RIP Frank Gardner

[Chris24]

Austalian motor racing Legend Frank Gardner passed away on Sunday aged 78. Frank raced extensively in England early in his career and started at Le Mans 14 times.

RIP Frank, a mans man type of racer.

The following pasted from couriernews.com.au


AUSTRALIAN motorsport is in mourning after the death of the great Frank Gardner on the Gold Coast yesterday, aged 78.

Gardner was involved in motorsport in Australia and overseas for more than 40 years.

In 1964-65 he made eight Formula One starts in a Brabham, racing alongside Jim Clark, Graham Hill, Jackie Stewart, Bruce McLaren and Jack Brabham.

A former motorcycle racer who once competed on a Norton bike on a dirt road at Bathurst, Gardner went on to make 14 starts in the Le Mans 24-hour race.

Among his many achievements were the European 5000, European Formula Two, European Touring Car and British Saloon Car championships, and the British Champion Racing Driver award.

Gardner returned to Australia in 1975 and won the Australian Sports Sedan Championship in a Chevrolet Corvair before retiring in 1977.

As a team manager he guided Jim Richards to the Australian Touring Car Championship title in 1985 and 1987 in a BMW.

He was team manager for Tony Longhurst and Tomas Mezera when they won the 1988 Bathurst 1000 in a Ford Sierra.

Gardner retired from the role in 1995 after helping Paul Morris to the Australian Super Touring Championship title.

"It's a very sad day,'' said Geoff Brabham, who drove for Gardner in the 1990s.

"He was one of the legends because he was very successful overseas and to me that stands people apart from those who only succeed locally.

"He had a big influence with Ford at Le Mans and his managing skills were legendary. He was pretty tough but one of those guys that if you met him head on and argued it out he respected you.
He was definitely one of the true characters.''

One of Gardner's legacies is the Holden Performance Driving Centre he established near Norwell, south of Brisbane.

Russell White, now head of the Fatality Free Friday driver safety program, worked with Gardner for 10 years at the centre.

"A lot of the current generation don't realise what Frank did,'' he said.

"If you look at drivers he worked with like Jim Richards and Tony Longhurst, and everything he did in road safety, he always showed great wisdom and knowledge.''