‘Cmon Dad £1 a week isn’t much…you know i’m saving for a racing car!? Let’s cut a deal and then you can go back to qualifying ok?…’
I doubt he did the deal, Jack was a notoriously tough negotiator and parsimonious, but Geoff did get his first racer, a Bowin P6F Formula Ford in 1974 and did rather well from there, Jack doing his bit along the way!
Geoff’s first racing car drive? Jack clicking the watches at Oran Park, Sydney 16 August 1972. Car is the Jack Brabham Ford owned Bowin P4X normally raced by Bob Beasley, and in a bit of trivia, the car in which Jack won his last single-seater race at Calder in 1971 in the ‘Race of Champions’ which pitted current and past stars against each other in FF’s (Getty Images)Geoff Brabham in his Bowin P6F FF during his 1974 national campaign, F1 driver, Larry’s brother, Terry Perkins won that year in an Elfin 620 (Bob Jane Heritage)
Brabham had done a few races in 1973 in an Elfin 620 FF but mounted a serious camapign for the Australian National Formula Ford title in 1974…
He raced John Leffler’s championship winning car from 1973. These Bowins were very advanced for their day having a wedge shape, hip radiators and rising rate suspension front and rear, this in a car first built in 1972- so advanced were the cars that later Reynard designer, Malcolm Oastler was still winning in a P6F in 1983: http://www.bowincars.org/mediawiki-1.6.12/index.php?title=Bowin_P6
Geoff progressed to Australian F2 in 1975 winning the title in a Birrana 274 Ford, ANF2 then was a 1.6 litre, DOHC two-valve formula, effectively mandating the Lotus Ford twin cam engine, the ‘ducks guts’ variant, the Hart 416B produced circa 205bhp.
This wings and slicks experience was important for Brabham in his UK F3 and US Super Vee racing in various Ralt RT1s over the next three years.
Brabham, Birrana 274 leads the F2 field at Amaroo Park, Sydney in 1975. He won the title. Ray Winter Mildren ‘Yellow Submarine’ in second and Andrew Miedecke Rennmax BN7 third, all Hart Ford powered. Birranas were jewels of cars built by Malcolm Ramsay and Tony Alcock in Adelaide between 1971 and 1974, around 21 were built: FF,F3,F2. Unable to make a $ in Oz they ceased construction, Alcock moved back to the UK joining Graham Hill and was on That Fateful Flight… (Unattributed)GB BP British F3 Championship 1977. Brands Hatch 11 September. Ralt RT1 Toyota DNF in a race won by Derek Daly’s Chevron B38 Toyota. (David Lawson)
Brabham contested the British F3 Championships in 1976 and 1977 racing a Ralt RT1 Toyota, products of father Jack’s former business partner, Ron Tauranac of course.
He then moved to the United States in late 1978 and won the US Super Vee Championship aboard a Ralt RT1 in 1979. Critically, he broke into ‘big cars’ late that year with a single seat Can-Am 5-litre Hogan HR001 Chev.
Who said spaceframes were a thing of the past in the elite categories by 1979? GB in his Hogan HR001 Chev, Riverside GP, fourth. Jacky Ickx heading out to practice behind in his Lola T333CS Chev, Jacky won the CanAm title that year. Al Holbert raced the Hogan for most of the year, but it wasn’t quick or reliable, GB drove it in the last two rounds. (Chris Nally)VDS001 Chev, GB won the Can-Am in this car in 1981. VDS raced the Lola T530 in the previous two years, this Trevor Harris designed car used the centre of a Lola T530 monocoque; the fuel cell, roll bar and engine mountings. Front suspension was T530 derived but the rest of the car, inclusive of Tony Cicale designed body, was built at VDS California workshop. (Unattributed)
Over the following years he mixed Indycars and Can-Am machines…
He won the 1981 Can-Am Championship in Count Rudy Van der Straaten’s VDS Teams self built car, VDS001 having been quicker than teammate and 1980 Champion Patrick Tambay in identical Lola T530 Chevs in the second half of the season.
He raced Indycars from 1981 to 1987, and then periodically in the early 90s, in the last four years just competing at Indianapolis, his best Indy finish was fourth in a VDS entered Penske PC10 Ford in 1983.
VDS Racing Penske PC10 Ford, Q 26th finished fourth at Indy in 1983, his best result. (Unattributed)
In sports cars he was an ace…
Brabham won four IMSA GT Championships with various of Nissans sports cars run by Kas Kastner in the US.
He competed at Le Mans with Nissan in 1989 and 1990 and was a logical choice for Renault as a safe, experienced, fast driver as part of the 1993 Peugeot Team to repeat the success of the year before, the 3.5-litre V10 905 Evo 1 a very quick car, in essence a two seat GP car. He won the race partnered by Eric Helary and Christophe Bouchot, taking a race win that Jack didn’t, JB wasn’t a LeMans regular but did compete with Matra in 1970, his final season in Europe. https://primotipo.com/2014/09/01/easter-bathurst-1969-jack-brabham-1970-et-al/
Jack settled the family in rural Wagga Wagga in New South Wales in 1971, well away from motor racing but it was not long before the pleasures of bucolic life, whatever they may be, were overwhelmed by the Brabham boys ‘need for speed’, all graduating from Australian Formula Ford to F3 in the UK in turn!
