The recent death of Jack Brabham has caused me to think about how many of our heroes from when we were younger are still with us.
Motor racing is dangerous, and you wonder how many were killed on track, and how many got to old age.
To use an arbitrary example I have used below the first Tasman Series race at Sydney’s Warwick Farm in February 1964. I attended this race. This is just over 50 years ago
Drivers are listed in qualifying order.
Driver Car c.c. Status
1 Frank Matich Repco-Brabham Climax 2495 Alive
2 Denny Hulme Repco-Brabham Climax 2495 Deceased
3 Jack Brabham Repco-Brabham Climax 2495 Deceased
4 Graham Hill Repco-Brabham Climax 2495 Deceased
5 Bruce McLaren Cooper Climax 2495 Deceased
6 Timmy Mayer Cooper Climax 2495 Deceased
7 John Youl Cooper Climax 2495 Deceased
8 Lex Davison Cooper Climax 2496 Deceased
9 Bib Stillwell Repco-Brabham Climax 2495 Deceased
10 Leo Geoghegan Lotus 27 Ford 1475 Alive
11 Frank Gardner Repco-Brabham Ford 1499 Deceased
12 Jim Palmer Cooper Climax 2495 Alive
13 Greg Cusack Repco-Brabham Ford 1495 Alive
14 Tony Shelly Lola Climax 2495 Deceased
15 Glyn Scott Lotus 27 Ford 1498 Deceased
16 David Walker Repco-Brabham Ford 1475 Alive
17 Jack Hunnam Elfin Ford 1498 ??
18 Charlie Smith Elfin Ford 1472 Alive
19 Arnold Glass Lotus 27 Ford 1499 Deceased
20 Rex Flowers Lotus 20B 1498 Alive
The one driver I don’t know about is Jack Hunnam. The rest I believe I am reasonably sure of.
So of the 19 drivers (excluding Hunnam) 7 are still alive. This is 37%.
I am no expert, but I would say this is probably in line with the general male population, for living 50 years from your late twenties early thirties.
If we assume their average age at the time was probably 30, then they would now be 80 plus.
Looking at those deceased, one could probably conclude that racing is probably not so dangerous.
Of the 12 deceased, six basically died from "old age", and only 3 died racing or practicing.
Two did die from heart attacks on the track but that was probably going to happen anyway.
One died in a plane crash.
Presented for interest