first Bathurst pole and they were on track for a fairytale victory when the unthinkable happened.

A wayward kangaroo took one hop too many and Jim couldn’t avoid the tragic collision – a heart-breaking end to their dream of conquering the Mountain as father and son.

But there’s no such thing as retirement in Jim’s vocabulary!

When it came time to step back from V8 Supercars and Nations Cup (where he claimed the title with a Porsche GT3 for three consecutive years from 2000), he made the switch to Porsche Carerra Cup. “When I stop enjoying myself, then I’ll hang up my helmet, but not before.

“Don’t hold your breath though, I could still be driving when I’m 100,” stated the smiling Richards, who has around 35 Bathurst starts to his credit, including a few 2 litre events (and another title).

“WHEN I STOP ENJOYING MYSELF, THEN I’LL HANG UP MY HELMET, BUT NOT BEFORE. DON’T HOLD YOUR BREATH, THOUGH…”

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Left: Targa Tasmania Legends and partners Barry Oliver and Jim Richards in 2003. Above: Richards partnered with John Bowe at the 1999 Bathurst 1000. They DNFed but Steve won the race.

Winning the inaugural 2003 Carrera Cup and ďŹ nishing runner-up on two other occasions set the stage for yet another successful challenge, Targa Tasmania; tarmac stages of a dierent sort. He took to this like a duck to water: his webbed feet certainly came in handy in the often wet, slippery Tasmanian conditions.

Together with local navigator Barry Oliver, they’ve claimed an amazing eight Targa victories in a number of dierent Porsches, earning the title “Porsche Kingâ€?‌ and it’s not ďŹ nished yet! “Rallying is a lot more relaxing – more fun, and less pressure,â€? Richards said.

Richards and Oliver made the 2007 Targa Tasmania Hall of Fame for competing in 15 such events, and they reached Legends status in 2008.

Richards was also inducted into the V8 Supercar Hall of Fame in 2006, but while greatly appreciated, accolades such as this

are not what Gentleman Jim is all about.

His life-long passion is cars and racing. “I never entered motorsport to win races, that’s a bonus. When I ďŹ rst started I was at the back of the ďŹ eld. I just enjoy driving,â€? he said in his matter-of-fact manner.

The Richards/Oliver duo has also competed in many other rallies and sprints throughout Australia and New Zealand with enormous success and Jim’s even been a celebrity driver on Goodwood’s hallowed motor circuit.

However serious circuit racing still holds an appeal, so when the Touring Car Masters category started in 2007, before long, there was the seven-time Bathurst winner in all his glory behind the wheel of a fast Chev Camaro SS. Then in July, 2008 he debuted his replica of the 1964 Ford Falcon Rallye Sprint, which won the 1964 and ‘65 Monte Carlo Rallies, with Richards

clinching the championship in that car in 2010.

Now almost ready for debut is an immaculate 1973 AMX Javelin, which Richards hopes will be another crowdpleaser and winner.

This relatively new car on the Australian motor racing scene was built by Bruce Tyson, former crew chief at Fred Gibson’s Nissan Motorsport.

Tyson was the man responsible for building the revolutionary, establishment-rattling ‘Godzilla’ GTRs, and also for building Jim’s Falcon Sprint.

Richards is a strong championship contender again against a band of past touring car rivals including Andrew Miedecke, John Bowe and Glenn Seton.

Win or lose this year, this low-proďŹ le, modest legend of exceptional talent, who loves nothing better than tinkering with cars, will continue to have fun and be an inspiration to others along the way. MSL

1 51 1/26 Burgess Rd Bayswater Nth Vic 3153 MotorSportLegends

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HISTORIC

RACER

WEEKS TAKES TARGA There was a mixture of tried and tested roads along with some new thinking for the inaugural Classic Targa Adelaide, but the winner’s name had a familiar ring to it.

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY JOHN LEMM

T

he first ever Classic Targa Adelaide rally, held in September last year, rose from the ashes of the popular Classic Adelaide, which ran from 1997 to 2009 before the financial collapse of organisers Silverstone Events.

Long-time competitor and supporter of tarmac rallying, Kevin Weeks, who won the final three Classic Adelaide rallies, brought in his steel building systems company, Supaloc, as naming-rights sponsor.

It was the opening event of the fourround CAMS Australian Targa Championship. ❯

Winners Toni Feaver and Kevin Weeks at the finish.

MotorSportLegends

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HISTORIC REPORT

Above: Michael Lamprell and Cameron Wearing’s Mustang won the Early Classic category.

Right: Matt Selley and Claire Ryan’s Porsche 911 Carrera RS picks up a wheel at Norton Summit.

Below: The Kaplan-Kaplan steered 1998 HSV Group A SS finished third in the Contemporary Classic category.

Prologue on the opening day began with a run through the streets of the Barossa Valley town of Tanunda, 70km from Adelaide, before heading to the nearby Menglers Hill scenic drive for the second part.

Western Australians Tolley Challis and Greg Flood (Porsche 911 Carrera RS) set the pace, one second ahead of the similar car of Matt Selley and Claire Ryan, with Kevin Weeks and Toni Feaver (Porsche) tied with Craig Haysman and Neil Branum (Triumph TR7) two seconds further back.

Competition began seriously on Thursday, heading east into the Adelaide Hills, where 32 cars clean-sheeted the opening stage, before Weeks went into a lead that he was never to lose.

The black RS finished the day 16 seconds in front of Tony Quinn and Adam Tillett’s leased Nissan GT-R, with 24

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Selley and Challis 27 seconds back.

Friday’s route was south-east, including some new roads, as one council had recently banned tarmac rallying in its area.

Arriving back for the evening street party in the cafe area of Gouger Street, Weeks had increased his lead over Quinn by three seconds, while Selley was now one minute 23 seconds away, Challis a further seven seconds back.

The final day, Saturday, again headed south-east, with some stages revisited.

One spot very popular with spectators was at Norton Summit, with a large

crowd watching from both the Scenic Hotel balcony and the park opposite.

While trailing Weeks by 24 seconds on the final stage, Gorge Road, Quinn’s Nissan blew its turbo virtually within sight of the finish, resulting in an engine bay fire.

Weeks therefore was a clear winner three minutes 17 seconds ahead of Selley, with Challis a further 16 seconds away, displacing Donn Todd and Dean Tighe (Capri Perana V8) out of third by only four seconds.

This year it is intended to run the rally over an extra day with a longer route.

HISTORIC REPORT

BACK TO THE FUTURE With over 30 ‘real’ Group A and Group C touring cars race fans were taken back in time at the 2011 Sandown Historics in November.

S

itting in the packed grandstand at the 2011 Sandown Historics it wasn’t hard to believe that you were at a Sandown 500 in the 1980s or 1990s.

With 32 ‘real’ Group A and Group C cars on the grid motorsport enthusiasts over the age of 35 were in full reminiscing mode as David Holc drove his former Mark Gibbs GIO Commodore VL to victory in all three races including the Sunday afternoon feature race.

Rolling starts were the order of the weekend for the Group A and C cars – which were all pukka cars from the era – as they practiced for the rolling starts at the 2012 Australian Grand Prix, where the touring cars of yesteryear will act as a support to the high-tech modern Formula One machines.

