primotipo…

Jack Brabham playing with the kids in the Phillip Island paddock, Cooper T51 Climax, 14 March 1960…

Jack won the Repco Trophy over 16 laps in a T51 rout from Bill Patterson, Bib Stillwell and Austin Miller in similar cars. None shared the latest 2.5-litre Coventry Climax FPF fitted to Jack’s F2-4-59 said to be ‘Brabham’s main car during the early part of 1959’. Austin’s motor was 2.2-litres, Bib and Bill’s 2-litre units.

Brabham had a successful fortnight during his short 1960 Australian summer racing tour, three races from three, winning the Longford Trophy, Light Car Club of Tasmania Trophy on 5 and 7 March at Longford the week before.

Ian McCleave took the opening photo of ‘A youthful Jack Brabham showering my younger brother in dust…I seem to recall Dad charged with adrenalin winding the Austin A95 up to 90 mph on the way back to Melbourne!’ Lukey Heights is well familiar to ‘Island regulars in the background, its a top shot and another enthusiast that day, Robert Jones caught the start of the race, below.

Australian Motor Sports Review 1959-60 wrote that “During these hectic two days , Brabham more than simulated his performance at the opening meeting of Phillip Island in December 1956.”

“On that occasion driving a Cooper sportscar he won the three races he entered including the Formula Libre event ahead of Ted Gray’s Tornado Ford V8 and Lex Davison’s 3-litre Ferrari 500/625. Three years later, Brabham as you would expect from a World Champion, won every scratch race he entered; but unlike the first meeting, he competed in five events, but won only four, having been beaten into second place in the Racing Car Handicap on the first day.”

Credits…

Ian McLeave, Robert Jones, Tony Johns Collection, Ron Jackson, Australian Motor Sports Review 1959-60

Tailpieces…

The off, Brabham, Stillwell and Miller, with Bill Patterson in white, on row two.

Finito…