MATICH'S F5000's - Fantastic Article

[Terry S]

May I thoroughly recommend to you the article on Frank Matich and the development of his F5000 cars.

It is fantastic and incredible in my humble opinion.

The details of the development process that was undertaken is great. Also some fantastic photos.

http://primotipo.com/

[Ray Bell]

Derek has a very good recollection of all the things he did with Matich...

Who did the article?

[seaqnmac27]

And a good shot of Ramsays Birrana you mentioned in the Perry Drury thread Ray.

[Terry S]

For a great article on Matich's sports cars go to

http://primotipo.com/category/restoration/

[Cooper997]

Terry, just adding the Matich F5000 direct link, the one in the original post goes to the newest published feature.
http://primotipo.com/2015/09/11/frank-matich-matich-f5000-cars-etcetera/

[Ray Bell]

A lengthy article, which I haven't been able to completely digest...

Once again, who did it?

A lot about the US racing we didn't hear much about here. Derek is obviously a good source of information on all of that stuff and very helpful in putting any of this sort of thing together.

Niggling a bit is the 1965 Gold Star failure. Frank should have won this, of course, but he wasn't to compete after his July crash in the Lotus 19B at Lakeside, the car was sold off and the Matich side of the Total Team ended. He raced a Cooper S in Series Production for the rest of that year.

Frank always contended, at least in the early to mid-sixties, that the Sports Cars would be quicker when it came to lap records. His 19 and 19B efforts were all with a 2.6-litre engine while from '64 the openwheeler was restricted to a 2.5-litre engine. Even when he first ran the BT7A it had a 2.5-litre engine as it was only a couple of months before the new formula came into force. Frank never had a 2.7 engine.

So when he saw what was happening in America with 19s being converted to Buick etc power, the first of the McLarens coming into being and so on it was natural that he'd go to the V8 Sports Cars himself. He had ideas at the time that he could seriously commit to the Can-Am but this never actually came about.

Frank was enamoured with the ideal of racing in the USA. The season, initially at least, was short enough to do it in conjunction with some Australian racing, the Sports Car title at the time here was a single race deal (the Australian Tourist Trophy) and there was always going to be opportunities to set the outright lap records he craved in the other part of the year while he'd be able to be at home with his family for most of the year.

[Terry S]

Once again, who did it?



I think it was the butler........

[Ray Bell]

Another sidelight to the Matich entrancement with the USA...

Back in the early sixties we had an American named Kent Price racing here in a Lotus 20 (pretty sure it was a 20...). He ran under the name of 'Ken Milburn' and he was fairly quick. The reason he ran under an assumed name was that there was prizemoney on races here (something you don't have to worry about today!) and he didn't want to spoil his amateur status with the SCCA.

Kent and his wife became quite friendly with the Matich family and spent time with them away from the circuit. One story I remember Joan telling me was about a can of chocolate coated ants that went between them as a gift. Nobody ever bothered opening the can, as I recall.

Kent, of course, had a crash at Bathurst and that led to him ceasing racing here. Later he bought an SR3 to run in the USA. But I'm sure this friendship was a big step in Frank's desire to have more to do with the US. He saw racing opportunities there and also business opportunities, much later his Armacel business eagerly pursued US buyers and for some time he was on a plane to the US about once a month. This was cut back when his health was being threatened by the hours sitting in a plane.

When Frank campaigned the SR3 in the Can-Am he took Bob Britton with him and Britto has some stories to tell about Frank and their adventures over there.

This is the truck they used to transport the SR3:

http://s26.postimg.org/t5u59wx89/0915fr_RBGMCtruckmatichusedwith_SR3.jpg

And here are Frank and Bob at the back of the truck, the SR3's tail barely visible in this poor shot:

http://s26.postimg.org/7i56zgwu1/0915fr_RBbrittoandfrankattruck.jpg

[Mark Bisset]

Hi everyone, i wrote the article with strong input from Derek Kneller, way too long but got carried away!

Very interesting comments Ray re Kent Price, his racing in Oz is all new to me and puts a few later events into perspective.

The notes i have on the 3 SR3's are that FM used the second of the SR3's built, which he sold to Price, in his first Can Am meeting @ Elkhart on 3 Sept 1967, fitting his own RB620 Series 4.4 for the event, rather than the Traco Olds fitted to the car when he sold it. The car was lent to FM. (and never raced again in the US but returned to Oz for FM to sell on KP's behalf)

Matich used the last, Repco powered SR3 built for the balance of his '67 US tour and throughout Oz in late '67 and into '68 before sale to Don O'Sullivan.

Interested to know who owns the SR3's now, Keith Berryman's (the last built?) duly noted. Also some say more than SR3's were built than the 3 i have been told was 'the full production run'.

mark




QUOTE=Ray Bell;48646]Another sidelight to the Matich entrancement with the USA...

