1846 replies to this topic

[70JesperOH]

Until recently I had a 1/32 scale Revell slot car 1963½ Ford Galaxie #28 - The Fred Lorenzen car. It was used and abused as a sub for Jack Sears and his John Willment group 2 British Saloon Car Championship winning car of 1963 and his mount in 1964, knowing the Holman & Moody connection. I also had the Revell #21 Tiny Lund Wood Brothers 63½.

 

Condolences to his nearest and dearest and my dearest respect of the man.

 

Jesper

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by Ian G
Yes, Skelton's Sprite was purchased and raced  by Lawson Stein,forget time line but Lawson moved into a Datsun 2000 late 1960's(?).

Lawson ran a Spridget until the end of 1971, he was into the Datsun by mid-1973.

Thanks for your post, I'd forgotten him altogether, as I recall he was a pretty nice bloke.

And thanks to Paul for the added information, something I should also have remembered.

[ReWind]

Bob Skelton died last week - 5/12-1942 - 16/12-2024

Sydney Morning Herald from 16 December 2024:

SKELTON
Robert William (Bob)
5/9/42 - 10/12/24
Loved cousin of Teri, Kay, Sue (dec.) and Graham

 

Coincidence or the same man with different dates?

[Paul Newby]

I hear that Bob Skelton, Australian Formula Ford (and other things) punter of note passed last week. Bob had a long career in and around our sport, his 'Mr Jackets' brand providing promotional goods to many of the good and great. 

 

 

BRM

 

Sad to hear this. Bob was one of the first (former) racing drivers that I interviewed for Australian Muscle Car magazine. I interviewed him after hours in my office’s boardroom back in the days before you needed visitor passes, security clearances and the like. Afterwards we met up with Mark Griffin and had dinner at the Sussex Hotel. Bob could certainly tell a story and his John Goss impersonation was gold, but from further discussions and emails it became evident that he had some issues and was living in reduced circumstances.

 

He phoned me on the day that my daughter was born asking whether he needed any further assistance with my story. This was a couple of weeks after he turned 70 (he was actually born on 5/9/42.) The next time I spoke to him he was in hospital after suffering a stroke. I think he went down pretty quickly after that and the next time I saw him was in a wheelchair at the 2013 Muscle Car Masters. It was really sad to see.

 

Bob was a very quick driver that just lacked the discipline of the top shelf drivers. He was the only driver in the 1973 F2 championship that could get near Leo Geoghegan and it would have been interesting to see how he would have faired in the ultra-competitive 1974 F2 championship. Alas his drive never materialised and he focused on touring cars with a modicum of success.

 

R.I.P. Skello

[ellrosso]

RIP Bob Skelton. Very quick in the late 60's, early 70's as mentioned earlier. Saw him out at E Creek historics few years back chatting to Don Holland and Lynn Brown. Few pics from his career.

Edited by ellrosso, 28 December 2024 - 05:06.

[Lola5000]

RIP Bob Skelton. Very quick in the late 60's, early 70's as mentioned earlier. Saw him out at E Creek historics few years back chatting to Don Holland and Lynn Brown. Few pics from his career.

The last photo 1984  ,I have Ken Matthews sharing the drive with Greg Toepfer finsihing in 13th spot outright .

[Catalina Park]

The last photo 1984  ,I have Ken Matthews sharing the drive with Greg Toepfer finsihing in 13th spot outright .

I think Bob Skelton was entered but Greg Toepfer replaced him for the race.

[ellrosso]

Thanks for the info Lola5000. John French and Bob lasted 91 laps before a DNF in the XA Falcon GT in 1973. Shame as they qualified 4th.

Edited by ellrosso, 29 December 2024 - 07:13.

[Lola5000]

Thanks for the info Lola5000. John French and Bob lasted 91 laps before a DNF in the XA Falcon GT in 1973. Shame as they qualified 4th.

