Gary Brabham

Gary Thomas Brabham (born 29 March 1961 in Wimbledon, London) is a former professional racing driver and convicted child rapist[1] from Australia.

Gary Brabham
Nationality	Australian
Born	29 March 1961 Wimbledon, London, England, United Kingdom
Retired	1995
Related to	Sir Jack Brabham (father) Geoff Brabham (brother) David Brabham (brother) Lisa Thackwell (sister-in-law) Matthew Brabham (nephew) Sam Brabham (nephew)
Indy Car World Series
Years active	1993–94
Teams	Dick Simon Racing Bettenhausen Motorsports
Starts	2
Wins	0
Poles	0
Fastest laps	0
Best finish	40th in 1993
Previous series
1982 1985 1986-88 1987 1989 1989-90 1990 1990-91 1991-92 1991	Australian Formula Ford British Formula Ford 2000 British Formula 3 Championship World Touring Car Championship British Formula 3000 Championship International Formula 3000 Formula 1 Australian Endurance Championship IMSA GT Championship Interserie
Championship titles
1989 1991	British Formula 3000 12 Hours of Sebring
Formula One World Championship career
Active years	1990
Teams	Life
Entries	2 (0 starts)
Championships	0
Wins	0
Podiums	0
Career points	0
Pole positions	0
Fastest laps	0
First entry	1990 United States Grand Prix
Last entry	1990 Brazilian Grand Prix

He is the son of three-time World Formula One Champion Sir Jack Brabham and the brother of Le Mans winners Geoff and David Brabham.

His solitary F1 berth came with Life, a team that failed to prequalify for a single F1 race in its lone season of existence. Brabham's career never fully recovered, despite winning the 1991 Sebring 12 Hours and being the first Australian to start the Gold Coast Indy Grand Prix.[2]

Early life

Brabham, born in Wimbledon, England,[3] was the second-born of the triple World Champion Sir Jack Brabham. Despite hopes from his mother that he would avoid the motor-racing scene altogether, he grew up on a diet of Formula Ford in both Australia and the UK.

He made his racing debut in 1982, finishing his first race at Calder Park Raceway in third despite being in a 9-year-old car. He later broke the Formula Ford lap record at the Sandown Raceway in the same car.[4][5]

Career

Starter formulae

Later in 1982, he was chosen to go to Europe for 1983. Despite very little support from the Australian public, Brabham raced in the British Formula Ford 2000 Championship for Neil Trundle Racing, in a Reynard SF83. He finishing the season in 11th place. During this season, he also made his sports car-racing début, sharing a March-Ford 83S, with Alo Lawler at Brands Hatch.[5]

For the following season, he remained in the same series, joining Penistone Racing, partnering Julian Bailey in their Reynard SF84. Brabham regularly outpaced his team-mate, and despite team orders not to outperform his team-mate, he still was not disgraced taking sixth overall in the final championship positions. During 1984, he tried his hand at other categories, including racing sport cars in the Thundersports Series, taking his maiden victory at Snetterton, sharing a Tiga-Ford TS84 with Tim Lee-Davey. With no top single-seater drives available for him in 1985, Brabham had a slight reprieve through the Thundersports series, where he raced for the TechSpeed Racing team in a Shrike-Ford P15 alongside Divina Galica, recording five second places.[5]

In 1986, his father got a team together under the banner of Jack Brabham Racing. Gary raced in 9 of the 18 rounds of the British Formula 3 Championship in a Ralt-Volkswagen RT30, managing some decent results such as second at Silverstone. This was enough to take him to fifth in the championship. For 1987, the team had secured Panasonic backing for 15 of the 19 F3 races, in a Ralt-Volkswagen RT31. Brabham won two races at Silverstone and Donington Park, coming I sixth in the championship. He was threatening Johnny Herbert for the title until his budget tragically ran out.[5]

He returned to Australia briefly to race in the 1987 James Hardie 1000 at Bathurst, sharing a works BMW M3 with Juan Manuel Fangio II. The car was up to fifth at one stage before Fangio glanced a stricken car in the rain. Brabham showed his speed late in the race, dicing and passing the Aussie legend Peter Brock. Although Brock would eventually win the race, Brabham and Fangio were classified 16th at the end.[5]

