John Osborne

It is now general knowledge that John Osborne is having a battle with lung cancer, but as we all have witnessed over the years he is the ultimate battler and does not back off. John has given a great deal to motorsport in NZ especially in the South Island but did venture North to entertain the northern lot as he liked to call us. We are all so appreciative for the entertainment and times he shared with us. Too Andrea, John and family, we are all thinking and praying for you people at this time.
I have been very lucky to spend some very special and funny times with John over the years going back to around 79-80 and can still remember the first time I meet him.
Classic that a guy who spent a fair amount of earlier time with 'officials' went on to became one, and a good one at that. John has put a lot into motorsport as both a competitor and helper.

It would be great if any one has photos of John and his cars and puts them up here with any little story.

A Terry Marshall photo of OZ on grid ready for battle, in typical pose

Oz checking out whats going on. Typical battle dress.

Another great shot from Terry Marshall

Another great Terry Marshall photo

Oz in action and doing it up front as he did back in those days.

I have never met John, but was present as a club rep when they announced Prodrive with a demonstration at Mangere, where MPs John Banks particularly, and Lockwood Smith, showed a degree of talent behind the wheel.

John Osbourne has probably done more for improving the driving standards of young Kiwis of the last generation than anyone else around and when Toyota dropped it after 20 years of excellent sponsorship and support, it was a very sad day indeed. Pity the wealthy financial institutions, instead of spending millions on their corporate freebies and lavish Christmas bashes (I have some inside info on one major institution...), couldn't have used some of their obvious wealth in a positive way, to keep Prodrive going.

This a part of a piece written by respected journalist Dave Moore:

"The Prodrive Driver Education Trust, which was responsible for operations, has had strong support during the past two decades from Toyota New Zealand and Car Haulaways and other sponsors who have helped too. However, they have not been able to replace some key cash funding, which means they are unable to continue.

Just to remind you, the programme, which was offered free to senior secondary school students, was devised by MotorSport New Zealand and driven mainly by John Osborne who, together with other staff over the years and car club members from around the country, has worked tirelessly to teach young drivers the skills of safe driving.

They know from letters and emails over the years that there are thousands of young, and now not so young, drivers who learned practical driving skills in the programme that have helped them survive on our roads."

I'm pretty sure that our current road toll would have been much lower if John's baby had been allowed to flourish, as todays young drivers are not getting the benefit of Prodrive. An unsung hero.

Where to start!!, It probably wont help Johns BP to see that first pic, about one lap later the Camaro had divested itself of the front clip etc when he decided a gap between Baker ( PDL1 ) and myself ( Cortina ) was wide enough-- it was not!!
That aside I have known John thru most of his early OSCA time from Mini's, Escort & Camaro and talked with him when he was building the ex Halliday Capri. You soon learnt to stand well back and insert fingers in ears when things were not going right. Looks to be perfect timing from Terry Marshall in that top pic as the front row cars all look a little nose high.

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Originally Posted by Rod Grimwood

Oz checking out whats going on. Typical battle dress.

Another great shot from Terry Marshall

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Perhaps the caption should read "Lookout Gerry McKissock Ozzo's on the warpath!"

I entered the motorsport scene in about 1997 so know little about John's racing career, apart from the many stories relayed to me by officials, other competitors and from John himself. The term "bloody legend" seems appropriate.

How I came to know John is by getting involved with ProDrive and becoming a tutor in Southland in about 1999. As part of tutor training I attended a theory lesson where school students were in attendance. What struck me, apart from what I didn't know about car control, was John's ability to capture the attention of the young people and engage them in being safe on the roads. His presentation was somewhat unorthodox, but very effective.

Earlier this year I attended another theory lesson, as I had arrived early for tutoring. John was just the same, 16 years later, the young people just simply connected with him, amazing really.

In recent years I also got to know him as a competitor, as am a CRO, so we had some colourful banter, especially if I had to deliver him some "bad news".

A great competitor he is, a super guy he most certainly is, and what he has done for young driver safety is phenomenal. I certainly hope that the Trustees of ProDrive, or Proactive Drive as it is now, can carry on John’s programme, as it is an amazing programme for road safety.