Back in the early sixties we had an American named Kent Price racing here in a Lotus 20 (pretty sure it was a 20...). He ran under the name of 'Ken Milburn' and he was fairly quick. The reason he ran under an assumed name was that there was prizemoney on races here (something you don't have to worry about today!) and he didn't want to spoil his amateur status with the SCCA.

Kent and his wife became quite friendly with the Matich family and spent time with them away from the circuit. One story I remember Joan telling me was about a can of chocolate coated ants that went between them as a gift. Nobody ever bothered opening the can, as I recall.

Kent, of course, had a crash at Bathurst and that led to him ceasing racing here. Later he bought an SR3 to run in the USA. But I'm sure this friendship was a big step in Frank's desire to have more to do with the US. He saw racing opportunities there and also business opportunities, much later his Armacel business eagerly pursued US buyers and for some time he was on a plane to the US about once a month. This was cut back when his health was being threatened by the hours sitting in a plane.

When Frank campaigned the SR3 in the Can-Am he took Bob Britton with him and Britto has some stories to tell about Frank and their adventures over there.

This is the truck they used to transport the SR3:

http://s26.postimg.org/t5u59wx89/0915fr_RBGMCtruckmatichusedwith_SR3.jpg

And here are Frank and Bob at the back of the truck, the SR3's tail barely visible in this poor shot:

http://s26.postimg.org/7i56zgwu1/0915fr_RBbrittoandfrankattruck.jpg[/QUOTE]

[RGM]

What a great article on the Matich F5000s my only regret I got so engrossed in it I forgot grab a beer

[kiwi285]

Here is a photo that I took of the Matich SR3 at Sandown in February 1967.

http://i57.tinypic.com/2pplcoi.jpg

A great looking car - often wondered how it went.

[Mark Bisset]

What a great shot!

Have seen it before, in fact i used it in one of my articles!, but didn't know which Sandown meeting you took the shot. Given the dates this is the first of the SR3's.

Based on the notes i have it;
.made its debut @ WF, so the weekend before you took the shot, 19 Feb '67
.won the '67 Vic SC C'ship @ Sandown
.won the NSW SC C'ship @ Catalina
.won the Aust TT @ Sufferers
and was then sold to Marvin Webster in the US sans the Traco Olds engine it was built with in June 1967.

M





Here is a photo that I took of the Matich SR3 at Sandown in February 1967.

http://i57.tinypic.com/2pplcoi.jpg

A great looking car - often wondered how it went.

[kiwi285]

I was at the Warwick Farm meet the previous weekend and was standing at the end of the main straight. I can't remember seeing the car there but it could have been. I took at stack of photos from that point so might go back and see whether I photographed it.

[Ray Bell]

That's Peter Mabey (correct spelling) in the car in this shot...

Peter now lives way up north.

[bry3500]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNLEO2NoAjA

[bry3500]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RulVc863T38

[John McKechnie]

Any shots or stories of the Matich SR 4 -94 inch wheelbase-before it cane to NZ to become the Katipo MJ70 ?

[kiwi285]

Here are a couple of photos of Frank's F5000 cars here in NZ. They were taken at Pukekohe in January 1970 and January 1972.

http://i57.tinypic.com/jtqhqg.jpg

http://i57.tinypic.com/2epiqvs.jpg

[John McKechnie]

The PAINE MOTORS sticker is the GM franchise I used to work at- Otahuhu, Otara, Pakuranga, Mangere and Papaura branches.

[Spgeti]

Whangarei and Kaikohe as well John.

[John McKechnie]

Bruce- thanks for the update my ex used to work at Whangarei branch in 1968- they had Skoda agency there.
Huge family business- Chev, Vauxhall, Bedford Holden , bought by Graham Hitch ,dismantled and sold everything. - he was an asset stripper , learnt his trade at Brieleys
Wonder what they put this cars way to warrant a sticker?

[Spgeti]

My ex worked there too......now that is a worry !!!!!

[khyndart in CA]

When you read my post # 351 on my Programme thread you will understand why Warren Paine did not take me on as an apprentice at the Morrinsville "Paine Motors".

BTW. I sure enjoyed watching Frank Matich driving at this meet at Warwick Farm in 1970.

30396



(Ken Hyndman )

[Mark Bisset]

Bry,

Thanks for posting, i hadn't seen the second part of the interview, all the stuff about modified fuel cams is interesting, and not stuff Derek and i covered when we chatted about the article.

Its all indicative of FM's attributes and sensitivity as a a test and development driver. Goodyear would not have handed out testing contracts to every 'tom, dick and 'arry' it would be interesting to know how many such arrangements were 'on foot' at the time.