The 15-lap Group A and C feature race which included a compulsory pit

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stop was a great innovation from the Victorian Historic Racing Register for the 20th running of the Sandown Historic event, which was billed as ‘Return of the Thunder’.

It freshened up what was in danger

of becoming just another historic event on the calendar and it is a race that is likely to be eagerly anticipated by nostalgia buffs at this year’s event.

Troy Kelly (Highway Patrol Commodore VL) had to settle for second Norman Mogg and Troy Kelly lead David Holc in this photo, but it was Holc (above) who won all three races.

despite leading while Holc was in the pits, while Norman Mogg (ex-Neil Crompton Holden Racing Team Commodore VL) was third. Holc was later awarded driver of the meeting.

However, the meeting wasn’t all about the touring cars with over 360 cars entered for the event.

There was also plenty of great racing from the open-wheelers, including the crowd-pleasing Formula 5000s, with Bryan Sala (Matich A50) and Darcy Russell (Lola T330) sharing the honours.

There were also a number of display laps from Paul Faulkner’s ex-Alan Jones 1980 World Formula One Championship-winning Williams FW07-04.

But the Sandown Historics is now as much about the off-track activities as it is the racing with many marque displays and merchandising adding to the carnival atmosphere.

Above: Mark Samson (50) and Jonathon Miles (5) lead a huge Formula Ford field. Right: Darcy Russell won two of the three Formula 5000 races in a Lola T330.

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HISTORIC REPORT

1963-1966 GT cars over 2.5 litres at the fabulous Laguna Seca in 2011.

MONTEREY ACTION The 2011 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion was truly an international event with drivers from all over the world fielding 550 iconic racing machines across 17 different classes.

STORY BY GRANT NICHOLAS; PHOTOGRAPHS BY LEE KIRK

T

he feature marquee was Jaguar at the 2011 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, which was held in August 2010, recognising the 50th anniversary of their sporty E-Type at the 38th annual vintage race meet at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

Three days of fast and exciting on-track action kicked off with Pre 1940 Sports Racing and Touring Cars before moving through Jaguar and Ferrari GTO Invitation events, 1973 – 1982 IMSA, GT, GTX and AAGT Cars, 1963 – 1966 GT Cars over 2.5-litres, 1966 – 1974 TransAm, 1966 – 1983 Formula 1, 1981 – 1989 FIA Mfg Championship and IMSA GTP, 1967 – 1974 Can-Am plus a host of sports car and open wheeler classes. Over 1000 entrants subscribed for the reunion with 550 finally selected. The sound from the open exhausts of the booming V8s powering the TransAm touring cars plus the 28

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A 1911 Fiat at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion.

Can-Am sports cars and the high-pitched shrill from the Formula 1 engines attracted thousands of spectators to the stands and trackside fencing as the drivers strived for success.

Signing autographs and talking freely to their enormous number of adoring fans were former Formula 1 and Le Mans 24-Hour Race heroes Stirling Moss, Derek Bell and Martin Brundle plus multiple Indianapolis 500 winner Arie Luyendyk. For the second year in a row the entrants parked their road vehicles out of the paddock area, allowing easier access to the race cars and teams by the

fans plus the introduction of authentic or vintage presentations by street rods, motorcycles, delivery vans and trucks, racing memorabilia and assorted vendors.

A special attraction to commemorate the National Hot Rod Association’s 60th anniversary was an impressive display of drag racing vehicles from the ‘60s. Eleven different vintage dragsters attracted enormous crowds, especially when six front-engined Top Fuel dragsters and a supercharged Altered simultaneously started their nitromethane burning engines.

Two of these ‘Cacklefests’ were conducted during Sat-

urday’s proceedings with the raucous ‘cackle’ sound echoing across the entire raceway.

Cobra, one of the most recognised and legendary names in the motorsport and automotive worlds, will be the featured marque at the 39th event on 17-19 August next year.

Created by Carroll Shelby in 1962, the original V8-powered Shelby Cobra promptly established itself as a dominant machine in the US as well as on the international sports car racing scene.

Each year the Monterey Peninsula in Northern California becomes a haven for worldwide motorsport and automotive enthusiasts with the Monterey Pre-Reunion the weekend before the official Reunion is open to the public.

Several days later Automobilia Monterey, the largest automobilia show in North America featuring 45 international dealers opens along with the Carmel-by-the Sea Concours on the Avenue. MSL

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WEBB OF

Intrigue Mick Webb recounts the ups and downs working with Alan Jones

L

ike many Australians, I was in awe of Alan Jones when he won the World Championship in 1980 and it was a career highlight to be asked to manage the Warren Cullen/Alan Jones Commodore during their 1984 endurance assault.

In the lead up, Warren had done most of the test driving and he set the car up. Alan had a little bit of input but he wasn’t around long enough to do more.

He arrived late for a test session and left early, so in my opinion he didn’t give it 100 per cent. It seemed to me that having won his World Championship, Alan was going to rest on his laurels.

Alan was like a lot of touring car drivers in that era – they just drove the ring off the car. He wasn’t an endurance touring car driver – he was an open-wheeler Formula One champion, which is totally different. F1 drivers are kamikaze pilots who give it 100 per cent throttle, 100 per cent brakes and 100 per cent cornering but you couldn’t drive a Commodore that way – you had to look after the brakes and the tyres.

Consequently, we had to try to tone him down and we kept telling him, “Don’t forget the brakes, don’t forget the tyres”. We were on the radio to him the whole time because we would be watching his times and if he started to go too hard we knew he would start burning the tyres up.

But Alan and Warren drove fantastically, finishing in third place. It was the first time the team had ever finished on the podium at Bathurst. Warren prob-

ably drove his best ever race that day and having Alan beside him was a big asset.

From then on I didn’t have anything to do with Alan until 2005 when I got the call up from A1 Team Australia. I became the team’s Motorsport Manager but it’s fair to say Alan and I didn’t see eye-to-eye, and we didn’t part on good terms. My mindset was and always will be that of a winner, but by that stage I felt Alan was over that and was more interested in other things.

There were other issues, too. We did two test days prior to the start of the season and we were trying to organise Will Power and Will Davison to drive,

both of whom had driven in England with Alan Docking. I was pushing for Davo to get a gig because I thought he could have been the main driver but along came Alan with his son, Christian.

At his first test, which was at Silverstone, Christian was off the pace.

Then we went testing at Paul Ricard and the Wills were within a 10th of each other the whole time, and among the top five drivers.

Again Christen was slower but he got to drive the car in race one of Round One at Brands Hatch.

We were all up in arms about it but Alan was calling the shots and he wanted to give Christian a go, even though he must have known deep down that Christian was unlikely to win.

For the second heat we put Will Power into the car and he ran second for the weekend.

Then we headed to Germany’s Euro Speedway, where again Christian wasn’t on the pace.

Suddenly we were able to run Will Davison for the third meeting in Portugal. Will drove fantastically – he put in a really big effort, but he hadn’t driven the car enough; he didn’t get enough miles.

