cpt peter janson?

[mrcattyfigs]

new to this forum, big hello! can anybody please type out anythign they know about cpt peter janson, anything at all? it can be as nasty or not nasty as you want it to be, i'm just curious about this great nearly forgotten has been character of australian motor racing, i read a little teeny tiny bit about his last corner 82 bathurst spin upstaging or trying to brock, also remember reading about how he sort of hijacked wilmington's jaguar team in the 86 great race. and i find it so interesting that in the back of some of the bill tuckey james hardie books it's got under his occupation `gentleman'....that sounds like quite a good job to me but i haven't seen it listed lately in the careers section of the local paper.....sighhhh!!!

[Buckshot]

Peter Janson is interviewed on the Video/DVD Larry Perkins Endurance Man as they did a few Bathursts together.

From what I saw on the DVD he seems to be a very interesing character, maybe Ray Bell or Racetime might know some stories about him ?

[Crash Test]

I think the last time I saw him on the box would have been on the TV a year or two ago at some Melbourne Cup function.

I think the topic of the Captain came up a while ago...it has probably been deleted by now though.

[Ray Bell]

Okay, I'll do it...

From memory the 'Captain' part was from the Indian army or something, maybe an honorary title. I guess the man had some business interests somewhere, but I know not about them. He appeared on the motorsporting scene in rallies and rallycross in the early seventies, IIRC.

One story is from Malcolm Oastler, now the designer of the Reynards and BAR, but then a budding artist who had the occasional picture published in Racing Car News. He was befriended by Janson some time in the late seventies when he was really just a bit more than a kid, and at one time was invited to one of his Penthouse parties. I think the penthouse was on the Windsor Hotel in Melbourne.

"I saw this girl sitting in a corner, ignored by everyone there," Malcolm told me, "and she looked sort of familiar, so I walked over to talk to her. I asked her name and she said 'Olivia Newton-John' came the reply..."

He had sponsorship from NGK spark plugs, but the limitation on signs those days included nothing on the stip over the windscreen, which he had promised the Japanese manufacturer. So he changed his name to NGK Janson, which was allowed in that strip.

His efforts at Bathurst were solid, ever-improving. From memory he moved up a place each year in the results, till he got to second place, of course, which he did with Larry. Good results in the Phillip Island enduro too, as I recall, and maybe Sandown too.

A boisterous man with a beard, no doubt all of this greying substantially these days, he was always in charge of what was going on around him...

Anything else?

[mickj]

peter janson had a rallycross torana called "saggy sara",I believe it was named after a lady who was,well big,I'll leave it at that.The torana was worn out as it had been used as a rally car also. Also coming back to victoria after a bathurst race The Captain was driving a double decker bus that ran into the back of another double decker bus of his that was towing a mobile loo, that had not been emptied, I'll leave that to all of you.All of what Ray has said I read in magazines years ago. I feel that he would have to be nearly 70 now.Did Clive Benson-Brown co-drive with him at Bathurst.
He had a saying "1 day a broom next day a feather duster" or something like that. Has anyone more on this character ??

[racer69]

He was very good for sponser's and trying to get them air time. I have heard that after a stint at Bathurst during interviews he always got in plugs for his sponsers like Cadbury and Schweppes.

[Emfa]

The Captain really was quite a character with some of his exploits. And a 2nd at Bathurst is nothing to sneeze at either! Apparently "Melbourne's Gentleman" is still doing the rounds, too, having been a Myer's fashion judge at last years Melbourne Cup! (Well spotted, Crash.) Here's a little more background -> http://www.melbournecityguide.com.au...=39&issue_id=3 (Ray, note greying beard!)

[mrcattyfigs]

that was a great link emfa, thankyouuuuuu...i was reading the 87 james hardie bill tuckey text book, he was partnered with peter fitzgerald in a commodore that year, and during the race heading down conrod straight just before caltex chase or actually going through it the bonnet unloosed or unsprung or whatever and smashed into the windscreen doing a fair amount of damage to the car at the fastest point of the circuit too. somehow he made it back to the pits where he was replaced by fitzgerald, and the team manager apparently went a bit silly and was jumping onto the bonnet etc, eventually drilling new holes in it an wiring it shut, anyhow the car rejoined..what i found interesting or great or whatever was that janson, totally shaken not stirred went into the garage, sat down and filled out his tats lotto form! well i don't know, i found that interesting anyhow! and isn't that a great photo, looking greyer and older but still the gentleman, and what a great room in the background. if you look at it carefully i think that's a portrait of the man on the wall at the back too? i think it's time someone wrote a book about him, i'd buy it and read it dam it. or even better why hasn't his autobiography appeared?i guess he prefers a cigar in his hand rather than a pen these days? but it might make a fascinating story.....any more information or links or anecdotes?

[Amaroo Park]

Another

[Bigguy]

Boy, I can expand on this! I got to know Peter quite well. At one stage he owned an elephant and used to go on safari in India. He also (in the 70s) used to go annually to UK for the pheasant season.