One anecdote Derek mentioned i forgot and must plug into the article; FM tested the A50 @ W Farm, Derek having wheel aligned the car the night before on the very sophisticated gear the team had. FM did a couple of laps and declared the toe setting was out on one side of the car. Derek protested, but relented when FM was adamant despite the care taken that they were out...sure enough they were, not a lot but enough to a very sensistive driver...which he was!

Finally the fuel cam story reminds me of a similar one in relation to Jack Brabham. The DFV was famously abrupt in its power delivery early on. Brabham used the engine for the first time in '69...and quickly modified the fuel cams of his engines to improve the 'drivability' of the Cossie. One of these cams was left in an engine returned to Cosworths' for rebuilding, the engineers quickly realised 'old Jack' had improved their design, the cam was replicated and then incorporated into all engines issued to customers from that point...

Clever Aussie Driver Engineers!...

m

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by kiwi285
Here are a couple of photos of Frank's F5000 cars here in NZ. They were taken at Pukekohe in January 1970.....

http://i57.tinypic.com/jtqhqg.jpg

That's 'Lugsy' Adams pushing on the wing...

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by khyndart in CA
.....BTW. I sure enjoyed watching Frank Matich driving at this meet at Warwick Farm in 1970.

30396

Wasn't that the day Niel Allen won in the ME5?

Frank had problems, IIRC, and tried storming through the field after a pit stop.

[John McKechnie]

Ray Bell- you seem to know a bit about Aussie cars of the 60s, can you help with this please-

Any shots or stories of the Matich SR 4 -94 inch wheelbase-before Mark Petch brought it back to NZ cane to NZ to become the Katipo MJ70 ?

[Ray Bell]

The SR4 never went to New Zealand...

It was transferred from Matich to Repco as a display car. Later it was bought by a Repco employee and today is used in Historic racing.

If the Katipo MJ70 is the car I think you mean, it's built on an SR3 chassis.

[John McKechnie]

My source-
Formula 5000 in New Zealand & Australia: Race by Race
By Wolfgang Klopfer
Page 40.
So, how may SR3 chassis were there-any history please?

[Ray Bell]

Wolfgang... formerly known as 'island' on the Nostalgia Forum...

He regularly posted there to get information for his book, I've not seen it.

SR3 chassis? I really don't know, but I believe Frank raced three or four of them himself at some time. There was in the early seventies a car built up by Rod Dale for Ted Dunford which was said to be a Matich chassis, but it may have been a copy. It's a very blurred world.

There is at least one photo of the Katipo in the F5000 Thunder book, I think that's in the Terry Marshall section of the book.

And now, after looking at:

http://forums.autosport.com/topic/58814-michigan-matich/

http://www.theroaringseason.com/showthread.php?255-John-Ohlsen-car-builder-what-happened-to-the-two-Katipo-s/page3

I am no longer so sure about the origins of the car. One thing mentioned in the latter is that the 'only original part of the chassis left was the roll hoop'... and as pics show that to be fairly narrow in both the SR4 and the Katipo while the SR3's is wider indicates it might have been an SR4 chassis.

But if that is so, apparently not much of it.

[Terry S]

He raced a Cooper S in Series Production for the rest of that year.(1965)



Ray this is incorrect. Matich suffered incredible burns in the 19B crash when the impact ruptured the fuel tank and slashed petrol over him. This caught fire. It was made worse because he was only wearing a nylon shirt rather than fire proof overalls.

Initially treated in Brisbane hospital then transferred to a top Sydney hospital for top specialist care. He almost lost an arm from gangrene. He was out of action for more than 6 months. It took nearly 18 months to recover from the burns.

His first race after that crash was not until the Bathurst 500 in October 1966, that is 15 months later. He ran a Cooper S, and although a comeback after such a long time out, he set the fastest lap of the race ahead of the 3 BMC "works" Cooper S', which included Mini kings Foley and Manton.

[Allan]

30407

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by Terry S
.....His first race after that crash was not until the Bathurst 500 in October 1966, that is 15 months later. He ran a Cooper S, and although a comeback after such a long time out, he set the fastest lap of the race ahead of the 3 BMC "works" Cooper S', which included Mini kings Foley and Manton.

Of course you're right about the Mini racing being '66, not '65, brain fade there... and further evidence that I shouldn't post that kind of stuff when I'm away from home (and my RCN binders).

Matich's first race after the July '65 (25.7.65) crash at Lakeside was at Sandown in February '66 (27.2.66) for the debut of the Traco Olds. The Mini came in after he sold the Traco Olds and while he was awaiting the SR3's completion.

[Mark Bisset]

Ray this is incorrect. Matich suffered incredible burns in the 19B crash when the impact ruptured the fuel tank and slashed petrol over him. This caught fire. It was made worse because he was only wearing a nylon shirt rather than fire proof overalls.

Initially treated in Brisbane hospital then transferred to a top Sydney hospital for top specialist care. He almost lost an arm from gangrene. He was out of action for more than 6 months. It took nearly 18 months to recover from the burns.

