62 replies to this topic

[Doug Nye]

Could anyone help a poor confused many years past deadline would-be author?

I have tried for some time now - and abjectly failed - to find Jack Lewis, the Cooper
privateer 1961 turned BRM privateer 1962 turned anti-BRM litigant later in 1962 (!). Could anyone provide a contact lead with with Jack Lewis or his family, past mechanics, associates, etc????

He is not a British Racing Drivers' Club member - tried that easy route.

Perhaps this thread might extend to trying to establish contact with a number of other one-time racing personalities - now hard to find????

Just for interest - in the Lewis case - I'm pretty sure I was looking at the remains of his BRM P57 yesterday...and a right rusty puzzle it is...
>
Kind regards - DCN

[rmhorton]

When I read your post I remembered an old thread, which I mistakenly thought, might have mentioned Jack Lewis, but unfortunately it doesn't. It is however a fascination topic and just maybe some of the people mentioned might be of interest, and as it's the same era could help. Hope it helps.

Roger

http://www.atlasf1.c...ighlight=Atkins

[Allen Brown]

Doug

Your first thread and no answers yet. Not the introduction I hoped for you.

Have you asked our old mate Harps? I think he tried to find him a few years back (for reasons that I won't go into here!).

Allen

[Allen Brown]

Doug

Ted Walker is having trouble logging on (poor soul can't manage to type in his password!) so he's emailing you direct with Lewis's contact details.

Allen

[Doug Nye]

Dear me - I've been scratching about for years trying to find Jack Lewis and thanks to Ted I have just spoken to his lady and arranged to speak with him tomorrow... And I'm the bloke with a reputation for being able to find people? You fellers are marvellous.

Oh, incidentally, the Jack Lewis BRM thread - I had that all round my neck - Wrexham would have been the Ken Wilson P48 BRM (probably), while Lewis's H&L Motors was in Stroud, Gloucestershire, England.

So - what d'you want to know about Bruce Johnstone?

DCN

[Stefan Ornerdal]

So - what d'you want to know about Bruce Johnstone?

Was he a speedway rider?

Stefan

[Gary C]

Wasn't he a member of The Beach Boys? Sorry. I'll go now...................

[David McKinney]

I'm surprised Rob Young hasn't been on with a full biog by now.
W B G Johnstone was a very promising South African driver who performed well in the internationals there and got invited to drive a works BRM in the Oulton Park Gold Cup in - I think - 1962 - and finished in - I think - 4th place. Also raced factory BRMs in the SA internationals at the end of 1962. That much any self-respecting BRM student would of course know.
He also won the Rand 9hrs that year, sharing David Piper's Ferrari GTO. Seems to have stayed home in 1963 and had an appalling season with a Cooper-Maserati in local F1 races, after which I believe he retired.

[Ray Bell]

I'll trade a Louis Chiron nephew for a Garrell Page any day...

hope you have time to e.mail me about the latter and her former husband. raybell@eisa.net.au

[Gary Davies]

Probably complete trivia, but the car that Bruce Johnstone drove at Oulton Park was the T-car (chassis 5785) in which Hill ran over de Beaufort's camera at Nürburgring.

Vanwall.

[Doug Nye]

Just to complete - at least the first part - of this thread. I have just been talking to Jack Lewis - found thanks to TNF - who is currently semi-retired after 40 very happy years sheep farming at Llandovery in Wales. A thinking man's racing driver, he was such a thinking man that for other reasons during 1962 he became concerned that he was perhaps verging on addiction to the adrenalin of racing.

After successive seasons in which - by private owner/driver standards - he had shone ever more promisingly, his 1962 season with the BRM P57 was a major hiccup. They found the engine block cracked in the vee after each outing - and slow BRM turn-around meant that they would then miss races while the engine had to be rebuilt around a new block, because no private owner in his right mind would go into a race with a crack in the block of a complex and costly engine.

The enforced gaps in his racing calendar left Jack thinking more and more about whether he really wanted to spend the rest of his life doing this when he knew he could quite happily live without racing. Ultimately, after going back to their Cooper for the rest of that season, it became apparent that the year had cost H&L Motors - the family company team his father (also Jack but widely known as 'Pop') ran for him - a deal of money, even though they had slung the P57 back at BRM and had been refunded the full £7,000 they had paid for it.

Having previously proved to himself that he had the ability to drive within fractions of the superstars of the time, Jack decided to take a year out to see if he could live without racing - he found he could, very happily - and that was the end of it. A properly balanced man.

