RIP Ron Grable

[Michael Clark]

After a long illness, the man that won the first race in NZ featuring Formula A cars, has passed away.

Good driver who always seemed to go well at Bay Park, and I'm told, a very nice man.

[928]

thanks for the bay park entertainment Ron

[John McKechnie]

While his visits to NZ were only in late 60s and early 70s we have fond memories of him in wedge nose M10A and of course the Firebird which still resides here,
With that car and its glorious history, his memory will never fade in our minds.

Deus ex machina

[khyndart in CA]

The " Master of Bay Park", Ron Grable, winner of both the 1968 and 1969 F 5000 races there, walking past his modified McLaren M10 A
December 1969.

(Ken Hyndman photo.)

RIP Ron.

[kiwi285]

Yes he brought us some great memories in both saloons and open wheelers. Unfortunately we are edging along that path and it is sad when you hear of another really good person whose life has come to a close. RIP

[Bruce302]

I was lucky enough to get to know Ron quite well over the last decade or so, and I even went to visit him at his home in Arizona. He was an accomplished racer and driver. He raced at Le Mans, Daytona, Sebring, as well as all across the US and Canada. He raced in NZ, and had a contracts as a test and development driver in Japan. He raced in everything from SCCA club racing in his Porsche Speedster in the early 60's to Can Am, Trans Am, F5000 and right through to Historics and he did a lot of winning.
As a person he grew up in Southern California, he had a degree in Engineering Ron had a great sense of humour and as far as I could see he was liked and respected by just about everyone who knew him. He shared a lot of great memories with me, some racing, some private. Later in life he was a flyer with his own planes, and aerobatics was a a love of his particularly in his Pitts, and there are great stories about that too. After the racing Ron became a writer, in motoring and aircraft magazines and if you get the chance, read his material. It is very well written and informative. Through Ron I got to know a lot of his friends, some very well known people from racing and the print and photojournalist arenas. I will miss him as will all his friends, but none as much as his family who were all very close.
RIP my friend, it was a privilege to know you.

[Grant Ellwood]

Bruce, very informative post, what an interesting life Ron Grable had. I recall reading somewhere that he did stunt driving in the original Bullit movie - fact or fiction, do you know? I was at Bay Park, didn't realize back then that his car was a McLaren, think it was called a Scepter maybe?

[John McKechnie]

Grant...was fiction, never was stunt driver in Bullit. Motorman started that false news.

[Allan]

If I am not mistaken, didn't he kiss the Governor General's daughter when she presented a trophy at Baypark.

[Michael Clark]

Grant, Ron won twice at Bay Park - the first time was when the Formula A cars first came here and he drove the Spectre HR1. If the side radiators and needle nose weren't wild enough, what about the outrageous combination of purple and gold?

A year later he was back with the modified McLaren M10A - complete with the American flag painted on the rear wing.

[John McKechnie]

And of course his special stars and stripes helmet worn only when he got pole.

[Michael Clark]

Mike Goth?

[khyndart in CA]

Bruce, that was a very nice and interesting tribute to Ron.
Here are two photos of the Spectre HR 1 at Baypark in Dec. 1968.


(K Hyndman photo.) (# 8 during practice and # 1 when racing.)


(From Rod Grimwood )
Ron Grable on the grid in his Spectre # 1 starting from pole at Baypark.
Stew McMillen beside him in the Eisert 67 number 5 and Leo Geoghegan behind in his Lotus # 11.



(Ken H )

[khyndart in CA]

Mike Goth?

Bay Park. Dec 1969
American driver, Mike Goth's Surtees TS 5 # 96

(Ken Hyndman photo.)

[Bruce302]

This is Ron with his Pitts aerobatic plane, he once flew it upside down just off a beach at a very low altitude to the delight of the swimmers. It was OK if he wasn't over land, which he wasn't, but not by much.

[Milan Fistonic]

An article about Ron Grable from the 8 o'clock in 1970.

[khyndart in CA]

I was talking to a friend today and we were discussing Ron Grable and I told him that I got to sit in the Spectre Formula A car when it sat in a garage at the Mount back in January 1969 and how I dreamed that one day I wanted to be a race driver and this was about as close as I got.


Stu went on to say that his brother, Walt Hanssen, bought the Spectre from Ron Grable in 1970 and raced it briefly then sold it after a year.
Here are some photos of the Spectre in 1970 at Riverside.





Exiting Turn 6 at Riverside.



(It is a small world in that 50 yrs. ago I would sit in a car in NZ that one day would belong to the brother of a good friend here in California !)


(Ken H )

[Bruce302]

Those are great photos Ken, Thank you for posting them and isn't it amazing the connections that are made over the years.

Bruce.