36 replies to this topic

[Prototype]

One of the great Australian drivers of the late 1960's - 1970's was John McCormack.

He did fantastic things in Formula 5000's, winning the Gold Star as Australian Champion Driver three times, and turned sedan racing on its head with the Repco engined Charger.

The first time I saw him was in a 2.5 Elfin 600 Repco at Warwick Farm 1970, then a year later in the Australian GP in the brand new Elfin MR5. He and that car became formidable, winning the New Zealand GP in 1973.

I spoke to him at the Phillip Island historics in 2009, but he was fairly reticent to talk about the past.

Any anecdotes about this great driver?

[David McKinney]

He also won the NZ GP in 1974

[ellrosso]

Can't say I'm any great authority on John but I can give you a bit of background about his Tasmanian racing. He raced a supercharged Nota openwheeler in 1965 (and possibly into 1966 - Rob Saward will no doubt be able to clarify and add a lot more to what I can provide as he was from the NW coast - same as John).
He then purchased the ex Graham Hill Scuderia Veloce Brabham Climax BT4 (?) which won at Longford in 1964. This was a very handy device for local racing in Tassy and John had some great battles with David Sternberg in the ex Jim Clark Lotus 32B Climax (both 2.5's) through 1968 - 69 culminating in a big win for John at Baskerville in 1969 with the Cambridge Trophy race. He then installed the 2.5 Climax in a brand new Elfin 600 chassis for the 1970 Gold Star round at Symmons, which was the beginning of a long and successful relationship with Garrie Cooper and Elfins. All his cars are on the oldracephotos.com website - just type John McCormack into the Advanced Search at the bottom of the categories in the Online Store will bring them all up.
On a personal note we would often call into his service station at Cooee (just outside Burnie) when we were up the NW Coast (my father used to have a farm outside Somerset) and he was happy to let me go into the service bay and check out the Brabham (I was 12 or 13 at the time). Possibly not at the top of the tree as far as natural talent goes, but as you have mentioned, a very successful career in Australasian Motorsport. His battle with Jim Richards at the 1975 Baskerville 10,000 in the Charger is still one of my favourite races ever. They were very evenly matched - terrific stuff!

[Prototype]

Thanks Ellrosso, great stories!

[David McKinney]

When did he move to the mainland - at the time his association with Elfin began?

Or, contrary to my understanding, did he remain on the Apple Isle?

[David Shaw]

By reading into his Gold Star results, I'd say that he moved to the mainland at the end of 1969/start of 1970. Before then his only Gold Star appearances were at Symmons, but he ran the whole 1970 series.
The Climax didn't last long though, being replaced by a 2.5 Repco V8 between the NSW Gold Star races, Oran Park's Diamond Trophy in June and the Hordern Trophy in September. He was then part of a quasi Elfin-Repco team along with Garrie Cooper himself and Malcolm Ramsay, competing against the similarly powered Jane of John Harvey, and the very competitive Waggott TC4V powered cars.

[xj13v12]

By reading into his Gold Star results, I'd say that he moved to the mainland at the end of 1969/start of 1970. Before then his only Gold Star appearances were at Symmons, but he ran the whole 1970 series.
The Climax didn't last long though, being replaced by a 2.5 Repco V8 between the NSW Gold Star races, Oran Park's Diamond Trophy in June and the Hordern Trophy in September. He was then part of a quasi Elfin-Repco team along with Garrie Cooper himself and Malcolm Ramsay, competing against the similarly powered Jane of John Harvey, and the very competitive Waggott TC4V powered cars.