Every time we wanted to do some testing Alan put Christian in the car.

That is what annoyed me and why I couldn’t remain with the team because I was too competitive to be running around mid-field.

That’s why I didn’t work for A1 Team Australia very long!

– Mick Webb MotorSportLegends

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CRAIG LOWNDES

LOWNDES: THE CH A Although his five Bathurst wins are famous, Craig Lowndes’ purple patch of three championships in four years is largely lost in the mists of time. Following his narrow miss in 2011, Lowndes took a trip down memory lane to recall the days when he was winning titles almost at will…

STORY BY MARK FOGARTY; PHOTOGRAPHS BY AUTOPICS.COM.AU AND JOHN DOIG/TORQUE PHOTOS

I

t doesn’t seem all that long ago that Craig Lowndes was poised to rewrite the Australian Touring Car Championship record book. With three ATCC titles in four years – one of which he didn’t contest the series – five or more titles appeared to be inevitable.

That Lowndes hasn’t won any further championships is astounding enough.

Even more shocking is that it is now 12 years since his name appeared on the ATCC trophy, which is still awarded to the winner of the V8 Supercars Championship.

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It’s surprising to realise that it’s more than a decade since he was champion because, with the exception of four truly fallow years following his controversial defection from Holden to Ford in 2001, he has been winning races and contending for championships.

Emerging from his Ford funk at Gibson Motorsport/00 Motorsport/Ford Performance Racing following his move to Triple Eight Race Engineering in 2005, Lowndes became the new King of the Mountain with four Bathurst 1000 victories in five years (2006/07/08/10).

He narrowly missed a sixth success last year, losing to Garth Tander by the closest margin in The Great Race’s history.

Lowndes famously first made his mark at Mount Panorama in 1994, when as a rookie he boldly took the lead from John Bowe with 11 laps to go. Bowe retook the lead a lap later and went on to win from the precocious new talent, who became an overnight star and secured his immediate future with Holden Racing Team.

During ’95 he was groomed by HRT out of the spotlight with an extensive

AMPIONSHIP YEARS development program and after winning pole position at Bathurst on top of his impressive progress in testing, he was promoted to a fulltime drive as Peter Brock’s teammate for the following year.

In his first full season, ‘The Kid’ confirmed his promise by sweeping the ’96 ATCC series and the Sandown and Bathurst enduros, which back then weren’t part of the championship. Winning the so-called Triple Crown is a rare feat – so rare that the only other driver to win all three in the same season was Brock in 1978 and again in ’80.

It’s fitting that Lowndes emulated his mentor, just as there are parallels with their mastery of the Mountain. They also share the distinction of a disproportionate lack of championships in their eras.

Their fame was forged at Bathurst and perpetuated by their personalities and appeal as people’s champions.

It’s been so long since Lowndes, now 37, won his last championship crown that it’s easy to forget how dominant he was from ’96-99, which included his one-year ‘sabbatical’ from V8 racing in ’97 chasing his F1 dream. Even in 2000, when his relationship with HRT owner Tom Walkinshaw had deteriorated over a contract dispute and teammate Mark Skaife had hit his straps in his third year at Clayton, he was still a force in the title race.

Back when he was a fresh-faced 21year-old befitting ‘The Kid’ sobriquet, Lowndes entered the ’96 season better prepared than any youngster had ever

been for a series traditionally ruled by older owner-drivers.

“From memory, I think I had 13 days testing in ’95,” Lowndes recalls. “I was their test dummy. I got to drive their car all year and I got to know it really well.”

Lowndes defied his age and inexperience to claim the championship at his first attempt before continuing his march at Sandown and Bathurst, where he combined with a youthful Greg Murphy in the dark blue and white HRT Commodore.

In ’96, the ATCC was held over 10 three-race rounds. He won six rounds to Bowe’s one, taking the title with 423 points to his Ford rival’s 344.

“It wasn’t easy, but I think it came easier than what I expected,” ❯ MotorSportLegends

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CRAIG LOWNDES

Lowndes’ Calder Park crash was so big that many fellow V8 drivers stopped their cars to run to his aid.

Lowndes reflects. “Our first race was at Eastern Creek – the short circuit, it was a twilight race – and I remember (1986 world 500cc motorcycle champion) Wayne Gardner making comment that I wouldn’t win a race that year, let alone the championship. We went on to win that round and then won numerous rounds that year – and the championship!

At heart, Lowndes was still an open-wheeler driver with F1 aspira-

tions and in ’97 he went to Europe with Walkinshaw’s backing to contest the FIA Formula 3000 International Championship. He was placed with the Austria-based RSM Marko team, run by the authoritarian Dr Helmut Marko.

The deal sowed the seeds for Lowndes’ later discontent with Walkinshaw, who as part of the arrangement signed him to an onerous long-term contract.

Marko was focused on lead driver Juan Pablo Montoya, who was clearly

destined for the success he later achieved in CART and F1, and, in short, Lowndes’ prospects were limited before he even started. Despite showing flashes of promise in the ruthless F1 feeder category, he returned to Australia dispirited, but at least with his seat at HRT awaiting him for a full campaign in the renamed V8 Supercars category in ’98.

Amid his difficult F3000 campaign, he came back for Sandown and Bathurst, where he began his long-running association with Mark Skaife, who had been drafted from the by-then struggling Gibson Motorsport to bolster HRT’s enduro driver ranks to joining the squad fulltime in ’98.

“Skaife and Brock were paired up and I was reunited with Murph,” Lowndes says. “I clouted the wall at Bathurst, destroyed the car, which was a bit of an eye-opener and it basically topped off a difficult year. Also, it was the first time that I’d dealt with Mark. I knew of him, I’d raced against him, but we’d never been teammates. I came back from Europe with a bad taste in my mouth because we hadn’t had any big results – it basically all went sour. My one and only opportunity to get to F1 had disappeared.

“Also, I think after spending a year as (the notoriously difficult) Juan Pablo Montoya’s teammate, coming back and then dealing with Mark (also known for his demanding approach), I found it a lot easier. In a sense, Mark’s a bit of a pussycat compared with Montoya.

“Obviously, Mark’s very determined, very focused – he hasn’t changed his attitude to racing, his dedication and all that hasn’t changed. And, look, Mark and I

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are chalk and cheese as personalities, but two opposites can work together and we worked tremendously.

“The atmosphere in the team had probably changed a little because of Mark being in there – he was so determined to make it work. He was in the workshop nearly every day, where Brock was like me, a little bit blasé about it, in and out of the workshop as much as we could, but we weren’t there every day.

“Mark was in there every day, trying to extract the best out of himself, the car and the team. But we were lucky enough to still have a very good car in ’98 and managed to win the championship.

“We backed it up in ’99 and in 2000 Mark won the championship, and for me, that 2000 season was going sour because obviously my personal relationship with the team had gone bad. Things were changing in 2000 – where I was going and where the team was going were in different directions.”

In ’98, the ATCC was again over 10 three-race rounds and, once more, Lowndesy top-scored in six. His title opponents were Russell Ingall in the Larry Perkins-run Castrol Commodore, winning three rounds, and Skaife, who won races but no rounds. Lowndes took the title with 992 points.

