11 replies to this topic

[Menditeguy]

i understand that 'the bear' wrote off the McLaren M5a he was driving this year and it took time to extricate him from the car.
What exactly happened ? was it a mechanical failure and is he fine ?

[Don Capps]

The "Bear" was Denny Hulme. John Arthur Brabham was always "Black Jack," even if he was bear to be around at times I am sure . Anyway, yes, he did manage to mangle the sole McLaren M5A-BRM at Goodwood and do himself some harm. The last I heard was that he was out of the hospital, but no details outside of that.

Anybody?

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Yr fthfl & hmbl srvnt,

Don Capps

[Menditeguy]

thanks Don, of course 'the bear ' was Denny Hulme. I think I made this mistake because talking to one of his friends a while ago, he told me that ' black jack ' was very quiet to be around, not always cheerful.

so he was in the hospital? I understand it took some time to extricate him out of the car ?

[Don Capps]

From the only pictures I saw, Black Jack did what we like to call in the aviation world a real serious jay-oh-bee on the McLaren. If it weren't a vintage machine, it would be written off. Of course, not much "original" will be left after it is rebuilt. Then again, as someone once pointed out, JB does not get into cars to race for fun - it is strictly business and the switch goes to the Racer mode and stays there.

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Yr fthfl & hmbl srvnt,

Don Capps

[Menditeguy]

I agree , and I tink it is marvelous.

All or nothing all the way, always.

[Xrayman]

I was at Goodwood when Jack's accident happened, however I was not close to the accident.

He passed us on his last lap having a great 'ding dong' battle with J.Oliver and then all of a sudden the whole track went quiet. There was suddenly no commentry and a tense atmosphere grabbed the spectators.

I could see that there was trouble on the other side of the circuit but we did not know who was involved (although I guessed it was Brabham or Oliver).

Fortunately Jack was OK after a few days in hospital (Dislocated shoulder and # Ribs I believe).

Talking of damaging origional cars, the weather at Goodwood this year was really poor and several cars had alot of damage - including the Aston Martin Project 214 (very expensive!!) and my personal favorite the Ferrari 250 GTO of Nick Mason (crashed by Damon Hill!!!!!!!)

Anyway, hope that this answers your questions Menditeguy



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Martin.

ICQ 53805151

[charles r]

I was at the Revival that year and I remember the race was stopped and that silence descended over the circuit, there was real concern over Jack's welfare, as it seemed to take an age for the ambulance to get him off to Chichester hospital. Thankfully he recovered. I think after that it was decided that the 3 litre F1 cars were just too fast to race on the circuit after Brabham's accident. They made a great sight when they were racing though.!

Geoff Farmer was leading in his Lotus 49 when the race was stopped IIRC.

What happened to the M5A?

[Ray Bell]

I recall that Jack made a clear comment about the McLaren...

"They never did handle!" he said.

[SJ Lambert]

https://m.youtube.co...h?v=WlOlzrpuxSA

[Doug Nye]

Jack did to Jack Oliver something that he had done when it really mattered, in - I believe without checking - a Canadian GP...maybe 1968...or 1970?

 

Drifting out of a corner to the track limit, he simply took to the grass to pass the car ahead regardless, on the green bit.  This time, as in Canada, he lost grip on the grass and his car - in this case the McLaren M5A - spun to the left, across the nose of Jackie Oliver's replica Lotus 49 - which he knocked off, I think - and then he spun on at high speed and impacted backwards against the outside retaining bank - on the left-side of the track. He was knocked-out instantaneously in the impact, and as the car bounced off and whirled around in the air, Jack's limp arms flailed wildly.  

 

The M5A crashed to a halt, with Blackie unconscious in its cockpit.  I was with Murray Walker in the commentary tower.  He was even more shocked and upset by what we had just witnessed than I - which is saying a lot.  Jack was special to us all.  

 

Jackie Oliver's car stopped, I believe on the infield. He climbed out fuming at what "that silly old bastard" had just done to him...and not - I am afraid - without reason. Jack had been storming through the field, but it was only a pipsqueak, meaningless Historic race which could have been viewed as a demo.  Yeah but - tell that to the players...and Jack was A Racer.

 

He regained consciousness after a few minutes and was carefully removed from the car, then taken to St Richard's Hospital in nearby Chichester. The car's back end was badly mangled, but Hall & Fowler did a fine job of repairing it without excessive replacement of its essential fabric.  Owner Bruce McCaw was not happy with Jack, nor with us at Goodwood.  Not at all... But the story ended well.

 

Next day Charles March and I went to the hospital to see Jack.  He was sitting up in bed with a still-ringing head and some broken ribs. "Don't make me laugh fellers", he asked, "It only hurts when I laugh". He consequently endured quite a lot of pain for about 15-20 minutes until the nursing sister stuck her head around the door of his private room and said "Oh Sir Jack - Lady Brabham is on her way up the stairs".

 

"Ah" said Jack,

 

And as if by reflex he reached up to the left breast pocket of his hospital pyjama jacket - and switched off both hearing aids.

 

DCN

[Jack-the-Lad]

https://m.youtube.co...h?v=WlOlzrpuxSA

I recall seeing that on the taped coverage (before live streaming!) shown in the U.S. It was pretty shocking as the lack of any kind of event coverage here (it was pre-TNF, at least for me) meant that the incident was wholly unexpected.

[Thundersports]

First time i've seen the footage since watching it live. What it doesn't show is the Formula Ford type maneuver Jack had made on Oliver.