It was a day of the champions over the years in racing today.
Jack Brabham won the 1958 New Zealand Grand Prix (above) in his Tasman Cooper T43 Climax, while Dan Gurney and Frank Arciero drove a won the 196 Daytona Continental 3 Hour in a Lotus 19B. That race would in time grow in stature to becomes the annal 24 hour
Back in New Zealand in 1964, Bruce McLaren steered his Cooper T70 Climax to win the 1964 Grand Prix at Pukekohe. Five years later, the Tasman action was at Levin, where Ferrari 246T duo Chris Amon won the 1969 International and Derek Bell the Vic Hudson Trophies on the day.
Also in 1969 in Cape Town, South Africa, Basil Van Rooyen (below) steered his McLaren M7A Cosworth to Killarney South Easter Trophy victory. Moving back down under, Max Stewart took his Lola T400 Chevrolet to win the Manfeild Formula 5000 International. And meanwhile across the pond, Bobby Allison and his Chevy Monte Carlo won the 1981 Riverside 500 NASCAR Grand National season opener.
In other news on Carroll Shelby’s birthday, Matra unveiled its 3-litre Formula 1 and sportscar V12 (below) in 1968. Louis Krages, also known as Le Mans 24 Hour winner John Winter, succumbed to of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in 2001. And 47-year old double Dakar Rally motorcycle winner Fabrizio Meoni died following crash in the 2005 race.
