MOTORSPORT: Grandson Sam to drive Sir Jack’s world beater at Bathurst
Repco-Brabham racecar to lead Supercar open round celebrationsThe racecar which captured Australia’s first F1 world championship will be one of the stars of the first round of the Repco Supercars Championship at Bathurst this weekend.
The Repco-Brabham BT-19 open-wheeler with which Sir Jack Brabham won his third and final Formula 1 world title in 1966, will lap Mount Panorama circuit this weekend. Owned by new series sponsor Repco, the BT-19 will lead the field of supercars to the grid for Saturday and Sunday’s 250km races.
The BT-19 will be driven by Sam Brabham, son of David and grandson of Sir Jack.
The Repco Mount Panorama 500 opens this year’s Supercar title and kicks off Repco’s five-year tenure as official championship and Bathurst 1000 naming rights partner.
Brabham senior and the BT-19’s 1966 triumph was the first and last time a driver won a F1 world title in a car brand bearing his own name.
Sir Jack, who passed away in May 2014, was the first racing driver to be knighted for services to motorsport. He was also awarded an OBE (Order of the British Empire).
“The Repco crew take such pride in this incredible piece of motorsport heritage,” Repco sponsorship boss Mitch Wiley stated.
“It is a real privilege to have the BT-19 at the Repco Mount Panorama 500. And to have Sam Brabham take the wheel makes it even more meaningful.”
British-based Brabham junior has been in Australia since 2019 and has been assisting the development of the Brabham BT-62 hypercar project.
“The history this car holds with our family is very special,” he stated.
“I have driven it once before, never around Mount Panorama… I am so excited to head up Mountain Straight for the first time.”
Sir Jack Brabham famously developed a line of racers with business partner, racing engine and friend, Ron Tauranac. Tauranac, who passed away in 2020, was the T to Brabham’s B in BT.
In conjunction with the Brabham Tauranac organisation, Motor Racing Developments, Repco developed a 3.0-litre V8 engine for the 1966 and 1967 F1 seasons. Brabham’s teammate Kiwi, Denny Hulme, took the title again in 1967.
In addition to Repco’s Formula One partnership with Brabham, in the 1970s Repco developed and built a successful Formula 5000 powerplant.
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