His first race after that crash was not until the Bathurst 500 in October 1966, that is 15 months later. He ran a Cooper S, and although a comeback after such a long time out, he set the fastest lap of the race ahead of the 3 BMC "works" Cooper S', which included Mini kings Foley and Manton.

Terry,

I'm not sure what meetings FM did in '65 post Lakeside prang, Ray would have the best idea of that reporting as he was at the time.
FM didn't have the Lotus to race, it was rooted, the remains sent to Elfins to assist in development of the Elfin 400 design ideas, the Brabham was sold to someone in NZ, forgotten who.
FM definitely raced the Elfin 400/Traco Olds from February 1966, this article i wrote on FM's Elfin 400 may fill in some of the gaps for you. I don't cover the accident in detail mind you.

http://primotipo.com/2015/05/28/elfin-400traco-olds-frank-matich-niel-allen-and-garrie-cooper/

Mark

[Ray Bell]

Red Dawson bought the Brabham...

I don't think the nylon shirt came into it either. Frank would have been in his racing suit, it was official practice. About that time there was an incident in England where Bruce McLaren had a nylon jacket on which worsened his burns in a minor incident.

[Terry S]

Of course you're right about the Mini racing being '66, not '65, brain fade there... and further evidence that I shouldn't post that kind of stuff when I'm away from home (and my RCN binders).

Matich's first race after the July '65 (25.7.65) crash at Lakeside was at Sandown in February '66 (27.2.66) for the debut of the Traco Olds. The Mini came in after he sold the Traco Olds and while he was awaiting the SR3's completion.

Ray you are right about the first race after Lakeside crash being Feb 66 debut of Traco Olds.
I was using a range of sources (including memory) and wrongly took a paragraph from Bill Wood's Legends of Speed. Silly me to repeat anything from that book.
He was talking about Matich's crash then jumped to a few other drivers then came back to Matich with:
He says "Matich had returned to racing in a Mini Cooper at Bathurst in October 1966. It had taken him nearly 18 months to recover from the burns"
Completely overlooked the Traco Olds.

Please note the Traco Olds belonged to Laurie O'Neill and he was the one that sold it to Allen, not Matich. There was some form of blow-up between O'Neill and Matich and they went their separate ways.

[Ray Bell]

Oh yes, Terry...

I'm well aware of the ownership issues. Laurie still retained some kind of relationship with Matich, however, and I suspect he had more than a passing interest in the A50-A53 period.

It was Laurie who 'encouraged' John Goss to buy up the Matich stuff when Frank retired. John, you will recall, spent a short time racing Laurie's Porsche, but Ford influences (and graft...) took him out of that.

I'd love to spend time with Laurie talking about his relationships with the four AGP winners he's befriended or helped along the way... Allan Tomlinson, Doug Whiteford, Frank Matich and John Goss.

Strangely enough, I heard a story today about Matich and 'ownership'. A small-time constructor/racer bought a trailer from Frank, a couple of years later he was approached by someone who told him he had his trailer. "Frank sold it to me," he responded. "But I only loaned it to Frank, it wasn't his!" came the retort.

[Terry S]

Ray, I see that in May 2007 you wrote "I'm intending writing Matich's biography"

Was that completed and published?

As a great Matich fan I'd love to read it.

[Ray Bell]

Terry, Matich agreed that I could do his biography and after a long time we spent a few hours together at his place about ten or twelve years ago...

We covered ground regarding his father's coming to Australia and his early life and then we were supposed to get together again some time later.

In reality, I could probably work from there as racing records are available and I spent time with the Matich family during the early sixties and was able to observe his racing closely as a journalist through the seventies. I even know a bit about his business interests after that.

But when I did the story about him in F5000 Thunder which had to be written at a time when he was unavailable, and because I refuse to write Frank's own version of everything, preferring to rely on things I saw and recorded at the time, he was pretty bitter with me. Frank typically did this to everyone.

I could rely on each of his chief mechanics through the whole period, all of whom I know personally. But I'm not sure if I want to do it any more, certainly less so as a stand-alone bio. Perhaps as one of a number in a book about several drivers?

[Terry S]

Sometimes when you read a website you can get confused by conflicting information within the site.

This is annoying and confusing, when all you want is the truth, and there is no resolution of the conflict.

A great case in point is the attached on Matich's SR4 sports car:

http://tasmanrevival.com/2010/08/08/matich-sr4-winner-of-1969-australian-sports-car-championship-driven-by-frank-matich/

Just who was the owner for much of its history?

In the text it says Nigel Tait purchased it in July 2005 from Repco/ACL.

However if you go to the comments section at the bottom, Frank Matich says in June 2012 "I have never sold the SR4 to anyone. The ownership has not changed since it was built."

So which is correct.....

