There’s an important event coming up soon that we want members and everyone interested to give 100 per cent support. It’s a tribute to Sir Jack Brabham on Saturday June 14 at Pit Straight on the old Gnoo Blas track at 2.30pm.
We’ve combined with Orange City Council to hold the event because as most of you probably know, Sir Jack started his road racing career at Gnoo Blas in January 1953 in a Vincent-engined Cooper 1100 that blew up in the race after he was running in ninth place against much bigger cars.
He was back at the next meeting and most meetings after that when he was in Australia. He won numerous races at Orange, including the handicap section of the first South Pacific Championship and second outright to the factory Ferrari of Englishman Peter Whitehead. He won the championship at future meetings and held the lap record.
It’s fitting that we should hold a tribute on the old track that has the approval of his family. It will go for only about half an hour and includes a eulogy by Sir Jack’s engineer Ron Tauranac (AO), who built his Brabham racing cars. It’s a coup just to get him here. Bill Buckle (OAM) is also coming to the tribute and bringing his Buckle. Sir Jack drove a Buckle in one of his races at Gnoo Blas. People should come in their classics and we hope to do a fee laps after the tribute.