Spencer Martin

Spencer Martin
Nationality	Australian
Born	1940 Sydney, Australia
Australian Drivers' Championship
Years active	1965-1967
Teams	Scuderia Veloce Bob Jane Racing
Starts	14
Wins	6
Best finish	1st in 1966 and 1967 Australian Drivers' Championship
Previous series
1966-67	Tasman Series
Championship titles
1966 1967	Australian Drivers' Championship Australian Drivers' Championship

Spencer Martin is an Australian championship winning racing driver. Martin's short career was highlighted by two Australian Drivers' Championship victories, in 1966 and 1967, racing for Bob Jane Racing.

Racing career

After spectating at the Mount Druitt circuit in the late 1950s Martin entered his first motor race in 1960 in a self built car at Gnoo Blas circuit. A mechanic by trade, Martin moved through the ranks through his contacts in the trade, racing a PRAD sports car and a very successful Holden touring car.^[1]

Martin's big break came when he defeated Norm Beechey in a touring car race. Beechey's entrant, David McKay offered Martin a drive with McKay's Scuderia Veloce team at the 1963 Armstrong 500 co-driving with Brian Muir.^[2] He achieved a class victory in the 1964 Armstrong 500, sharing a Vauxhall Viva with Bill Brown.^[3]

Martin became a part of Scuderia Veloce as a mechanic and driver, acting as lead mechanic when the team brought in international drivers for the Tasman Series. He raced the team’s Repco Brabham BT11A as well as a Ferrari 250LM sports car, winning the 1965 Six Hour Le Mans with McKay in the Ferrari. Martin also placed third in the Italian car in the Australian Tourist Trophy in both 1965 and 1966. He left the team in mid 1966 after a top ten championship finish in the 1966 Tasman Series and found employment with Bob Jane's team. Martin drove Jane's Brabham BT11 to victory in the 1966 and 1967 Australian Drivers' Championships.^[2] Martin retired at his peak after the 1967 season to begin a family, although he returned sporadically for Touring Car endurance races including the 1969 Datsun Three Hour in which he drove for the Holden Dealer Team.^[4]

In 1979 Martin returned to Scuderia Veloce, racing a Volvo 242 GT touring car at the Bathurst 1000. This in turn led to historic sports car racing overseas, becoming a fixture in the 1980s and 1990s in Europe and North America. Martin made a return to Bathurst in 1993, co-driving with his son Matthew in a Bob Holden entered Toyota Corolla in the Tooheys 1000. Martin continues to race historics.

Results

Season	Title	Position	Car	Entrant
1965	Australian Tourist Trophy	3rd	Ferrari 250LM	Scuderia Veloce
1965	Australian Drivers' Championship	3rd	Repco Brabham BT11A Coventry Climax	Scuderia Veloce
1966	Tasman Series	7th	Repco Brabham BT11A Coventry Climax	Scuderia Veloce
1966	Australian Tourist Trophy	3rd	Ferrari 250LM	Scuderia Veloce
1966	Australian Drivers' Championship	1st	Repco Brabham BT11A Coventry Climax	Bob Jane Racing
1967	Australian Drivers' Championship	1st	Repco Brabham BT11A Coventry Climax	Bob Jane Racing

References

1. Quinn, Patrick. "Interview: Spencer Martin". Vintage Racecar. Parabolica Publishing, LLC. Retrieved 2013-10-30.
2. "Spencer Martin". Features. speedcafe.com. 2012-01-13. Retrieved 2013-11-30.
3. Bill Tuckey, ‘’1964 - Here come the works teams’’, Australia's Greatest Motor Race, The Complete Story, 1981, pages 98-105
4. Paul Gover, Nice Monaro, but where's the roll cage?, Herald Sun, 10 September 2009 Retrieved on 2 April 2014