Jack
Brabham was a second generation Aussie who's grandfather came from the Cockney area of
East London. His father who owned a grocery store just outside of Sydney was a keen
motorist who taught Brabham how to drive a car at the age of 12. At 15 Brabham left school
and got a job in a local garage while spending his evenings studying engineering at
Kogarah Tech.
In 1946 after two years duty in
the Air Force Brabham opened a small repair business. He soon made the acquaintance of an
ex-patriot American by the name of Johnny Schonberg who raced midget cars. Brabham
prepared a new car for the American but after his wife induced him to quit racing it was
left to Brabham to try his hand. After some sketchy instructions he made his debut at
Paramatta Park Speedway. In his first season he won the New South Wales Championship.
During this time he would form a partnership with Ron Tauranac that would continue into
Formula One and Europe.
In 1955 he made his way to Europe and had his Grand
prix debut at Aintree. After an abortive stint driving a private Maserati 250F he joined
the Cooper team. 1959 saw the Cooper with a proper 2 1/2 liter
Coventry Climax engine with which Brabham won the World Championship. In 1960 he repeated
this feat with a new lowline model, which included a streak of five straight victories.
Finding his influence proscribed at Cooper he decided to strike out on his own in
partnership with Ron Tauranac and Motor Racing Developments.
The new 1 1/2 liter engine limit in Formula One found the British teams scrambling for motive power. While the small engined cars seemed tailor made for Jimmy Clark and Lotus, Brabham's aggressive style seemed unsuited and he would not win a race during the 1500 cc era. It was left to American Dan Gurney to take the team's maiden victory at Rouen. For 1966 a new 3 liter formula came into existence. Brabham found an engine in his own backyard with the Australian Repco Company. The Repco-Brabham would provide Brabham a car with which he won the French, British, Dutch and German Grands Prix and that years World Championship. The next year would follow with another championship for the team, this time the title went to his teammate Denis Hulme. 1968 belonged to Lotus and Ford-Cosworth despite the tragic death of Jimmy Clark. For 1969 Brabham also had a Ford-Cosworth engine deal but a broken ankle during a test crash ruined his title chances.
In 1970 he had hoped to retire but finding all the top drivers unavailable he decided to continue driving for one more year. Rather than going through the motions he won the season opener at the South African Grand Prix and led the always difficult Monaco Grand Prix until the final corner of the last lap while under pressure of the onrushing Jochen Rindt. The Mexican Grand Prix would be his last race but even at 44 the fires still burned bright.
After retiring from driving he sold his interest in the team to his partner Ron Tauranac and returned to his native Australia. Later in his life Brabham would regret making such a clean break from Formula One. Besides maintaining his garage business he still makes appearances at the various vintage races that seem to be springing up everywhere.
|
|
|
|
|
|
  |
||||
|
|
||||
|
Grand Prix History is produced by The Motorsports Publishing Group, LLC |
||||