Peugeot 905 Evo 1 Le Mans 1993. GB won the race partnered by Eric Helary and Christophe Bouchot. Jean Todt popped him into the car for the final stint. (Unattributed)Mid 90’s in Australia in one of his BMW 2 litre ‘Super Tourers’. (Unattributed)
Geoff Brabham returned to Australia in the early 1990’s racing both 2-litre Super Tourers and V8 Supercars. He was runner up in both the 1995 and 1997 Super Touring Championship and won the 1997 Bathurst 1000 Super Touring race partnered by his brother David.
GB had a remarkably diverse career, as versatile in his time as Jack was in his, and a career of achievement especially if comparisons with his father, such a difficult act to follow, are put to one side!
The Brabham Racing Dynasty continues with Geoff’s son Matthew finishing fourth in the 2014 Indy Lights Championship driving a Dallara Nissan for Andretti Motorsport. http://matthewbrabham.com/ David Brabhams’ son Sam is also competing and hoping to make the Le Mans grid this year…
Etcetera…
GB and supporters with his Ralt RT1 Super Vee at Pocono in 1979, the year he won the US FSV championship (Matt Brabham)Another angle of the wild VDS001 Chev in 1981. GB Used both this car and Lola T530 Chev to win the Can-Am title that year, circuit unknown. (D Hodgdon)GB contested a few of our Formula Pacific Australian Grands Prix at Calder. Here Ralt RT4 mounted in 1983, he finished fourth in the race won by Roberto Moreno, also, inevitably in a Ralt! Alan Jones, Jacques Laffitte also contested the race. (John Brewer Collection)GB at Road America IMSa 1992. Nissan NP91C third behind two Eagle Mk3 Toyotas. (Mark Windecker)1992/3 Peugeot 905 Evo 1. Carbon fibre chassis weighing 750Kg. ‘SA35’ 80 degree 3499cc DOHC four- valve fuel injected V10. 670bhp@12500rpm. 6 speed ‘box.
Tailpiece…
Photo Credits…
Bernard Cahier, Chris Nally, Mark Windecker, RIAM Photo Archive, John Brewer Collection, David Lawson, Bob Jane Collection, Getty Images, Don Hodgdon
The Ray Brookes/Rob Wells-West Austin Healey Sprite zips through the Alps on is competition debut. Sprites finished first, second and third in their class…
The iconic Bugeye was released to the press on 20 May 1958 just prior to the Monaco Grand Prix. The cars competition debut was shortly thereafter, in the July Coupe des Alpes, John Sprinzel and Willy Cave leading home a 1-2-3 in class and finishing 15th overall. Tommy Wisdom drove the second placed Sprite and Ray Brookes the third. The event was won by the Consten/de La Geneste Alfa Romeo Giulietta.
The first of many Sprite International and Club competition successes cars which continue to give pleasure to their owners 60 years after release. See this Shell film of the 1958 event;
Ray Brookes and Rob Wells-West at Monaco during the 1958 Coupe des Alpes (unattributed)
Sprites were all about fun, modification and competition.
They begged for it and were responsive to it. I flirted with one for 18 months or so when i first got my licence, my younger brother couldn’t afford a car so i part funded/owned his Bugeye which had been fitted with a Skoda! engine and gearbox in its past.
It sounds naff but the all alloy engine fed by a 45DCOE Weber and breathing through bigger valves and extractors made good power, the engine also considerably lighter than the good ole A-Series, so handling was enhanced as the road testers would say.
I was busy fiddling with open wheelers at the time, so it was never used competitively but it was a quick, nimble, pointy, fun road car…as they were and are.
(Theo Page)
The chassis is of unitary construction, 948cc BMC A-Series OHV four cylinder 43bhp engine fed by twin 1 1/8 inch SU carbs, four speed gearbox. Front suspension coils and wishbones with the lever arm shock as the top links. Rear solid axle sprung by quarter-elliptic springs again with lever arm shocks. Drum brakes front and rear.
(C Youde Collection)
Etcetera…
In March 2022, Caroline Youde, Rob Wells-West’s niece got in touch, below are her recollections of her uncle. Many thanks Caroline!
“Hi Mark,
Happy to share memories! Circa 1996 I took my boyfriend (now husband) to meet my uncle and aunt. Rob was a pilot in the war captured over enemy territory when the glider he was travelling in was downed (they had taken to the air for a bit of fun!) – my husband was ex-RAF.
They got chatting about cars, another shared passion and he talked of his family owning a successful garage. This allowed him to get into racing and it was only during their meeting did I finally get to hear his stories (he was a true gentleman, the war was never normally discussed and never liked to brag about his achievements).
