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.