4 replies to this topic

[lyntonh]

There has been a report this evening that Dr. Iain Corness has died.

 

[TerryS]

Well known MGB competitor of the 1960's Ian Corness died last Monday 30 January aged 81 from a long battle with cancer.

 

He has been described as:

"He was a medical practitioner, a racing driver, photographer, free-lance journalist and first-rate raconteur".

 

He was born in Northern Ireland in November 1941 and came to Australia as a "10 quid pom".

 

Gained medical degree in Brisbane and practiced there.

 

He took up amateur racing and eventually developed an MGB into the fastest in the world. This was extremely modified and included a Twin Cam head from an MGA fitted to the MGB block.

 

I saw him race many times at Oran Park and Warwick Farm, in some fantastic production sports car races.

He gained sponsorship from British Leyland and the car was turned out in a great blue and white colour scheme.

 

He had an equally well-presented Ford F100 ex ambulance also in the team colors as his tow car.

 

The MGB came to be called the "SuperBee" and was covered in a great track test in October 1970 Sports Car World.

 

Eventually CAMS changed the rules for Prod Sports as development was getting out of hand. This outlawed the SuperBee and Ross Bond's Austin Healey amongst other.

 

Sometime later he developed a team of three radical Fort Escort Sports Sedans. These had space frame chassis and Mazda rotary engines. They were sponsored by Bryan Byrt Ford and looked very impressive in blue and white paint schemes. Iain was the lead driver. I don't recall them racing at Sydney circuits, staying in Queensland.

 

His wife Carol was also a racing driver, driving the SuperBee. She also competed in two Bathurst 500's with other women drivers.

 

She left Ian in 2005 to go off with legendary driver John French. She died in 2018.

 

In 1997 Iain moved permanently to Thailand settling in Pattaya. This is a city of 120,00 on west Thailand coast. It' s main attraction for Iain was it had the only race circuit in Thailand.

 

He took up a Consultancy at the Bangkok Pattaya Hospital.

 

He continued racing in Thailand until a year ago, mainly in a modified Ford Escort. See the attached YouTube video which is very interesting.

 

Pattaya's Dr. Iain - Racing cars throughout his Life! - YouTube

 

 

He wrote a bestselling book titled "Farang, Thailand through the eyes of an expat" . Subsequently he wrote a sequel.

 

Both books available through Amazon.

 

This Shannons article describes the development of the SuperBee. Far better than I could write and very recommended.

 

MGA and MGB: Aussie doctor and the world's fastest ‘Super Bee’ - Shannons Club

 

Iain was a truly unique character and larger than life.

 

 

 

[Tim Murray]

Sad news. Iain posted here for a while (as SuperBee) and his stories about the tricks he pulled with that MGB were fascinating. RIP.

[Ian G]

I posted in the other Thread,Sad News indeed,nice write up Terry.

 

RIP.

[Wirra]

 

...He continued racing in Thailand until a year ago, mainly in a modified Ford Escort. See the attached YouTube video which is very interesting.

 

Pattaya's Dr. Iain - Racing cars throughout his Life! - YouTube

 

 

 

Although that video is 7 years old I'm surprised at a doctor not using a HANS.