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Jock Russell RIP

Started by Graham Gauld , Oct 23 2014 12:36

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8 replies to this topic

#1 Graham Gauld

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Posted 23 October 2014 - 12:36

Sorry to say that Scottish stalwart Jock Russell died yesterday. Jock was one of the great characters who started racing with an Austin A35 and graduated to a Lotus 15 in which he had great battles with Jim Clark in the Border Reivers D type. Jock later bought the Lotus grand prix car used by Jim Clark to win the US Grand Prix (The BRM H16 engined car). He put a Ford V8 into it and raced it for a while and also had a Lotus 70 for Formula 5000 events. Always a bit of a maverick he stored the chassis of the famous Clark Lotus in the roof of his garage and fended off all potential buyers as he vainly hoped one day to find an H16 BRM engine to put in it. It was never going to happen and then when pushed for money to pay the deposit on his new Lamborghini he finally relented and sold the car to Andy Middlehurst and Andy got it running for last year's Goodwood event complete with H16 BRM engine. In recent years Jock became a bit of a recluse but his Lamborghini was still to be seen around Edinburgh.
A member of the Russell of Bathgate trucking family he was sidelined in the family business when he was quite young and did various jobs during his life.
Jock in action at Ingliston 1968

http://s29.postimg.o...usn/Jock_Ru.jpg

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#2 D-Type

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Joined: February 03

Posted 23 October 2014 - 12:41

My condolences to his family and friends.

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#3 Hawkeye

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Posted 23 October 2014 - 16:05

Remember seeing that re-engined Lotus at Oulton Park, probably at first F5000 race - looked great but not a front runner.

RIP the man!

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#4 Supersox

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Posted 23 October 2014 - 17:22

IIRC he also filled the Lotus 70 with petrol and set fire to it in the middel of the yard when he was done with it.

Though unsurprisingly it races on today.

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#5 bill p

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Posted 23 October 2014 - 18:13

Sad news

A character, RIP Jock

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#6 brakedisc

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Posted 23 October 2014 - 18:56

So sad to hear this.

I was lucky enough to sit beside Jock at an SMRC dinner in the Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh many years ago. It was a fantastic evening because Jock was in fine form and his stories were wonderful.