As for memories he recalls overtaking four World Champions in one move, by accident, at Spa '61.
Flat out on the Masta Straight, first lap approaching the Masta Kink "...everybody upaead moved to the right to get onto the right line for the first part of the kink - and I thought ah, they've left the inside line open, and then they were all on the brakes, one after another and I thought 'they're braking early' - and I just sailed up the inside from about 10th to 6th or something, arrived at the Kink - 'ooops, I've overdone it here, but then someone in the queue on the right took pity and let me in....it would have looked like a demon manouevre from the trackside, but it was all by accident really...'.

I'm very impressed.

Fascinatingly, his 1959-61 mechanic Ted Jeffs had built 'Pa' Lewis a straight-tube single-seater chassis - as opposed to the Cooper curvy-tube frame - intended for Formula 1 and it was completed to the stage at which it stood on its wheels on the workshop floor in Stroud, Gloucestershire. But the Lewises never completed it, and Jack recalls it was sold to a special-builder for completion 'as a hill-climb special'.

There's much more - but thanks to all who contacted me with suggestions as to Jack's whereabouts and especially to Ted Walker for providing the crucial lead.

DCN

[Richard Jenkins]

Thank you Doug for this information. Jack Lewis has often been badly serviced by some motorsport books. "He wasn't up to it & thus slipped away", making you think here was a moody guy, who was just a midfield runner & simply because racing wasn't the be-all & end-all is largely forgotten by motosport journals of today. it is immensely gratifying to read that nothing could be further from the truth regards Mr. Lewis.
He, Cesare Perdisa, Desmond Titterington, Andre Simon, Chris Irwin & many more & in British Magazines at least, dare I mention Maurice Trintignant, seem never to be in "vogue" when it comes to a look back at drivers, simply as in the case of many of them, they just stopped early & stopped for good. A heinous crime indeed!! I for one would read avidly even just a small article on these chaps then read yet another, largely uniformative article about Senna,Moss, Villeneuve, Behra & Clark, for instance.

Whoops, I'm digressing into angry mode again Once again, thanks on raising, even if for a short while, the name of a fine driver. (And, take note Wolf ;) one of the few Welshmen ever to drive in World Championship Grand Prix! )

[Doug Nye]

My pleasure - but in your list of drivers don't forget that poor Chris Irwin didn't just give up and walk away from it. He was crushed nearly to death when his Ford F3L somersaulted during 1,000Kms practice at the Nurburgring, and - although he survived - has never been fully functioning since...a very, very sad story.

DCN

[KzKiwi]

Originally posted by Doug Nye

Fascinatingly, his 1959-61 mechanic Ted Jeffs had built 'Pa' Lewis a straight-tube single-seater chassis - as opposed to the Cooper curvy-tube frame - intended for Formula 1 and it was completed to the stage at which it stood on its wheels on the workshop floor in Stroud, Gloucestershire. But the Lewises never completed it, and Jack recalls it was sold to a special-builder for completion 'as a hill-climb special'.

DCN

Did he state what year this car was built ??

Sounds like another addition to the 'one of' Cooper based specials that were quite predominant in the late 50s/ early 60s.

You might need to do a revised edition of 'Cooper Cars' Doug?

Regards,

Kirk Martin

[Milan Fistonic]

In the October 1960 edition of Motor Sport there is a photo of Jack Lewis running behind Tony Maggs in the Lombank Trophy at Snetterton. The caption is:

Fast Formula 2 cars - A. Maggs leads J. Lewis who set up a new Formula 2 lap record of 96 mph - obviously a driver to be reckoned with in the future.

A pity he never got the chance to develop that potential.

[Doug Nye]

Kirk, thank goodness this 'Lewis' car would not have been a Cooper but very much an H&L Motors Lewis family one-off (at least initially), and Milan, Jack was very quick first of all in a Formula 3 500cc Cooper-Norton with a Ted Jeffs-developed Manx engine - Ted having been a Norton development engineer and fitter - and then he looked good enough in the F2 Cooper-Climax. With his privately entered 'Equipe' - or 'Ecurie', I can't remember - 'Galloise' Formula 1 Cooper T53P he really did look like someone going places. Apparently offers were made via 'Pop' for Jack to drive professionally for other teams, but to Jack's evident furstration (today) the message was not passed on because Pop wanted to run the boy himself. One of those offers - Jack found in later years - came from Ken Tyrrell....

Actually - I wouldn't mind doing another 'Cooper' book. I enjoyed every minute of it - even the villains were engaging characters, unlike some of the other marques I have covered, in which the villains have been anything but...