His illness had taken hold so his recollections were a little muddled, but when my aunt produced an old suitcase full of his racing photos etc, he talked of the rally and the excitement of the race. Many of his photos from other races he could not recall when or where they were taken. But he spoke of Stirling Moss’s sister Pat Moss, and others, racing in full skirts!
I’ve enclosed a picture of memorabilia from the rally (above) that I had framed for my husband; it hangs with pride in the dining room and is often the topic of conversation with visitors.
They didn’t have any children so I asked if I could have his racing collection when he died. It’s still kept in the same suitcase, with the exception of the cup and framed pieces. Mary (my aunt) and I are in touch regularly, she’s naturally very proud. They met before the rally and his racing was a large part of their courtship, before eventually marrying.
Rob settled into a civil servant role, but his sense of adventure led them to travel the world by train, plane and automobile their whole married life (and often by iconic means, e.g. Concorde).
He inspired my husband to buy and fully restore our own Frog Eye, which we had sprayed British Racing Green in tribute to him. Thankfully he lived to see it finished.
Kind Regards
Caroline”
Credits…
Yves Debraine, Theo Page cutaway
Many thanks to Caroline Youde, Martin Ingall, John Sprinzel, Steve Nash and David Scothorn for assistance in identifying the driver/co-driver of 487CKP. For those with an interest in competition Sprites check out this wonderful site; http://www.sebringsprite.com/
Rodriguez victorious at Spa in the 1970 Belgian Grand Prix in his BRM P153, the narrowest of wins from Chris Amons’ March 701 Ford on a circuit made for the Mexican’s skill and bravery…
(Unattributed)
Pedro and brother Ricardo Rodriguez (right) in 1962.
Ricardo died at the wheel of a Lotus 24 Climax in the Mexican Grand Prix 1962, the Rob Walker Racing entered machine’s rear suspension failed, the resultant collision killed him instantly at 20 years old.
(Unattributed)
Pedro cruising through the Bridghampton paddock in his ‘NART’ Ferrari 250P- 1963 ‘Double 500’.
(Bernard Cahier)
1967 Monaco Grand Prix, Cooper T81 Maserati- the eyes have it. Tragic race of course, Lorenzo Bandini lost his life in a Ferrari 312 in the latter stages of the race.
(Unattributed)
Spa 1000Km 1971, victory with Jackie Oliver in a John Wyer Porsche 917K, Siffert/Bell behind and finished second, the marshal gets maximum points for stupidity.
(M Le Grand)
Lotus 33 Climax, Mexico City 1966.
Team Lotus entered an ‘old nail’ for Pedro, a 2 litre BRM V8 engined 33 in a two off drive (Watkins Glen too), he qualified the Ron Harris run car eleventh but DNF with transmission failure after 49 laps. John Surtees won in a Cooper T81.
(unattributed)
Pedro #25 and Jo Siffert #24 , Porsche 917K, lap 1 of the Spa 1000Km 1970.
Friends and rivals in the JW Automotive Team, Rodriguez was ultimately the better driver. A gaggle of 917’s and 512’s behind. Siffert/Brian Redman won the race whilst Pedro/Leo Kinnunen DNF with gearbox failure on lap 44.
(M Le Grand)
Rodriguez delicately caressing the big Cooper T81 Maserati V12 around Monaco in 1967. He was fifth, four laps adrift, in the race won by Denny Hulme’s light, nimble Brabham BT20 Repco V8.
(Unattributed)
Pedro put in a stunning, famous drive to win the Brands Hatch 1000Km in his ‘JW Automotive’ Porsche 917K, partnered by Leo Kinnunen in 1970.
He is #10 here ‘hunting down’ the rival ‘Porsche Salzburg’ #11 917K of Elford/Hulme/Ahrens. Oh to have been there!
(Automobile Year 18)
Pedro portrait 1970. I remember first seeing this photograph in the Camberwell Grammar School copy of Automobile Year 18- the review of the 1970 season, and thinking ‘Wow!’, as I did so often in relation to the photography of that publication in that era…
(Mike Hayward Collection)
BRM P153 at rest, British GP, Brands Hatch 1970. Rindt won in a Lotus 72 Ford, Pedro DNF, prang on lap 58.
Rodriguez was one of those drivers who loved racing for its own sake, he competed whenever he could and was killed in an ‘Interserie’ (European Can-Am or Group 7) race at the Norisring, Germany in July 1971.
He had started the season well, lightning fast in both his BRM P160 F1 car and Porsche 917 and was pointlessly killed in a race of no importance when a slower car edged his Ferrari 512M into the wall, the car erupted into flames and one of the ‘aces’ of the era died shortly thereafter.
The Mini photographed in the year of its launch, 1959, at Paddington Station by Henry Manney of ‘Road & Track’ fame…
The Mini was launched to the press in April 1959, this photo taken by Henry Manney at Paddington Station. Maybe one of our British readers can tell us if this is the site of the cars launch?