Going by the lap times and top-end speed of the previous year's Bryan Byrt Phase lll and the qualifying time of the XA GT (.8) slower than the Moffat /Geoghegan car, they would have been a speedy duo in the Bryan Byrt XA in 1973. Running in 4th spot and powering along when the engine let go around half distance 

 

Jane and Harvey finished in the 4 spot, including a one-minute penalty. Was that penalty taken by scoring or a drive through the pits and stop?

Edited by Lola5000, 29 December 2024 - 08:38.

[cooper997]

Some of the specialist Mini sites are indicating International Rally co-driver, Ron Crellin passed away on Christmas day.

He started on the maps in an Austin Seven with his father, they rolled it. But didn't let that stop his enthusiasm, progressively moving to early Minis with David Hiam and onwards to the BMC Competitions Dept cars where he took on the maps for Hopkirk, Fall and company.

 

 

Here Paddy and Ron are giving their Works Cooper S serious gravel rash as they head for victory in the 1967 Acropolis Rally

 

 

One of the sites also recorded that former Downton Engineering engineer and racing car specialist, Paul Ivey also passed away earlier in December.

 

 

Stephen

 

 

[Lee Nicolle]

The last photo 1984  ,I have Ken Matthews sharing the drive with Greg Toepfer finsihing in 13th spot outright .

I doubt they would have been racing a VH in 84?  So maybe 83?

[Lee Nicolle]

Going by the lap times and top-end speed of the previous year's Bryan Byrt Phase lll and the qualifying time of the XA GT (.8) slower than the Moffat /Geoghegan car, they would have been a speedy duo in the Bryan Byrt XA in 1973. Running in 4th spot and powering along when the engine let go around half distance 

 

Jane and Harvey finished in the 4 spot, including a one-minute penalty. Was that penalty taken by scoring or a drive through the pits and stop?

No drive throughs in the 70s. So it would have been added to their time.

[Librules]

I doubt they would have been racing a VH in 84?  So maybe 83?

It was 1984, Lee.   Of the 18 Commodores entered only a handful were VK's.   Not worth the upgrade for most given it was the last year of Group C.

[Ray Bell]

One who's sneaked under the radar, apparently...

 

Martin Sampson, aged only 75, died on October 20. He'd led a busy life and made a lot of friends in Motor Racing, particularly when he was making Magnum wheels. Strangely, however, the only online obituaries don't mention any of this, though they do mention his business acumen and willingness to help others.

 

At the time of his death he was keeping in contact with a number of his friends from the F5000 days, Alan Hamilton, Kevin Bartlett and Jon Davison among them and he gave me the odd call - I guess when there was nobody else to talk to. He was living near Port Augusta in his final years. He was very close to John Walker, of course, and John's decline and death hit him hard.

[Lola5000]

One who's sneaked under the radar, apparently...

 

Martin Sampson, aged only 75, died on October 20. He'd led a busy life and made a lot of friends in Motor Racing, particularly when he was making Magnum wheels. Strangely, however, the only online obituaries don't mention any of this, though they do mention his business acumen and willingness to help others.

 

At the time of his death he was keeping in contact with a number of his friends from the F5000 days, Alan Hamilton, Kevin Bartlett and Jon Davison among them and he gave me the odd call - I guess when there was nobody else to talk to. He was living near Port Augusta in his final years. He was very close to John Walker, of course, and John's decline and death hit him hard.

RIP-The Magnum wheels business must have been a strong business to have purchased in 1981 that Porsche 934 , for JW to race from memory in those days the price asked was around 120k

[brucemoxon]

One of Australia's very best rally drivers of the 70s-90s, Wayne Bell, passed on February 6th, aged 72. 

 

Wayne started in the usual way, a Datsun (sometimes his mother's 1200, which she discovered when she saw a photo in a magazine, so goes the story), then a Mitsubishi Galant, eventually finding himself with a Holden Dealer Team drive in their Geminis. 