Their rivalry continued in 1999, when the V8 championship expanded to 13 rounds. Lowndes won just two rounds outright, but consistent scoring netted his third – and last – championship with 1918 points.

“We had great battles throughout ’98,” Lowndes remembers. “They continued in ’99, when Mark ran #50 on the car because it was Holden’s 50th anniversary.

Top: Brock was Lowndes’ hero and here he paid his respect at Bathurst 2006. Above: Lowndes at Calder in 1996.

I think the dream back then would have been for Skaife to win the championship in the #50 car, but I upset the apple cart and won the championship.

“That was also the year when I had my big rollover, so I won the championship despite missing a round. The Tasmanian round was the one I missed with my injured left knee. ’99 was another very good year, although it was an up and down year because of my accident, having a knee reconstruction and still going

on to win the title.”

On July 25 at Calder Park in the second race of the eighth round, having already won the opening sprint in his VT Commodore, Lowndes got away to a slow start and got shuffled back into the jostling pack on the run down to the first turn. He was turned around and the car got airborne, cartwheeling off the track.

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CRAIG LOWNDES

Above: A fresh faced Lowndes back in his Holden Racing Team days. Above right: Lowndes dicing with Brock.

so spectacular that it made the evening news bulletins and photos appeared the next day in major newspapers. Luckily, Lowndes emerged largely unscathed, his only injury torn ligaments in his left knee.

He elected to have knee reconstruction surgery rather than wait until the end of the season, which would have risked permanent limited knee movement, and after a remarkably quick recovery, missed only the Symmons Plains round and was back in action at Winton just four weeks later. But although the crash had no long-lasting effects, Lowndes admits that he was initially rattled on his return.

“I remember that in practice, qualifying and the first race, I was really uneasy,” he says. “I wasn’t happy in the car, I wasn’t thinking clearly, I was nervous. I didn’t like being anywhere near or racing around any other competitors, so it knocked me around mentally more than I expected.

“So up until the first race was completed, I was very uncomfortable. In race two, I was a lot more comfortable and by race three I was back into the swing of things. So it took me a meeting of driving to get back into the swing of it.”

Lowndes is initially torn between his comeback-from-injury triumph in ’99 and his rookie success in ’96 as the most satisfying.

“I’d probably say ’99, my last one because of my knee reconstruction,” he begins. “I think to be able to overcome the accident and still be able to win the championship was very rewarding.”

Then he adds: “But thinking back, the most satisfying year was ’96, being the 36

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first attempt, but also to go on to win the Sandown 500 and Bathurst 1000 with Greg Murphy. To have the trifecta, which only Brock and I have done, that was probably the most satisfying achievement.”

It is to his eternal regret that he never won the championship with Ford, al-

“The first two years – 2001/02 – when I was with Gibson and then 00 were the worst two years of the four before I joined Triple Eight and started becoming a contender again because of the politics that were going on behind the scenes with the ownership squabble between Fred Gibson and Bob Forbes. It

“THE TRIFECTA, WHICH ONLY BROCK AND I HAVE DONE, THAT WAS PROBABLY THE MOST SATISFYING ACHIEVEMENT…” though he came close in his Triple Eight Falcons in ’05 (runner-up to Ingall) and again in ’06 (beaten amid controversy in the final race by Rick Kelly). Following his return to Holden with TeamVodafone’s swap in 2010, he was a close second to teammate Jamie Whincup last year, taking their title fight to the very last race at Sydney Olympic Park.

Lowndes certainly never expected his championship drought to last so long, although with a typical grin and jaunty shrug of the shoulders, he is philosophical about the setback of the lost first four years with the Blue Oval.

“I always knew it was going to be a challenge when I swapped. Ford knew it was going to be a challenge and I suppose, as (the late former Ford Australia president) Geoff Polites once told me, their head was on the chopping block more than mine because I’d already established myself as a champion and race-winner, and if we couldn’t win races in a Ford product, they were going to look worse than I did.

was an unfortunate time, but it was also good for me because it showed what it takes within a team to be a competitive operation.”

Even though he is in the twilight of his career, on the evidence of 2011, Lowndes still has another title tilt or two left in him. The record of five ATCC/V8 championships held jointly by Ian Geoghegan, Dick Johnson and Mark Skaife is, realistically, out of reach, he is a strong prospect to set a new mark for race wins.

He is just seven short of Skaife’s alltime tally of 89. And, of course, more wins at Bathurst beckon. Retirement from fulltime driving is still at least a few years away and a few more will follow as an endurance race co-driver, giving him several chances to add to his five trophies and perhaps even threaten Brock’s nine wins. MSL

Mark Fogarty is the co-author of Craig Lowndes’ book The Inside Line. He is also celebrating 40 years as a motorsport journalist in 2012.

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PAKENHAM

JOHN MANN

MANN, WHAT A SWANSONG! Over the past 50 years John Mann has been one of the most entertaining drivers to get behind the wheel of Sports Sedan, Production, Improved and Appendix J touring cars and early in 2011 as he approached the age of 70 years he announced his retirement after clocking a record number of victories at the wheel of his 1964 Ford Mustang.

STORY BY GRANT NICHOLAS; PHOTOGRAPHS BY THE MANN COLLECTION AND AUTOPICS.COM.AU

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he youngest of nine siblings, John Mann first became interested in motorsport during his childhood years living in rural New South Wales when he would venture along to race meetings.

“When I was 17 or 18 years old I went to Phillip Island to help Fred Miracle out with his MV Augusta and AJS 7R motorcycles,” explained Mann.

“He was out racing the AJS 7R and I was warming up the engine in the MV Augusta, and had to change over to the race spark plug. A short time later he was leading the Australian 125cc Championship race until the plug lead fell off – upon his return he chased me around the pit area and threw a shifting wrench at me about five times. I walked to the 38

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highway and hitchhiked back to Melbourne, which was a five-hour journey, stayed overnight at the People’s Palace and got my Mum to get me off the train the next day. I have never left a spark plug lead loose since,” laughed Mann.

“At around that time I was racing push bikes at the Melbourne and Shepparton Velodromes and that kept me fit, so I could also run pretty quick.

“I was about 20 years of age and completing my welding certificate to become an A Grade welder at a workshop in Shepparton when I designed and built my first race car. It was an open wheeler powered by a 1.5-litre BMC four cylinder engine coupled to a Volkswagen gearbox that had a Triumph Herald front suspension, which was all the go in

those days.

“To get the correct chassis and wheelbase layout I would go to the race meetings with a tape measure in hand and gain the measurements from the front-running cars of the day.

“I took it to Winton Motor Raceway to try it out then raced it at one race meeting as the JM Special then sold it as I was getting married and purchasing a house. I sold it to Dave Rixon and he promptly named it the DR Special.

“I am currently attempting to locate the car as it was quite unique as it has a square tubular chassis and the BMC power plant – the last time I saw the car race was back in the mid-sixties at Calder Park Raceway. Hopefully one of the Motorsport Legends readers may ❯

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JOHN MANN

Above: Mann won more than 430 races across the country in his 480hp Ford Mustang, which is now on the market.

know of its whereabouts and would like to contact the editor with some information about it.

