MOTORSPORT: Goodwood homage to Brabham

The world’s biggest historic motor racing event will pay special tribute in 2016 to Australia’s greatest race driver, Sir Jack Brabham, and his cars – but the most revered BT model of all is unlikely to be there.

The Goodwood Revival in Britain on September 9-11 will honour the 50th anniversary of Brabham’s third world title in 1966.

The Repco-Brabham BT19 he raced that year made him the only driver to win the Formula One World Championship in a car bearing his own name.

The winner of two previous world championships with the old Cooper team, in 1959 and ’60, and renowned as the pioneer of rear-engined cars that overtook the old roadsters at America’s Indianapolis, Brabham died on May 19, 2014, aged 88.

“Brabham raced and tested at Goodwood extensively during his career and developed a number of championship-winning cars at the motor circuit,” Lord March of Goodwood House in West Sussex said.

“A huge gathering of single-seater, saloon and sports cars encompassing his career as a driver and team owner will take part in a number of on-track demonstrations during the weekend.”

However, it is understood there have been no overtures to Repco, the owner of Brabham’s BT19, for that car to be at the Revival – the second of Goodwood’s annual carnivals, the other being the Festival of Speed.

The BT19 appeared at both the Goodwood events more than a decade ago, driven by Brabham.

The car’s caretaker is Nigel Tait, who was a renowned automotive engineer with Repco, which built the 3.0-litre Oldsmobile-based V8 engine that powered the tubular spaceframe chassis designed by Brabham’s long-time business partner Ron Tauranac – the other half of the famous appellation BT.

It is understood a schedule of appearances being planned for the car in Australia in 2016 could preclude it attending Goodwood.

New Zealander Denny Hulme won the 1967 world title driving for the Brabham team, again with the Repco engine.

Hulme died of a heart attack during the 1992 Bathurst 1000.

Goodwood’s Festival of Speed, billed as “the world’s largest automotive garden party”, will have the theme ‘Full Throttle – The Endless Pursuit of Power’ on June 23-26.

Among the 600 four and two-wheeled machines at that event, which includes a hillclimb within the grounds of Goodwood House, will be cars and personalities celebrating the year of the 100th Indianapolis 500 and the 50th anniversary of the start of America’s grand but short-lived extreme sports car series, the Can-Am.

The festival will open with the Moving Motor Show on the Thursday featuring many of the world’s largest manufacturers showcasing their latest models alongside various innovative concepts.

Goodwood also will pay tribute in 2016 to James Hunt 40 years after the flamboyant Englishman’s 1976 F1 world title.

Photography courtesy of Drew Gibson and The GP Library