For 1988, Brabham returned to England, joining Bowman Racing for a third season of British Formula 3. Although JJ Lehto won the championship, Brabham stormed home late in the season, winning four races in his Ralt-Volkswagen RT32 to finish second. On his way, he also won the Scottish Superprix and Oulton Park Gold Cup. This earned him his first chance to test a Formula One car. He tested a Benetton B188 at the behest of team manager, Peter Collins, at Jerez.[5]

A chance to move up to International Formula 3000 arose in 1989, but the drive went to Andrea Chiesa, instead. Brabham settled for a drive with Bromley Motorsport, in the British Formula 3000 Championship, in an ex-Roberto Moreno Reynard-Cosworth 88D. He took this car to the inaugural title with four victories and pole positions along the way. During the season, he also managed to secure some outings in the International series for both Bromley and Leyton House teams, his best result being fifth at Brands Hatch.[5]

Also, Brabham finished fifth at the 1988 Formula 3 Macau Grand Prix and sixth in 1989.

Life in F1

After more F1 testing for Leyton House and Brabham teams, he also assisted Porsche with their Indy car, before the opportunity arose to race in F1.[5]

He failed to prequalify for two Formula One Grands Prix with the troubled Life project, a team that failed to prequalify for all 14 of its attempts during the 1990 season. Brabham was the second-slowest prequalifier (leading only the Coloni-Subaru of Bertrand Gachot, who recorded a lap time of 5:15.010, but 30 seconds behind the EuroBrun of Claudio Langes) at Phoenix, and the engine gave up after only 400 m in Brazil. One small plus of the car was that it was the sixth-fastest car in a straight line in untimed practice in Brazil.[6] After those two races, when clearly no improvement was forthcoming, Brabham promptly quit the team in disgust.[4][5] He had a small chance to join the Brabham team at the time, but confusion over his Life contract caused him to lose the seat to his brother David.[6]

After Formula One

For the remainder of 1990, Brabham raced in F3000 for Middlebridge Racing in their Lola-Mugen T89/50, collecting two third places at Monza and Enna. However, his bad luck continued as he failed to qualify for Pau and Birmingham. He returned to Australia for the Eastern Creek 500, teaming up with his brother David in a Ford Sierra RS500 for Frank Gardner’s team. The brothers finished fourth.[5]

In 1991, he went Stateside to the IMSA championship and drove for Nissan Performance Technology Inc. [NPTI] at the Sebring 12 Hours along his other brother Geoff and Irishman Derek Daly. Starting from pole, they won the race in their Nissan NPT-90. This victory did not open any more doors. Brabham settled for a series of one-off drives: a drive in an older Nissan at Miami, an outing in a Stürtz-BMW SM in an Interserie race at Brands Hatch and another visit to the Bathurst 1000.[5]

Brabham accepted an invitation from NPTI to race in the IMSA Endurance races in 1992 alongside Daly and Steve Millen at Daytona, recording a DNF after running in third. At Sebring, the winning crew from 1991 was joined by Arie Luyendyk. This crew came close to defending the title, finishing second.[5]

In 1993 and 1994, he later raced in CART, becoming the first Australian driver to race the Gold Coast Indycar street race before retiring from racing in 1995 to teach advanced driver training. His pupils have included Rowan Atkinson and Captain Mark Phillips, for celebrities competing in the Australian and British GP celebrity races[4][5][7]

Criminal convictions

In 2016, a Brisbane District Court 12-person jury found him guilty of one charge of rape and one charge of indecent treatment of a child then aged six. The offences occurred between 2003 and 2007 in Brisbane.[8][9] After the verdict was handed down, the court was told Brabham had a criminal history.[10]

In 2009, he pleaded guilty to charges of indecent dealing of a child under 12 years. Brabham managed to have his name suppressed as he served out his time in high security at Wacol jail.[11]

In 2016, he was found guilty of one charge of rape and one charge of indecent treatment of a child then aged six.[8] In September, an appeal by Brabham against the conviction was unanimously rejected by the Queensland Court of Appeal.[12] He was sentenced to 18 months in jail, but was released after 6 months.[13]