Leonard Lord, the head of British Motor Corporation, laid down the design parameters for a small fuel efficient car during the Suez Crisis, which spiked the price of oil and caused its rationing in the UK. Alec Issigonis and his small team at Morris created a design icon which was voted the second most influential car of the last century after Henry Fords Model T.
The Cheltenham Spa Express or ‘Cheltenham Flyer’ is a train service from Paddington to Cheltenham Spa in Gloucestershire. Rivalry between railway companies in the 1920’s increased speeds, the ‘Cheltenham Flyer’ so named as trains on this route were the fastest in the world at various times…Train Driver Harry Rudduck, the Tazio Nuvolari of steam ! pushed his ‘Castle Class 5006 Treganna’ train to a record of an 81.6 mph average for the 77 mile trip in 1932.
Steam hasn’t survived nor has the ‘A Series’ powered Mini but it’s comforting that both forms of transport are as contemporary now as they were in 1959…
The 1970 Le Mans 24 hours was won by the Hans Hermann/Richard Attwood Porsche 917K , Kurtz, or short tail…
The win was Porsches’ first outright Le Mans victory. In second place, 5 laps behind was the so-called ‘Hippie Car’, the wildly painted Martini International 917LH, Langheck or long tail. The car was driven by Gerard Larrousse and Willi Kauhsen, starting a trend of cars with stunning finishes which continues today…
Jim Clark enjoying the plaudits of the crowd after his Warwick Farm win, 18 February 1968…
Its a wonderful shot on his victory lap, the crowd wandering onto the track, absolute joy on Jims’ face after a stong win, a man at the top of his game, he still hadn’t peaked as a driver and only 31 years old…
He is at the wheel of his Lotus 49 Ford DFW, the DFW the 2.5 litre variant of Cosworths’ dominant DFV 3 litre GP engine. Clark won by 10 seconds from his teammate Graham Hill, he left our shores at the end of the Tasman Series 2 weeks later as the 1968 Champion and sadly never returned.
Clark was a regular and immensely popular visitor to Australasia, the gentlemanly Scot admired and respected by fellow competitors, the media, fans and the general public alike.
His final GP win was the 1968 season opening South African GP at Kyalami, he perished in a Lotus 48 F2 car, after a tyre failure at Hockenheim on April 7 1968.
Eddie Irvines Ferrari F300 nicely juxtaposed with the topography of a Monaco Apartment…
He is on the way to 3rd place in the race won by Mika Hakkinens’ McLaren MP4/13 Mercedes, Mika also winning the title that year. Eddie didn’t take a win but was on the podium eight times finishing 4th in the drivers championship behind Hakkinen, his teammate Schumacher and Coulthard in the other McLaren.
F300 Specifications…
The F300 was designed by Rory Byrne to the narrower track regulations mandated by the FIA that year. The chassis was of course carbon fibre honeycomb, suspension comprising upper and lower wishbones front and rear with pushrod actuated coil spring/damper units. Brakes are ventilated carbon fibre discs. Weight 600kg with driver.
The engine was Ferrari Tipo 047, a 2997cc normally aspirated 80 degree, 40 valve V10 delivering circa 700bhp. Transmission is a longitudinally mounted semi-automatic sequential 7 speed transaxle incorporating a ‘slippery’ diff.
Paul Henry Cahiers’ shot of Irvine at Monaco during the race…F300 considered aerodynamically inferior to the McLaren MP4/13 but Schumacher won 6 races the car setting up the dominance of Ferrari in the decade to come. Ferrari 2nd to McLaren in the constructors championship in ’98.
Rear end detail here…upper wishbones and push-rods, springs and shocks. Car pioneered ‘periscope’ exhausts up thru the bodywork to get exhaust pipe lengths right for optimum power. Aussie Willem Toet Ferrari aerodynamicst at the time said the ‘periscopes’ were ‘not the best solution aerodynamically as the side exits, but benefits flowed from tighter rear bodywork’.
Extensive use of heat reflective materials, gearbox and driveshafts, carbon fibre undertray and V10 all clear. The cars are not necessarily pretty to look at but the engineering detail is exquisite.
90’s Momo wheel of the F300. Circuit map just in case Eddie gets lost at home! (Cahier Archive)
Tony Matthews’ superb F300 cutaway…showing honeycomb carbon fibre monocoque, pedals, 7 speed semi-auto box remember. Pedal detail including master cylinders, roll bar link for adjustment. Upper and lower wishbones, pushrod and top of the spring. Front upright, disc, caliper, Goodyear tyre on 13 inch BBS wheel…tis all there!
Photo/Credits…
Automobile Year, The Cahier Archive, Tony Matthews
John Surtees clipping the apex in Mexico in his North American Racing Team ‘NART’, factory, Ferrari 158. Ferrari was in dispute with the Italian national automobile club over its refusal to homologate his 250LM sportscar into Group 5 despite having not built the minimum number of cars to do so…the hissy-fit reflected in the cars being entered in the blue/white of Luigi Chinettis’ American NART rather than Italian national red…(Bernard Cahier)
John Surtees pilots his ‘NART’ Ferrari 158 to second place in the 1964 Mexican Grand Prix, clinching the drivers World Championship for him and the Constructors Championship for Ferrari…
On the day that Lewis Hamilton won the 2014 Championship i was flicking through some old magazines and reflected on the remarkably diverse career and achievements of Surtees.