[Ray Bell]

This is a very difficult question to answer...

At the time it was said that Frank gave the car to Repco because he owed them money and he wanted the F5000 engines. That is just as improbable as his own explanation (of latter years...) when he said that he loaned them the car for exhibition purposes because he wasn't going to race it any more.

Let's be plain about it, Repco loved Frank and were happy to back him. This is clear from John Walker's story about the 1975 Tasman Cup, or was it Frank Hallam's comment? "We never got this close with Frank..."

For a time Frank had a Repco engineer working with his team to tend the engine, he got the best engines first. Mind you, he did give them two AGPs and many Sports Car wins.

He further claimed that when Repco went through its upheavals it was thought to belong to Repco, when Nigel Tait left he bought it from them.

The truth about that might well have gone to the grave with Frank, though Derek Kneller might know something about it.

Frank also claimed that the SR4's usefulness was killed off by rule changes to the Can-Am, where he'd intended to compete. He said that they banned racing engines (regulated to stock block only) when they saw the potential of his car.

I would call that 'spin', which was not unusual for Frank. A couple of years later they had Porsches, didn't they?

[khyndart in CA]

Ray,
Could you please name the Matich Team members in these 2 photos that I took at Amaroo Park in early September 1970.
I think this was Frank's first outing in the McLaren M10 B. Repco.
I remember him talking to those around him about how hard the 1970 Formula One season had been for him as he had just returned
from Monza where Jochen Rindt had died, he was visiting McLaren's in June when Bruce died and he was friends with Piers Courage who had died earlier at the Dutch Grand Prix. 1970 was indeed a terrible season.


30592

30593

( Ken Hyndman photos )

[Terry S]

This is a very difficult question to answer...

At the time it was said that Frank gave the car to Repco because he owed them money and he wanted the F5000 engines. That is just as improbable as his own explanation (of latter years...) when he said that he loaned them the car for exhibition purposes because he wasn't going to race it any more.

Let's be plain about it, Repco loved Frank and were happy to back him. This is clear from John Walker's story about the 1975 Tasman Cup, or was it Frank Hallam's comment? "We never got this close with Frank..."

For a time Frank had a Repco engineer working with his team to tend the engine, he got the best engines first. Mind you, he did give them two AGPs and many Sports Car wins.

He further claimed that when Repco went through its upheavals it was thought to belong to Repco, when Nigel Tait left he bought it from them.

The truth about that might well have gone to the grave with Frank, though Derek Kneller might know something about it.

Frank also claimed that the SR4's usefulness was killed off by rule changes to the Can-Am, where he'd intended to compete. He said that they banned racing engines (regulated to stock block only) when they saw the potential of his car.

I would call that 'spin', which was not unusual for Frank. A couple of years later they had Porsches, didn't they?

I have to fully agree, very difficult subject, so couple of quick points. I am tied up today but will do more research on weekend.

It is a conundrum like many issues with Matich. Made harder by him no longer being around.

- Why did he respond on this. I have never seen anything else from him. He would have been in early eighties by then, late to take
up "social media"
- If he had a dispute over ownership why didn't he take up legal action. We never heard anything of such action. He could have
lodged a caveat against Tait to stop him running it.
- Who paid for the engine bought from Les Wright?
- There was a split of Repco businesses in ?? when a management buyout of ACL (the gasket and bearing divisions) occurred. Tait
was part of new ACL and owned over 10%of it. He was paid out by Repco (LSL etc) and as part of that bought the SR4 from Repco.
- This question of Can Am rule changes is confusing. Could not have been to stock block engines, as Porsche 917 competed, and also
Ferrari and BRM. Ray, is there anything in RCN about it.

[Ray Bell]

If there is it should be in the story Peter McKay did about Matich when he retired, it went over a couple of issues...

That's the problem with the Matich story. I told him when we discussed doing a biography that it would be warts and all, I wouldn't do it any other way. The fact that I know how to contact each of his chief mechanics was, I believe, my trump card. Of them all, the one I know least of all is Peter Mabey.

So in the main I'd be able to counter Frank's exaggerations and cover-ups.

Looking at it all realistically with the SR4 and the Can-Am for 1970, would he have been able to beat the 8-litre McLarens? Frankly, I don't think so. So not going was better than going and losing, wasn't it?

Ken's photos...

The second one plainly shows Peter Mabey sitting looking across the car and Graeme 'Lugsy' Adams in the team shirt looking elsewhere.

The first... trickier... Joan is at the boot of the Falcon, I'd say it's Lee sitting on the boot ledge, I don't know who it is walking across from the van and it looks very much like Peter Mabey leaning on the ramp. It's probably Kris standing nearest the car, but I wouldn't really know. It wasn't unknown for Kris to take school mates out to the track with him. It might be Frank talking to Joan, or it might be someone else altogether... Evan Green perhaps?

