Barry Jones Rip

[lodda]

Barry jones
Race driver and engineer passed away tonight.
Long may his memory live.


lodda

[Razor]

Who is Barry Jones? Was he related to Brad, Kim and Andrew Jones?

[lodda]

no relation, campaigned mazda,s rx3-rx7 (jonespeed) build Geoff Morgans race
Porsche's, vipers, ect

lodda

[GTRMagic]

This is very sad.

Barry was one of the Sydney Mazda mafia back in the Group C days, when Moff made the running in the rotary riceburners... his was one of the few sources of competitive 12A & 13B power outside the factory....

In later years Mazda recognised this, and BJ helped nail together powerplants for the factory 12hr Rx7 race cars... as well as building Group A Holdens for Tony Mulvihill, for Ken Mathews and later won an Australian Proddie title with another driver with NEC backing. Also helped make the Dodge Viper, and various Porsches of Mr Morgan go faster than the driver could keep up with....

Always the privateer, with no real money behind the cars, but more than a lot of talent as a car builder, engineer, and engine tuner... and a driver... back in the Amaroo Park series... in a succession of Toyo Kogyo product

Jonespeed was located in Junction St, then later along the railway line at Yennora... till ill health saw the then newly formed "Mulvihill Motorsport" in action... now it is a cap backward tune up shop.. while the team at POG moved to Smithfield.

Barry had been ill for a long time, fighting his kidney troubles from long ago, amongst other things more recently

Hopefully he is now at peace

[Razor]

Rest In Peace Barry, my condolcies to the rest of the Jones family.

[Henry]

Barry was one of Oz motorsport's rotary pioneers, one of the Sydney-based guys who would terrorise ANYBODY at Amaroo... he was a Group C icon, built a whole stack of good cars for people (hell, the Moffat Mazdas were just about the only Mazdas he DIDN'T build, or so it seemed), including IIRC the first RX7 to appear on an Australian race track. His cars were quite often eclipsed only by the might of the works Stuyvesant cars, as far as the rotary brigade went.

In addition to the noisy sorts cars from Toyo Kogyo, he prepared some strong Group A Commodores for various folk.

The mid-eighties saw him suffer from kidney problems - a number of editions of "The Great Race" made mention of him curtailing his Bathurst practice to whiz into town for dialysis. In 1988 he underwent a kidney transplant - and nearly died - and built a "Walkinshaw" VL for Tony Mulvihill, just to get his mind off health things while he convalesced really. He took on the role of team manager that year at the Mountain, and did get into the car in practice to shake it down... ultimately neither "official" driver eclipsed Barry's best time in practice or qualifying that year...

Vale Barry Jones, motor engineer, car preparer and gun steerer. You epitomised the spirit of what Australian motorsport was about back in the days. Your passing closes the door a whisker more on the good old days.

To his family and firends, my condolences.

[D.R.T.]

Very sad news. Condolences to the Jones family. His contribution to motorsport will never be forgotten.

[pete55]

My condolences to the Jones family. Motorsport in the 70's and 80's certainly would not have been the same without him. RIP Barry.

[Falcadore]

I have strong memories of the maroon Darrel Lea chocolates RX7 in the early 80's, sharing a name (but not a family) I paid closer attention to him than most.

He was the other half of the Jones boys at Bathurst 1982 when Alan Jones formed a two car operation with Jones and Bob Morris.

His personal efforts as a driver on the Mountain:
1976 HARDIE-FERODO BATHURST 1000 BARRY JONES / TERRY DALY FORD ESCORT RS2000 21 7 B
1977 HARDIE-FERODO BATHURST 1000 BARRY JONES / TERRY DALY FORD ESCORT RS2000 20 6 C
1978 HARDIE-FERODO BATHURST 1000 BARRY JONES / BRIAN POTTS MAZDA RX3 17 6 B
1979 HARDIE-FERODO BATHURST 1000 BARRY JONES / TERRY FINNIGAN MAZDA RX3 DNF B
1980 HARDIE-FERODO BATHURST 1000 BARRY JONES / GEOFF LEEDS MAZDA RX7 DNF B
1981 JAMES HARDIE BATHURST 1000 BARRY JONES / GEOFF LEEDS MAZDA RX7 DNF B
1982 JAMES HARDIE BATHURST 1000 BARRY JONES / ALAN JONES MAZDA RX7 DNF A
1983 JAMES HARDIE BATHURST 1000 BARRY JONES / ROD MILLEN MAZDA RX7 11 11 A
1984 JAMES HARDIE BATHURST 1000 BARRY JONES / BOB MORRIS MAZDA RX7 DNF C
1985 JAMES HARDIE BATHURST 1000 BARRY JONES / TONY MULVIHILL HOLDEN COMMODORE VK 10 8 C

