Adelaide-made is back on the motorsport racetrack in anger with Brabham
The famous Brabham marque returns to competitive motorsport this weekend with the BT62, designed by David Brabham and built in Adelaide’s northern suburbs.
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Adelaide’s prodigious motorsport history continues on Saturday with the maiden race for the Brabham BT62 made in the northern suburbs.
Over two days the Brabham BT62 race version will take part in both Brands Hatch qualifying sessions and the two-hour race ‘Into The Night’ that ends the 2019 Britcar Endurance Championship season.
Brabham Automotive’s sporting director David Brabham will race the car he has been responsible for designing and building.
The race return in a vehicle manufactured near the former Holden plant in Elizabeth is especially significant for the Brabham name.
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David’s late father Jack is a giant figure in motorsport as the only person to win a formula one championship in a car he designed and built.
“I always wondered what my father must have felt when he first raced a Brabham on track and I am now about to go through that same emotion.” David said.
“Driving a Brabham BT62 on Brabham straight at Brands Hatch will be a very special moment for me.
“It will also be an incredible milestone for Brabham Automotive as it brings this iconic marque back to racing.”
And pending a major on-track mishap at Brands Hatch the BT62 will also be featured at The Bend Motorsport Park on December 7-8 when the facility showcases long ‘lost’ classic cars that enthusiasts are bringing out of their Adelaide garages.
These will include a number of F1 cars from past decades which remain in the city after the race was lost to Melbourne 25 years ago.
CEO of Brabham Automotive Dan Marks said the return to competitive events also marked the end of a near-three decade hiatus for the famous manufacturer.
“It is fitting that the Brabham marque returns with David Brabham behind the wheel,’’ he said.
“David’s speed, professionalism and composure will provide a great base for our motorsport debut at Brands Hatch, a track that saw so much success for Brabham in the past.”
David Brabham will race with Will Powell for the two-hour race, the pair making their first steps towards the final goal of racing the car in the iconic Le Mans series.
“It is a tremendous honour to be asked to race the Brabham BT62 in the brand’s return to competition,” Powell said.