In similar fashion to 2014 the 1964 title was also decided at the last race, in Mexico that year.
Graham Hill, Jim Clark and Surtees were all winners depending upon who finished where. In a race of changing fortunes Clark lead from the start, and was on track for the race win and his second title when his Climax engine started to lose oil and seized seven laps from the end. Surtees’ engine misfired early but sorted itself, teammate Bandini allowed him into second and the points he needed to defeat Hill, who had been given a ‘tap up the chuff’ by Bandini earlier in the race, causing a pitstop and damaged exhausts ruining his chance.
Surtees in his Fazz 158 ahead of teammate Bandini in the flat-12 1512 early in the Mexican GP (unattributed)
Dan Gurney won the race in his Brabham BT7 Climax and Surtees the title. He was to win only six Championship GP’s throughout his long career, 1960-1972, not reflective of his talent but indicative of team choice, he wasn’t always in the right place at the right time.
Gurney, Clark, Surtees, pensive as always and Phil Hill prior to the ’64 Mexican GP. Looks like Brabhams’ haircut behind Clark? (Bernard Cahier)
Famously the only driver to win World Championships on two wheels and four…
He was born into a motor-cycling family and progressed from his fathers’ sidecar to solos and many Norton victories, before too long signed by Count Agusta to MV.
Surtees bump starts his MV350 prior to the start of his run around the daunting Isle of Man, Senior TT 1957 (unattributed)
The departure of Gilera and Moto Guzzi allowed Surtees and MV to dominate the bigger classes, he won 350cc titles in 1958/9/60 and 500cc championships in 1956/8/9/60.
Before too long he wanted to race cars, making his GP debut for Team Lotus at Monaco in 1960, he mixed cars and bikes that year his best result second in the British GP.
Surtees being blown off by a Ford Fairlane…on the way back from Riverside, USGP practice 1960. Lotus 18 Climax. 2.5 FPF Climax an incredibly tractable engine! (Bernard Cahier) Surtees made his F1 debut with Lotus at Monaco 1960, mixing a season of F1 with winning the 350 & 500 titles on bikes…here at Oporto in the Portuguese GP, he retired on lap 36 having qualified on pole on this challenging road course. Lotus 18 Climax (Bernard Cahier)
He drove a Reg Parnell/Bowmaker racing Cooper in 1961 and a Parnell/Bowmaker Lola in 1962 commencing a relationship with Eric Broadley’s marque which continued for most of his career in categories outside F1…although the F1 Honda of 1967 was famously a ‘Hondola’, being the marriage of in essence the Lola T80/90 chassis with the big, powerful 3 litre Honda V12.
John in the Lola Mk4A Climax enroute to 2nd behind Jack Brabhams’ Brabham BT4, both 2.7 Coventry Climax FPF powered. Australian GP, Warwick Farm, Sydney 1963 (John Ellacott)
The most productive phase of his career was with Ferrari from 1963 to mid 1966, winning in both sports cars and in F1…
The Palace Coup and Purge of key Ferrari staff in late 1962 gave Surtees his Ferrari chance, joining them in early 1963. Arguably he was a good bet for the 1966 Championship won by Jack Brabham but inept, political management by team-manager Eugenio Dragoni resulted in his departure from the team mid season, his talents rewarded with two wins for Cooper that season, he then moved to Honda.
Its ironic that Ferrari intrigue gave him his Ferrari chance, and Ferrari intigue got the better of his sense of fairness in the end, read the MotorSport article below for Surtees’ own version of these events.