Racing record

Career highlights

Season	Series	Position	Car	Team
1982	TAA Formula Ford Driver to Europe Series	12th	Birrana-Ford
1983	British Formula Ford 2000 Championship [14]	11th	Reynard SF83-Ford	Neil Trundle Racing
1984	BBC Grandstand Formula Ford 2000 Championship [14]	4th	Reynard SF84-Ford	Penistone Racing
	British Formula Ford 2000 Championship [14]	6th
1986	Lucas British Formula 3 Championship	5th	Ralt RT30 Volkswagen	Jack Brabham Racing
1987	Lucas British Formula 3 Championship	6th	Ralt RT31 Volkswagen	Jack Brabham Racing
1988	Lucas British Formula 3 Championship	2nd	Ralt RT32 Volkswagen	Bowman Racing
1989	British Formula 3000 Championship	1st	Reynard 88D Cosworth	Bromley Motorsport
	International Formula 3000 Championship	17th	Reynard 88D Cosworth March 89B Judd	Bromley Motorsport Leyton House Racing
1990	Formula One World Championship	NC	Life L190 Life-W12	Life Racing Engines
	International Formula 3000 Championship	11th	Lola T90/50 Cosworth	Middlebridge Racing
	Australian Endurance Championship	17th	Ford Sierra RS500	Tony Longhurst Racing
1991	IMSA GTP Championship	40th	Nissan NPT90 Nissan GTP ZX-T	Nissan Performance Technology
1993	CART World Series	40th	Lola T92/00 - Chevrolet	Dick Simon Racing
1994	CART World Series	52nd	Penske PC-22 - Ilmor	Bettenhausen Racing

Complete British Formula 3 results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year	Entrant	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	Total	Points
1986	Jack Brabham Racing	THR DNS	SIL 6	THR 11	SIL 2	BRH 5	THR	DON 10	SIL 4	SIL DNS	OUL	ZAN	DON	SNE	SIL 5	BRH 4	SPA	ZOL 15	SIL 4	5th	22
1987	Jack Brabham Racing	THR 5	BRH 2	SIL 1	THR 4	SIL RET	BRH 4	THR 7	SIL 9	ZAN RET	DON DNS	SIL 33	SNE 7	DON 1	OUL 6	SIL 5	BRH DNS	SPA	THR	6th	37
1988	Bowman Racing	THR 9	SIL 5	THR 2	BRH 3	DON RET	SIL 4	BRH 21	THR 2	SIL 4	DON 3	SIL 2	SNE 2	OUL 1	SIL 8	BRH 1	SPA 8	THR 1	SIL 1	2nd	81

Complete British Touring Car Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position in class) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap in class - 1 point awarded)

Year	Team	Car	Class	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	DC	Pts	Class
1987	Alan Docking Racing	Holden Commodore VK SS Group A	A	SIL	OUL	THR	THR	SIL	SIL	BRH	SNE	DON	OUL Ret‡	DON	SIL	NC	0	NC

‡ Endurance driver (Ineligible for points)

Complete World Touring Car Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year	Team	Car	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	DC	Points
1987	BMW Motorsport	BMW M3	MNZ	JAR	DIJ	NUR	SPA	BNO	SIL	BAT ovr:16 cls:6	CLD	WEL	FJI	NC	0

† Not registered for series & points

Complete British Formula 3000 results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year	Entrant	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Total	Points
1989	Bromley Motorsport	BRH 3	THR 1	OUL 2	DON 6	BRH 1	SNE 5	SIL 1	OUL 2	BRH 1	1st	55

Complete International Formula 3000 results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year	Entrant	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	DC	Points
1989	Bromley Motorsport	SIL Ret	VAL 8	PAU	JER 13	PER							18th	2
	Leyton House Racing						BRH 5	BIR DNQ	SPA 11	BUG Ret	DIJ Ret
1990	Middlebridge Racing	DON	SIL Ret	PAU DNQ	JER 12	MNZ 3	PER 3	HOC 14†	BRH 8	BIR DNQ	BUG 8	NOG 11	11th	8

Complete Formula One results

(key)

Year	Entrant	Chassis	Engine	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	WDC	Points
1990	Life Racing Engines	Life F190	Life W12	USA DNPQ	BRA DNPQ	SMR	MON	CAN	MEX	FRA	GBR	GER	HUN	BEL	ITA	POR	ESP	JPN	AUS	NC	0