Strangely enough, I wasn't at this meeting. I don't know why, either.

If I think of it, I might e.mail this pic to Kris and ask him when I get home Monday.

[Terry S]

If there is it should be in the story Peter McKay did about Matich when he retired, it went over a couple of issues...




Ray, what mag was that in and when?

[Ray Bell]

RCN, I'm not sure which issues, but it was just after Matich retired...

Maybe May or June '74. Again, I'm not at home. I'm never at home weekends.

[librules]

RCN, I'm not sure which issues, but it was just after Matich retired...

Maybe May or June '74. Again, I'm not at home. I'm never at home weekends.

I just had a look. It was actually over 3 issues, Sept, Oct and December '74.

[khyndart in CA]

Ray,
Thanks for the information on the first two photos. I am being greedy and asking who can you recognize in these next two photos and then I will leave you alone ! Your input is truly appreciated. Ken.

Amaroo Park, Sept. 1970. Frank Matich taking the McLaren M 10B Repco out onto the track.

30626

30627


(Ken Hyndman photos )

[garry simkin]

Ray,
Thanks for the information on the first two photos. I am being greedy and asking who can you recognize in these next two photos and then I will leave you alone ! Your input is truly appreciated. Ken.

Amaroo Park, Sept. 1970. Frank Matich taking the McLaren M 10B Repco out onto the track.

30626

30627


(Ken Hyndman photos )

The two people doing the job of the starter motor look like Peter Mabey on the right side of the car and Graeme 'Lugsy' Adams on the left hand side.
Garry Simkin.

[Trevor Benton]

Have been very much enjoying the Frank Matich thread & would like to learn more about the man himself both as a person & as a businessman. Is his wife still alive?

Regards, Trevor Benton, Brisbane.

[khyndart in CA]

Trevor,
You may find some of your answers at this site.

http://www.smh.com.au/comment/obituaries/racing-driver-frank-matich-sought-mechanical-perfection-20150723-gijh9e.html


( Ken )

[Terry S]

Have been very much enjoying the Frank Matich thread & would like to learn more about the man himself both as a person & as a businessman. Is his wife still alive?

Regards, Trevor Benton, Brisbane.

I suggest you enter "Matich" in the search box at the top of this forum to see a range of articles.

[Terry S]

I suggest you enter "Matich" in the search box at the top of this forum to see a range of articles.

Also just Google "Matich"

[Terry S]

Librules, thanks for finding the relevant issues of RCN. Saved me time.
Ah Matich! The line between fact and fiction was often very blurred at times with this guy.
I have spent considerable time over the weekend searching out the issues that have been raised on Matich. This includes from mags, books and memory.

COMEBACK RACE
For the 1966 Bathurst 500 race in October Matich says “It was also my comeback race from the burns I suffered when I crashed the Lotus at Lakeside”. (Bill Woods pg 163)
This ignores all the races he had in the Traco Olds early in 1966.

CAN AM RULES
At the start of Peter McKay’s article (RCN Sept 74) he notes “He asks if he can see a copy of this article before it goes to print. “I’ve been misquoted before”, he says. His request is met.
So what was in it must have agreed with Matich.

Was it engine capacity:
He then looked ahead to the 1969 Can Am. “When we learned that expected rule-changes on engine capacity did not eventuate it was decided we would pass up the 1969 Can Am. I was disappointed really, as I think we would have come off with it”. (RCN Oct 74).

Or stock blocks:
With about a week to go before leaving for the 1969 Can Am, Matich received a bizarre phone call. “I had been informed that the promoters in the US, SCCCA, had decided to exclude their SR4 from their competition that year. Teddy Mayer, running Bruce McLaren’s US operations, approached Jim Hall of the Chaparral team and together they appealed to the SCCA to exclude any car with anything other than American stock block engines. Their argument was that the SR4 would have been too good, detracting from the American-engined cars, and the series would lose public support” (Bill Woods pg 178)

OWNERSHIP OF SR4
Can’t find anything on this at all. Seems to have drifted into retirement.
I am inclined to believe what’s on the Tasman Revival website as I assume they got the details from Nigel Tait.
If Matich believed it was still his there would have been injunctions and caveats lodged against it. Nothing was ever mentioned along these lines.

REPEATING ARTICLES
I first read the three 1974 RCN articles by Peter McKay.
I then read a long article in June 1982 “Australian Motor Racing” also by Peter McKay
Then I got a sense of déjà vu. The later article was just a word for word condensed version of the 1974 articles only 8 years later. Perhaps they thought readers would have forgotten the earlier articles. Seems a bit sloppy to me.

[Ray Bell]

The line between fact and fiction? Oh that is good!