“My first car was an MG TC sports car complete with bonnet straps and aero screens which cost a princely 42 pounds; I couldn’t afford a roof for it so when it was cold I drove it everywhere wearing a duffle coat.”

Next he purchased a Morris Major sedan that he raced at Templestowe Hill Climb and at Barjarg road race circuit between Benalla and Mansfield.

Local Shepparton ace Bryan Thomson, who was actively racing the likes of the Monza sports car and supercharged Cooper Climax open wheeler, urged Mann to get behind a competitive racecar. Soon after Mann progressed into an FJ Holden race car and during 1964 took in races at Albury’s Hume Weir Motor Racing Circuit, Winton, Calder Park and Sandown Park Raceway with mixed success.

Next he advanced into Graham ‘Tubby’ Ritter’s potent 48/215 FX Holden, establishing the short circuit lap record in it at Calder Park which still stands today.

“I installed a motorcycle throttle cable system on the gear stick and under

brakes at Hume Weir I could pull it back to first gear and gain an advantage over the other racers,” explained Mann.

“The officials made me remove it as they deemed the setup as being modern technology. Tino Leo currently owns the car and the throttle setup is still in place today – hopefully when the car is eventually restored the throttle cable setup will be fully operative again.”

Mann’s next project car was a six-cylinder XY Ford Falcon built especially for Calder Park’s ‘Super Six Series’ in 1972.

“Everyone thought we would never get the Falcon to handle and work properly, however I would lead the races for three laps until the brake pedal would go to the floor and I would be passed by the lighter Holden Toranas.

“We continued to race it for awhile with Howard Marsden at Ford Motor Company helping with engines and it was through this association that they supplied us with a new Cortina body shell plus a road car that had been smashed – it was our parts bin. Head Mod built the roll cage and we installed the Falcon engine and along the way gained corporate support from Shell and ran at a wide range of circuits with great success, as it was quite nimble and quick.

“Then the next thing I know Bob Jane had talked me into installing a V8 engine into it, so I purchased a five-litre Repco Formula 5000 V8 engine from Malcolm Ramsay who had raced it in a HQ Holden Kingswood touring car.

“We raced the Cortina Repco combo for many years in Sports Sedan events all over the country.

“We ran on a small and tight budget against the likes of John McCormack, Bob Jane, Ian ‘Pete’ Geoghegan and others – our main supporter was Ollie’s Trolley restaurant in Shepparton. We were the quickest of the Sports Sedan privateer teams back in those days. I retired for a number of years then made a comeback and got pole position at Winton so it was a quick set of wheels.

“Shell continued to financially support me and we could almost break even expense-wise at the end of a season as I would always use second-hand tyres. I could not afford to purchase brand-new tyres; at one Hume Weir race meeting Ron Harrop blew the engine in his EH Holden Sports Sedan so I bought his tyres and went between 1.5 to two seconds quicker thanks to the new rubber.”

Mann ended up selling the Repco engine to Peter Bennett and said it is now installed back in a Formula 5000 open wheeler while fellow Sports Sedan racer Wayne Mahnken “took all of the good bits off the chassis and the poor old car went to heaven”.

Mann joined Thomson and made his Great Race debut at the 1971 HardieFerodo Bathurst 500 in an Alfa Romeo Guilia Super then in the ’79 HardieFerodo 1000 alongside Jim Keogh in a Left: The XY Falcon was built especially for Calder Park’s Super Six Series in 1972.

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Mann’s EH Holden was used in a demonstration run for the Appendix J category.

XC Ford Falcon Coupe finishing 14th and the first Ford finishers to greet the chequered flag. He returned for the 25th running of the race at Mount Panorama in 1984 with Thomson in a booming Chevrolet Camaro Z28 then five years later in a Ford Sierra RS500 with motor sporting veteran Murray Carter.

“Barry Jupp, Dennis O’Brien, Paul Trevethan and myself met at a hotel in Fitzroy, Melbourne, to contemplate establishing the Appendix J Club for old touring cars. A short time later I made a demonstration run at Winton in my Appendix J EH Holden, which had a close ratio Hollinger gearbox fitted, just to show the fans and other drivers that we were fair dinkum about racing these types of cars. Who would have thought that four guys sitting around a table talking about starting a new race category would be fortunate enough to see the huge fields that are racing today plus the speed, presentation and quality of the racecars.

“I think it was in 1980 that I moved across to ‘Pony Power’ when I purchased a 1964 Ford Mustang from Dennis O’Brien’s mate Des Gibbs from Wagga Wagga and since that time I have won over 430 races in the car across the country. Race fans at the top of Mount Panorama would wave and scream when I tore across the top in front of them. At one of the Bathurst 1000s Peter Brock walked up to me in the paddock and mentioned that he had been told that I was going across McPhillamy Park section flat out in my old Mustang and he stated that he was going up onto the mountain later in the day to watch me at work. As I tore into McPhillamy Park there was Brock with a huge Holden promotional thumb hanging over the

fence, so I thought I’d better go past there nice and quick as he was watching amongst his adoring fans. I went through real fast and stuck it up on two wheels and didn’t think the bastard was going to come back down – I thought ‘this is it Johnny boy’.”

Always looking for an extra racing challenge Mann decided to contest the 2-litre Super Tourer support races at the 1996 Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix at Melbourne’s Albert Park street circuit steering an ex-British Touring Car Championship Peugeot 405 Mi16. “The safety car went faster than it so I decided to concentrate fully on my Appendix J racing. After just over 30 years in the Mustang I have decided to retire from racing and have the car for sale as it

raced at the Phillip Island Classic in March 2011. I recently celebrated my 70th birthday so now I will be assisting my son Anthony with his racing endeavours in a Van Diemen RF86 Formula Ford at the historic race meetings. The Mustang has a 480 horsepower 289 cubic-inch V8 engine and comes with a heap of spares and I want it to go to a good home as I have a few health problems and don’t have the time that’s required to go racing competitively. Finally I would like to thank all of the volunteers who make our sport what it is today. The flag, fire and grid marshals, the scrutineers, timekeepers, gatekeepers plus the countless others who make the race meetings an enjoyable and entertaining experience.” MSL

“I COULDN’T AFFORD A ROOF FOR IT SO WHEN IT WAS COLD I DROVE IT EVERYWHERE WEARING A DUFFLE COAT”

Mann campaigned the 1990 Lucas Grand Prix Rally with Chris Smith.

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GILLIAN STILLWELL

FIRST LADY OF SPEED Attending a race meeting as a teenager turned motorsport into a lifelong passion for Gillian Harris. She went on to work for the Aston Martin and Bowmaker/Yeoman Credit race teams and married Australian driver Bib Stillwell.

STORY BY DAVID DOWSEY; PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE GILLIAN STILLWELL COLLECTION

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here was a time when the town of Staines in the UK produced the magnificent Lagonda automobiles that challenged Rolls-Royce in the prestige stakes and Bentley in the sporting arena winning Le Mans in 1935.

Unfortunately these days, Staines’ best-known export is Ali G. But there is another notable ex-Staines resident who worked during the golden days of sports car racing and with some of the greats in Formula 1. And it all started when they caught a glimpse of a womanising racing driver. It’s true.

