Star Torque Issue 244 Winter 2016

Leading the field in a Brabham in the Tasman series at Warwick Farm
S
pencer Martin was the guest of honour at our
April general meeting. He is an Australian F1
championship winning racing driver. His career
was highlighted by two Australian Drivers’ Championship
victories, in 1966 and 1967.
Spencer became hooked on racing when he was a
teenager, watching drivers racing at Mount Druitt, in New
South Wales. “I used to watch the drivers going around and
thought that I was as good as they were,” he explained, “So
I built a car myself and eventually got on the race track.”
“I had my first race in 1960, at the Gnoo Blas circuit, in
Orange. It was a little car that I built myself but it did over
100 miles an hour and it was very successful. We had a lot
of fun in that car.”
A mechanic by trade, Spencer moved up through the ranks
with his contacts in the trade, racing a PRAD sports car and
a very successful Holden 48-215 touring car.
Spencer Martin was one of Australia’s great open-wheel
racers. The big turning point in his racing career came
when he was offered a Holden to drive. “I think the turning
point was at Catalina Park at Katoomba,” said Martin.
“Norm Beechy and Bob Jane came up with their Holdens
and I beat Norm around there. He was driving for Scuderia
Veloce, which was David McKay’s team, who was so
shocked that I beat Norm, that he put in a ten pound protest
and had the motor checked out. After finding it was legal,
David McKay offered Spencer a drive with his Scuderia
First car & first race at Orange in 1960
Driving a Holden EH in 1963 at Bathurst on 3 wheels
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Front row: Spencer, Graham Hill Jim Clark & Jackie Stewart at 1967 NZ Grand Prix