Guest Speaker, Bob Cracknell, Motor Car Racing Bob is Deputy-Chair of the Australian Historic Motor Sport Committee, which is the result of a lifelong obsession with Motor Racing. His first race meeting was as a spectator at the Oulton Park Gold Cup in 1955. He has been following formula 1 and touring car racing ever since. He attended all of the major events in Southern England as a spectator. He wanted to follow in the footsteps of his uncle, Frank Mansell who was a speedway rider. Frank Mansell’s cousin was Nigel Mansell, who was a very successful formula 1 driver. Bob’s hero was Jim Clark who twice won the Formula 1 World Championship. Bob watched him win in a Lotus Cortina at Brands Hatch in 1965. Bob then had a career move from the U.K. to Sydney in 1968, which gave him the opportunity to get into racing. $1,000 bought a car and trailer, both in parts. Bob raced a Ford Anglia, (with Cortina parts), at all the Sydney tracks including Amaroo Park, Oran Park and Warwick Farm. Next stop was Bathurst in 1971, finishing 3rd outright in Sports Sedans and winning an $85 prize. Qualified for the Hardie Ferrodo 500 at Bathurst. Co drove a Mini Cooper S owned by a friend. In 1972, Bob drove a Holden Torana GTR at Bathurst. A basically standard car which would reach 126 m.p.h. on Con-rod Straight, a quick car. Bob started with the Australian Wheat Board, left and ultimately sold the Anglia in Sydney, and with all the pressures of family and a demanding career, did not race much in the next few years. In 1989, Bob had his 1st involvement in Historic Racing. With Past President of RCME, Carl Seales and his son Bryson, bought and raced a ‘63 Ford Cortina GT. Won the Victorian Historic Touring Car Championship in 1992. Took part in the support races for the Australian Grand Prix in Adelaide in 1993 and in a 1964 Volvo 122S at the 1999 Grand Prix in Melbourne. In 1999, he bought a Elfin 600 Formula Ford. First open wheeler/single seater. This was soon replaced by a more powerful 1969 Elfin 600BF2. He has enjoyed racing with success at most of the tracks on the East Coast. He also spoke of the revival meetings at Eastern Creek in NSW. A picture of the 2006 meeting showed a terrific collection of Historic Cars, including some F1 winning cars. When Bob moved into his 70’s, he started to think a little more of the dangers of car racing. The medical test criteria is very strict, similar to the requirements for flying. In 2011, he bought a 1980 Tiga SC 80 Sports 2000 from California and has raced it ever since. Bob has attended the following race meetings: - 24 hour of Le Mans in France
- British Grand Prix at Silverstone many times, most recently 2016
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