Jump to content


Photo

Jock Russell RIP


  • Please log in to reply
8 replies to this topic

#1 Graham Gauld

Graham Gauld
  • Member

  • 1,221 posts
  • Joined: September 04

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

Advertisement

#2 D-Type

D-Type
  • Member

  • 9,698 posts
  • Joined: February 03

Posted 23 October 2014 - 12:41

My condolences to his family and friends.



#3 Hawkeye

Hawkeye
  • Member

  • 41 posts
  • Joined: May 10

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!



#4 Supersox

Supersox
  • Member

  • 105 posts
  • Joined: June 12

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.



#5 bill p

bill p
  • Member

  • 697 posts
  • Joined: December 08

Posted 23 October 2014 - 18:13

Sad news

 

A character, RIP Jock

 

43JRussell3a_zpsa1a08b26.jpg



#6 brakedisc

brakedisc
  • Member

  • 225 posts
  • Joined: February 07

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.  



#7 Rob Ryder

Rob Ryder
  • Member

  • 2,602 posts
  • Joined: June 00

Posted 23 October 2014 - 19:04

RIP Jock, saw you many times in F5000...

pLSX5s.jpg

#8 glyn parham

glyn parham
  • Member

  • 369 posts
  • Joined: May 04

Posted 23 October 2014 - 19:12

Very sad news, I remember him racing the Lotus 70 and the big accident he had at Brands.
Glyn

#9 sterling49

sterling49
  • Member

  • 10,917 posts
  • Joined: September 06

Posted 23 October 2014 - 19:29

Sad news, like Glyn, I saw Jock at Brands  also.