Bring Brabham Back

 – while Jack is still visible in the Classic Car scene - we Australians as a bunch of hero worshipping sports nuts do not think about Jack Brabham anywhere near enough. Stirling Moss is a British legend and lauded by all (and rightly so), he won virtually everything but a world championship. Brabham won the World Championship three times in an era of many outstanding drivers and numerous tragic accidents. Even more impressive he is also the only driver to ever win a World Championship while also being team principal in his own car. That will certainly never happen again.

Even though we named Sir Jack an Oifficer of the Order of Australia just this year we need to get the Brabham name back in the Australian sporting cult conscience, - we cut nuts need to ensure our sons and daughters know who Jack is and what he achieved. I know I haven’t actually mentioned Brabham to my son and daughter in any conversation, we talk about Lowndes and Brock and Schumacher but Brabham has never come up. That needs to be fixed.

After Bernie Ecclestone brought and sold the Brabham team, the team and the name went through some pretty dodgy ownership periods and a number of seedy deals and legal battles. Thankfully though I believe Jack was able to eventually re-acquire the rights to the Brabham name.

So here is an idea. Holden has it's relationship with Elfin through HSV and Walkinshaw. Ford Australia - wake up. Besides Lowndes and Bathurst you have nothing. There is talk of you dropping the rear-drive Falcon - here I have something for you - it's a 6 inch nail, the final one for your coffin.

Now if Ford Australia were to partner with Brabham through FPV we could have another Ford v Holden war. Elfin v Brabham. Two great Australian names going head to head. This should be a more extensive deal though than the Ford America – Carroll Shelby relationship; I would like to see a competitor to the new Elfin and a second model – a competitor to the Lotus Elise. Wouldn’t that be cool - a race series for small lightweight rear-engine 4 cylinder road race cars. Lotus v Brabham.
Dream on. Ford Australia won't do anything that exciting they will just continue to die a slow death and you will all soon be driving Toyotas.

Back to Jack - here are some quick facts to embed in your brain for the next pub trivia quiz night;

• World Champion ’59, 60 and ‘66
• 14 F1 wins, 10 second places and 7 thirds from 129 starts.
• On the podium 31 times or almost one out of every four races over a 15 year career
• 13 Pole positions and 11 fastest laps.

 Rod Halligan