[sevi]

There is so much more to this man, and I would like to share some of it with you.
I have been lucky enough to have Barry as one of my closest friends for the last 10 years.
Barry was one of the real genuine guys of the industry, not there for his ego. He had such a gift as an engineer. We used to talk about teams in the V8 series and he would say " that won't work we tried that years ago, maybe I should ring them and see if I can get a job". I am sure he would of been able to make it go quicker. Geoff Morgan can thank him for his Porsche Championship titles, that car had over 100kg of extra weight and they still won. He used to tell me stories about the old days, Skaife used to work with him, and Barry would always tell me "he is not arrogant, he is just a professional". He used to tell me that all the other drivers would get out of their race cars spend a couple of minutes with them, to talk about the cars and then go, Skaife would always stay and help the team out, he use to always have lollies and give them to the team to keep them going, and would try to lift the moral if things were down. They were stories I loved to hear.
I was helping in a charity event one year and asked the industry for donations. Barry donated one of the BP flags that he had when Hansford raced with them. He gave that to me to auction off, even though it meant a lot to him he thought it would raise a lot of money. He was so generous, he would just send presents to people cause he thought of them, not for any other reason.
We used to try to figure out the meaning of life, he could never understand why bad things happened to good people, he wanted to help everyone.
He was still very active going to race meeting until Geoff stopped racing the Porche in the new series, always had to go to dialysis and never complained. After his bypass he bought a scooter so he could still get around at the track.
He has been building a historic porche for Morgan to race, it is unfinished because so difficult to get parts for it, not because he ever gave up.
The whole time I knew him he never boasted about what he had achieved. It was only one day when Falcadore was at my place and I was talking to Barry on the phone, that Falc said "Is that THE Barry Jones", I said no it is my mate Barry that works for Geoff Morgan. That was "the" Barry.
We have nearly lost him so many times, he was like a cat with nine lives. This time the fight was to big, and he was too tired.
When you read the back of the motorsport books in the records part, his name is still there. We use to joke that only a few more years and he will get nudged out, Barry you died a Champion.

[Razor]

He died as a champion, a freind, and a hero. Well Barry, hope you are at peace now. See ya soon mate.

[Gaz170]

Very sad news indeed.

Whilst I can't remember the RX3, I can definately remember Barry in the RX 7, and I remember how well he did against the megabucks Moffat team.
I never heard a bad word said about Barry by anyone.
Whilst not always a champion on the track, definately a champion person off the track.

My condolences to all his family and many friends.

[Falcadore]

One credit to his technical ability that has been popinted out to me today, Barry Jones built the 13B motors for Peter McLeod's Slick 50 RX7, and despite McLeod being a privateer, a well funded privateer, with Barry's motors on board he was faster down the chute on Conrod than Moffat. With the access Moffat had to Japan and the resources at his disposal, there is little better testament than that.

McLeod won the endurance championship in 1983, beating all the big name front running teams, proving the engines not just pwerful, but reliable too.

[retro]

