77 replies to this topic

[Ray Bell]

Frank Matich, Gold Star Champion of 1972, multiple Sports Car Championship and ATT winner, for years Australia's fastest driver, died about forty minutes ago...

For over eight years he's been suffering from an infection that resulted from a knee replacement, the necessary medication for this problem caused him to gain weight, taking on further problems as a result of that.

Not long ago he celebrated his 80th birthday, he was (as always) surrounded by family. They have always been very loyal to him, as was his late wife Joan.

To Kris, Kim, Katrina and Lee together with their own children I offer my condolences. I trust there will be many more posts on this thread to celebrate his great racing life.

[brucemoxon]

You just made me shout 'Oh no!' at the computer.

 

Incredibly, incredibly sad. One of the great driver / engineers - Australia's Mark Donohue / Bruce McLaren.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BM

[charles r]

Very sad news. RIP Frank.

[E1pix]

Oh, that is sad.

RIP Frank, and Thank You.

[Lola5000]

RIP a hero to so many of us from his Brabham -Climax days,the big banger Matich sports cars and the Matich-Repco F5000 cars.

 

An icon of Australian motor sport.

[Repco22]

Very sad to hear this. Many great memories of an outstanding competitor including meeting him at his garage in '68.

                                                                                                                  RIP Frank.

[Piquet959]

I can only reiterate what has been said earlier. He built some absolutely beautiful sports car, as good as any from around the world at that time. As good as any Maclaren or Elfin at the time. Probably could have done really well internationally.

Only ever saw him once in a F5000 but have seen his '5000's many time at Sandown Historic. They are a credit to him that they are so much sought after 40 years after they were first built
RIP Frank

[DanTra2858]

Top Driver, Top Cars, Top Memories, RIP Frank & thank you for taking all of us with you during your Racing Life.

[Ray Bell]

Frank has earned the loyalty now shown to him by his family...

It was putting family first that prevented him going to Europe to race in the early sixties, he had the opportunity but put his family's welfare first.

Some of the successes he had included five Australian Tourist Trophies and the Australian Sports Car Championship, two Australian Grands Prix, the Gold Star of 1972 and many outright lap records.

He was the 'local most likely' to the Internationals in the Tasman Cup races of 1964 and 1965 while he was the man to beat in the 1970 - 1973 series.

[Geoff Smedley]

 It really is sad news to hear of Frank's passing,  During a period of what was perhaps the best motor sport period in Australia the Frank Matich name was up there with the best. I spent time  trying my luck to provide him with 'bullet proof' machinery in the '60s but like many others failed the mission but it could be that Frank was a little before his time before better technology and materials came into being but of course in later years his choice of more modern heavier equipment then Frank was unbeatable.  Thanks Frank for being a great competitor and leaving a huge mark in the great history of motor sport here in Australia and rest peacefully in that knowledge. 

[Wirra]

RIP

 

[WOT]

Such sad news. A world class driver, potential unrealised...

 

 

[Ray Bell]

Excellent pictures, thank you gentlemen...

Please keep them coming. I'm sure that Lynton will post some, of course, and probably Rod as well.

[seldo]

Very sad news.
Although enjoying fantastic success here, he was probably Australia's quickest driver, who would have gone on to much bigger better things had he pursued an oversees career.
A sad loss.

[Ian G]

Very sad,we use to annoy him as School kids at his Castle Cove Garage then later in a professional sense when i was  working for BP in the 1970's. RIP.

[B Squared]

Thanks for letting us know about this sad news Ray. I was only able to follow him through the pages of Competition Press and Autoweek with them documenting his many successes. With that came deserved respect from afar. RIP. 

[lyntonh]

Thanks, Frank

[jj2728]

RIP

[JacnGille]

Sad news

[yasmin]

I've watched this many times; never get tired of listening to it........move to 22;40secs.

 

 

RIP

[launchpad]

We lost Frank Matich this evening, one of Australian Motor Racing icons. Condolences to his family.

Here are some random photos from happier times - which show him as perhaps he would like to be remembered.