DCN

[ensign14]

Another Cooper book? How would you improve the one you have done already?

(Crawling mode off)

Seriously, Cooper Cars is one of my favourite books of all time

[Doug Nye]

Thank you. The ten shilling note is in the post.

DCN

[ensign14]

Originally posted by Doug Nye
Thank you. The ten shilling note is in the post.

DCN

[Rob29]

The name 'Ecurie Gauloise' only apeared in 1962 with the BRM.The red stripe being added to exploit the Welsh connection,though they were based in Strood,England. At the time it was reported that Jack had been offered the Cooper #2 drive,but decided to retire.Ken Tyrell did not enter F1 until 1968.

[Doug Nye]

The Tyrrell offer would have been for his F2 or Junior entries in 1960, I believe, or perhaps for a saloon car drive in '62/63 - I doubt that Jack would have been allowed to step down into Juniors after his 1961 F1 exploits but remember that driving in other classes - for munny - was a very attractive proposition to your average struggling F1 hopeful at that time...

DCN

[Roger Clark]

Didn't Tyrell run the Cooper Grand Prix team in 1963 following John Coopers Twinny Mini road accident?

[twymanj]

Talking of Cooper cars and finding drivers, can anyone tell me if Ian Burgess is still alive, and where I could find him, to write to? Ted Walker couldnt find his address when I asked him last year, but he said he thinks that he is in Spain?

[Doug Nye]

Roger - Ken managed the works Cooper team in '63 after John's TwinnyMini somersault on the Kingston Bypass - but that's not the same as 'running the show', hiring and firing drivers etc.

Re Ian Burgess - Joe - call me. Doug

[KJJ]

It's four years since Jack Lewis was rediscovered, as it were, by TNF. Anything new to report or has he drifted back into obscurity - I wondered if he'd appeared at any historic meetings perhaps? Did DCN's book have much to say about Jack and the circumstances that led BRM to return his £7000?

Jack Lewis seems by all accounts to have been a very smooth and promising driver and the equal of some of those team number twos in terms of ability. Any news, opinions?

By the way I've forgotten where I came across this rather surreal picture of Jack, at the 1962 German GP it seems from the original photo title. Any ideas what this is all about or where and by whom it was taken.

[Bjorn Kjer]

Any info or pics of his transporter?
Regards Bjørn

[KJJ]

Not much interest in Jack Lewis then?

[Vitesse2]

Originally posted by KJJ


By the way I've forgotten where I came across this rather surreal picture of Jack, at the 1962 German GP it seems from the original photo title. Any ideas what this is all about or where and by whom it was taken.

That's the exit from the tunnel under the track which came from the paddock. A favourite photographic spot of the pro snappers, but they usually looked over the other side of the bridge with the cars coming towards them. Pre-war, they used to stand at the top of the ramp as the mechanics pushed the cars up.

[johnwilliamdavies]

KJJ, have you thought of getting in touch with S4C? I think there could be a chance that they'd do something on Jack. The Welsh Grand Prix driver becomes sheep farmer angle is not something they get presented with every day.

They do seem receptive to motor sport on S4C what with the success of Ralio, they had coverage of an Anglesey meeting as well last year. When I went to see Bluebird back at Pendine last year there was a crew from Heno who were covering it. I don't understand Welsh myself but isn't there a program with a couple of old farmers going around talking to local country types they meet?



----------------------
Welsh Motor Sport History

[KJJ]

Yes, I'm sure there's an interesting story to be told about Jackie Lewis, but would he want the publicity. By the way I see from Richie's site that he has moved back to live in Stroud, though I've never been able to find out where his farm exactly was in the Llandovery area.

There is a chap who is trying to get Welsh TV interested in a programme about Gary Hocking at the moment, though from the motorcycle angle.

I put this record of Jack Lewis's F1 and F2 races together in a bit of a rush, so apologies in advance for any ommisions. Can anyone add any of his 500cc F3 outings?

