Information please, guys

Hullo All;
Was involved in a discussion over an ale or seven over the weekend.
The name of Jack Ahearn came up.
Is Jack still with us?
Any info welcome.
Cheers.
Roger.

I believe so, think he lives up at Lithgow.
I was doing comm at one of Bob Blythe's AHRMA meetings at Eastern Creek a few years back and wondered who the old dude in the grey leathers on the Manx was having a tootle in the lunchtime parade : turned out to be Jack himself, so I grabbed the radio mike and hotfooted it down the pit road to get an interview when he came in. Somewhat to my surprise, instead of banging on about how good it was in the old days when men were men etc, among other things Jack was very complimentary about the standard of circuits today, and observed if the racers of the fifties and sixties had the opportunity to race on modern facilities there would be a hell of a lot more of them around. Wound the interview up by praising him as the winner of the 1964 Finnish GP, and second in that year's 500 title to SMBH, and happily he got a good cheer and applause from the crowd.
I might add that although Jack was ticking on a bit even then, if you look deep into his eyes, there's still mischief afoot in there....

Edited by GD66, 26 February 2013 - 07:33.

I believe so, think he lives up at Lithgow.
I was doing comm at one of Bob Blythe's AHRMA meetings at Eastern Creek a few years back and wondered who the old dude in the grey leathers on the Manx was having a tootle in the lunchtime parade : turned out to be Jack himself, so I grabbed the radio mike and hotfooted it down the pit road to get an interview when he came in. Somewhat to my surprise, instead of banging on about how good it was in the old days when men were men etc, among other things Jack was very complimentary about the standard of circuits today, and observed if the racers of the fifties and sixties had the opportunity to race on modern facilities there would be a hell of a lot more of them around. Wound the interview up by praising him as the winner of the 1964 Finnish GP, and second in that year's 500 title to SMBH, and happily he got a good cheer and applause from the crowd.
I might add that although Jack was ticking on a bit even then, if you look deep into his eyes, there's still mischief afoot in there....

There's a great youtube video of Jim Redman telling a classic Ahearn story, they were at the Sachsenring GP and sometime early in the weekend Jack was hit on the head by a model aircraft thrown by a child and muttered "bloody germans !!!! ", next day after practice Jack left his Norton against the van whereupon it was stolen and Jack threw his hands up in exasperation shouting " BLOODY GERMANS"!!!!!.
So someone on hearing about this theft organised a collection going around the crowd with buckets, they came back with them full to the extent that there was enough for Jack to buy TWO replacement Nortons, Jack was later heard to say......." these Germans are quite nice aren't they" :-).

Hullo All;
Was involved in a discussion over an ale or seven over the weekend.
The name of Jack Ahearn came up.
Is Jack still with us?
Any info welcome.
Cheers.
Roger.

Jack had a bike shop at West Ryde in Sydney, Rob Madden a schoolmate of mine worked for him. I remember a sparkling new Vello on the showroom floor. It would have been late sixties I think. If memory serves me right he sold hondas as well.

Jack had a bike shop at West Ryde in Sydney, Rob Madden a schoolmate of mine worked for him. I remember a sparkling new Vello on the showroom floor. It would have been late sixties I think. If memory serves me right he sold hondas as well.

I think he's still with us and living on the North Coast.

Hullo Russel;
Many thaks for putting up that programme.
You could not get a better field than that.
"A" graders from top to bottom.
That would have been a race at Amaroo Park I presume.
Just imagine having that field at a present day Historic Meetng!!
Would have the patrons going mad!
Cheers.
Roger.

Wot he said....talk about star-studded

Hullo Russel;
Many thaks for putting up that programme.
You could not get a better field than that.
"A" graders from top to bottom.
That would have been a race at Amaroo Park I presume.
Just imagine having that field at a present day Historic Meetng!!
Would have the patrons going mad!
Cheers.
Roger.

Wot he said....talk about star-studded

You're welcome gents. It is Amaroo, 1970. I think I watched this one and it included a great race long tear up between Turnbull and Cass. I remember it cos I was a bit bashed about after some earlier fun and games.

Don Cox tells me Jack's going okay, is now 89 and living "on the largest hill in Lismore".