 

Wayne was part of the Holden Commodore 1-2-3 result in the Repco Trial in 1979 and later rallied a variety of cars, with success, although the Australian Rally Championship eluded him. He introduced Hyundai to rallying, via their FWD Lantra.

 

All that aside, he was a lovely fella, always smiling, always ready to help others (including me). 

 

 

BRM

[Ian G]

One of Australia's very best rally drivers of the 70s-90s, Wayne Bell, passed on February 6th, aged 72. 

 

Wayne started in the usual way, a Datsun (sometimes his mother's 1200, which she discovered when she saw a photo in a magazine, so goes the story), then a Mitsubishi Galant, eventually finding himself with a Holden Dealer Team drive in their Geminis. 

 

All that aside, he was a lovely fella, always smiling, always ready to help others (including me). 

 

 

BRM

 

Sad News,i knew him fairly well from chats at the various rallies in the 1970's,fast clean driver that rarely failed to finish.

 

RIP.

[Ray Bell]

So quick he won stages where others were quicker, it seems...

 

Back in the seventies, my brother, Bob, lived in Henty and was competing strongly in rallying in Escorts. He was invited to run in the Alpine Rally on the strength of this and during this event he set fastest time in the Bright circuit special stage. Seeing the name 'Bell' at the top of the list was enough for Auto Action to report that Wayne had been the stage winner there.

 

And little brother's rare opportunity for a claim to fame slipped into oblivion...

 

He outlived Rob by sixteen years, however, and died 13 years older than my brother.

[Ray Bell]

I see mention of Dennis Cribbin having passed away on Bob Williamson's facebook page...

 

A competitor in Clubmans as well as Touring Cars and at one time the Alfa GTZ2, I never met him but I'm sure others here knew him.

[ellrosso]

RIP Denis Cribben - right up there in 1100 cc Clubman class in the late 60's. Few pics from his racing career. From memory he just had the one start at Bathurst in 1969 sharing the John Goss Falcon GT HO - he crashed it on lap 50 unfortunately.

Edited by ellrosso, 23 February 2025 - 21:33.

[ReWind]

Dennis Cribbin.

 

Dennis Cribben

Denis Cribben, don't you think?

 

EDIT: Cribbin, of course. (I was focused on the given name not realizing that the family name was misspelled in the second cited post.)

Edited by ReWind, 23 February 2025 - 08:30.

[lyntonh]

Denis Cribben, don't you think?

His  personal account on Old Motor Racing Photographs  Australia Facebook Group was 'Denis Cribbin'.

[ellrosso]

My apologies. Yes the early RCN race reports had him as Dennis but later in 1969 they referred to him as Denis from then on. He had a good win in the TZ 2 at OP in late 1969

Edited by ellrosso, 23 February 2025 - 22:49.

[Paul Newby]

Sad news.

 

I interviewed Denis Cribbin about the McLeod Ford Falcon GTHO that he shared with John Goss at Bathurst in 1969 for Australian Muscle Car magazine in 2013. We organised to meet up with the owner of the GTHO at the 2013 Muscle Car Masters. Denis was very generous with his time on that busy day, John Goss less so. Denis was understandably disappointed with his old friend, who kept him waiting most of the day, but what do you do?.I do recall that Denis's partner at the time was a good friend of Michelle Downes, Peter Brock's second wife.

 

[cooper997]

More sad news, Phil at FML has just informed me that David Jones AO OBE has passed away. He was 88.

 

David was influential in his business, politics and historic motor sport life. Absolutely passionate Rolls Royce enthuisast and a few other toys along the way.

 

When the AGP came to town in 1996, his mate Ron Walker was able to get DCJ to swing a few bucks into the Historic Garage at Albert Park - hence the Tattersalls connection. That also helped bring S C Moss to so many AGPs.

 

He was also influential in the Melbourne Cricket Club world and was at the helm when much rebuilding was done at the world famous MCG. Something that David would tell still upset some members.

