70 replies to this topic

[Ray Bell]

That might have been the March meeting...

Perkins spun it away and finished third, Larner won. I wonder whose the red Wren is?

[MarkBisset]

Thanks Paul- am glad i was not paying to win that fight!- I knew there was more than one car but not about the provenance dispute or chassis confusion.

As to Linday's wonderful photo- Terry P with Larner in Bill Reynolds 'works' Wren FF- he won a DTE round in this car from memory I think? The car behind is Murray Coombs 'John Lucas Ford' Wren F3- he appears to have run the same car in FF spec (easy enough) at least the year before with the same livery.
Peter Perkins had an Elfin 620 FF at about the same time as his brother too- it was garaged in a servo next to WH Lowes, the Ferrari/Lancia folks in Whitehorse Road, Balwyn- a drop kick from where I went to school

[Ray Bell]

Somewhat later than the main bunch here...



John Bowe in an Elfin 500 Vee in his first season, he really went places within not many years. Another pic dug up by Mark Bisset, Alan Simpson's Manta follows.

[ellrosso]

I should point out the above image is Copyright : oldracephotos.com/Geoff Harrisson shot at Symmons in 1971

[MarkBisset]

Thanks Lindsay- have you any more of JB in his formative FV/FF days? M

[ellrosso]

Yes I'll post some more hopefully later today with some info of the young JB too.

[ellrosso]

As promised here are some more pics of John Bowe from his formative years plus a couple of his dad, Brian Bowe. I have included these as it is said that JB turned laps at Symmons in private practice when he was a young teenager (not licence age, maybe 15 or 16). We supplied a swag of shots to a tribute book Sinclair Ford published (personal sponsor of JB at the time) when he retired from V8 Supercars and they had shots (supposedly) of him driving the Alexis at Syms. There has always been conjecture re his age and even his son couldn't say for sure in the book! At his first Bask meeting (and first ever race meeting) on May16th, 1971 he was there with his young wife (from memory, hopefully correct...) and HK or HT Holden ute looking very much all at sea doing it by himself. I reckon he was 21 at this time. In his first race he had a lose on the first lap at Homestead and couldn't make up lost time. That was the only mention of him in Steven Chopping's race report.

However, by Symmons Sept 26th (the wet Gold Star meet which Tony Stewart won) he had won the Vee race after a great battle with Dave Powell Jnr (also Elfin 500 mounted) - the first of many. At Baskerville Oct 31 meeting he led home Powell again although Alan Simpson had led until suspension problems in the Manta Vee (see shot posted by Mark above).

In 1973 they had bought the Elfin F Ford which was very soon upgraded to slicks and front/rear wings (still stock motor etc though). He was extremely quick in this configuration and obviously relishing the extra grip, especially at Baskerville.

I have put a shot in of him in the Elfin 700 also as it was a real eye opener for me as to just how quick he was. I went out on the Saturday before Sunday's race meeting (only single day meetings back then - 1976 I think), and he was the only car on track for about 15-20 minutes (I think he pitted once for adjustments, then came back out). Sometimes you don't need to see times to know when a driver is quick, the snappy gear changes, body language of the car, quick to pick up the throttle etc, etc.

He was certainly in a hurry to get places, ambitious, professional and a real student of the sport to boot. 

I know he was very keen to get overseas at one point when he was matey with Pironi but nothing came of it - shame really as it was always openwheelers for JB rather than "taxis".

[Team Result]

I notice in the first 600 pic that it was the ex-Bruce Allison FF - still hadn't removed the Allison family business signage from it. 

Edited by Team Result, 04 January 2019 - 11:33.

[MarkBisset]

Fantastic stuff Lindsay, both the words and photos.
He was lucky to have his Dads support but said his mum was against his racing as much as dad was for it. They were Elfin men weren't they!- an easy way to be mind you. Via Jeremy Mantello, Peter Ellenbogen and Andrew McCarthy I have been lucky enough to go along to a few pub dinners with JB and his lady at the Orrong Hotel- he always laughs as he says we are the only group of blokes who ONLY want to talk about his single-seater and sportscar racing not the tin-tops.
He is happy enough to talk about his own racing but is very passionate and immensely knowledgeable about motor racing history generally, Oz racing including the eras before his own. So he is great dinner company- fun company.
The last time Gary Scott came along, he lives these days in Mt Eliza, on the Mornington Peninsula- reminds me I need to follow him up.
JB has confirmed the private practice story- his dad cracked it when he went way quicker than agreed!
Have sent this link to him, so hopefully he may chip in.
Thanks again,
Mark