Muscle Car mag did an extensive article on John some time ago, possibly available on back order. I understood that he set up camp in South Australia (where Elfin was) and in the Charger days had a company called Develco run by Simon Arram I think. Mac did the engineering on the charger and Jag XJS as well as the F5000 installation on the McLaren. Very knowledgabe guy. When he was running the Elfin MR5 F5000 he had engines directly from Repco albeit they were ex Matich. One of those engines was in the car when he won the NZGP. He felt it was better than he usually had but it was available because Frank didn't race there that year I think. Someone can correct me on that I am not near my books at the moment. Mac told me that he broke 3rd gear very early in the race so he had to use 8,500 rpm in 2nd before pulling 4th to stay ahead of McRae? This was at Pukekohe where there is a very slow hairpin requiring 2nd gear (that's effectively bottom gear in an F5000) and also 3rd would be used before the start of the long stright so it was a serious disadvantage.
He also told me about how much the suspension arms vibrated due to the flat plane crank he had. Imagine a rubber band held tight and that visual effect you get when you pluck it. Now imagine trailing arms etc looking like that the whole time.
I think Mac was also favourite to win the AGP in his well developed Mclaren when he was in that very bad truck crash on the way to the race. The driver, not him, fell asleep and John was asleep in the passenger seat. He suffered brain bruising and it finished his career. I would describe John McCormack as a deep thinker, technically up there with the best and someone who was able to study the people he competed against. I have always found his comments on people as well as the racing of the period very insightful.

[Ray Bell]

Good comments, xj...

However, I think the timing of his move to the mainland would have been very close to the commencement of the Ansett deal.

[xj13v12]

Good comments, xj...

However, I think the timing of his move to the mainland would have been very close to the commencement of the Ansett deal.

Probably right, that would make sense as Elfin made the big jump into sponsorship at the top level. I meant to grab the Muscle Car article and have a look.

[ellrosso]

Just to add to my comments Rob Saward told me John was based in Devonport so he may have been working on his car at this servo in Cooee for some reason.
He had a 7BU sticker on the car so I assumed he was based in the Burnie area. John Bowe's father Brian would no doubt have a swag of stories about John's Tassy career.

[Prototype]

Great info xj13v12.

I heard that McCormack was rebuilding his original MR5, I wonder where that project is up to and in what form will it be in - high front wing or blunt wide nose...anyone know?

[xj13v12]

Great info xj13v12.

I heard that McCormack was rebuilding his original MR5, I wonder where that project is up to and in what form will it be in - high front wing or blunt wide nose...anyone know?

That's right. Original configuration I gather. May have been sold but not certain. Max Pearson in Qld has one of them not sure which.

[Paul Newby]

Muscle Car mag did an extensive article on John some time ago, possibly available on back order. I understood that he set up camp in South Australia (where Elfin was) and in the Charger days had a company called Develco run by Simon Arram I think. Mac did the engineering on the charger and Jag XJS as well as the F5000 installation on the McLaren. Very knowledgabe guy. When he was running the Elfin MR5 F5000 he had engines directly from Repco albeit they were ex Matich. One of those engines was in the car when he won the NZGP. He felt it was better than he usually had but it was available because Frank didn't race there that year I think. Someone can correct me on that I am not near my books at the moment. Mac told me that he broke 3rd gear very early in the race so he had to use 8,500 rpm in 2nd before pulling 4th to stay ahead of McRae? This was at Pukekohe where there is a very slow hairpin requiring 2nd gear (that's effectively bottom gear in an F5000) and also 3rd would be used before the start of the long stright so it was a serious disadvantage.
He also told me about how much the suspension arms vibrated due to the flat plane crank he had. Imagine a rubber band held tight and that visual effect you get when you pluck it. Now imagine trailing arms etc looking like that the whole time.
I think Mac was also favourite to win the AGP in his well developed Mclaren when he was in that very bad truck crash on the way to the race. The driver, not him, fell asleep and John was asleep in the passenger seat. He suffered brain bruising and it finished his career. I would describe John McCormack as a deep thinker, technically up there with the best and someone who was able to study the people he competed against. I have always found his comments on people as well as the racing of the period very insightful.

I encouraged the writer, now editor of Australian Muscle Car magazine Luke West to do a profile on Mac, mainly because he had achieved great things in a variety of “muscle” race cars and there was a dearth of information published about him. I provided some research material to assist Luke including the Elfin book by Barry Catford and the odd period magazine article.