Spotting a handsome racer and determining that they were to follow him into motorsport is not the usual way Motorsport Legends would begin an 42

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Above: Bib Stillwell driving an Ex-Works DBR4 in the New Zealand Grand Prix. Top: Gillian Harris, as she was then known, at the wheel of a Works DB3S; she was yet to gain her driver’s licence.

article, but in the case of Gillian Stillwell it is perfectly true.

“I was about 17 when I went with some friends to a race meeting at Crystal Palace. I knew nothing about racing but I enjoyed the day and was particularly

impressed by the chance sighting of Peter Collins near the pit counters,” Gillian begins.

“He walked by very close and I thought he was such a handsome young man. I was extremely impressed and thought I would really like to find a job that gave me access to such interesting people.”

And so it was. Gillian had planned to attend university to study English, French and history. But wanting to make a living for herself she decided to leave school after achieving her Advanced Level and completed a secretarial course instead.

“My sister Julie was living in France and on a holiday back home she advised me to do some special secretarial training

in English and French. She told me that would provide me with some tremendously interesting possibilities.”

As it turned out, big sister was right.

“I did a one-year bilingual secretarial course at the Institut Francais du Royaume University in South Kensington. It was really hard work. I was taught Spanish in French,” says Gillian.

After completing the course Gillian applied for a job at Standard Triumph in London. At that time, in the early ’50s, many Standard Triumphs were being sold to demobbed US soldiers who could avoid UK tax by exporting their cars before they reached 12 months of age.

This involved getting ‘carnets de passage’ – the necessary export document – and a thorough knowledge of French. This is where Gillian came in.

“I also did some outside business work for one of the Standard Triumph salesmen. He had started his own side business tuning cars, improving performance and conducting repairs on racing cars.”

He eventually asked Gillian to follow him into business full-time and this she agreed to do. But at the last moment he had to abandon the idea.

Perhaps feeling guilty he told Gillian that he had seen an advertisement that the David Brown Company needed a Competitions Secretary for their Aston Martin racing team. It was just what Gillian was looking for.

“The essential qualification was for the applicant to be able to speak French since the basic regulations were controlled by the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA).”

Interviewed by Aston Martin’s formidable Managing Director John Wyer and Team Manager Reg Parnell, Gillian was promptly appointed to the job.

“I began working for Aston Martin in November 1956. Their racing and service department was located on a big block of land in Feltham – a former airport.

I lived not far away with my parents in Staines so it was conveniently located.

“My duties included communication with the racing drivers and mechanics, preparing movement schedules for the race meetings, correspondence, making reservations, writing programs and writing reports after every race. I also used to handle all the cash to pay for all the costs of the hotels, fuel and food.

“We used to travel a lot. There were ❯

Above: Gillian, by now working at the Bowmaker/ Yeoman Credit F1 team, reminiscing with exteammate Maurice Trintignant.

Left: Carroll Shelby at the wheel of a DBR1.

Below: Aston Martin Team Manager Reg Parnell gives Gillian a lift in a Works car in Sicily.

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GILLIAN STILLWELL

races in France, Germany, Portugal, Italy, Spain, Sicily, then of course there were all the races in the UK – Silverstone, Goodwood, Oulton Park and Aintree.

“Every time we raced in Europe I had had to apply for ‘carnets de passage’ for the racing cars, trucks and road cars in which we travelled. The trucks, loaded with racing cars, would go across the English Channel on a boat; we would drive down to Lympne in various types of cars, often one or two Lagonda Shooting Brakes and fly across to France with the cars in the aircraft. In 1957 we had so many race cars that one actually had to be driven on the road and then taken on the plane.”

Gillian was fortunate to work for Aston Martin during their most successful racing years winning against Ferrari, Jaguar and Maserati – including three victories at the Nurburgring – with Stirling Moss, Jack Brabham and Tony Brooks amongst the drivers. In 1959 Aston Martin won its only outright Le Mans victory at the hands of Roy Salvadori and Carroll Shelby. It was a mighty effort for such a small company.

“The RAC Tourist Trophy at Goodwood in September 1959 was a spec-

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“IN 1957 WE HAD SO MANY RACE CARS THAT ONE HAD TO BE DRIVEN ON THE ROAD AND THEN TAKEN ON THE PLANE” tacular event,” remembers Gillian. “Three Aston Martins were entered driven by Moss and Salvadori, Shelby and Jack Fairman and (Le Mans-winners) Maurice Trintignant and Paul Frere. When in the lead the Moss/Salvadori car entered the pits for refueling after 94 laps.

“The fuel nozzle swung open as the mechanics began their work, the jet of petrol hit the hot exhaust pipe, flames leapt over the back of the car; they flared so high that the fuel tank located above the pit exploded. Salvadori was slightly burnt, luckily no one else was severely injured and the fire was extinguished.

“A few laps later the Shelby/Fairman car was brought into the pits and Moss took over. He drove extraordinarily well, regained the lead on lap 153 and finished first. This win confirmed Aston Martin had won the 1959 World Sports Car Championship.”

Job done, the victory was the end of Aston Martin’s official sports car rac-

ing days. But David Brown wanted to compete in Formula 1. During 1959 the F1 team, with Shelby, Salvadori and Trintignant among the drivers, had some promising early results but the rear-engine revolution had already began and Aston Martin’s entries were old before they had even started. The foray into F1 continued into 1960 after which it was abandoned.

John Wyer offered Gillian a less exciting job at the company with the advertising department but by now racing was in her blood. Aston Martin’s Team Manager, Reg Parnell, by this time was in discussions to run the Bowmaker/Yeoman Credit F1 team – one of the first forays into team sponsor branding rights.

A talented driver and team manager, Parnell unashamedly needed the calming hand and sharp organisational skills of Gillian so he asked her to follow him over to the world of Formula 1. She was glad to be there.

Above left: Aston Martin’s F1 foray was not a success and Gillian left to join the BowmakerYeoman Credit F1 team.

Above right: Gillian with good friend Ray Salvadori.

Left: John Wyer (middle in dark shirt) was a formidable boss, according to Gillian.

Right: Gillian pictured in 2002.

Opposite page: Tony Brooks’ windscreen receives a clean from Gillian in 1957, shortly after she joined the Aston Martin team.

Working out of Hounslow and running Cooper and Lola machines the young team attracted a name that would go on to greatness in the sport - 1964 Ferrari World Champion and motorcycle ace John Surtees. Later Reg Parnell – and after his death in 1964 his son Tim - ran his own team, Reg Parnell Racing, and worked with driving luminaries such as Chris Amon, Innes Ireland and Mike Hailwood.

“They were tremendously exciting days travelling around the world – including New Zealand and Australia - and working with and socialising with some of the world’s greatest drivers was a tremendous thrill and honour for a young woman like myself.”

Motor racing was about to take Gillian other places however.

“Not long before the 1961 Le Mans 24-hour race I was asked by a close friend of Stirling Moss if I could act as a stewardess on a charter flight from Gatwick to Tours near Le Mans. We arrived on race day and there were lots of people

around the pits who I knew so that was very nice.