[john medley]

Lost for words. A great man gone, certainly a great driver, engineer, and sorter of cars

 

I last saw him at a wake for Graham Howard. When I saw him sitting alone, I said "Thank you so much for coming". He replied "No, John. Thank YOU so much for coming"

[gtsmunro]

Sad news. Condolences to his family.

[ed holly]

Very very sad news ... I too last spoke to Frank at Graham's wake. Condolences to his family.

 

Brian Caldersmith asked me to post this tribute to Frank, the mighty SR3 in the hands of its present owner.

 

windows 7 print screen

[ken devine]

I had the pleasure of meeting Frank at the Tasman Revival in 2012 at Sydney Motorsport Park where i photographed him with his Elfin Formula Junior and the present owner Charlie Mitchell.

[275 GTB-4]

Thank you Mr Matich for all your inspirational deeds and entertainment over the years...RIP

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by launchpad
.....Here are some random photos from happier times - which show him as perhaps he would like to be remembered.

I love that sequence of photos from Sandown Park, Rod...

That was a very dramatic event, he had the throttle jam open with over five hundred horsepower driving him towards the fence. He put huge flat spots on both front tyres as he pulled it up just (almost?) in time.

As for the AGP presentation, I think that might have been 1970 at the Farm?

Edited by Ray Bell, 12 May 2015 - 08:00.

[ellrosso]

RIP Frank. Very sad news. I will never forget the day he broke the outright lap record at Calder in 1972, breaking the 40 sec barrier. Flawless drive and in a race of his own. A few shots from the ORP library celebrating some of his cars. As Ray clearly corrected (thank you Ray), the Brabham Longford grid shot and the red Datsun Fairlady shot are 1965 not 1964. The photographer Pat Smith had the previous year written on the slides and sometimes I just don't get time to check all of them.

Edited by ellrosso, 17 May 2015 - 03:22.

[launchpad]

Correct on both counts, Ray.
I was able to shoot the SR4 sequence on the day, but was not complete until Autopics posted the head on shot.
The Autopics watermark does not show as I rushed to post my tribute. I think that shot belongs to Peter D'Abbs. I don't claim that as mine - and don't want any confusion over the ownership/copyright.
I put the sequence together to trial a new program and it turned out well enough to be part of my tribute to Frank.
From where I was at Peters Corner, I heard before I saw Frank fighting hard to stop the fastest Sports car in Australia at that time. The noise from the Repco V8 and the tyres biting the track was terrific and everything was surrounded in a blanket of smoke.
Another cherished memory of Frank.

Edited by launchpad, 12 May 2015 - 11:40.

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by ellrosso
RIP Frank. Very sad news. I will never forget the day he broke the outright lap record at Calder in 1972, breaking the 40 sec barrier. Flawless drive and in a race of his own. A few shots from the ORP library celebrating some of his cars.

The first of these is the start of the Australian Tourist Trophy at Longford in '64...

Stillwell was forced to push start his car, so he had a one minute penalty, Matich was able to coast along after he passed Gardner in the 23 to take this title. Which was a good thing, as his crew had abandoned him.

The second is from 1965. Note that Geoff Smedley is pushing at the back of the car, that's Graham Matich up front and steering.

Rod, not Robin D'Abrera, probably Peter D'Abbs don't you think?

[launchpad]

Thanks Ray, I picked up my error as soon as I posted it. Edited and confirm it was Peter D'Abbs' shot.

[Geoff Smedley]

The first of these is the start of the Australian Tourist Trophy at Longford in '64...

Stillwell was forced to push start his car, so he had a one minute penalty, Matich was able to coast along after he passed Gardner in the 23 to take this title. Which was a good thing, as his crew had abandoned him.

The second is from 1965. Note that Geoff Smedley is pushing at the back of the car, that's Graham Matich up front and steering.

Rod, not Robin D'Abrera, probably Peter D'Abbs don't you think?

Just for the record Ray, the 3rd' chappie in this picture is Garry Smedley who was also working with the Total team for a brief  time in '65.

[Ray Bell]

Thank you, Geoff...

Oddly enough, Garry was mentioned today in conversation with Jacques Sapir.

[Ray Bell]

I'm awaiting confirmation, but I believe the photo of the AGP trophy presentation includes:

Jon Davison handing the Lex Davison Trophy to Frank, John Stranger, Dan McFarlane and Frank.