Luke interviewed him in Launceston (around the time of the Symmons Plain V8 round) and then later via a follow up phone call, of which he gave me a copy of the tape. John came across as a humble and modest man as well as a deep thinker. He was the consummate professional, saying that for 10 years racing was his job and a means to support his family.

I believe that it took a bit for Luke to “break the ice” with Mac, but once the ice was broken he was the most affable man you could imagine. I was lucky enough for Luke to introduce me to Mac at the Peter Molloy dinner in Sydney a couple of years ago. A lovely guy.

A final anecdote. Mac said that his daughter (a psychologist, I believe) learnt more about her father’s racing career from that AMC feature than anything else that she had read or been told.

[ellrosso]

Just out of interest I looked up the Cambridge Trophy (Tas Rad Racing Championship sponsored by Cambridge cigarettes) in RCN. It was held on April 27th 1969
(which ties in with what I thought as it would have been the May school holidays when I saw him at the Cooee servo) and was actually John's 3rd championship win in the Brabham Climax. He won by about 3 secs from David Sternberg after a spin in the Esses lost him about 5secs and he had to really push to get past David again (who was having clutch trouble and dropping fuel - usually they were very evenly matched and had some great battles, especially at Baskerville).
David retired from Motorsport at this meeting and never looked back - end of a long Sternberg era in Tassy Motorsport - his father Lex was involved for many years in the 50's and 60's.
Lyn Archer had a run in the Brabham Climax at the end of the day S & R Handicap - rumour was that he was tossing up buying the car but it never happened (stalled on the line and ran out of petrol so not a great run!). There was another Brabham Climax 2.5 in the race which was the other Sternberg car driven by Dave Powell jnr on this occasion (later to drive a Matich A50 in late 70's).

[Ellis French]

John is inducted into the Tasmanian Motoring Hall of Fame.


His 1100cc Nota S/C at Symmons Plains....around 1964-5

Edited by Ellis French, 31 August 2011 - 06:38.

[john medley]

John McCormack sold that Nota to some Tamworth hillclimbers from whom I bought it, but never raced it. It is now in the UK in the hands of the Venables family last I heard

[gray chandler]

Taken at AIR,can't remember what year. Bob Jane,Ron Harrop on the grid too.

[gouldo]

Is that David Hill's old FJ?

[gray chandler]

Taken at AIR,can't remember what year. Bob Jane,Ron Harrop on the grid too.

[gray chandler]

Taken at AIR,can't remember what year. Bob Jane,Ron Harrop on the grid too.

[john medley]

Brad
Yes , I sold it to Dave Hill...

[ellrosso]

Few random pics of J Mac.

[mymemoryfails]

I think I'm right in saying John McCormack's Elfin MR5 and I shared our very first day at a race track! Love at first sight - Sandown Sept '71.

would love to see the old girl again.

mymemoryfails

[willini]

Without wanting to divert this thread about John Mc I do love the photo of the Tas Ten Thousand start in 75 at Baskerville. Some absolutely cracking cars on that grid that I can recognise- John Mc Charger, Jim Richards Sidchrome Mustang, Moff's Cologne Capri, Tony Edmonson Repco engined BMW 2002. One of the local cars I see is Danny Newland's Capri and I think it is my Dad in the ex-Robin Pare Camaro. Even though I was only 6 at the time I'm pretty sure I have the programme somewhere so I will drag it out and try and identify a few more unless others beat me to it.

[ellrosso]

Willini, it is your dad's ex Pare Camaro up the back, but with Brent Willing at the helm. Tino Leo alongside in the ex Ramsey Kingswood. Just reading the RCN report by Steven Chopping they had 25,000 people there and an estimated 10,000 could'nt get in or make it anywhere near the track as the infrastructure could'nt cope.
If everyone could have fitted in I think it would have been the biggest crowd ever at Baskerville. Certainly the most amazing meeting I've ever been to in Tassy.
Richards, McCormack, Moffat - Cologne Capri, Thommo in the VW Chev, Frank Gardner - Jane XU-1 Chev, Don Halliday (who gave Moff big fright - very quick in the Cologne Capri replica and Chopping's driver of the day), both the Brocks in XU-1's and a swag of quick locals. Plus Pare in the Elfin ME5 and the 2 Bowe brothers in Elfins in S&Racing. Exciting times......