1959
Lavant Cup, Cooper T45-Climax (F2), 11th
British Empire Trophy, Cooper T45-Climax (F2), 14th
Aintree 200, Cooper T45-Climax (F2), 7th
Prix de Paris, Cooper T45-Climax (F2), 1st
GP de Pau, Cooper T45-Climax (F2), 7th
Coupe de Vitesse, Cooper T45-Climax (F2), 10th
GP de Rouen, Cooper T45-Climax (F2), accident
Trophee d'Auvergne, Cooper T45-Climax (F2), 8th
Kentish 100, Cooper T45-Climax (F2), did not qualify
Coupe de Salon, Cooper T45-Climax (F2), 2nd

1960
Oulton Park Trophy, Cooper T45-Climax (F2), accident
GP de Bruxelles, Cooper T45-Climax (F2), 8th
GP de Pau, Cooper T45-Climax (F2), not classified
Aintree 200, Cooper T45-Climax (F2), 12th
Prix de Paris, Cooper T45-Climax (F2), 2nd
GP des Frontieres, Cooper T45-Climax (F2), 1st
Solituderennen, Cooper T45-Climax (F2), retired
German GP, Cooper T45-Climax (F2), disqualified
Vanwall Trophy, Cooper T45-Climax (F2), 2nd
Kentish 100, Cooper T45-Climax (F2), 7th
Lombank Trophy, Cooper T45-Climax (F2), 1st in class (6th overall)
Coupe de Salon, Cooper T45-Climax (F2), 1st
Lewis Evans Trophy, Cooper T45-Climax (F2), 2nd

1961
GP de Pau, Cooper T53-Climax (F1), 5th
GP de Bruxelles,Cooper T53-Climax (F1), excluded
Aintree 200, Cooper T53-Climax (F1), 8th
London Trophy, Cooper T53-Climax (F1), 7th
Silver City Trophy, Cooper T53-Climax (F1), retired
Belgian GP, Cooper T53-Climax (F1), 9th
French GP, Cooper T53-Climax (F1), retired
British GP, Cooper T53-Climax (F1), retired
German GP, Cooper T53-Climax (F1), 9th
Modena GP, Cooper T53-Climax (F1), did not qualify
Italian GP, Cooper T53-Climax (F1), 4th
Oulton Park Gold Cup, Cooper T53-Climax (F1), retired

1962
GP de Pau, BRM (F1), 3rd
International Trophy, BRM (F1), 9th
Dutch GP, Cooper T53-Climax (F1), 8th
Monaco GP, BRM (F1), excluded
GP de Reims, Cooper T53-Climax (F1), 10th
French GP, Cooper T53-Climax (F1), accident
British GP, Cooper T53-Climax (F1), 10th
German GP, Cooper T53-Climax (F1), 10th
Oulton Park Gold Cup, Cooper T53-Climax (F1), retired

[KJJ]

Originally posted by Vitesse2

That's the exit from the tunnel under the track which came from the paddock. A favourite photographic spot of the pro snappers, but they usually looked over the other side of the bridge with the cars coming towards them. Pre-war, they used to stand at the top of the ramp as the mechanics pushed the cars up.

Richard, thanks for the identification. The picture with the girl looks posed, I wondered if it was a montage or perhaps someone using the GP as the background for a fashion shoot.

[john wood]

The Nurburgring photo is from "New Matadors" by Horst Baumann (photographer) & Ken Purdy, p.65. The caption reads, "Side-glance before the GP of Germany. A 1961 Formula 1 Cooper thunders through the tunnel from the paddock to the starting grid" .

[KJJ]

Thanks for tracking down this photograph. I'd like to know more about Horst Baumann's photography, did he publish any books?

[David Holland]

KJJ, Jack Lewis's farm was on the main road just north of Llandovery. I'll send you a PM.

[Vitesse2]

Originally posted by KJJ
Thanks for tracking down this photograph. I'd like to know more about Horst Baumann's photography, did he publish any books?

He's credited in several editions of Automobile Quarterly, but New Matadors appears to be the only book he did. See www.abebooks.co.uk

[Bjorn Kjer]

Hi all , I am still hoping for some indo on the Ecurie Galoises transporter from 1962.
Partpicture cab be seen on Sutton Images FGP 1962 :Walker,Cooper,GALOISES,Porsche,Bowmaker Lola,UDT/BRP. Regards Bjørn

[KJJ]

Bjørn, thanks for that link to Sutton Images, the Welsh Dragon on a transporter in the GP paddock, excellent.

I've been looking up Jack's F3 record in the 1958 Autosports. After a couple of lessons with Ian Burgess at the Cooper Racing Drivers' School, Jack purchased the ex-Ivor Bueb Cooper-Norton. He competed in 13 meetings in 1958 and so far I've managed to track down 11:

8thApr, Brands Hatch, F3 race, crashed
18thMay, Brands Hatch, Junior F3 race, 2nd
24thMay, Full Sutton, F3 race, 1st
7thJune, Oulton Park, F3 race, 1st
21st June, Silverstone, Handicap race, ? (won heat)
5thJuly, Crystal Palace, F3 race, 8th
26thJuly, Oulton Park, F3 race, 1st
27thJuly, Snetterton, F3 race, ?5th
4thAug, Brands Hatch, World Sports Trophy, 2nd (won heat)
9thAug, Silverstone, Commander Yorke Trophy, 2nd
30thAug, Brands Hatch, Lewis-Evans Trophy, 4th
7thSept, Snetterton, F3 race, 3rd
20thSept, Oulton Park, F3 race, ?retired

Season highlights included a second place to Stuart Lewis-Evans in the World Sports Trophy race and a second place to Trevor Taylor in the 100 mile Commander Yorke Trophy at Silverstone, in this race Jack was hampered by fitting an extra fuel tank which split.