[E1pix]

While I recall Frank doing some F5000 here in the States, I forgot about its significance.

He ran the first two races in '71, winning Round 1 at Riverside and taking a 2nd at Laguna Seca. Wow!

http://www.myf5000.c...ank_matich.html

[Ray Bell]

Some great pics from John Ellacott...



Escitement as the Lotus 15 is uncrated at the docks.



Lotus 15 at Bathurst.



Frank leads Leo Geoghegan at Catalina in the Elfin Junior.



The Lotus 19 us worked hard as Frank lines up for Homestead Corner.



Frank in the new Brabham, Bruce Richardson at the front of the car, I'm not sure who it is at the rear, possibly Brian Darby?



First race in the Brabham, Frank is determined to give Stillwell a hard time and set the new outright lap record as he caught up to him, then they tangled in the esses.



Frank led the field from pole position in the '65 Warwick Farm International, but Hill and Clark went by on the first lap.



The final form of the Lotus 19B, again lining up for the run through Homestead. It certainly looks more stable than the 19 had been above, reflecting the work Frank and Geoff had done on the car.



A poor re-photographing of John's laminated print of the Elfin 400/Traco Olds in the Peterbilt yard when first completed.

[Michael Ferner]

Sad news. A great name throughout the world, even in Germany. He will not be forgotten.

[GMACKIE]

I first met Frank Matich in the early '60s, when he was at Leaton Motors, Banksia...he tried to 'convert' me from VW to Renault.

 

A fair-dinkum good bloke, with a wonderful sense of humour. RIP Frank.

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by Ray Bell
I'm awaiting confirmation, but I believe the photo of the AGP trophy presentation includes:

Jon Davison handing the Lex Davison Trophy to Frank, John Stranger, Dan McFarlane and Frank.

Yes, it is Jon Davison, he says that was the 1971 AGP.

[dmj]

RIP.

 

I will try to make him and his achievements a bit more visible in the country of his ancestors, where he is unfortunately almost completely unknown.

[Ray Bell]

Frank was somewhat proud of his family background...

I haven't been able to find my notes, but one afternoon I spent time talking with him about his early family history. His father had added the 'h' to the end of their name so its pronunciation would be more consistently correct among English speaking people.

Is anyone here likely to be at the Memorial Service next Tuesday at the Northern Suburbs Memorial Park?

[Ian G]

Couple of nice tributes.

 

http://www.autosport...t.php/id/118931

 

http://www.speedcafe...tich-1935-2015/

 

http://www.wheelsmag...ch-(1935-2015)/

Edited by Ian G, 14 May 2015 - 23:42.

[Ray Bell]

Ken Devine has sent me this pic to post:



This is the SR4 somewhere down Hume Straight at Warwick Farm, probably a lap of honour, I would have to check to see what meeting it might have been.



I had this pic 'in stock' for comparison... it's from the October (Hordern Trophy) meeting of 1962.

[ken devine]

Thanks for posting that Ray.

[ellrosso]

Great shot of Matich waving to the boy. Terrific bunch of John Ellacott photos too.

[275 GTB-4]

Great shot of Matich waving to the boy. Terrific bunch of John Ellacott photos too.

Ellrosso...there would have been a gallery of hundreds of race fans on the embankment behind the boy...the cropping and angle makes a lovely composition, but Frank may not be just waving to the boy...

Edited by 275 GTB-4, 18 May 2015 - 22:19.

[ellrosso]

No, I didn't imagine he'd be Robinson Crusoe 275 GTB-4! Not at a Warwick Farm event of that stature. I was just commenting on the composition in front of me......

[Ray Bell]

 

It is a good photo, isn't it?

 

I gather Ken has no idea whatever who took it.

 

[eldougo]

This car is still the best looking car to come out of Australia.
.

[ken devine]

The photo is one of several that were given to me one day by a chap that came into the WA Motor Museum i don't remember his name. Terry Walker scanned them for me and posted some on TNF and there was some discussion at that time where they were taken. The posted photo hasn't been cropped.As i have never been to Warwick Farm i don't know what corner it would have been.