Originally Posted by sevi

There is so much more to this man, and I would like to share some of it with you.
I have been lucky enough to have Barry as one of my closest friends for the last 10 years.
Barry was one of the real genuine guys of the industry, not there for his ego. He had such a gift as an engineer. We used to talk about teams in the V8 series and he would say " that won't work we tried that years ago, maybe I should ring them and see if I can get a job". I am sure he would of been able to make it go quicker. Geoff Morgan can thank him for his Porsche Championship titles, that car had over 100kg of extra weight and they still won. He used to tell me stories about the old days, Skaife used to work with him, and Barry would always tell me "he is not arrogant, he is just a professional". He used to tell me that all the other drivers would get out of their race cars spend a couple of minutes with them, to talk about the cars and then go, Skaife would always stay and help the team out, he use to always have lollies and give them to the team to keep them going, and would try to lift the moral if things were down. They were stories I loved to hear.
I was helping in a charity event one year and asked the industry for donations. Barry donated one of the BP flags that he had when Hansford raced with them. He gave that to me to auction off, even though it meant a lot to him he thought it would raise a lot of money. He was so generous, he would just send presents to people cause he thought of them, not for any other reason.
We used to try to figure out the meaning of life, he could never understand why bad things happened to good people, he wanted to help everyone.
He was still very active going to race meeting until Geoff stopped racing the Porche in the new series, always had to go to dialysis and never complained. After his bypass he bought a scooter so he could still get around at the track.
He has been building a historic porche for Morgan to race, it is unfinished because so difficult to get parts for it, not because he ever gave up.
The whole time I knew him he never boasted about what he had achieved. It was only one day when Falcadore was at my place and I was talking to Barry on the phone, that Falc said "Is that THE Barry Jones", I said no it is my mate Barry that works for Geoff Morgan. That was "the" Barry.
We have nearly lost him so many times, he was like a cat with nine lives. This time the fight was to big, and he was too tired.
When you read the back of the motorsport books in the records part, his name is still there. We use to joke that only a few more years and he will get nudged out, Barry you died a Champion.

Sincere condolences to you sevi on the loss of a good friend......and our sport of car racing has lost another of it's champions.

[Sultan]

Spot on Falc, thanks for confirming the Slick 50 car, that was one of my favourite all time Australian touring cars....

It was people like Barry, along with the Mulvihill's, Callaghan's, Janson's, Ashby/Reed's, Bob Holden's, McLeod's, Carter's, Willmington's etc that, in my opinion, gave touring car racing of the Gp C/Gp A era that much more depth & character than the current category...

RIP mate, & my sincerest condolences to his family & friends....

[Amaroo Park]

RIP Barry another one of the truly good guys gone, sincere condolences to his family and friends

[mtpanorama]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

This is very sad.

later won an Australian Proddie title with another driver with NEC backing.

The driver was Terry Lewis, another renowned rotary racer/builder.
It is a sad day when we loose someone like Barry. I met him a couple of times at the track when he was with Terry and for ever on he would always say hi when i saw him . He will be greatly missed.

[mixxer]

A long time friend, great mate and a person who will be missed by many involved in Aus Motorsport.

RIP Bazza

MT

[mmciau]

Yes, it is thought provoking - the passing of these brilliant craftsmen - men who were able to sit on a Golden Fleece 4 gallon drum with an old wheatbag as a cushion and appear completely "not of this world" - they were dreaming up tuning and engineering progressions far beyond our comprehension!

Cast iron dust impregnated into every fold of their skin!

Never able to tolerate fools lightly

and the sad part of all this is that there are very few amongst us who have found the time to "pick their brains" before they die!

I know of such a person in Adelaide who "ruled" speedway from the mid 1930s to the mid 1990s - he's forgotten more than you and I will ever learn!

And did he ever know a few tricks about supercharging and rotary 13Bs!

Sad reality of life!

Mike McInerney
Marion, South Australia.

[Falcadore]

Geoff Morgan is running his Group S 911 at QR today/tomorrow with the poignant message "Racing For Barry"

[William Dale Jr]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

...and later won an Australian Proddie title with another driver with NEC backing.

He was also the man who turned Garry Waldon's Goodyear RX-7 from the fast but horribly unreliable car from 1987 into the production car championship-winner in 1988.


RIP Barry

[Camaroz]

Can't beleive it!

I was with Barry at the Oran Park Touring Car Festival, leading up to the event, he gave me a lot of leads as to where to find people (and some advice on who not to bother with).

I worked with Barry during the Group C days and the Goodrich RX7 programs. Barry also built my race engines for two years (Sports Cars). You always got a straight answer, no Bull S*#t.

I found his old Group C car (RX7) in NZ earlier this year and straight up he offered all assistance in its restoration if I purchased it?

Condolences to Helen and the two girls I know he adored.

Cheers, Chuck. RIP.

[sevi]

Barry Robert JONES


JONES, Barry Robert. The relatives and friends of BARRY are kindly invited to attend a celebration of his life, to be held at graveside at Forest Lawn Cemetery, Camden Valley Way, Leppington, commencing at 10 a.m., Wednesday (August 10, 2005). Please meet at the cemetery office at 9.45 a.m. In lieu of flowers, the family have requested donations to the Australian Kidney Foundation. Envelopes will be available at time of service. In the care of WHITE LADY FUNERALS. Bankstown A.F.D.A. 9790 1444 An Australian Company