Surtees (4th) leads Graham Hill (1st) at Monaco 1963, Ferrari T56 and BRM P57 respectively (unattributed) Surtees looks typically concerned, there are not too many smiley shots of ‘Big John’, this was a serious business and all too often he was far from happy with his mount! Mauro Forghieri adjusts his ‘wedding tackle’. Ferrari 1512 1965, Nurburgring…look at all those coils trying to spark the high revving 1.5 litre flat 12. Technically interesting car with the 180 degree flat-12 used as a stressed member, years before the much touted Lotus 43/49 deployed the technique in 1966/7 respectively. Look closely and you can see the engine attachment point to the cast rear chassis bulkhead. Chassis still semi-monocoque tho. And lovely V12 still a 2 valve engine, rev limit and higher-frictional losses of the 12 and power developed did not outweigh its complexity and higher fuel consumption relative to the 158 V8 in 1964. By the end of 1965 Surtees considered the car to have a decisive advantage over any other car but time had run out…Ferrari expected the 1.5 F1 to continue on, this engine needed to peak 12 months earlier than it did. Ferrari won no GP’s in 1965, Lotus and BRM had the edge that year. (unattributed) Surtees 1964 championship winning Ferrari 158. Chassis semi-monocoque, aluminium panels welded to tubular steel frame. IFS front by top rocker, lower wishbone and coil/spring shock unit. Rear by single top link, inverted lower wishbone, twin radius rods and coil spring/damper units.Adjustable roll-bars front and rear. Dunlop disc brakes , 468 Kg total. Engine ‘Tipo 205B’ 1489cc 90 degree all alloy V8. Chain driven DOHC, 2 valves per cylinder. Twin plugs fired by Marelli coils (4) and distributor. Bosch direct fuel injection, 10.5:1 compression ratio, circa 220bhp @ 11000rpm. 5 speed transaxle with ratios to choice,’slippery diff’ (Bruno Betti) John avoided the multiple spins and accidents caused by the lap 1 deluge of the Belgian GP at Spa in 1966, winning the race. He was shortly to walk out of the team and with that action ended his, and Ferraris’ hopes of a World Championship that year. Camera crew handily placed on the Eau Rouge apex… (unattributed) Happy JS testing his F1 Ferrari 312 at Monza in 1966 before the Monza 1000Km race. Cars behind are Ferraris’; Dino 206S and P3. The event was in April ’66, Surtees had a win in a P3 partnered by Mike Parkes…Bandini in the drivers overalls and brown sweater ? (unattributed)
1966 was capped with a dominant win in the first CanAm Championshipin his self-run Team Surtees Lola T70Mk2 Chev, defeating Mark Donohue in a similar car and Bruce McLarens’ own M1B Chev, the McLaren CanAm steamroller commenced the following year.
John Surtees in his Lola T70 Mk2 Chev leads the field into turn 1 at ‘Stardust International Raceway’, Las Vegas 1966. The hi-winged Chaparral 2E Chev’s of Jim Hall and Phil Hill stand out. #98 is Parnelli Jones, #18 behind Hill George Follmer, #43 Jackie Stewart and #6 Mark Donohue are all in Lola T70 Chevs. #4, 5 , 88 are McLaren, Amon and Masten Gregory all driving McLaren M1B Chevs…Surtees victorious that year in a field of great depth (unattributed)
The Honda RA273 was a big heavy car, the marriage of Lola chassis and Honda engine, the RA300, was more competitive winning Surtees his sixth and final Championship Grand Prix victory at Monza in 1967, just pipping Jack Brabham in a last corner tactical battle/sprint to the line.
Surtees in his Honda RA300, the big V12 ahead of Graham Hills’ Lotus 49 Ford. Clarks’ Lotus 49 won the race, his last GP victory. Surtees 8th, Hill 2nd Kyalami , South Africa 1968 (unattributed)
Honda withdrew from F1 to reappear in the 1980’s, Surtees F1 season with BRM in 1969 was a poor one, the Tony Southgate designed BRM P153/180 were competitive cars but John was a season too early, his timing again was not quite right.
JS 5th in the 1969 Spanish GP but 6 laps behind winner Stewarts’ Matra Ford in a debacle of a race when Rindt/Hill Lotus 49’s lost their rear wings…hi-wings banned at Monaco several weeks later. BRM P138. (unattributed) The truly wild Chaparral 2H Chev 1969, Surtees wrestling with the beast at Laguna Seca. An article in itself deserved on this car, composite chassis, low, low driving position, raised at Surtees insistence, De Dion rear suspension and more…here in search of downforce with what, even by Jim Halls’ standards, is a BIG WING! (unattributed)
His 1969 Chapparral CanAm season was even worse.
Jim Halls 2H Chev was an extraordinary car of immense innovation, but was totally uncompetitive, despite the best efforts of development of both Hall and Surtees. The 2J ‘ground effect sucker car’ of 1970 was even more avant garde and competitive but Jim Hall and Surtees was not ‘a marriage made in heaven’, a second season was not going to happen.
Communication breakdown…Jim Hall and Surtees, Edmonton Can Am 1969, John in the seat of the recalcitrant, avant garde Chaparral 2H Chev. Franz Weis looks on (unattributed) All is forgiven…back in Scuderia Ferrari in the 1970 512S squad…here at the Nurburgring in front of the much more nimble and victorious Porsche 908/3 of Elford/Ahrens. John was teamed with Niño Vaccarella, they finished 3rd. (unattributed)
It was time to control his own destiny, build his own cars which he started to do with the Len Terry designed TS5 F5000 car in 1969…the Surtees TS7 Ford F1 machine made its debut in Johns’ hands in 1970.
Surtees Cars won the European F2 Championship with the works TS10 Ford driven by Mike Hailwood and the 1972 British/European F5000 Championship, Gijs van Lennep driving a TS11 Chev.
