opinionated ow
05-19-14, 12:41 PM
Tragic news to wake-up to this morning, Sir Jack Brabham died this morning (19/5/14) aged 88 at his home on the Gold Coast. Sir Jack was the first person to ever be knighted for services to motor racing, fitting when you consider that he was:
1959, 1960, 1966 Formula One World Champion
1966-1967 Formula One Constructors World Champion
Australian Midget Champion
NSW Midget Champion
14 Times World Championships Grand Prix winner (+ 16 non-championship F1 races and others including multiple wins at the Pau Grand Prix, the Australian Grand Prix & the New Zealand Grand Prix)
The only driver to design, build, engineer and race his own car to World Championship victory
2nd (x1), 3rd (x2) in the Tasman Series Championships in 1964, 1965 and 1967 respectively
The man who brought the rear-engined revolution to Indy
The largest constructor of customer race cars in the world
The list goes on. A truly extraordinary, humble man. He was from all accounts a true gentleman, not stuck up in any way and always willing to help. I never met him but I did see him at a couple of race meetings in his later years. His legacy of course lives on with his son David in sportscars, and his grandsons Matthew (Indy Lights) and Sam (British Formula Ford). What was his engine company to this day lives on as Judd.
This is the best obituary I've come across so far:
http://www.motorsportmagazine.com/f1/history/sir-jack-brabham-1926-2014/
1959, 1960, 1966 Formula One World Champion
1966-1967 Formula One Constructors World Champion
Australian Midget Champion
NSW Midget Champion
14 Times World Championships Grand Prix winner (+ 16 non-championship F1 races and others including multiple wins at the Pau Grand Prix, the Australian Grand Prix & the New Zealand Grand Prix)
The only driver to design, build, engineer and race his own car to World Championship victory
2nd (x1), 3rd (x2) in the Tasman Series Championships in 1964, 1965 and 1967 respectively
The man who brought the rear-engined revolution to Indy
The largest constructor of customer race cars in the world
The list goes on. A truly extraordinary, humble man. He was from all accounts a true gentleman, not stuck up in any way and always willing to help. I never met him but I did see him at a couple of race meetings in his later years. His legacy of course lives on with his son David in sportscars, and his grandsons Matthew (Indy Lights) and Sam (British Formula Ford). What was his engine company to this day lives on as Judd.
This is the best obituary I've come across so far:
http://www.motorsportmagazine.com/f1/history/sir-jack-brabham-1926-2014/