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Old 11 May 2015, 23:23 (Ref:3536585)   #1
twinwebbers
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RIP Frank Matich

I know not technically touring cars, but an Australian of epic engineering and driving ability passed away last night. RIP Frank. A photo of you proudly sits on my hero's wall beside the greats of Australian Motorsport.

SpeedCafe's brief article here.
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Old 12 May 2015, 00:27 (Ref:3536600)   #2
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One of the best I have ever seen, in his own cars or anyone else. I am not a 100% sure, but I know that he ran in at least 1 Bathurst 500, 1966, and he set a new lap record in that race. Talented driver.
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Old 12 May 2015, 01:21 (Ref:3536610)   #3
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Casper should be qualifying in the top 10 on the gridCasper should be qualifying in the top 10 on the grid
He took on the best in the world both as a driver and constructor and held his head high in that company. RIP.
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Old 12 May 2015, 02:49 (Ref:3536626)   #4
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Tourer is going for a new lap record!Tourer is going for a new lap record!Tourer is going for a new lap record!Tourer is going for a new lap record!Tourer is going for a new lap record!Tourer is going for a new lap record!
Frank was the inspiration behind a young Tourer's interests moving more to race cars than race motorcycles. Really liked the way he want about all aspects of his racing.

Arguably the greatest constructer/driver to not go to Europe.

RIP Frank, you're leaving one helluva legacy behind you.
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Old 12 May 2015, 05:25 (Ref:3536637)   #5
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Trev Campbell should be qualifying in the top 5 on the gridTrev Campbell should be qualifying in the top 5 on the grid
RIP Frank. A great driver and constructor. Creator of some of the most beautiful (And successful) sportscars to grace out shores.
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Old 12 May 2015, 05:55 (Ref:3536645)   #6
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RIP. great driver. great asset to motorsport gone but not forgotten. condolences to the family and friends.
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Old 12 May 2015, 06:01 (Ref:3536647)   #7
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RIP Frank Matich. Remember him in the Matich Formula 5000 when I first got into motorsport as a little kid. Also designed some great sports cars as well.

Here he is in action in his SR3 Repco V8 sports car at the 1968 Tasman meeting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K18gnn1nf7o
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Old 12 May 2015, 07:03 (Ref:3536662)   #8
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Kingair should be qualifying in the top 10 on the gridKingair should be qualifying in the top 10 on the grid
Another great motor racing legend that has gone to the big race track!

Guys like this amazed me with their can do attitude, design it, fabricate it and race it against the best.

All done on a shoestring budget, while running a business and raising a family.

Speedcafe have a good item about Frank on their web page.
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Old 12 May 2015, 12:05 (Ref:3536732)   #9
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old fart should be qualifying in the top 10 on the gridold fart should be qualifying in the top 10 on the grid
I know I am showing my age however I remember the early days of Frank's stellar career-the C type Jaguar and then the famous Leaton Motors D type and others right through to his sensation self designed and built sports and F5000 cars.

What a talent and a very underrated driver-the Tasman series imports soon found out that he was more than an average driver and constructor and had he not been constrained by sponsorship, taken the fight overseas and most likely boxed their ears.

I was privileged to witness his driving finesse at close quarters as a flag marshal and was always impressed at his prowess as a supreme designer and constructor- even today his cars stand out as superb examples of design and construction and in fact laid the ground work for a lot of the modern day designers and constructors to follow.

He drove a wide variety of vehicles and if I remember correctly competed at Bathurst in a Mini and really impressed making the car do things nobody thought possible.
A huge talent,modest and simply well before his time as a designer and constructor.
May his legacy live on for many years to come.
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Old 12 May 2015, 12:21 (Ref:3536739)   #10
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What was the constraint with sponsorship? Total was a backer for a time, as was Rothmans.. did they not like the idea of Mr Matich heading to Europe?
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Old 12 May 2015, 13:00 (Ref:3536753)   #11
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What was the constraint with sponsorship? Total was a backer for a time, as was Rothmans.. did they not like the idea of Mr Matich heading to Europe?
My recollection is that Total Oils, his long time sponsor, had a clause in the contract that restricted him to compete in Australia and New Zealand only.
Once Frank had shown the overseas drivers and teams that he was not only an equal but possessed a brilliant engineering brain as well he had F1 teams including Brabham and Lotus chasing his services.
Obviously Total Australia did not want to lose their star 'advertising' and enforced the clause.
I can well remember displaying the Total Team tricolour on my Dad's car-he was as big a fan as I was so it was a pushover getting approval and seeing many locals driving around town displaying the tricolour. (Leo and Pete were others in the famous Total Team and all vehicles competed with the tricolour strip).
Total Australia had a winner with Frank and really sought to maximise it as much as possible.
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Old 12 May 2015, 13:32 (Ref:3536759)   #12
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Thank you for the explanation, much appreciated
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Old 12 May 2015, 21:41 (Ref:3536872)   #13
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Lotus patriarch Colin Chapman once approached Matich to drive for him but the Sydney racer was sponsored by French company Total which, at the time, did not allow its drivers to race in England. i could be wrong but dont think he was with Total when he went to the US with sports cars.
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Old 13 May 2015, 01:51 (Ref:3536919)   #14
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One of the best I have ever seen, in his own cars or anyone else. I am not a 100% sure, but I know that he ran in at least 1 Bathurst 500, 1966, and he set a new lap record in that race. Talented driver.
The time he showed he could drive anything. 1966 was the year of the Morris Cooper S. There were 16 of them in the race including 3 works cars, each with an international driver, and the two top S drivers of the time, Foley and Manton.

Yet Matich was faster than them all in a strictly private entry and set the fastest lap of the race.
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Old 13 May 2015, 06:44 (Ref:3536962)   #15
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I might be wrong, some of you with more knowledge than I might be able to confirm it. But I think I remember reading that when he took the SR3 to the US, he flogged the pants off the locals so badly, they banned the car !?!??! Is that right ???
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Old 13 May 2015, 10:23 (Ref:3537025)   #16
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old fart should be qualifying in the top 10 on the gridold fart should be qualifying in the top 10 on the grid
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I might be wrong, some of you with more knowledge than I might be able to confirm it. But I think I remember reading that when he took the SR3 to the US, he flogged the pants off the locals so badly, they banned the car !?!??! Is that right ???
Frank took his 5ltr Repco engine SR4 car over only to find that the locals were running 7ltr Can Am vehicles that were simply too fast despite his best efforts.

It was when he took his Repco McLaren M10B F5000 back to the states for the L&M series that he knocked them off big time-he ran in the first and second rounds and ended up with a win on debut and a fine 2nd. Despite pressure to contest the remainder of the series he returned home to continue work on his own Matich F5000.

It is interesting to note that the field for the L&M series featured a score of Kiwi Graham McRae's F5000s plus another Matich.
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Old 13 May 2015, 10:46 (Ref:3537032)   #17
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Yes Trev it was the SR3 that he raced in the US, in 1967
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Old 14 May 2015, 04:40 (Ref:3537298)   #18
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Yes Trev it was the SR3 that he raced in the US, in 1967
You are correct Downoz-a slip of the finger so to speak!
The SR4 wasn't until about 1969 if I remember correctly.

The smaller engined SR3 was no match for the McLaren Can Am cars and some reliability issues caused a lot of DNFs.
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Old 14 May 2015, 09:49 (Ref:3537347)   #19
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A very comprehensive interview with Frank Matich by Michael Stahl.....

http://www.motorsportmagazine.com/ar...exchange-views
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