Surtees in his own TS8 Chev F5000 car Australian GP 1971, Warwick Farm. He was running second behind Frank Matich’ winning Matich A50 Repco, then had a puncture DNF. Here he is leading Max Stewart’s 2 litre Mildren Waggott DNF engine. (Dick Simpson)
In F1 the cars were competitive over the years, the TS19 ‘Durex franger’ sponsored chassis of 1976-7 perhaps the pick of them albeit results were still not great, John finally gave up due to the difficulty in funding in 1978.
Surtees retired from F1 as a driver after the Italian GP, Monza 1972, fitting as it was the scene of his final championship F1 victory in 1967.
He was competitive to the end winning two F2 races in his Surtees TS10 Ford that year. He continued to test the F1 cars, much to the annoyance of some of his drivers who would have preferred the ‘seat time’ themselves…
He is now 80 years old, happy in retirement and still a respected commentator on the current scene…
John Surtees contesting his final GP, Monza 1972 is his TS14 Ford. He retired on lap 7 with fuel vaporisation problems, teammate and fellow ex-motor cycle champion Mike Hailwood finished second in his Surtees TS9B Ford..his and the marques best ever championship result. Emerson Fittipaldi won the race and the Championship in his Lotus 72 Ford (unattributed)
Etcetera…
Read this fantastic article, John Surtees on working with the ‘Italian Racing Aristocrats’, Count Agusta and Commendatore Ferrari…
Signing on the dotted line for MV, a very youthful JS, 22 years old, with Count Agusta 1956 (unattributed) Winning the ‘South Pacific International’, Longford, Tasmania, Australia March 1962. The ‘Yeoman Credit’ Cooper T53 Climax 2.7 is exiting the Viaduct. He beat Jack Brabham and Bib Stillwell also in Coopers (Keverell Thompson) Enzo Ferrari, John Surtees with crossed arms in the driving suit behind him. Surtees grumpy, perhaps early tests of the 158 at Modena are not going well…(Bernard Cahier) Love this shot of Surtees in his Ferrari 158 chasing teammate Bandini in a 1512 in the 1965 Monaco GP. Bandini 2nd, Surtees 4th and out of fuel, Hill victorious in his BRM P261 (Rainer Schlegelmilch) Team Surtees 1966 CanAm Champions…the way it was. Racer, truck, mechanics, driver, ‘works car’ and a series win! Surtees supervising @ rear, circuit anyone? (unattributed) John Surtees ahead of Bruce McLaren, Lola T70 Mk 2 and McLaren M1B, both Chev powered. St Jovite Can Am Canada 1966 (unattributed) Testing ! the Lola T100 Ford FVA F2 car at the Nurburgring, 1967 (Alexandre Willerding) Surtees TS7 Ford, JS 1970 & 1971 F1 contender. A well executed ‘Cosworth kit car’ of the period, general layout by JS, detail design by Peter Connew and Shabab Ahmed. Aluminium monocoque chassis, Ford Cosworth DFV 3 litre V8, circa 430bhp @ 10200rpm in 1970. Hewland DG 300 5 speed ‘box. IFS front by top rocker, lower wishbone and coil spring/ damper units and rear by single top link, single top radius rod, twin parallel lower links and coil spring/damper units, F5000 TS8 of the time a variant of this chassis. The car won some championship points and the Non-Championship Oulton Park Gold Cup in 1970 (cutaway by Bill Bennett)
Photo and Other Credits…
The Cahier Archive, Alexandre Willerding, Keverell Thompson Collection, John Ellacott, Dick Simpson, Bruno Betti, Bill Bennett, Rainer Schlegelmilch
Masten Gregory settles down in his fifth grid spot, works Cooper T51 Climax. Incredibly evocative period shot…
Gregory finished seventh in the race won by his team leader Jack Brabham with Bruce McLaren third in the last of the Cooper team T51’s, Moss splitting them in his BRM P25.
Carroll Shelby in the Aston DBR4, Hill in #28 Lotus 16 Cliamx, #22 Ian Burgess Cooper T51 Climax, #30 Innes Ireland Lotus 16 Climax, #42 Ron Flockhart BRM P25, #36 Brian Taylor JBW Maserati…9 Cooper T51’s and 2 T45’s started the race…where Maserati 250F’s provided the bulk of the field 2 years before Cooper now filled that role! (John Ross)
Fireman at rest..whilst Trintignants Rob Walker Cooper T51 Climax passes…he finished 8th (John Ross)
Graham Hill’s Lotus 16 Climax, 9th (GP Library/Getty)
Peter Ashdown, Cooper T45 Climax, from Graham Hill, Lotus 16 Climax and Roy Salvadori, Aston Martin DBR4…12th, 9th, and 6th respectively (John Ross)
Masten Gregory, undated and unattributed but circa 1959…(pinterest)
Etcetera…
Aintree Circuit is located in Merseyside, Liverpool it is still used for motor sport in a limited manner, it last hosted the British GP in 1962
Cooper T 51 Coventry Climax, World Champion in 1959. Spaceframe chassis, 4 wheel disc brakes, IFS front by upper and lowere wishbones and coil spring/damper units. IFS rear by upper and lower wishbones and transverse leaf spring. 5 speed ‘box and DOHC, Weber carbed Coventry Climax FPF 2.5 litre 4 cylinder engine developing around 230bhp
Mauro Forghieri asks Jacky Ickx about his wonderful creation on the Belgian GP grid, Spa 1970. Inboard front suspension, top rocker actuating a spring/shock, lower wishbone. Twin radius rods at rear in evidence. Single top link, and lower wishbone also used at rear. Well protected Lucas fuel injection trumpets, and low nature of engine clear (R Schlegelmilch)
Jacky Ickx awaits the start of the Belgian Grand Prix, he finished eighth amongst a fantastic battle between Pedro Rodriguez and Chris Amon on this spectacular, fast and oh-so-dangerous classic circuit in the Ardennes…
Amon left Ferrari at the end of 1969 , a team he adored and had raced for since 1967. He had been very competitive throughout in F1, Sports Prototypes, and the Tasman Series, but the Championship F1 victory he sought had eluded him.