You are probably right, injunctions and caveats would have been flitting about everywhere. On the other hand, I'm also inclined to think that Nigel Tait's version might have some irregularities included, and I'm not necessarily saying they would come from him. I would say it's something so hard to plumb that guesses would ultimately be involved. But they'd be educated guesses.

Trevor... Joan died perhaps ten years before Frank. She had a long illness, I think you'll find the beginnings of it were in '73 when Frank took time off due to her problems. As a married couple they were commendably close, I saw things at both race meetings and in their homes that showed that they simply lived for each other.

Ken... The car behind Frank in the pit lane is that of Ray Winter. Garry is right about the pushers, I have no idea who it is holding the clipboard.

An odd thing about the race report for that September 13 meeting is that it mentions Frank wanting to lower his existing outright record. Yet the previous meeting's report has the outright record going to Col Green in a 2.5 Brabham at 53.5. Frank was to do 51.5 at the September meeting. The only other possibility is that he ran in an earlier race on the day (September meeting) and that race wasn't reported. Which I wouldn't really expect to happen.

[Mark Bisset]

1.SR4 Ownership

Malcolm Preston was appointed GM of 'REDCO' (repco engine development co) into which the remaining assets of 'Repco Brabham' (which built, sold and serviced the RB 600/700/800 Series engines) around 1970.

Redco serviced the RB engines and designed, developed, built and serviced the Repco Holden and later Repco Leyland F5000 engines.

In Preston's excellent autobiography 'Maybach to Holden' he says in the 1972 section of his book ...'During the intervening period support to Matich had increased to engines for 2 cars, competing in the USA as well as Australia and New Zealand. He had ceased campaigning the SR4 sports car, which REDCO purchased as a bare chassis for approximately $10000 for display purposes.'

I would treat this for what it is; a first hand account by the guy tasked with negotiating with FM on this topic/ the guy FM negotiated this arrangement with. (the car was surplus to FM's needs at the time, his commercial interests were around F5000 so the cash would have been handy)

2. FM's Contract with Repco more Generally

The relationship with Repco and FM was mutually beneficial back to the Coventry Climax days, i spoke to Malcolm Preston (now deceased) about FM tangentially last year whilst researching the article i wrote about McCormack's McLaren, he had the greatest of respect for FM.

Derek Kneller said FM decided to retire post the '74 Tasman in February '74. Repco's withdrawal from racing was made in April '74.

DK said FM's Repco contract ran till 30 June, the usual financial year arrangements. At the end of the '74 Tasman FM had 5 Repco F5000 engines; 2 flat plane and 3 with the two-phase cranks. DK said that 'Repco looked after him until the end of the contract' or in other words complied with its terms.

Given the commercial arrangements had come to an end between FM and Redco all outstanding matters would have been dealt with in accordance with the contract or negotiated if not specifically addressed in the contract.

Don't forget that REDCO was a subsidiary of Repco Ltd, then one of our biggest, public, audited companies, not Schitt Fite & Co, so all of this stuff would have been done pretty much 'by the book'.

If FM or Repco had a beef with the way certain things rolled it would been dealt with then. If final elements of the wind-up of the contract were outside its terms, that is negotiated, the normal thing would be for it to be documented and a 'Release' signed by both parties saying 'Finito' and that neither party owes the other any more...

3.Can Am and 'No Racing Engines'

Thats all bullshit, the factory Ferrari's raced in '68/9 and the last time i looked they weren't powered by Ally blocked Chevs.

Once Watkins Glen went onto the Can Am roster it was routine for the Group 5/6 sportscars which survived the 6 Hour endur0 to race in the Can Am round on the same weekend; Ferrari, Porsche, Matra, Alfa etc.

It would have been fantastic to have seen the SR4 run in the Can Am but it needed to be '68 given the pace at which the competition developed.

The interesting bit is how the engine would have fared in a 200 mile Can Am race which is slightly longer than a 10 lapper at Warwick Farm!


Mark







The line between fact and fiction? Oh that is good!

You are probably right, injunctions and caveats would have been flitting about everywhere. On the other hand, I'm also inclined to think that Nigel Tait's version might have some irregularities included, and I'm not necessarily saying they would come from him. I would say it's something so hard to plumb that guesses would ultimately be involved. But they'd be educated guesses.

Trevor... Joan died perhaps ten years before Frank. She had a long illness, I think you'll find the beginnings of it were in '73 when Frank took time off due to her problems. As a married couple they were commendably close, I saw things at both race meetings and in their homes that showed that they simply lived for each other.

Ken... The car behind Frank in the pit lane is that of Ray Winter. Garry is right about the pushers, I have no idea who it is holding the clipboard.

An odd thing about the race report for that September 13 meeting is that it mentions Frank wanting to lower his existing outright record. Yet the previous meeting's report has the outright record going to Col Green in a 2.5 Brabham at 53.5. Frank was to do 51.5 at the September meeting. The only other possibility is that he ran in an earlier race on the day (September meeting) and that race wasn't reported. Which I wouldn't really expect to happen.

