29 replies to this topic

[Ray Bell]

Gold Star Champion and Australian Grand Prix winner in 1979, John Walker has passed away this morning...

 

So close to being the Tasman Cup Champion in 1975, Walker came to notice in an Elfin 1500, then 1600, graduated to F5000s with an Elfin MR5 running under the City State Holden Dealers' banner. It was in his Lola T330 that he made progress and almost won the Tasman Cup, but he also drove a Matich A51 and finished his front line career in Martin Sampson's Lola T332.

 

Martin has been close to John all these years, they've been involved in other racing together, but it's as a front-line F5000 driver that John (known frequently as 'Johnny') will always be remembered.

[SJ Lambert]

Johnnie was a very cool dude!

Here’s a shot of his Mk2C Elfin Mono received from his personal collection via Rob Newman a few days ago

Edited by SJ Lambert, 06 May 2024 - 08:34.

[brucemoxon]

Oh, that's sad. 

Super driver, and a good bloke, that one time I met him. 


BRM

[Ardmore]

Johnnie Walker at practice day for the 1975 New Zealand Grand Prix.

 

[ellrosso]

RIP Johnny Walker. Very quick in his Elfin Mono and 600 T/C (especially at the Calder F2 series). As Ray has mentioned he was a front runner in F5000 and very successful - had an enormous crash in the Lola at Sandown, lucky to survive that one. Started off in an early model Holden at Mallala from memory. The family business, Gilbert Motor Bodies (Adelaide) helped fund his early racing, then as mentioned, Martin Sampson of mag wheel fame, was his main sponsor in the late 70's.

[SJ Lambert]

Ardmore has it right with Johnnie, by the looks, I’ll edit my above post.

[ellrosso]

John had a dabble in touring cars along the way as well. Here he was part of the City/State SA team who were involved in almost everything back in the early 70's - Series Production (XU-1's), Improved Production (Ramsey Kingswood Repco), Rallies (Stuart McLeod XU-1) and openwheelers (Birranna , Elfin F5000 with John) etc).

Shot of the Lola T332 at AIR 1979 with Martin Sampson Magnum Wheels sponsorship. Larry Perkins in the Ansett Elfin MR8 behind him. Lawrie Nelson in the ex HDT Monaro HT 350 behind John at Calder.

Edited by ellrosso, 06 May 2024 - 10:30.

[Lee Nicolle]

How old was John? I know he had a few years on me. While I did not really know him he was at times in a group of people I did know.

RIP to one of the more versatile Australain drivers. Great in an open wheeler and did quite well in Tourers as well.

Last I heard he was retired and living on the Yorke Peninsula

[SJ Lambert]

Rob Newman’s message to John


“Dear friends
I write with a heavy heart and great sadness to inform you of the passing of one of Australia’s motor racing legends John Walker.
John capped of a stellar open wheel motor racing career spanning nearly two decades by winning the 1979 Australian Grand Prix together with the highest award an open wheeler driver can aspire to in this country, the CAMS Gold Star.
Whilst open wheelers were is first love, John also drove Touring cars at the highest level in this country finishing 3rd and starting from pole in the 1975 Hardie Ferodo 1000 (now the Bathurst 1000) co-driving with Colin Bond in the Holden Dealer Team.
John became a household name in the halcyon days of F5000 through the 1970’s, competing against the world’s best both here in Australia and in the USA.
John left us in the early hours of this morning.
Personally, John was a indescribable part of my life, he was my mentor, we have been mates for over 50 years. Words cannot describe the void i feel and how much I will miss him, as I know a lot of you will.

Rest in Peace my dear old friend.“

[SJ Lambert]

Lee, the internet gives his birth date as 3 Sept 1952, that would make him 71.

[ReWind]

How old was John?

Just look here or there.

BTW, shouldn't the name in the thread title better written as Johnnie (because Johnny Walker usually is the one from Tasmania)?
 

EDIT: I just swapped the two Johnnies/Johnnys in my Lives on 4 wheels thread; so this is the correct link.

Edited by ReWind, 07 May 2024 - 07:33.

[Lee Nicolle]

Lee, the internet gives his birth date as 3 Sept 1952, that would make him 71.

That would be Tassie John Walker. South Aussie John Walker was not racing at Mallala when he was 13. Or rallying new HR utes at 14. He would be closer to 80 than 70

[SJ Lambert]

That’s what I thought too Lee. He could have been around 18/19 when he started out at Mallala……

So, at least 75 ……

[ReWind]

I have Johnny Walker from Launceston born in September 1943 and Johnnie Walker from Adelaide born in September 1952.

Is it just the other way round?

 

 

EDIT: I just swapped the two Johnnies/Johnnys in my Lives on 4 wheels thread.

Edited by ReWind, 07 May 2024 - 07:34.

[SJ Lambert]

I reckon it has to be. My father, Ron, was born in 1942 and I can’t imagine Johnnie being 9 years younger than Dad, as Dad was looking pretty fresh faced when building the Elfin Mono with Garrie Cooper that John was racing……

[Ray Bell]

The other way round would be more likely, ReWind...

 

Martin told me he thought he was about 82 or so, that's about as near as you get to 1943.

 

I'd appreciate it if Speedy or Tim can change the spelling in the title of the thread, too.

[Tim Murray]

I'd appreciate it if Speedy or Tim can change the spelling in the title of the thread, too.

Done.

[Ray Bell]

Thanks, Tim...

 

JW (as he was often known) was a bit of a rarity in that he used the Repco-Holden engine in his Lola T330. He'd had this engine in his Elfin MR5, then in the Matich A50, he was apparently happy with its power and reliability and the service he got from Repco.