[ellrosso]

Sorry meant to say it is your dad in the McKinlay Camaro....

[ellrosso]

Few more of J Mac

[willini]

Thats right Dad is in the McKinlay Camaro. Like you say what a crowd, just huge for Baskerville. Love the photos you have added Elrosso, especially the shot at the top of the esses. Keep them coming. I was at Winton recently for the Festival of Speed and there were fantastic models of the Sidchrome Mustang and the Ansett Charger, so tempting to add to the collection.

[Lee Nicolle]

Muscle Car mag did an extensive article on John some time ago, possibly available on back order. I understood that he set up camp in South Australia (where Elfin was) and in the Charger days had a company called Develco run by Simon Arram I think. Mac did the engineering on the charger and Jag XJS as well as the F5000 installation on the McLaren. Very knowledgabe guy. When he was running the Elfin MR5 F5000 he had engines directly from Repco albeit they were ex Matich. One of those engines was in the car when he won the NZGP. He felt it was better than he usually had but it was available because Frank didn't race there that year I think. Someone can correct me on that I am not near my books at the moment. Mac told me that he broke 3rd gear very early in the race so he had to use 8,500 rpm in 2nd before pulling 4th to stay ahead of McRae? This was at Pukekohe where there is a very slow hairpin requiring 2nd gear (that's effectively bottom gear in an F5000) and also 3rd would be used before the start of the long stright so it was a serious disadvantage.
He also told me about how much the suspension arms vibrated due to the flat plane crank he had. Imagine a rubber band held tight and that visual effect you get when you pluck it. Now imagine trailing arms etc looking like that the whole time.
I think Mac was also favourite to win the AGP in his well developed Mclaren when he was in that very bad truck crash on the way to the race. The driver, not him, fell asleep and John was asleep in the passenger seat. He suffered brain bruising and it finished his career. I would describe John McCormack as a deep thinker, technically up there with the best and someone who was able to study the people he competed against. I have always found his comments on people as well as the racing of the period very insightful.

The Charger was built well before the Devlco era. It was built by John, Dale Koeneke and Simon Aram with assistance from several others. The Jag used a lot of Develco parts, as did a lot of other cars from that period.
Remember Johns workshop was just around the corner from Elfin and they defenitly shared the same cast of people. And Harry Aust was in there too more on the technical/ design area.

I have also been told that the Leyland viabrated so many rivets out of the mclaren it was a job after meeting replacing lots of rivets. Far more than the Repco ever did.

[NZALPA]

What ever hapened to his M23 raced in the 5000 era?

Has he stll got it?

[Tim Murray]

From Ray Bell's excellent potted history on the car:

“I put the car under the house, then a few years later McLaren rang up and wanted to buy it,” [McCormack] says. The car was rebuilt in DFV form and went to the Donington Museum.

It was still at Donington in 2009 - I don't know if it still is.

[ReWind]

John McCormack (b. 09 July 1938) was made a member of the Tasmanian Sporting Hall of Fame in 2009 (source # 1):

Multiple Australian Gold Star winner, John McCormack was inducted into the Tasmanian Sporting Hall of Fame on 2 October 2009.

John joins motorcycle star Malcolm Campbell as the only representatives of motor sport among the 100 inductees.

For John it was a much deserved, albeit belated, recognition of his impressive career which included three Gold Star Australian Championship Driver awards, second outright by narrow margins in the Gold Star Series on two other occasions, two New Zealand Grand Prix wins, second and third outright in the international Tasman Series and complete domination of the Toby Lee Sports Sedan Series in 1974 where John won five out of five rounds.

Sadly, John’s career was cut short abruptly in 1981 as a result of a road accident while travelling as a passenger to Melbourne for the 1981 Australian Grand Prix. John found that, as a result of his serious injuries, that he had lost the edge to compete successfully at the highest levels and made the decision to terminate his motor sport career.

