RIP Sir Jack Brabham

Was maybe not as mercurial as some, but certainly had a racing brain like no other in those days and knew perfectly how to win championships, a skill few racers have. And some of them in this country in particular are lauded far more than this legend. Raced against Clark, Hill, Rindt and many others and beat them all.

 

 

One of the memories that I will always have of Sir Jack was one of his mottoes - "win at the slowest possible speed", or something like that? A true thinking racer. Anyway, Australia has lost a legend today, RIP.

Sad news to wake up to today, to be honest I'd forgotten he was 88, maybe because he was racing as "recently" as 1970, which I guess is a testament to how quick he still was aged 44.

RIP

Edited by FerrariV12, 19 May 2014 - 12:52.

Bearing in mind how difficult it was to pass Brabham, one wonders how they will get his elbows in the coffin - RIP one of the truly great racers.

RIP

RIP Sir Jack, a gentleman and a racer.

Bearing in mind how difficult it was to pass Brabham, one wonders how they will get his elbows in the coffin - RIP one of the truly great racers.

RIP to a legend.

One of the memories that I will always have of Sir Jack was one of his mottoes - "win at the slowest possible speed", or something like that? A true thinking racer. Anyway, Australia has lost a legend today, RIP.

Not sure of the exact quote, but I think that ^, is pretty close. A long life well lived, Black Jack will be missed by many.

Rest in peace, Sir Jack.

1966

The media are getting more and more pushy about Jack and his age, being the 'old man' of the grid, and constantly suggesting he is due for retirement. He was 40.

So come Zandvoort, instead of venting frustration or dislike at this mounting suggestion, he decided to have a laugh about it.

He mooches his way in front of the grandstands to the grid wearing a long false beard and hobbling with a walking stick!

Dry aussie humour that man had.

Of course he won that race, and later the championship.

Over on the nostalgia thread someone has posted a good video documentary link about the Repco-Brabham story....

Rest in Peace Sir Jack.

An absolute legend.

This might interest anyone who hasn't seen it, a retrospective interview aired recently on Sky:

http://www.dailymoti...ck-brabham_auto

RIP to a man of unique achievement and remarkable humility. 

Edited by Spillage, 19 May 2014 - 22:08.

This is brilliant, I had no idea about this before. fantastic

This is brilliant, I had no idea about this before. fantastic

If I'm not totally wrong*, Fangio only wanted to come, if they could race. He wasn't going to be there just for a showoff of the car.

* I might be, was 9 or 10 when I heard the story,

EDIT: They might even say it the video. Cannot remember.

Edited by Myrvold, 19 May 2014 - 22:39.

I was lucky enough to be in the grandstand at Sandown that day and the noise of that Silver Arrow was incredible. Fangio really gave it a go and Sir Jack was a complete gentleman allowing the Mercedes to star. At the end of the "race" Fangio got out at the start/finish line and the mechanic got in to take it back to the pits and revved the crap out of it. They certainly weren`t being gentle with it.

In 2006, Australia Post released a postage stamp that featured him. At the Australian Formula 1 grand prix, he was to do an autograph signing session, and I (somewhat cleverly) managed to find him in the crowd as he was walking from the paddock area to the autograph signing stage.

 

I had a brief chat with him, and got an autograph, and let him go on his way. And in those minutes, not a single other person in the crowd *at a Grand Prix*, *in Australia*, seemed to have any idea who this old man was.  Certainly as he walked away from me, nobody else paid him any attention.

I think it is a blessing that drivers can one day when they are old and weary walk down the street without the overwhelming attention of paparazzi and fans.

I took my time not to post here. Bad day, bad mojo. And when I woke up, I saw this...

Even if he was born 63 years earlier than me and won his last WDC one year later than my mother was born, he still struck a chord with me. But still, after the seemingly short years of being a motorsport fan, he was one of the only ones I truly felt an emotional connection from that era.

I watched his races, respected the man, and would of loved to have some of those traits that made him who he is.

'Black Jack'. What a man.

Condolences to your family and may you taste that champagne in the sky, mate.

My favourite memory of Jack is from the inaugural Canadian Grand Prix 1967. Despite being the current WC a lot of the press attention was on Team Lotus and they were 2 seconds quicker around Mosport in the dry. Come race day however, it was wet, dry and even wetter, Clark stopped with drowned electrics, Hill spun, Gurney and Hulme stopped for fresh goggles and Old Jack just kept rolling off the laps for the victory. Later I read that he had applied something to his goggles which prevented misting up.The term thinking driver certainly applied that day.

 Jimisgod: It is the quality of the condolences and memories that is important, not just the quantity. In particular read the moving message from Dan Gurney and also what Ron Denis had to say. These are the people who worked with him and knew him best. 

As others have said, this news was somewhat expected given his age and poor health, and not overly sad considering the full and rich life he lived, despite the danger of his chosen profession.  I'm happy that he lived long enough to watch his grandsons take up the Brabham torch with their own recent racing success, having already witnessed his own sons do much the same.  Aside from the success of his own career and businesses, founding a racing dynasty is a proud achievement.

He achieved what no other driver ever will; designing and winning in his own car.

Not only that, he proved a worthy adversary for both Moss and Clark, among others, and beat both to the championship on occasion.

I am saddened the loss of one of the true greats of the sport can't even muster 100 messages of condolence on this forum.

Don't fret, there're over 90 replies in the Nostalgia section.