Brabham, Jack (1926-2014), an Australian motor-racing driver, won the Drivers’ World Championship in 1959, 1960, and 1966. In 1966, he won in a car of his own design. Also in 1966, he won the constructors championship in Formula One cars, and his cars also dominated Formula Two racing in Europe.
John Arthur Brabham was born on April 2, 1926, near Sydney. He began work at the age of 15 as a mechanic. Brabham joined the Royal Australian Air Force at the age of 18 and served for two years as a flight mechanic. In 1948, he won the Australian, New South Wales, and South Australian speedway championships. Brabham went to the United Kingdom in 1955 but was not highly regarded as a driver at first. That year, he won the Australian Grand Prix with his rear-engined Cooper Bristol racing car. He was named Australian of the Year in 1966. Brabham retired as a race driver in 1970 and was knighted in 1979. Brabham died on May 19, 2014.