Any additions or corrections welcomed.

[Bjorn Kjer]

KJJ , a blind hen also finds a corn/grain sometimes.........speaking of blind I thought you........
but when I put on my glasses I saw the Dragon !!, thanks for the tip! Now what car was it ?
Regards Bjørn

[HiRich]

KJJ
My limited results for F3 1958 indicate:
18th May, Brands Hatch - I actually have him winning the BRSCC championship race
5th October, Brands Hatch: One JR Lewis entered in the World Sports Trophy race, car 4 (Cooper Norton), from the race programme

[KJJ]

Thanks HiRich and welcome to TNF. The 18th May outing was seemingly Jack's race debut, although he was in the entry list for the previous week's Mallory Park race. According to the Autosport report he was second to J. Menzies (Petty-Norton) in that Brands Hatch race, can anyone clarify?

J. R. Lewis is certainly our man and if he started in the October 5th race then that would leave just two events to find. Tommy Bridger won that, the third in the 1958 series of the World Sports Trophy races, the Autosport report does not mention Jack and only the first three finishers are listed.

There's an interesting piece about Jack Lewis in Peter Miller's "Men at the Wheel", anyone know of any other published features? What great days when an ambitious and talented youngster like Lewis could buy a 500cc car and be dicing with an established ace like Lewis-Evans just a couple of months later.

[Bjorn Kjer]

KJJ , how big is the piece with JL? Any chance to get a copy? Regards Bjørn Kjer

[RAP]

I have the following additional entries for Jack Lewis in 1958 -

7th April Brands Hatch
26 May Mallory Park
21 June Silverstone MMEC
5 July Crystal Palace - 8th

With regards to Brands 18th May I agree with 2nd in the Junior race.
RAP

[KJJ]

RAP

I've added the Crystal Palace race to Jack's record. Thanks to your post I've also found that Lewis won his heat in a Racing Car handicap race at the Silverstone MMEC meet, no mention of what he did in the final or in the 500cc race.

According to the Peter Miller piece Jack's race debut was at the 17th (actually 18th) May 1958 Brands meeting. Infact he did compete in the 7th April 1958 meeting and managed to overturn the car on the second lap.

Bjørn - I've emailed you.

[Bjorn Kjer]

Hello Jack L. supporters. I still need just a tiny info on the galloises team : His transporter , was it a......or what?
Regards Bjørn

[jo-briggs]

I think I have a copy of "The New Matadors" somewhere - mind you, people tend to "borrow" my books........ for 40+ years

Will whomever has my 1st Edition "The Racing Driver", BRM, and Pierro Taruffi's "Technique of Motor Racing" please return them.

[Bjorn Kjer]

The H&L Motors/Ecurie Galloise/Jack Lewis transporter was an Austin with 3 litre engine.

[KJJ]

There's an article about Welsh racing driver Jack Lewis in this month's Motor Sport which contains the er.. "revisionist" information that the Stroud born driver wasn't actually Welsh.

[Richard Jenkins]

71 today, too.

I know David Holland, a TNF member, has been in contact with Jack recently, and I read a long interview transcript the duo did, which was excellent. Was it this article that was used? (As I don't want to traipse down to WH Smiths unnecessarily).

[Bjorn Kjer]

I had 3 nice telephone calls and 2 letters with Jack Lewis , he certainly was not unwilling to talk about his racing career and he told me a bit on H&L as well as Galloises and their transporter. The promise of picture(s) however unfortunately came to nothing! But I certainlywould be interested in any interviews etc. !

[Rob29]

Originally posted by Richie Jenkins
71 today, too.

I know David Holland, a TNF member, has been in contact with Jack recently, and I read a long interview transcript the duo did, which was excellent. Was it this article that was used? (As I don't want to traipse down to WH Smiths unnecessarily).

5 page article by Paul Feanley-I think worth a trip to WHSmiths on it own Other articles on Ickx,Fittipaldi etc.