Complete Australian Endurance Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year	Team	Car	1	2	3	DC	Points
1990	Benson & Hedges Racing	Ford Sierra RS500	SAN	BAT	ECK 4	17th	10
1991	Allan Moffat Enterprises	Ford Sierra RS500	SAN	BAT Ret		NC	0

Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results

Year	Class	No	Tyres	Car	Team	Co-Drivers	Laps	Pos.	Class Pos.
1989	C1	55	D	Porsche 962C Porsche Type-935 3.0L Turbo Flat-6	Team Schuppan	Vern Schuppan Eje Elgh	321	13th	10th

Complete 24 Hours of Daytona results

Year	Class	No	Tyres	Car	Team	Co-Drivers	Laps	Pos.	Class Pos.
1992	GTP	84	G	Nissan R90CK Nissan V8/90° 4v 3.0L Turbo	Nissan Performance Technology Inc.	Derek Daly Steve Millen	150	DNF

Complete 12 Hours of Sebring results

Year	Class	No	Tyres	Car	Team	Co-Drivers	Laps	Pos.	Class Pos.
1991	GTP	83	G	Nissan NPT-90 Nissan V6 3.0L 2x Garrett Turbo	Nissan Performance Technology Inc.	Geoff Brabham Derek Daly	298	1st
1992	GTP	1	G	Nissan NPT-91A Nissan V6 3.0L 2x Garrett Turbo	Nissan Performance Technology Inc.	Arie Luyendyk	20	DNF
	GTP	83	G	Nissan NPT-91A Nissan V6 3.0L 2x Garrett Turbo	Nissan Performance Technology Inc.	Geoff Brabham Derek Daly Arie Luyendyk	355	2nd

Complete Bathurst 1000 results

Year	Team	Co-Drivers	Car	Class	Laps	Pos.	Class Pos.
1987	BMW Motorsport	Juan Manuel Fangio II	BMW M3	2	146	16th	6th
1991	Allan Moffat Enterprises	Steve Millen	Ford Sierra RS500	1	128	DNF	DNF
1992	Allan Moffat Enterprises	Charlie O'Brien	Ford Sierra RS500	1	124	25th	20th

American Open Wheel racing results

(key)

CART

Year	Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	Rank	Points
1993	Dick Simon Racing	SRF 14	PHX	LBH	INDY	MIL	DET	POR	CLE	TOR	MIS	NHM	ROA	VAN	MDO	NZR	LS	40th	0
1994	Bettenhausen Racing	SRF 24	PHX	LBH	INDY	MIL	DET	POR	CLE	TOR	MIS	MDO	NHM	VAN	ROA	NZR	LS	52nd	0

References

1. "Gary Brabham found guilty of child rape". www.abc.net.au. 24 March 2016. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
2. "Interview with Gary Brabham". F1 Rejects. Archived from the original on 12 May 2012. Retrieved 5 March 2014.
3. "Gary Brabham". ESPN UK. Retrieved 25 May 2017.
4. "Gary Brabham – Richard's F1". Richardsf1.com. 29 March 1961. Archived from the original on 23 October 2013. Retrieved 5 March 2014.
5. "Gary Brabham - Biography". F1rejects.com. 10 May 2001. Archived from the original on 23 October 2013. Retrieved 5 March 2014.
6. "Brabham Fortnight: We catch up with Gary Brabham". RacerViews.com. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
7. "Celebrity Photo Gallery, Celebrity Wallpapers, Celebrity Videos, Bio, News, Songs, Movies". In.com. Retrieved 5 March 2014.
8. "Sir Jack Brabham's son Gary found guilty of rape of young girl". Courier Mail. 24 March 2016. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
9. "Motor racing champion's son jailed for raping girl". abc.net.au. 15 April 2016. Retrieved 25 May 2017.
10. "Gary Brabham, son of racing car legend, found guilty of child rape". ABC News. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
11. Alex Oagana (24 March 2016). "Gary Thomas Brabham convicted of child rape". Auto Evolution. Retrieved 21 March 2019.
12. "Brabham loses appeal against child rape conviction". ABC News. 13 September 2016. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
13. "Gary Brabham Released From Jail After Just 6 Months For Raping 6-Year-old". marieclaire.com.au. Retrieved 25 May 2017.
14. "Gary Brabham - Career Summary". F1rejects.com. Archived from the original on 23 October 2013. Retrieved 5 March 2014.