4 replies to this topic

[Tom MacMillan]

The following tribute has just appeared in SPEEDSPORT SCOTLAND, the magazine of the Guyson Scottish Hillclimb and Sprint Championships.
If you have any reminiscences of Norrie please let us know!


NORRIE GALBRAITH REMEMBERED

Wednesday, 8th September 1982. It is difficult to believe that 25 years have passed since Norrie Galbraith lost his life on his beloved Carse Hill at Doune.

Norrie Galbraith entered motor sport in the late sixties and probably drove a wider variety of cars than any other Scottish Champion in his efforts to win. His early successes made him Scottish Speed Champion in 1971 and he had numerous class wins in the early seventies. In 1975 and 1976 Norrie campaigned a Ginetta G15 and his battles with the Davrian of Barrogill Angus were one of the main features of those seasons.

It was with a Mallock U2 however, that Norrie really set the heather on fire, and in that year he won both the Scottish Sprint and Hill Climb Championships as well as finishing strongly in the RAC Leaders Hill Climb Championship. The Mallock was changed for a Gryphon clubmans car for 1978. This change was in line with Norrie’s policy of trying anything to see if it would work; especially if the price was right! The Gryphon was to prove an unlucky car and when both trailer and Gryphon overtook the tow car on a trip to Castle Howard one weekend, enough was enough.

Norrie had dabbled with small single seaters in 1976/77 but in 1979 he moved into the big class with a March 742 which at one time had been driven by Patrick Depailler. At this time ScotSpeed Racing was formed with Norrie as the driving force. The idea was to enter a team of hill climb cars to compete nationwide and the cars were finished in patriotic blue and white complete with saltire. The team consisted of Norrie Galbraith - March 742, Jim Campbell Modus M4, Tom MacMillan – Ginetta G17 and Kenny Allen – Mallock U2. It was a partnership which was to win one Scottish Speed Championship and no less than four Scottish Hill Climb Championships between 1979 and 1983.

Norrie gradually developed the March during the 1979 season and replaced the Ford engine with a 2 litre BMW at the mid point. After a closely contested championship, Norrie finished second to ScotSpeed team mate Jim Campbell.

For 1980 the BMW engine was opened out to 2.3 litres and the chassis was updated with March 782 bodywork. Norrie’s 1980 results were very similar to those achieved by Jim Campbell in 1979. Many thousands of miles travelled, Scottish Hill Climb Champion and RAC No. 10 for the second time.

In 1981 Norrie again changed cars, fitting the BMW engine into a Chevron B48 but it was a combination which simply did not work. Norrie drove the Chevron way beyond its limits to the concern of everyone except himself. Jimmy Jack won the 1981 championship but Norrie probably provided more excitement for the spectators!

He competed from Rumster in Caithness to Wiscombe Park in Devon, from Craigantlet in Northern Ireland to Bouley Bay in the Channel Islands, and wherever he went his fierce patriotism ensured that everybody knew that we go Speed Hill Climbing in Scotland. His contribution to Scottish Hill Climbing in general and Doune in particular was considerable although the majority of people were unaware of the efforts he made for his chosen sport.

Norrie was many things to many people. He did not suffer fools gladly and he would shout loud and long for something he believed in, no doubt upsetting people on the way. His skill and above all his determination made him a hard man to compete against and on more than one occasion his determination would win through and result in an excursion into the undergrowth! But he also had that rare ability to inspire and encourage newcomers to the sport and if Norrie decided to take you under his wing you were going to enjoy your hillclimbing. To those of us who were lucky enough to know him on a personal level the “wee fella” had a softness and a warmth which was most endearing.

There are so many memories and whenever hillclimbers congregate the stories will be told and re-told. That gear change in the Mallock which was pure magic and sounded more like a slight misfire. (This was long before fancy sequential gearboxes) Hitting the bank at Wiscombe Park, tearing off the nosecone and de-ranging the front suspension, but when the car landed Norrie had the wellie in for the 100mph straight which followed. Straw bales raining down on his head at Strathclyde Park. Storming through the Doune esses with fractions of an inch to spare. And when there was a party you could be sure that Norrie would be in the middle of it. Ask anybody about that classic night at Drumsheugh Baths or the New Year party when he arrived as that well known Lanark ballet dancer Rudolph Neereenuf.

After one of his typically complicated deals, Norrie acquired a March 782 with a 2.2 litre Hart engine from Roy Lane, for the 1982 season. This was the best car/engine combination so far and Norrie had clinched the 1982 championship by the August Rumster. It was to be his third and last Scottish Hill Climb Championship title.

On September 8th 1982, Norrie was driving the March at Doune for Scottish Television who were making a film to promote the 50th Doune Hill Climb. Norrie collided with a tractor which had inexplicably strayed onto the track at Oak Tree and was killed instantly. Scottish Hill Climbing had lost its most colourful character and probably its best ever ambassador.

We said at the time how much we would miss him. 25 years later we still do.

[jamesmac80]

Very interesting Tom, I've always wanted to know more about Norrie Galbraith. Thanks for posting!

[fyrth]

Norrie is also remembered with the Hill Climb and Sprint Association annual award in his name, to the organiser of the best run event in the years British Hill Climb Championship, currently held by BARC South West for their August 2006 event at Gurston Down.

[Bruce Fullerton]

Tom - what a fantastic reminder. It has made me stop in the middle of the day and think back to all those days in the 70's with my Dad watching, usually just before oak tree, as he cam howling through! What an inspiration....

[Tom MacMillan]

James - Fyrth - Bruce

Thank you for your comments which are very much appreciated.

We have a trophy in Norrie's name in the Scottish Hillclimb Championship which is awarded annually to the person who has done the most during the season to promote Scottish Hillclimbing throught the UK.

Norrie was responsible for bringing quite a few English hillclimbers to Doune for the first time so the award is very appropriate.