[Steve Holmes]

1.SR4 Ownership

3.Can Am and 'No Racing Engines'

Thats all bullshit, the factory Ferrari's raced in '68/9 and the last time i looked they weren't powered by Ally blocked Chevs.

Once Watkins Glen went onto the Can Am roster it was routine for the Group 5/6 sportscars which survived the 6 Hour endur0 to race in the Can Am round on the same weekend; Ferrari, Porsche, Matra, Alfa etc.

It would have been fantastic to have seen the SR4 run in the Can Am but it needed to be '68 given the pace at which the competition developed.

The interesting bit is how the engine would have fared in a 200 mile Can Am race which is slightly longer than a 10 lapper at Warwick Farm!


Mark

Mark, just working off the top of my head, and correct me if I'm wrong, I believe a rule was introduced for the Can-Am that said 'no racing engines over 5,000cc' from 1970 onwards. The SR4 was originally intended to contest the 1969 Can-Am, but suffered build delays.

[Ray Bell]

The SR4 would never have been over 5-litres anyway...

Mark, you have picked up the pieces well there. Repco had a very long history of helping drivers, way back to the early fifties if not before.

They supplied stuff for cars like the Maybach (built by Charlie Dean, one of the Repco Directors IIRC), the Ausca of Paul England (who worked there), for Stan Jones beyond the Maybach and more. They put wheel balancing machines into pit areas to help look after that aspect for competitors, they did a lot for the sport.

Just who was paying, or at what rate, might have varied over the years. But one incident which shows that Repco were peeling off some of their profits to pay for racing ventures was the Repco-headed Holden raced by Stan Jones. If memory serves, something about the relationship wasn't right and they took the car back and either sold it at a good price, or gave it, to Bob Holden.

[Mark Bisset]

Ray, i agree, Repco were a massive 'friend of motor racing' generally and supporter of many drivers specifically over the years.

Malcolm Preston's book is excellent, well worth the purchase if you can find a copy, it covers a lot more than just Repco but it has all the important bits in one easily digestible place.

Charlie Dean's role cannot be overstated; the Maybach was the 'thin edge of the wedge' which 25 years later lead bit by bit to '66'/7 World Titles with Black Jack.

I wrote this article about Stan Jones a while back, but it also distils the 'racing culture' Dean infused the place with from the time his business was acquired by Repco, read it and you will be tempted to find Malcolms book!

http://primotipo.com/2014/12/26/stan-jones-australian-and-new-zealand-grand-prix-and-gold-star-winner/

Steve, i don't think there was a Can Am 'racing engine' limit from 1970; i've not sought to find the rules but Andretti raced the 712M Fazz in '71, at 7 litres the biggest engined racing Ferrari ever. And of course the Porsche 917/10, turbo'd came along in '72.

My understanding is FM planned originally to take the SR4 to the US in '68, not '69.(remember he raced the SR3 with 4.4 litre RB620 Repco in the '67 Can Am) He was 'king of the kids' in Oz in '69 coz the car was running late, Ray may know why, its not something i have researched.

He wouldn't have knocked off the McLaren M8A's in '68, but, if the engines played their part, he would have been far faster than the SR3 the year before...the SR3 was, according to those close to FM, an 'Elfin 400 clone/copy', a design which dated to late '65, the SR4 was 'clean sheet' by FM and Henry Nehrbecki with all the learnings of racing the Elfin 400/SR3 and the opposition they confronted across the Pacific in '67.

'Tis one of racings interesting 'mighta-beens' had it run 'Stateside in '68!

Finally, in some ways it makes sense to me for Repco/FM to keep racing the SR4 in Oz into '71/2; either with the RB760 or new F5000 engine, for sure FM would have been competitive in '71/2 against Harvey's McLaren and Lionel Ayers Rennmax also Repco powered?

...On the other hand the main Repco/FM game in 1970 was making the new Repco Holden F5000 engine competitive and they were sure successful in that endeavour, taking the '70 AGP with it!

Mark











The SR4 would never have been over 5-litres anyway...

Mark, you have picked up the pieces well there. Repco had a very long history of helping drivers, way back to the early fifties if not before.

They supplied stuff for cars like the Maybach (built by Charlie Dean, one of the Repco Directors IIRC), the Ausca of Paul England (who worked there), for Stan Jones beyond the Maybach and more. They put wheel balancing machines into pit areas to help look after that aspect for competitors, they did a lot for the sport.

Just who was paying, or at what rate, might have varied over the years. But one incident which shows that Repco were peeling off some of their profits to pay for racing ventures was the Repco-headed Holden raced by Stan Jones. If memory serves, something about the relationship wasn't right and they took the car back and either sold it at a good price, or gave it, to Bob Holden.