Australian Muscle Car – July 01, 2019

Indycarracing.
ForthenextsixyearsBrabham
wasanIndycarregularandnishe
onthepodiumsomeninetimes –
includingveseconds– butnevercrackedit for
a racewin.
Hisrstfullseasonwaswithlegendarycrew
chiefGeorgeBignotti,butit wasa disaster.
“Itwasmyworstyearof motorracing,
becauseI hadthingsbreak.I wasreallyluckyto
survive.It wasjusta baddeal,”hesays.
“Thesteeringarmcameofftherackat
200mphat Pocono...I hadnosteering!Luckily
I hitthesteeringwheelandit wentstraightback
onthesplinesandI justmissedthepitwall.If

imesyoucould

neverdoit. It was

justsheerluck.If

oingintoTurn1 I’d

stillbeuptherelookingfora placeto land.

“Thenin theMichigan500,therearwheel

justwentandI musthavespunsixtimesbefore

I evenrealisedI wasspinning,it wentthatfast.It

justtouchedthewall,butthatcouldhavebeena

bigone.”

Ironically,theBignottiMarchwasa jetat the

Indy 500 andGeoffwasin thetop 10 when

yetanotherengineblew.He’dbeengetting

teammateTomSneva’scast-offs.

Happyto seethebackof Bignotti’scar,

Brabhamreturnedto VDSforthe 1983 Indy 500

andtooktheirsparePenskePC-10to a career-

bestfourthplacenishat theBrickyardfrom 10

startsin thefamousevent.

“MyIndycarcareerwasfrustratingbecause

I nishedonthepodiumgodknowshowmany

times,butI neverwona race.TherewereracesI

couldwinandstupidthingswouldgowrong.For

whateverreason,it justneverhappened.”

Main:WatkinsGlen 1980 andBrabhamis atthetop

ofhisgameinsingle-seatCan-Am.Formoreofhis

recollectionsseeAMC#96’sAussiesinCan-Amissue.

Above:Brabham’sfinalstartatIndywasin 1993 (car

#27).Hisengineblewlaterace.Hehadonemore

attemptthefollowingyearbutwasoneof 16 carsthat

failedtoqualify.

Bottom:HisIndy 500 ridescarriedmanydifferentlooks

overtheperiod 1981 to1993.