 

With a colleague. I really like this photo, reshot from the Tasman Cup book. JW and KB were very similar in many ways, both hard chargers and both very competent with the machines at their command. Thanks to Rob Newman for this great pic.

 

The other factor, I'm sure, was his closeness (as a part of the Adelaide F5000 bunch) to Doug Trengove. Doug was right on top of the Repco-Holden engines and knew them all by their first names (or engine numbers), could quote their power and torque figures and so on. Doug was fastidious in his preparation and it was he who prepared John's cars in the F5000 era.

 

When the dust settled over the penultimate round of the 1975 Tasman Cup, the significance of John's performances in the series was certainly not lost on Repco. Never before, in the ten years of the title chase, had they had one of their engines in such a strong position to win the series, not with Matich, not with Brabham, but with Walker they were in with a shot. Coming out of New Zealand with two fourth places and a third behind him, he'd been third again at Oran Park, then won at Surfers and scored a third at Adelaide. He was one of three drivers who could win the series, but he needed to win at Sandown.

 

In the days after the Adelaide round Repco threw their efforts into giving him the best of everything, taking his 490hp engine from the car at Adelaide, putting in a flat plane crank and every other good bit they had in stock. It turned their dyno with 520hp before they handed it back to John and Doug.

 

"I could pass anyone anywhere with that engine," John once told me. When he was slow off the start, he didn't worry, he knew he could pick them all off without straining himself or his car. But he didn't get the chance, halfway around on the first lap he had the most horrendous crash into the horse railings on the inside of the circuit.

 

That crash! There's a steel water pipe along the top rail of that fence, John was very lucky to survive this episode.

 

John Walker liked fast corners, a real racer, was possessed of great skills and raced at a time when those skills could be shown so readily.

[ellrosso]

Quite a good bio of John from Autosportsman 1968. Interesting comments re Alfie Costanzo. Don't know where the pic of him went - long time ago now.

[SJ Lambert]

Rob Newman’s advice as to funeral details:

“Dear Friends

The funeral and celebration of life of the late John Walker shall be held in its entirety at the Sporting Car Club of SA 51 King William Road Unley this coming Saturday the 11th of May commencing at 10:30 “

Edited by SJ Lambert, 08 May 2024 - 05:57.

[brucemoxon]

 

That crash! There's a steel water pipe along the top rail of that fence, John was very lucky to survive this episode.

 

And it looks like the fence itself was timber, both the posts and rail. Would NOT be a soft impact. He was so lucky, so very lucky. 

The horse rails these days are a light plastic - much nicer. 



BRM

 

[cooper997]

I suspect quite a rare colour shot of Johnnie Walker during his wildest of rides at the 1975 Sandown Tasman round.

 

Almost where ithe Lola finally stopped.

 

 

 

Stephen

[Catalina Park]

He was very lucky that he didn't hit the stupid 'bridge' support that was protected by straw bales.


Robert Davies/Primotipo

[ellrosso]

Both chilling photographs - he was so lucky..... Lindsay Siebler actually raced a fastback Mini SRC back in about 1967 - 68 at Victorian tracks. Certainly handy with the camera (I'd imagine it would be the same person).

[Ray Bell]

Garrie Cooper, of course, repeated this kind of affray a few years later...

 

His survival was a bit miraculous too.

[Librules]

Both chilling photographs - he was so lucky..... Lindsay Siebler actually raced a fastback Mini SRC back in about 1967 - 68 at Victorian tracks. Certainly handy with the camera (I'd imagine it would be the same person).

OT, but still very much a Mini man and fast on track as recently as last year.

[cooper997]

And to make a slight correction that hopefully won't swing things further off-topic, Leigh Siebler drove the Mini fastback against the Brock A30 Holden, etc. His younger brother Lindsay built the car and was the source of the post 22 photo.

 

 

Stephen

[ellrosso]

Thanks Stephen, forgot there was Leigh and Lindsay. Nice Peter Schell pic of JW leading the pack at Oran Park to get back on topic.

[Ray Bell]

That pic is the first lap of the second heat of the Gold Star round on August 4...

 

Max Stewart is gone, out of the picture and on his way to a win, Walker is second from Brown, Lawrence, McCormack (who'd come from the rear of the grid), Goss, I think it's Davison next from Phil Moore with Bartlett dropping back with a magneto problem and Leffler there in the Bowin F2 car. Cooper had retired in the first heat and presumably didn't start this one. Walker blew his engine in this race.

[MarkBisset]

 

Glen Dix, Warwick Brown and Bruce Allison in the SCCSA driveway

 

 

By several accounts the funeral was a wonderful tribute to John. The hard-yards were done by Rob Newman and his family, Stephen Walker, Tony Parkinson, Mike Drewer and others.

 

The Sporting Car Club is a wonderful venue for an event of over 150 attendees in two parts: the funeral, then a celebration of life.

 

JW received his final chequered flag from Glen Dix as the hearse headed off up King William Road, a lovely touch and a very emotional one for all.

 

Rob Newman gave the eulogy and led the charge, Bruce Allison and Warwick Brown flew in and gave tributes.

 

Of all the photographs posted on Facebook in the last week the one below taken by Alan Radley is my favourite. JW on full noise, or perhaps feathering a bit by this point of the turn-in, as his Lola T330 Repco-Holden - Viking Orange is the colour! - enters Southern Loop at Phillip Island in one of the two Gold Star rounds held there in October and November 1973. John won both.

 

 

Alan Radley's note to Rob Newman about the suicidal nature of this shot reads, "I concealed myself behind a bush and section of two-layer Armco which used to border the outside of the turn, behind me was a drop into the lake which no longer exists."

 

My time racing at the Island is since 1998 when the above was, thankfully, long-gone!

Edited by MarkBisset, 14 May 2024 - 01:21.