Sir Jack Brabham, an exceptional lineage - When he won at the Bugatti circuit on July 2, 1967, Sir Jack Brabham (1926-2014) was the defending Formula 1 World Champion and had already cultivated an outstanding career as a remarkably reliable driver in tandem with true mechanical and technical genius. Having left his native land of Australia in 1955 (born in a suburb of Sydney), he pushed British constructor John Cooper into rear engine single-seaters. Little did they know it would change the landscape of motorsport on both coasts of the Atlantic. In Formula 1, Sir Jack Brabham and his Cooper-Climax proved unbeatable in 1959 and 1960. For the first time in history, a driver reached World Champion status with a rear-mounted engine. In 1961, the revolutionary effort continued in American single-seaters, culminating in Brabham's ninth place with his small Cooper at the Indianapolis 500. It was also at the wheel of a Cooper that Sir Jack debuted at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1957, finishing in 15th place. Unfortunately his foray into the 24 Hours of Le Mans was relatively brief. After another participation in 1958 with Aston Martin (retirement), he did not return to the 24 Hours again until 1970 with a Matra (retirement). In the meantime, he became a constructor in 1962, then in 1966 became the only Formula 1 World Champion at the wheel of his own car. After three world titles and 14 victories in Formula 1, he retired at the end of 1970 after a final successful effort in endurance racing with a Matra along with François Cevert at the 1,000 km of Paris.

Geoff, Gary and David Brabham, three sons and two Le Mans victories - Born in 1952, Geoff carried out the majority of his career in the U.S., including 10 participations in the Indianapolis 500. Yet it was in endurance racing that he enjoyed the most success, with four consecutive titles in the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) with Nissan from 1988 to 1991. He first participated in the 24 Hours of Le Mans with the Japanese manufacturer, resulting in two retirements in 1989 and 1990. In 1993, for his third and final appearance, he was recruited by Jean Todt (current president of the FIA) during the heyday of Peugeot's sporting program. Along with two young French drivers, Christophe Bouchut and Eric Helary, he won at the helm of an impressive one-two-three for Peugeot. In 1989, Geoff was no longer the only member of the Brabham clan to throw his hat into the 24 Hours of Le Mans ring: Gary (the second youngest brother born in 1961) took the start, in a Porsche 962 C. For his only participation, the Australian finished 13th along with his fellow countryman Vern Schuppan (winner at Le Mans in 1983) and Swedish driver Eje Elgh.

Born in 1965, the youngest, David, was the most active at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with 18 starts between 1992 and 2012. He scored his first top 5 in 1996 with a McLaren F1 GTR before claiming his first podium finish in 2003 with Bentley (third). In 2005, he played a significant role in Aston Martin's return to GT, with two wins at Le Mans in 2007 and 2008. He moved on to Peugeot in 2009 and joined his older brother in the 24 Hours record books with an overall win along with Spanish driver Marc Gené and Austrian Alexander Wurz. Firmly linked to Honda (two titles in the American Le Mans Series in 2009 and 2010), it was with the Japanese manufacturer that he competed in his last two 24 Hours in 2010 and 2012, finishing in ninth and sixth places, respectively. The four Australian winners at Le Mans are Geoff and David Brabham, Bernard Rubin and Vern Schuppan, the latter two winners at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1928 with Bentley and 1983 with Porsche, respectively.

Click below for previous installments in this series:

1967: Le Mans 24 Hours and the F1 Grand Prix (1) - Six winners, six stories

1967: Le Mans 24 Hours and the F1 Grand Prix (2) - Five drivers who competed in both

1967: Le Mans 24 Hours and the F1 Grand Prix (3) - Five Ferrari drivers

1967: Le Mans 24 Hours and the F1 Grand Prix (4) - Five more Ferrari stories

1967: Le Mans 24 Hours and the F1 Grand Prix (5) - Outstanding drivers

1967: Le Mans 24 Hours and the F1 Grand Prix (6) - Bruce McLaren and Dan Gurney

 

PHOTO (Copyright - Archives/ACO): In 1957, the duo Ian Raby-Jack Brabham (from left to right) finished in 15th place with the Cooper.