John established an international reputation as an outstanding motor racing driver in the late 1960s and the early 1970s. He was well known for his driving skills and expertise but, above all, his determination and will to win.
John hails originally from Burnie in Tasmania’s north-west. It was in Burnie that John had his first big success on wheels, at the age of 12 in a Soap Box Derby promoted by the local Apex Club. But it was many years later that John first raced a motorised vehicle in his mid-twenties. As the owner of the only rear-engined Nota Formula Junior ever built, and fitted with a supercharger, he plunged into Tasmanian Formula Libre racing. Racing the Nota, and its successor, a Brabham Climax, John won the Tasmanian Championship in 1967, 1968 and 1969.
At the age of 31, John packed up his home and his family and moved to Adelaide to become a full-time professional racing driver. During his illustrious career he won Australia’s premier circuit racing title, the Gold Star Driver’s Championship, three times (in 1973, 1975 and 1977), and was twice runner-up. In the 1973 Australian Grand Prix he finished second, only 1.7 seconds behind first, and was to place second again in the same race the following year.
He also won a number of rounds of the Tasman Series, including a sensational victory against top international competition at the 1973 and 1974 New Zealand Grand Prix. These wins, in his Elfin MRS Repco Formula 500, were against wonderful drivers such as Frank Matich and Larry Perkins. John campaigned in open wheeled racing cars for a number of years before switching to sports sedans in 1973. His enormous knowledge of racing cars and exceptional construction abilities saw him pioneer the mid-mounted engine and trans axle rear end configuration that is still used by many sports sedan drivers today.
His Chrysler Charger built with a Repco Holden engine helped him dominate the sports sedan category – particularly in the Toby Lee Series at Oran Park where he won five out of five finals in 1974. In that year, that particular vehicle, driven by John, had 42 starts, 27 wins, 10 second or third places and failed to finish just once.
John’s great career was cut short in 1981 when he suffered extensive injuries in a car accident while travelling to Melbourne to qualify for the 1981 Australian Grand Prix.
He was made a member of the Tasmanian Motor Sport Hall of Fame in 1992 due to his contribution as both an outstanding competitor and brilliant car constructer. He now deservedly joins the very elite members of the wider Tasmanian Sporting Hall of Fame.

Source # 2 is identical to
source # 3 (needs some scrolling down to page 80).

Edited by ReWind, 03 September 2011 - 07:06.

[Ray Bell]

The second is rather fancifully written...

His reputation wasn't beginning to be established until the seventies, really, when at the earliest you could say that he was getting somewhere with the Repco V8 in the 600.

And to say his '73 and '74 victories in the NZ GP were against 'wonderful drivers like Frank Matich and Larry Perkins' is a bit of a stretch. Larry didn't get into F5000s until '78 IIRC, Matich was crashed out of contention on the second lap. Matich was not a contestant in '74.

Not that John didn't have to work for the win, but the drivers he had to beat were not Matich and Perkins.

[Catalina Park]

The accident that ended John's career was in 1980 in the way to the 1980 AGP which was the last F5000 AGP.

[Joe Bosworth]

from post #32, ¨As the owner of the only rear-engined Nota Formula Junior ever built, and fitted with a supercharger,..¨

Just for historical accuracy, The rear engined Nota FJ noted above was the second rear engined Nota FJ. Johnś car went from Team Nota to Howard and Sons who added the s/c then to JMc. This Ford 105 was the first such engine fitted in an Oz built chassis having been briefly fitted to steamliner sports chassis #28 as well.

The first rear engined Nota FJ was Renault powered and preceded the Ford powered by more than a year, chassis 24 v 37, (the JMc car). I drove Chassis 24 in the first Oz FJ race, Bathurst Easter 1961.

Regards

[timbo]

A photo of the start of the 1978 Rose City 10000 at Winton, with James Hunt leading John McCormack, Alfie Costanzo and Jon Davison.



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

[Ray Bell]

Ah yes...

At this time our imported World Champion was feeling very relieved!

He was even further relieved a few laps later when McCormack's rear brakes got jammed by the stone, of course.