World Champion Jack Brabham Passes at Age 88

Formula One champions Jim Clark and Jack Brabham in the pits during at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1964.  [Courtesy of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway]

Big Bend, WI (May 19^th, 2013) – The racing world was saddened by the announcement that three-time World Champion Sir Jack Brabham had passed away at the age of 88.  Brabham started racing in his native Australia after World War II.  Brabham cut his racing teeth on the fledgling Australian midget racing car series, later advancing to hill climbs and eventually road racing. Moving to Europe in the 1950’s, Brabham’s career took a leap after joining John Cooper’s small English racing team.  After winning the World Championship in 1959 and 1960, Brabham and his friend Ron Tauranac set up a company called Motor Racing Developments (MRD), which built customer racing cars, while Brabham himself continued to race for Cooper.

 

In 1966, Formula One changed the engine rules (going from 1.5 liters to 3.0 liters), Brabham who disliked the small bore cars excelled with the more powerful formula winning his final championship in 1966. Brabham would go on to win fourteen F-1 races in a career that spanned from 1955-1970.  The 1966 championship is impressive considering he failed to win a race for five seasons (1961-1965).

 

Most Americans may remember Brabham for his driving exploits at the venerable Indianapolis Motor Speedway.  In 1999, I had the pleasure to speak with fellow driver Rodger Ward about Brabham.  Jack Brabham brought the first modern rear-engine car to Indianapolis in October of 1960.  Two-time Indy 500 winner Ward remembers, “When Jack Brabham came to Indianapolis for the first time it really came at my request.  We were at a sports car race and I mentioned to Jack that he should bring his funny looking little car to Indianapolis and see how it will do.  They finally organized it so where we got him a practice date at the Speedway.  We were running a Formula Libre race at Watkins Glen and they brought the car down and ran a few laps.  Then they gave me a ride in it and they were more than satisfied with the way the car performed and so he (Jack Brabham) came with that car as the first real Formula One transition (car).  When Jimmy Clark came (Indianapolis) in 1963 with Dan Gurney that just backed up that fact that those were the cars of the future.”  Brabham eventually finished ninth at Indy in 1961.  Brabham would eventually race in the “500” four times, 1961, 1964, 1969 and 1970 with his best finish in ‘61.

 

Indianapolis Motor Speedway President J. Douglas Boles issued the following state earlier today, “Every time an Indy car runs at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, you can find roots that trace back to Jack Brabham’s rear-engined Cooper Climax T54 that he drove to 9th place in the 1961 Indianapolis 500,” said J. Douglas Boles, Indianapolis Motor Speedway president. “In addition to starting the rear-engine revolution at IMS, Brabham competed in four Indianapolis 500 Mile Races and designed race cars that competed in the 500. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Brabham family, especially with his son and former Indianapolis 500 competitor Geoff Brabham and his grandson and current Indy Lights competitor Matthew Brabham.”

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