The Historic Racing Car Club of Tasmania
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Memory Lane the Newsletter of The Historic Racing Car Club of Tasmania. Grant Twining's Devione Grant says: - here is my humble jigger when it was brand spanking new in 1969. The Devione LC2 twincam’’ was built in Melbourne during 1968=69 by Denis Lupton and Ian Cook. The car, although sharing the dimensions of a Brabham BT23, was not a replica, having a space frame chassis developed specifically for this car, with hub carriers obtained from a Matra, and powered by a Lotus Ford Twincam. The car first turned a wheel in competition at Calder in 1969, and was run regularly on Victorian circuits, with road trips to Oran Park and Warwick Farm during the early 1970’s. The principal driver was Ian Cook, who ran the car in a number of ‘Gold Star’ rounds as a Formula 2, including the 1971 Australian Grand Prix at Warwick Farm. Newsletter February 2014 Number One The Historic Racing Car Club of Tasmania Mailing Address GPO Box 13 Hobart TAS 7001 For General and Newsletter enquiries Secretary: Mick Stott [email protected] Mobile: 0424 878 032 Temporary Club Website www.grumpys-den.id.au/HRCCT Facebook https://www.facebook.com/HRCCT Patron: - John McCormack President: - Brian Higgins Vice President: - Dennis Burgess Treasurer: - Grant Twining Secretary: - Mick Stott General Committee:- Tony Watts, Warren Slater, Geoff Munyard, Peter Hansson. Contents 1. President Brian Higgins - VALE Mick Watts. 2. Vice President Dennis "Herby" Burgess - A Salute to our Club's Patron. 3. Editor's View - The Editor's Wish List. 4. News - Things that have happened, are happening or will happen. 5. New Members - Welcome to new members. 6. Coming Events - A short list - but it will grow. 7. Memory Lane - Taking the Newsletter's title a step further. 8. Gallery - Photographs from various sources. Page two Vale Mick Watt Gregory Alfred "Mick" Watt was one of the real characters involved in motor racing of his era. Possessed of true driving ability and imbibed with a wicked sense of humour, Mick was always at the forefront of both competition and mischief. Mick's driving career started some what adventurously at the age of eleven when he used to drive the Family Business truck to deliver fish. Driving trucks was an enjoyment throughout his life. Mick's foray into racing started with boats in the late 1940's and progressed to cars a few years later. His involvement encompassed Rally's, speed events together with road and circuit racing. He was the first person to exceed 100mph (160kph) at an event on Seven Mile Beach. Noted for his very forceful driving style he piloted the well known Goat (Ford sports car special). He then made his own very pretty front engined Ford special open wheeler. This was styled on the Indianapolis 500 design cars of the day, a very nice car indeed. The last car he campaigned was a Repco Holden/MG special he brought from Harry Firth. This car again carried the familiar #18 that was Mick. With this car he engaged in great on track rivalry with his best friend Jim Barrie in his Ford Zephyr special. Their competition was something to behold, no quarter given, none expected. Sadly in late 1961 Jim Barrie was killed in a roll over during the Domain Hillclimb. Mick was understandably shattered and never regained hiss desire to continue as a competitor. Mick went on to be a very knowledgeable and effective official at Baskerville. He was a great mentor to young drivers. Mick's presence at the post race barbeques always came forth with great stories of his early days of beach and airfield racing in the heyday of post war resurgence of motor racing. Mick's co - barmanship, in cahoots with another "shy, retiring soul" in Austin Miller, at an abandoned Baskerville meeting (due to prolonged and heavy fog) is a tale for another time. Rest in Peace Mick. Thanks for the memory. Brian Higgins. Page three Notes on the cars. The Goat went on to Arthur Twining, who in turn sold it, and sadly it was written off in a road crash although I am told the car still exists in pieces. The Open Wheeler went to Ralph King The MG/ Holden went to Bluey Mitchell. Both were good friends of Mick and both cars were raced here locally by them for several seasons. The X Jim Barrie special was purchased by Geoff and Roger Black who raced it for a few seasons in Tasmania then sold. The three existing cars are now owned by Historic Racing stalwart Ian Tate in Melbourne. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mick as those who knew him would prefer to remember. Page four A Salute to The Club's Patron John McCormack Born 9 July 1938 John McCormack established an international reputation as an accomplished racing driver during the late 60's and early 70's, later turning his knowledge and talent to designing race winning sports sedans. He was well known for his driving skills and expertise but, above all his determination and will to win. John hails originally from Burnie. It was in Burnie that he had his first big success on wheels, at the age of 12, winning a soap box derby promoted by the local Apex Club. But it was many years later that John first raced a motorised vehicle in his mid-twenties As the owner of the only rear engined Nota formula junior ever built, and after fitting a supercharger, John plunged into Tasmanian Formula Libre racing. Racing the Nota, and its successor a Brabham Climax, John won the Tasmanian Championship in 1967, 1968 and 1969. At the age of 31, John packed up his family and possessions and moved to Adelaide to become a full-time professional race driver. In Adelaide he built up a long friendship with Elfin Designer and Manufacturer Garrie Cooper for whom he drove for several successful seasons gaining many victories for the Elfin Marque. During an illustrious racing career John won Australia's premier circuit racing title, the Gold Star, three times and was runner up on two occasions. Although he was successful twice in the New Zealand Grand Prix John was never able to win his own National title, coming second twice, once only by a margin of 1.7 seconds. McCormack won various rounds of the Tasman Series including a sensational victory against top international competition in the 1973 New Zealand Grand Prix and again in the same event the following year. These victories in his Elfin MRS Repco Formula 5000 were against the cream of Australian and New Zealand drivers including drivers such as as Frank Matich and Larry Perkins. After campaigning open wheeled racing cars for many years, McCormack switched to Sports Sedans in the early 70's and pioneered the configuration still used by many sports sedan drivers today of a mid-mounted engine with transaxle rear end. His aluminium panelled Chrysler Charger, built with a Repco Holden engine, helped him dominate the sports sedan category, particularly in the Oran Park Toby Lee Series where in 1974 he won five out of five rounds. In that year John started 42 times for 27 victories and 10 further podium positions. The car failed to finish only once. Page five The Toby Lee Series was the elite event for Sports Sedans prior to the establishment of Australian Championships and included all of the top Australian Sports Sedans of the era. Post Elfin John campaigned a McLaren M32, equipped with a Repco Leland motor – this car competed in Australia and New Zealand and was taken to the United States where it competed in the Can Am series in a formula which used modified formula 5000s. In the Sports Sedan area John moved on from the Charger to a V12 Jaguar XJS which was being developed when his career came to an abrupt end. John was seriously injured while travelling to compete in the 1981 Australian Grand Prix. John found that, as a result of his serious injuries, that he had lost the edge to compete successfully at the highest levels and made the decision in 1982 to terminate his motor sport career. John McCormack was a brilliant race car constructor and talented driver whose career was cut short when he still had a great deal to offer Australian Motor Sport. John was inducted into the Tasmanian Motor Sport of Fame in 1992 recognising his outstanding career as a competitor and brilliant car constructor. In 2009 John was inducted into the Tasmanian Sporting Hall of Fame joining motor cyclist Mal Campbell as the only representatives of motor sport in that esteemed group. International Success 1973 New Zealand Grand Prix 1st Place !974 New Zealand Grand Prix 1st Place 1973 Australian Grand Prix 2nd Place 1974 Australian Grand Prix 2nd Place 1972 Tasman Series 3rd Outright 1973 Tasman Series 2nd Outright National Success 1971 Gold Star 2nd Place 1973 Gold Star 1st Place 1975 Gold Star 1st Place 1977 Gold Star 1st Place 1978 Gold Star 2nd Place 1974 Toby Lee Sports Sedan Won 5 out of 5 rounds Awards 1992 Inducted into Tasmanian Motor Sport Hall of Fame 2009 Inducted into Tasmanian Sporting Hall of Fame Dennis Burgess February 2014 Page six The Editor's Notes I've taken a few liberties here. The Last newsletter I sent out was January 2014 and I think it was about the 3th or 4th but I'm calling this February newsletter number one. The reason - apart from the new format - is that this is the first newsletter since the HRCCT became a reality - so my tiny little mind decided it should be number one ! The Club's Constitution dictates that members be kept informed by a monthly newsletter and that the newsletter contain notices to members including a synopsis of Committee meetings and notices re General and Annual General Meetings as well as other club business.