Some people thought of him as a conman, but my answer is that conmen don't get repeat business! He was renowned as the contra king. I recall that he arranged sponsorship for Graham Lawrences F5000 with Singapore Airlines.. I assume that it was the airline who flew Peter on his overseas jaunts!

His pad in the attic of the Windsor Hotel in Melbourne was absolutely fantastic, decorated with all manner of trophies and paintings (rumoured to be belong to Mr Barton of IPEC fame). There was a grand piano which had the legs removed, sitting on an upper level, so the stool was on the right height on the lower level. I remember floors/walls covered in billiard table green cloth.. really quite a picture!

On any visit, you would never know who might be his house guest.. I know that Sherpa Tensing stayed for a while, and he used to put up the sons of wealthy UK "landed gentry", and on his next visit to UK, they who would return the compliment for his keeping the wayward sons under control. A very civilised arrangement!

He used to park wherever he liked, and just pay the fines. According to him, this was a lifestyle decision, as "you have no idea how convenient this is.. if you want to post a letter, you just stop outside the GPO, no fuss at all"

I also remember when Larry perkins tipped Peter's Torana at Shell corner at Sandown... I happened to be on the top floor on one of his famous Tollana Wines buses, and Graham Bagshaw was up there with some GMH colleagues... he turned around to one and said "New body shell for Janson on Monday".

I could go on, but can say that most of the rumours were pretty accurate... there aren't many characters like Peter around these days! I hope his health is still with him.

[Tony C]

87 was the year that the FIA *****d everyone around, I crewed for Janson that year. It was Peter McLeods car, the FIA scrutineers said that the standard dockey d**k bonnet restraint was not to be used, so we had to take it off.

Coming down conrod the load on the bonnet sheared the bonnet pins. The bonnet hit the roof of the car above Jansons head and knocked him out, just before the chase. He speared through the chase, rubbing the left side of the car down the concrete wall. On exiting the chase he came to, just in time to peer between the dash and the bonnet and see the back of Ceccottos BMW attach to the front of the Commodore. Not good for the beemer. The team manager had to smash the bonnet over his knee to re arrange the shape. We used a cold chisel to knock holes in the bonnet, using wire coat hangers to secure it. Fitzy was called in a few laps later and we used a length of chain and padlock to replace the coat hangers.

Janson didnt bekieve that the car would make it to the finish which it did. He shouted the team a dozen bottles of champagne for our efforts.

Janson is a character, kept us in fits of laughter all week with tales from India.

[chavez]

It is often said that Glenn Seton is the "best driver never to have won Bathurst" That may be so, but Peter must surely be right up there with Glenn. He may never have been quick as the fast guys but his ability to put together a team which had a chance at winning the Great Race far exceeded Glenn's ability to do so.

A great character and never afraid to speak is mind.

[deeks6]

Had the pleasure of spending a whole weekend at Bathurst on the Jansen bus - the guy was a legend in the way he lived his life. The bus was furnished with the finest furniture, full bar and Peter had his own waiter/butler. That year, someone suggested visiting Peter Brock and the captain simply stood up and said "To Brocks" and took his entire party to their tent (and livened up the party somewhat).
He was the consummate host and story-teller and probably the greatest PR wizard ever. If there was a way to do a deal, Jansen would find it. Also, I've never heard of anyone having a problem with him (business or otherwise).

One of the things that is rarely said of Jansen is his race driving ability. Have a look at his record (particularly his enduro races) and it shows that the Captain was pretty handy behind the wheel.

[Mattracer]

Originally posted by racer69
He was very good for sponser's and trying to get them air time. I have heard that after a stint at Bathurst during interviews he always got in plugs for his sponsers like Cadbury and Schweppes.

LP tells quite a story on the "Endurance Man" video abou the Captain throwing Cherry Ripes out the window to the crowd at Bathurst one year. You don't see that these days.

[Kerri]

Very true Mattracer, imagine if a spectator was hit by a flying cherry ripe, the lawyers would have a field day

[rdmdog]

I was at a race meeting in 2002 where an old Commodore (VH?) with Janson written on the side (it was a groupC car that was racing getting ready for life as a historic tourer {EC this weekend}) when a fine lady in her late twentys said "I wonder if that is one or uncle Peter's old cars"

Well it was and this lass was lucky enough to have been the daughter of a lifelong friend of the Captain.

We do need a few characters like this nowadays dont we!

[Mattracer]

Originally posted by Kerri
Very true Mattracer, imagine if a spectator was hit by a flying cherry ripe, the lawyers would have a field day

Larry was more concerned about the race tyres getting damaged before the start by Janson drving off the road to get a better shot.

[racer69]

Nudge Nudge!

As mentioned it was a pity Jansen wasn't didn't put in more appearance's in Touring Car racing. With the results he used to achieve by just wheeling out his car a few times a year in time for Bathurst......

When would his last Bathurst start have been, 1994?