“A man named John Ogier had entered two Aston Martin DB4GT Zagatos – one of which was driven by the Australian drivers Bib Stillwell and Lex Davison. Unfortunately (head gasket) problems meant their race was over after only a few hours. Anxious to get back to the UK quickly, Bib asked if he could join our flight and that’s how we met.”

Bib and Gillian married in 1965 with Jack Brabham acting as best man. But that was the end of Gillian’s days in the pits - Bib wanted to live in Australia.

Bib of course ran some very successful car dealerships – still run in his name by the family – and then in the 1970s he became a distributor for Learjets (Niki Lauda was a customer) moving to Tucson in 1979 (where Gillian renewed her friendship with ‘neighbour’ John Wyer) and becoming President the following year. In the US Bib decided to get involved in the historic racing scene driving his D-

Type Jaguar and Ford GT40 so once again Gillian lived and breathed racing fuel. Returning to Australia in 1989 Bib continued with his motor dealerships while taking an active part in historic racing. “Finally,” says Gillian, “I can think about what it was like to be a young woman working in a male-dominated business/sport. I think I was the only female Team Secretary who attended so many races. Very rarely did I ever experience being rejected because I was a woman in this type of business.

“I now look back and think that, because I was so totally concentrated on my work, there was hardly any time when I relaxed or took the opportunity to explore the country or city where we were located. Most of our racing was in Europe and we would drive to the various locations and I therefore saw a lot of places where I had never been before.

All the people at Aston Martin, Bowmaker/Yeoman Credit and Reg Parnell Racing were very kind, very friendly and all of us worked well together.” MSL MotorSportLegends

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FIRST HDT MONARO

FLAMING BEAUTY! HDT’s fiery failure at Sandown led to victory on the Mountain STORY DAVID DOWSEY; PHOTOGRAPHS AUTOPICS.COM.AU

I

t was a miserable day at Sandown on September 21, 1969. And for Holden fans it wasn’t just the near freezing weather. The crowd of 22,000 witnessed a Ford whitewash, but worse, with Bathurst approaching there was obviously something very wrong with their Monaro hero car – one of which very nearly ended up in a fiery grave.

The Datsun Three Hour Race held that Sunday saw the debut of the new Holden Dealer Team HT 350 Monaro – a thinly disguised factory entry – and the new man at the helm, Harry Firth, was keen to make an impression.

As it turned out the car made a lasting impression indeed but not one Holden

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would want to remember.

Thankfully the car in question survived a terrible crash and lives on today in immaculate condition.

Drivers Kevin Bartlett and Spencer Martin had been contracted for the Sandown race. Initially at practice the signs weren’t good. Martin/Bartlett set the equal fourth fastest time of 1:30.1 – almost 4.0 seconds behind Allan Moffat’s GTHO Falcon and just a few tenths in front of the Gibson/Seton HO. In the second session however Martin/ Bartlett improved their times down to 1:27.4 to secure a front-row spot alongside Moffat.

Bartlett had already finished second in the Victoria Trophy Race held earlier in

his Mildren Alfa V8 open-wheeler behind John Harvey so Firth put Martin in the car for the beginning of the Datsun Three Hour Race.

Initially holding down second place Martin was passed by Gibson at the 12-minute mark and admits he had his work cut out just keeping up with the fast Fords.

With Moffat (partnered with John French) and Fred Gibson motoring along supreme in their HOs and Martin in third the race seemed a formality – until about 45 minutes into the event when Martin had a terrible crash in the Monaro.

In his race report for Racing Car News the late Adrian Ryan described

the crash: 46½ mins: Drama with a capital ‘D’. Spencer Martin arrives at Shell with no brakes! He spins the car backwards into the Armco at almost 100mph (161km/h). The car leaps into the air, turns round and crashes down on the access road, then bursts into a roaring inferno as the burst petrol tank feeds 15 gallons or so into the fire. Spencer shoots out the driver’s-side window, unhurt.

The ‘women for wheels’ crash crew are there within seconds and douse the fire.

Meanwhile, Bob Brown (Pacer) and Ron Simmonds (Cooper S) have spun at the same spot and the yellow is waving furiously.

While the car was crashed and burned the damage was not serious and the car was hastily repaired, painted and on-sold

by Campbell’s Holden by tender for $3205. “(Holden) thought I was a Ford man,” says Harry Firth, the HDT Manager from 1969-’77. “They didn’t let me have any input (with the HT 350) at all until the closing stages of production. I told them that had to stop straight away.

“Engineering had ordered four 350 engines race-prepared in the US by Chevrolet which they wore out test-

“I JUMPED OUT OF THE (DRIVER’S) WINDOW AND LANDED ON MY HANDS AND KNEES. IT WAS SO HOT I WAS CERTAIN THAT I WAS ON FIRE…” ing on the dyno at 220hp. So (Ian Tate and I) had a local version (built) to our blueprint ideas. (We) put it on the same dyno (and it gave) 244hp. They said we had cheated and tried to destroy it running it again after we had left. This engine was put in a practice car with standard paint to be used at Sandown.

“There was one problem (with the car) – (there were) no dust shields on the discs, no 1968 slotted wheels and no air ducts. These drivers put their foot on the brake right down to the corner (at Sandown) plus revved the engine to 5500rpm-plus disregarding the fact that the torque curve was 2000-4500rpm.”

Firth is also not complimentary of his charges. “I had been told to use racing drivers and Kev Bartlett and Spencer

Martin accepted. (But) I could drive the car faster than they (did). Kev was doing 1.40-1.42 seconds in private practice.

(He) couldn’t be told so I sat him in the passenger’s seat with a watch and demonstrated what you did. I did 1.38 seconds with no helmet, not taking any chances and (my driving) was obviously far kinder to the brakes.”

The Bartlett/Martin team obviously made amends at Sandown posting a very respectable time and landing a front-row starting position. “(Bartlett and Martin) just could not accept (my) way of driving so in the race it ran out of brakes at the end of the front straight. (There was) consternation in the GM camp – a witch hunt (ensued). ❯

Spencer Martin’s (pictured above) crash sent a plume of black smoke across the Sandown track. Opposite: The Monaro after the crash.

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FIRST HDT MONARO

The Holden Dealer Team crew including Ian Tate and Frank Lowndes.

“I said ‘stuff all this, now give me the engines, come to Calder mid-week, take the dust shields off and put back the slotted wheels’. We fitted a front spoiler with air slots; (we) cut away panels behind the front bumpers (for) more airflow so the car would survive Bathurst.”

Like Phoenix, HDT rose out of the ashes to win the Big One. “The (Bathurst) race is history (we came) first, third and sixth,” says Firth.

“The failure at Sandown allowed us to win Bathurst,” agrees engine man Ian Tate unequivocally. “Without that failure we wouldn’t have done all the checking and analysis that allowed us to improve the car.”

As will be evident there are various theories about the crash – Firth’s being unsympathetic driving on the part of Martin – Bartlett didn’t get a chance to drive the car during the race.