David can be spotted at the left hand front wheel of the Dean Butler Lago, standing next to Stirling's righ shoulder.

 

My sincere condolences to Peter, Richard & Vicki and the extended Jones family

 

 

 

Stephen

Edited by cooper997, 26 February 2025 - 04:30.

[Lola5000]

More sad news, Phil at FML has just informed me that David Jones AO OBE has passed away. He was 88.

 

David was influential in his business, politics and historic motor sport life. Absolutely passionate Rolls Royce enthuisast and a few other toys along the way.

 

When the AGP came to town in 1996, his mate Ron Walker was able to get DCJ to swing a few bucks into the Historic Garage at Albert Park - hence the Tattersalls connection. That also helped bring S C Moss to so many AGPs.

 

He was also influential in the Melbourne Cricket Club world and was at the helm when much rebuilding was done at the world famous MCG. Something that David would tell still upset some members.

David can be spotted at the left hand front wheel of the Dean Butler Lago, standing next to Stirling's righ shoulder.

 

My sincere condolences to Peter, Richard & Vicki and the extended Jones family

 

 

 

Stephen

I'm saddened by this having known the Jones since the early 60s in the RROCA-   I was informed mid-morning attending the funeral of another well-known Melbourne enthusiasts and man about town and of the Melbourne business world.  

 

In business we used his wife's family debt collecting business with much success.

 

And years latter enjoying David and my brother in-law competing for outright trophies in the RROCA, from memory they are even in numbers.

 

For many years David was CEO of the Tattersalls trust, and their sponsorship was of great value to the VHRR Sandown event.

 

There is an article David wrote regarding the event one year where he was driven around the track in my Group ll Trans-Am Mustang by Sir Jack at speed in a Demo, David wrote the article, claiming in humour how he and Sir Jack won the race. I have the article, not sure if it was the VHRR monthly or Auto Action or the RROCA National magazine 

 

RIP David a true enthusiasts

Edited by Lola5000, 26 February 2025 - 08:26.

[cooper997]

2010 Phillip Island Classic was a huge Alfa Romeo gathering.

 

This snap of mine, shows David Jones in his stunning 6C 1750 Brianza. He used this car often at the Island and the AGP Historic demos and even took it to a Mille Miglia retrospective when he shared that event with Phil Schudmak.

 

cooper997 photo

 

This car appears on the cover and inside feature of 11/61 Sports Car World when owned by Graeme Lowe. Who would move from Alfa to Alta and become well known for his Taylor-made cars.

 

As far as I'm aware the car went to live in Perth.

 

 

Stephen

 

[Lee Nicolle]

I see mention of Dennis Cribbin having passed away on Bob Williamson's facebook page...

 

A competitor in Clubmans as well as Touring Cars and at one time the Alfa GTZ2, I never met him but I'm sure others here knew him.

Dennis Cribben was a player in GpE production cars not so long ago. I saw his name mentioned with other cars as well. In magazines!!

[JacnGille]

SCCA Legend Bob Sharp has taken his last checkered flag.

https://countylocaln...er-passes-away/

[Bob Riebe]

SCCA Legend Bob Sharp has taken his last checkered flag.k=

 

 

 

 

 

[D28]

Obit for Bob Sharp from Autoweek

 

 

https://www.autoweek...riend-has-died/

[Ray Bell]

I held back on this until I could get confirmation...

 

Bob Cutler died a week or two ago, having been a long-time Club Official, having taken on the task of track inspection, filling roles within the State Council of NSW of the CAMS.

 

Most, however, would remember him as a forceful driver of an Austin Healey and the man who almost won the very first race at Warwick Farm.

[Tim Murray]

The posts relating to John French have been moved to his tribute thread.

[GMiranda]

Susanne Kottulinsky passed away today, her family announced on Facebook.

[Myhinpaa]

Susanne Kottulinsky passed away today, her family announced on Facebook.

