Gnoo Blas Classic Car Club has combined with the Orange City Council to hold a tribute to Sir Jack on Saturday June 14 at Windsock Corner on the old track at 2.30pm. Sir Jack started his road racing career at Gnoo Blas in January 1953 in a Vincent-engined Cooper 500 that blew up in the race after he was running in ninth place against much bigger cars. He was back at the next meeting and most meetings after that when he was in Australia. He won numerous races at Orange, including the handicap section of the first South Pacific Championship and second outright to the factory Ferrari of Englishman Peter Whitehead. He won the championship at future meetings and held the lap record. The tribute will be approximately half an hour and includes a eulogy by Sir Jack’s engineer Ron Tauranac, who built his Brabham racing cars. Gnoo Blas Classic Car Club hopes to get a Brabham or Cooper open-wheeler for the tribute that can do a couple of laps.