[MarkBisset]

Johns Response;

Hi Mark , It must be nearly time for another Steak night ,
Those pics and words bought back many memories mate ,
I actually started racing when i was 16 ,
My dad allowed me to put my age up and in those days no one checked .
My dad had purchased a new Elfin 600 from Garrie Cooper in 1970 but sold It after only a few races to Ross Ambrose , the father of Marcos .
Hence we started searching around for a car for me .
We were and still are very Elfin minded , so eventually we settled on an Elfin vee purchased from Lynn Archer who was a prominent tassie driver of the time .
I believe the car still exists in Tassie somewhere .
I then had a succession of Elfins and in fact with out Garries help and encouragement It’s doubtful i would have ever raced outside Tassie .
Here I am over 1100 races later still racing and still loving It .
There is a website a mate of mine found called driverdatabase.com and it shows lots of stats .
I’m very grateful and truly blessed for the longevity the sport has bought me .
I have started a book 3 times now but never went far with It, i wonder if anyone would want to read It apart from your dedicated bunch .
There are lots of stories around 1130 races and lots and lots of race cars .

Hope to see you soon mate ,
Regards .
JB🏁

[ellrosso]

Hmmmm.... to think he was only a year older than me back in 1971! I'm speechless....

[gkennedy]

"He was so much older then, he's younger than that now" (My Back Pages)

[DanTra2858]

Spoke to Geoff Leighton just prior to Christmas, he informed me during oue conversation that the only thing that held him back was lack of Finances to go any further, it happens to a lot of us.

[MarkBisset]

1971 new Formula Ford face!

https://primotipo.co...ks-bowin-again/

Mark

[MarkBisset]

Guys,

A piece on Jim Sullivan and his Brabham BT15 Ford F3.
Keen to flesh out his story- a photo of he and Healey in particular would be great...

https://primotipo.co...d-jim-sullivan/

Mark

[Ian G]

Guys,

A piece on Jim Sullivan and his Brabham BT15 Ford F3.
Keen to flesh out his story- a photo of he and Healey in particular would be great...

https://primotipo.co...d-jim-sullivan/

Mark

 

There was/is a story on his Healey and the background to his trip to the UK kicking around the Internet somewhere but a quick Google didn't show,someone on here may know more.

He was also involved in Rallying in the 1970's in an Escort with Murray Finlay with sponsorship from NBN Television and Klosters Ford,Murray was a NBN news reader at the time and Jim a reporter IIRC.   

 

https://www.youtube....h?v=HOfU_MNHQWM

Edited by Ian G, 14 May 2019 - 23:34.

[Ray Bell]

Jim was at that time the motoring writer for the Newcastle Herald as well...

And deservedly so, a motoring journalist of the 'old school.'

I know I've seen colour pics of his Sprite (not Healey, of you don't mind) somewhere, probably on this forum.

[TerryS]

There are some details on Jim Sullivan and his Brabham in this thread:

https://forums.autos...an#entry3486497

[SGM]

Here are a few pics of Elliot Team cars. The Mustang shot from Longford 1966 is very early days and the car is still LHD (converted in 1967) and he would have been dicing with Goss and Cook rather than lapping them! The shot from Bask 1971 is also early days for Pare in the ex Thomson Camaro and Tony Calvert gave him a real run in the ex Allen Mustang, forcing Pare into a rare spin in the Esses (I have a very out of focus colour slide of this taken on the old man's rangefinder). Tony won that race and actually set a new Outright Touring Car record that day too (in the 62 secs, nearly a second quicker than the old record) - he was a good driver and the car was very well sorted by this stage too. I've also included a shot of the ex Elliot Mustang in Robin Bessant's ownership. 

 

As this topic has drifted onto John Bowe, I believe it is him having his first "works" drive in the Bob Wright Tasma at the 1974 Symmons ASSC meeting in the first photo.

[ellrosso]

Yes SGM that was his first outing in the Tasma Repco. His dad Brian and Bob Wright were good mates from way back. I'm sure Bob would have been very happy to give him a go.

[Lee Nicolle]

The Gene Cook and Goss  Cussos? Were they quick or was it a slow Mustang? Both of those blokes proved plenty of talent.

About that period there was few Cussos playing speedway here in Adelaide. Were slower than the couple of 48 Fords being raced in the period.

And were miles slower than the FJs let alone an EH.

My vague recollection of driving one  was that it cruised well but not very fast in a straight line. It was an auto however