 

R.I.P. https://www.facebook...bsVVNp1bFSMFWFl

 

1985: https://encrypted-tb...eFoe_pEkdrmpg

 

2020ish: https://www.sbf.se/i...K vid volvo.jpg

[Ray Bell]

On March 5 we lost Phillip Smiles, a man who made an extraordinary contribution to motor sport in Australia...

 

With a background in state politics in NSW, Phillip was running a consultancy business when the CAMS tried to get what was tantamount to being government backing of them being the sole sanctioning body of motor sport in Australia. They had just about succeeded in NSW when Smiles was called upon to put a case to prevent it. 

 

This was no easy task, the weight of the CAMS' efforts to appear to be the sole claimant to these rights were hard to overcome. In particular on the subject of insurance they claimed to be the only people able to provide the necessary coverage for all kinds of motor sporting events. The simply never expected to find their case challenged by such a competent and knowledgeable adversary and lost their advantage.

 

This led to the solidifying of the birth of the Australian Auto Sport Alliance, well able under the guidance of Phillip Smiles, to strongly challenge the CAMS throughout the country and to be instrumental in arranging more economical insurances - his submissions to Lloyds of London, along with risk management plans, were highly commended - and enabling lower fees for competitors. 

 

Phil worked with people like Mick Ronke, Bob Jane and Paul Samuels to get it all established, having been introduced to this circle of CAMS-disenchanted people by Bruce Polain.

 

To Lyn, his long-time partner in both business and life, I offer my condolences.

[Parkesi]

Eddie Jordan passed away last night

[Gabrci]

Eddie Jordan passed away last night

He didn't. Apparently it was a mistake by Sky Sports Germany. 

[Parkesi]

I checked several (German...) sources before posting. I do apologize and sincerely hope it is not true - we need colourful guys like Eddie Jordan!!

[Gabrci]

You are certainly not alone, lots of sites posted it as Sky is meant to be a reliable source...

[Vitesse2]

It is unfortunately true. He had been battling cancer for the past year, so not entirely a surprise.

 

https://forums.autos.../#entry10861301

 

RIP EJ.

[Gabrci]

Oh. Thank you for posting the BBC link. I'm very sorry to hear that it is true after all. I'm sure he would enjoy the mess around announcing it! 

[brucemoxon]

Ed Mulligan. Australian rally driver and a bit of a 'character' (even among Aussie rally drivers, who all seem to be 'characters')

Ed ran a business in Sydney called Opposite Lock, selling race and rally gear to us punters. Race suits, helmets, seats, intercoms, lights, roll cages - you know the drill. He also sold some naughty bumper stickers with things like 'Rally drivers do it sideways' and 'navigators need root instructions'. 

 

Ed was also a Very Funny Man. Always ready with a one-liner, a dirty joke or just a classic put-down if you were getting a bit big for your boots. 

 

He rallied a variety of cars, from the venerable Datsun 1600 to BDA Escort, V8 Torana, Subaru RX and more lately a 3-Series BMW and a Rover V8-engined Vauxhall Manta. 

 

Moving up North some years ago, Ed most lately was a macadamia farmer. 

 

It would seem his passing was sudden, a couple of people saying on Facebook they'd spoken to him in the very recent past. 



BRM

[Ray Bell]

And a 404 man, Bruce...

 

He used to borrow his mother's 404 when he was doing trips because he liked driving it so much across the mountains, the family had a meat business with an abattoir out at Cowra and he was a part of that business.

 

Peter Finlay had a lot to do with him - and with his wife, who pulled a lot of strings in the Opposite Lock business - and hopefully will see this post and put in some more for us.

[brucemoxon]

Peugeot man indeed. This just popped up on The Book of Face...

[Ray Bell]

With sponsorship from good old Norm...

 

I've captured the pic and reposted it as it will disappear in time otherwise. That's Ed on the left, of course, any idea what year this was?

 

 

And that's not his mother's car, I'm sure it was just a regular 404 and it was dark green.

[brucemoxon]

Someone said 1970.