Certainly not good news and none of us knows just what is round the corner. Thinking of John and his family at this stressful time.
I think that this is the only shot I have of one of John's cars especially since he didn't come to play with that northern lot very often.

http://i68.tinypic.com/2h748rc.jpg

Also found this photo also taken at Pukekohe

http://i65.tinypic.com/210bxpx.jpg

Sorry to hear about John .... heard plenty about him all good stuff .....we are all on the same track .. this is an interesting photo not only of John but the back ground , I see Dave & Lawrence Brown .. looks like there might be Allan Dun , Kevin Ryans A40 & Ernies old wrecking truck

The Champ is battling, please all give a little prayer/thought for John, and family.

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Attachment 32212

Awesome photos Ross, The Alfetta new and the Camaro a real old war horse.

http://i448.photobucket.com/albums/q...s/img041-2.jpg

Reverse Grid race with the quick guys starting up on the hill at Pukekohe.
http://i448.photobucket.com/albums/q...s/img016-2.jpg

http://i448.photobucket.com/albums/q...ayparksm-1.jpg

John has been moved to Hospice.

Great photos and memories of one of our competitors that made a big impact on OSCA and Sports Sedan racing and made many lift their game to compete with him.
The Pro Drive that he did with High School students can be considered to have saved many a young and older life, and also introduced many to motorsport.
I am hunting out some more photos, write ups, which I will eventually put together in a small book and pass onto family at a later date.

John Osborne (OZZO) passed on to the big motorsport club and race track in the sky yesterday. This is becoming a very elite club.
OZ ran a great race right down to the last lap, which was his longest of all, but he was still a winner.

This will leave a very big gap in a lot of peoples lifes and NZ Motorsport, especially in the South Island. To all who have been so lucky to have been involved with John or have just spent many weekends watching him do his trade behind the wheel of very wild and fast cars over the years, remember those times and also the other people he raced with who are also not with us anymore, they will be reorganizing the grid order at the race track in the sky.

To Andrea, Tim and family, our thoughts and love are with you at this very sad time.

JOHN OSBORNE (OZ) RIP

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Originally Posted by Rod Grimwood

John Osborne (OZ) passed on to the big motorsport club and race track in the sky yesterday. This is becoming a very elite club.
OZ ran a great race right down to the last lap, which was his longest of all, but he was still a winner.

This will leave a very big gap in a lot of peoples lifes and NZ Motorsport, especially in the South Island. To all who have been so lucky to have been involved with John or have just spent many weekends watching him do his trade behind the wheel of very wild and fast cars over the years, remember those times and also the other people he raced with who are also not with us anymore, they will be reorganizing the grid order at the race track in the sky.

To Andrea, Tim and family, our thoughts and love are with you at this very sad time.

JOHN OSBORNE (OZ) RIP

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Sad day for nz motorsport.i remember some of the great battles that he had in osca at levels,always a man to be feared,a crowd favourite,no bullshit guy.i remember him well,as a kid at levels,i was leaning on his rx7,having a look inside it,i guess i was about ten or so,when he told me to 'get off,youll effing scratch it'.another memory was wen he took too much of the inside ripple strip,going through the esses at the end nf the front straight,and punctured his sump,he came roaring bak into the pit lane amid clouds of smoke,jumped out of the car,everyone keeping there distance ,except gerald mckissock,who was trying to give johna roasting for his entry bak into the pit lane,after the race john,ciggie a blazing started walking out on the track,with gerald,and some of his crew in tow,all keeping there distance as ozzo walked up to the offending ripple strip,the crowd was going nuts as ozzo was pointing and raving on to gerald about the height of it.on the walk back to pits,he was flicking the bird to some spectators.does anyone else remember this.entertainment plus!.r.i.p johnno..a real character in nz motorsport

Great stories! Love these tales about larger than life characters.

RiP

Most of us who were around when John ran the RX7 V8 will remember that terrible crash at the end of the front straight at Puke where he hit the inside fence and one of the posts came up through the floor and did a lot of damage to one of his legs.
A week or so later Rob Ward and I drove up from Tauranga to visit him in Middlemore hospital to check on his progress. John complained that the rescue team had cut his overalls off to work on his injuries and asked if we could make him a new driver suit ( we were supplying some of his safety gear back then). I suggested we should wait until we knew for sure that he wasn't going to lose his leg, otherwise it would save us some money to make a new suit with just one leg. Apparently the nurses down the corridors from his ward could hear John's very colorful, loud and detailed response! RIP John.