Tate insists that the brake fluid boiled. “(It’s) as simple as that because an hour after the race when the fluid had cooled down we had a brake pedal again. By the way, we knew we weren’t going to get through the race on the pads we had – we had already worked that out.”

Kevin Bartlett’s memory of that fateful race meet is clear. “That car was a bit fresh,” recalls Bartlett. “Harry was still experimenting a bit with it. I was racing open-wheel cars at Sandown on the day

so it was convenient for me to drive it to get some feedback on the car. (The drive) was only ever going to be a one-off.

“The failure, as explained to me, was in the power brake system when Spencer was driving it on the main straight. He very skillfully turned the car around and it went into the wall backwards and burst into flames. He was a very good driver – very switched on. I was told it was the booster system itself – not the brake pads.

“I was not privy to the post-race inspection so I don’t know for sure. But I doubt it was the pads as when they go they give some indication that they are going and you start to compensate for them. In the Sandown event it was a catastrophic failure of the brakes.”

Spencer Martin had retired from racing open-wheelers by the time of the Sandown drive having married the previous year and was expecting his first child.

“Harry rang me and asked if I wanted the drive. (My wife and I) thought that driving a Monaro around Sandown would be quite safe. As it happened, that day was a complete disaster.

“The brakes on those cars were always very skinny,” he says. “Harry never told us what happened but many years later Frank Lowndes, the chief mechanic at the Dealer Team, told me that they had taken the standard pads off the Monaro and replaced them with harder pads for

“MY PREGNANT WIFE WAS THERE THAT DAY AND I HAD SEEN PLENTY OF WIVES LEAVE THE RACETRACK WITHOUT THEIR HUSBANDS” 48

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practice. But one of the mechanics accidentally put the standard pads back in the box marked ‘competition pads’. The mechanics then put them back onto the car.”

Back to the race.

“I was chasing Moffat in the 351 Falcon and was scratching just to hang on,” continues Martin. “The front pads had already worn out and the rear pads were wearing out as well. They eventually wore right down and the backing plate hit the discs, the brake fluid flashed and the brake pedal went straight into the floor.

“It’s amazing the strength you get at moments like those. As soon as I realised what happened I put it into third gear.

I did it so hard that it drove a gear right through the synchro. I didn’t want to go into the Armco front-on so I grabbed the umbrella handbrake and pulled it right off the dash. I managed to flick the car around and I went backwards through the Armco. The muffler went straight through the petrol tank and they had probably the biggest fire ever at Sandown.

“The accident concertinaed the car together jamming the door (shut) so I jumped out of the (driver’s) window and landed on my hands and knees. It was so hot I was certain that I was on fire.

But I was taken straight to first aid to be checked out and I had no injuries.

“When I got back to the pits Harry asked me what had happened. I told him that I thought I’d blown a rear cylinder.

But he went and checked out the car and came back and said: ‘That’s not the reason’. In other words, he thought it was my fault.

“Despite the accident I was booked to do the drive at Bathurst in the Monaro but about a week after my crash at Sandown I had a bad accident, crushing a vertebra, driving with my brother so (Tony) Roberts got the drive. It may have been a blessing in disguise. It was my decision to retire. But my pregnant wife was there that day and I had seen plenty of wives leave the racetrack without their husbands.”

Owner for 28 years Tony Connelly bought the ‘Fire Monaro’ in March 1970.

Working as GM-H’s NSW metropolitan sales manager at the time he heard about the tender, put in a bid and the car was his.

“I was there at the race watching from

Spencer Martin drives the HDT Monaro at Sandown in 1969 before it crashed.

the stands,” he recalls. “It was repaired and repainted. During the refurbishment they removed the engine – it had only done 700 miles – and took out the race bits.

“I drove the car for one year but then I was given a company car so the Monaro sat in the garage and I did the odd club race at Sandown, Winton and hillclimbs like Rob Roy. It was a registered car when I bought it but I registered it as a new car – hence the change in registration plates.

“Castrol did a film on the 10 years of the Monaro and Torana before they started racing Commodores. Brock drove (my car) at Bathurst and they painted it up as his Bathurst car in the team colours with the stripes.”

The car was also used in a parade around Bathurst in 1979 with motoring writer Bill Tuckey at the wheel. It appeared in Wheels the same year in a test alongside a Torana, in 1997 it was used in the Dutton Rally with Colin Bond driving and Mark Skaife drove it in a demonstration lap of Sandown in 1998.

“Holden invited me to show the car at the Holden 50th Anniversary at Fishermans Bend in (late) 1998. Rob Coulson and his old man came up to me with their tongues hanging out and they bought the car at the event.

“It was a wonderful jigger when new.

I bought it with only 700 miles on the clock and I put on 19,000. I can honestly say most of those were put on Sundays – it was very original.”

After the purchase Rob Coulson proceeded to undertake a sympathetic

restoration. He now is trying to trace as much of the history as possible. And as only the second owner the job hasn’t been that hard.

“As soon as I set eyes on it, tingles went up my back,” says Coulson. “I didn’t think any of (the HDT cars) existed. I thought this was the Bathurst car because of the livery it was painted in from the movie in 1979.

“We looked at the car and it was in pretty good order except the paint was down in condition. I didn’t think any more of it. I sat at home for a couple of days and then rang Tony up. He grilled me about what cars I had and what intentions I had if he sold me the car.

“I (said) I would restore the car back to exactly how it was the day it raced at Sandown. Tony informed me that the only reason he wanted to sell the car was that he was thinking of racing it again but because they had opened up the class he felt that he would have to soup-up the engine and improve the brakes to be competitive.

“I fell in love with it so I said to my father I didn’t care what it cost, I’d put myself into hock. I let dad do the negotiations and eventually we shook hands and did the deal.

“I was originally going to use it for my wedding in 2000. I took it out to Kieran Flynn’s (workshop) and we took it apart.

I thought I would paint it and get it back together in a few months. Well that didn’t happen. I was then advised to do a full nut and bolt restoration.

“Mechanically I didn’t have to do anything to the car – the engine, gearbox and

rear end hasn’t been touched. The interior remained untouched. It was like a time capsule – it was absolutely perfect. The only thing I have done is steam clean the seats and I have put new kick pads and the headlining that were both damaged.”

The initial advice Coulson was given – which he admits was probably wrong – was to give the car a full nut and bolt resto.

“I restored it initially to preserve it so it didn’t deteriorate any further but I also wanted to bring it back to how it was when it first raced. I wanted to give the car and the Dealer Team the kudos for where it all started. It was the first car that they produced and raced and irrespective of what the result was that was their number one vehicle.

“If you go over the car there are a lot of tell-tale signs of where the car had its accident. The petrol tank has a couple of very big patches on it.

“The spare wheel well was crushed by the armco and that has been pushed out, the rear muffler mounts were welded back to the underside of the car, there’s other damage on the inside of the boot that is still evident and the quarter panel was put back on the car in a rather crude fashion.

Coulson has spoken to all the major protagonists in researching the car’s history. “What I really enjoy is that everyone concerned with the car said unequivocally that it was the car. It is absolutely 100 percent verified. It is an important part of Australian motor history and I am happy to be its custodian.” MSL MotorSportLegends

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TRADE TALK

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