Spa vista 1970 (Bruce Thomas)
Mauro Forghieri designed the all-new 312B for 1970…
The core of the design was a horizontally opposed 12 cylinder engine utilising only 4 main bearings to minimise power-sapping frictional losses. The ‘Boxer’ engine layout allowed a very low centre of gravity and cleaner airflow for the rear wing amongst other benefits.
Engine ‘Type 001’. 180 degree, DOHC, four valve, Lucas fuel injected ‘Flat 12’. Distributor, coil and Dinoplx electronic ignition. Very oversquare at 78.5×51.5 Bore/Stroke, 2991cc. 11.8:1 compression ratio, circa 460BHP at 12000RPM in 1970, rising to over 525BHP throughout the 70’s (unattributed)
Chris tested the car late in 1969, several massive engine failures convinced him to leave the team to drive a competitive car powered by the dominant, powerful and reliable Ford Cosworth DFV V8. And so it was that his Cosworth DFV powered March was beaten throughout the season by the 312B’s and in Belgium by the BRM P153 V12 of Rodriguez.
Chris’ Ferrari departure proved to be another of Amon’s poor timing decisions, his capacity for being in the ‘right place at the wrong time’ was legendary. Forghieri’s design was both reliable and fast in 1970, Ickx won three races and newcomer Clay Regazzoni one- Ferrari narrowly missed the drivers and constructors titles to Jochen Rindt, posthumously, and Lotus.
In fact the engine was brilliant, one of the greatest in F1, powering cars which took Niki Lauda (1975 and 1977), and Jody Scheckter (1979) to world titles, and in endurance form winning all the classic endurance events but the two 24 Hour races at Le Mans and Daytona. In its early form the DOHC, four valve, Lucas injected, 2991cc engine developed around 460BHP at a time the DFV developed circa 435BHP.
The chassis of the 312B was also new and whilst not a ‘full-monocoque’, the combination of aluminium reinforced space-frame tubing was very effective and forgiving to drive.
Newcomer Ignazio Giunti was the best placed Belgian GP 312B in fourth, Ickx having a variety of problems. The race was won by Rodriguez by a second from Amon with Jean Pierre Beltoise third, a further 1.43 minutes adrift, such was the pace of Pedro and Chris.
Amon set a new lap record in his chase of Rodriguez at 152MPH, but Pedro was ‘Spa fit’ having set a 160MPH lap in a 4.5 litre flat 12 Porsche 917 the week before…oh to have seen either race!
There was a chicane at Malmedy for the Grand Prix which was unused during the 1000 Km classic but all the same, 160MPH was the fastest ever lap-time of a road circuit anywhere in the world at the time.
(W Buhrer)
Jacky Ickx, Ferrari 312B, La Source hairpin, Spa 1970 (R Schlegelmilch)
The very cosy, comfy cockpit of Ickx’ Ferrai 312B. Lockout for reverse gear in the gated 5 speed ‘box plain to see , Momo steering wheel, Veglia instruments, just luvverly in every way (R Schlegelmilch)
Etcetera…
An all Ford DFV powered front row at the races start: Jochen Rindt’s Lotus 49 wedged by Amon’s March 701 on the nearside and Stewart’s similar pole winner on the outside…Ickx the best of the 12’s on this ultimate power circuit on the second row (unattributed)
Out into the Ardennes Forest …Rindt from Ickx, Beltoise, Brabham in the distance and the yellow speck Peterson…Lotus 49 DFV, Ferrari 312B, Matra MS120 V12, Brabham BT33 DFV, and March 701 DFV (unattributed)
But Pedro Rodriguez won the day in the BRM P153 V12…over the years there have been rumours the BRM engine was ‘fat’ that day, but these have been scotched by Doug Nye amongst others. Also, Pedro was supreme at Spa and Tony Southgates’ P153 and ’71 P160 BRM’s were fast, if not always reliable race-winners (unattributed)
Photo and other Credits…
Bruce Thomas, Rainer Schlegelmilch, Illustrations by Werner Buhrer
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