Oh man, so sad to hear this. Oz was my second ever motorsport hero. My first was Leo Leonard in the PDL Mustang II when I saw him racing at Manfeild in 1979, when I was 8 years old. John Osborne became my second motorsport hero in 1981, again at Manfeild when I saw him hustling that mighty metallic blue Chevy Camaro. Up against of sea of faster V8 powered Capri's including those of Wayne Huxford and Inky Tulloch, Osborne was epic. He drove the wheels off that car, and it took my breath away.

The Camaro was rough around the edges, Osborne was happy to use the bumper, and that car had so much character, and Osborne was a warrior.

Ozzy would eventually join the Capri ranks, and he was just as spectacular in those cars, but my greatest memories of him were in that tough old Camaro.

It was more than two decades later before I got to see the Camaro again, by now owned by Tony Boyden. I wrote a story on the car for NZ Classic Car mag, and I got to interview John Osborne, and he was just as rugged and direct as I was expecting.

We don't have heroes like this anymore; drivers of true grit with larger than life personalities, and massive characters that shine through. This is a sad loss.

RIP Ozzy, and thanks for the memories.

My early childhood memories are bought back to me today, thinking of going to the track with my dad and Watching John and My Dad and Trevor Crowe and many other locals race. I still remember him up at the fence to our Garage area at surfers paradise race when I was working for one of the Indy car teams and the big smile he had on his face and how thrilled he was for me. I kept in contact with him in recent years through emails and a few visits in Australia and N.Z. I am very saddened by the news. John was a legend, a great Guy and a true racer, he will be missed by all of us that knew him

Oh hell, that was quick. Sad news. Rest well old warrior and thanks for all the memories. Condolences to family and friends.....

John’s funeral service will be held at 2.00pm December 31 Thursday at the Wairakei Road Lamb and Heywood Chapel, airport end.

Thankfully, several of Johns old race cars still exist, including the RX7, despite its famous Pukekohe accident:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMaO...ature=youtu.be

I think a photographer was injured in that incident too, looks like someone being attended to in the foreground between the fence and John's car. Hell of a crash, that corner has seen some memorable wrecks!

Always wondered what happened to the Escort, pretty sure he traded it on the Camaro when he bought it off Lawrie Bruce, then it went to Agnew.

List of cars as I remember was Mini, Escort, Camaro, Ex Halliday Capri V8, Ex Fahey Capri V8, Mazda RX7 V8, and of late the 300zx in SFOS & Club/classic events, probably more..

A service for Ozzo was held in Christchurch on the 31st December at 2.00pm. A large gathering of many of his old freinds and asociate"s
were present in large numbers including some from the north Isalnd along with Finn ( Alan Finlayson ) who came over from Aussie.As John was originally from Dunedin, most of his family from there were present, 2 nephews were pall bearers along with son Tim,Denis Chapman, Scott O'Donnell and a cousin.Speakers were, Denis Chapman, Keith Cowan, Neice, Jessica and a personel account of having grown up with his father from Tim Osborne, Johns son.
A very special service for a very special person.
I spoke with Debbie Chapman, who along with Denis and Scott O'Donnell from the H W Richardson Group from Invercargill with others, are Trustee's of "ProactiveDrive", Debbie said they would be looking for a suitable candidate to carry on John's Dream.

Jacmac, the Escort shell is in safe hands in Ch Ch,it sits along side the Ron McPhail one.

Many of you wont realise that the RX7 was a USA sourced car, acquired by Bob Slade who packaged it up and sent it over from California. John built the car up from scratch as it was ex road car body shell when he received it. It was always left steer, at the time there were very few on NZ's roads.

The 300z was originally used as a Targa car, it did 2 Targa's before being semi retired to Classic racing. Devopement was still being done through to 2015.

Leo Leonard was present at the service, you could have had many memories tpo share with him. He's still alive and well in Timaru, still gets the overalls on each day.

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What a wonderful photo...just pure, natural enthusiasm.

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Originally Posted by markec

Many of you wont realise that the RX7 was a USA sourced car, acquired by Bob Slade who packaged it up and sent it over from California. John built the car up from scratch as it was ex road car body shell when he received it. It was always left steer, at the time there were very few on NZ's roads.

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I didn't know that. Thanks for sharing. I always loved that car.

Finn "Alan Findlayson" made it over from Aussie for the funeral service, its been about 15 years since I last saw him. Introduced him to Terry Marshall.