Geoff Brabham
Geoff Brabham | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 20, 1952 Australia |
| Occupation | Racing driver |
| Years active | 1973–2001 |
| Known for | Four consecutive IMSA GTP titles (1988–1991), 1993 24 Hours of Le Mans winner, Bathurst 1000 winner (1997) |
Geoffrey John Brabham (born 20 March 1952) is an Australian motorsport competitor whose career was predominantly based in the United States.
CART
Brabham achieved notable success in CART, securing 8th place in the overall standings in 1982, 1984, and 1987, along with nine podium appearances. He participated in the Indianapolis 500 ten times, with his top results being fourth place in 1983 and fifth in 1981.
Sports car racing
The highlights of his career were in sports car racing, where he claimed four straight IMSA GTP titles from 1988 through 1991 driving for Nissan. Additionally, he won the Can-Am championship in 1981.
In 1993, Brabham triumphed at the renowned 24 Hours of Le Mans event piloting the factory-backed Peugeot 905, alongside French teammates Éric Hélary and Christophe Bouchut. This achievement made him the third Australian to win at Le Mans, following Bernard Rubin in 1928 and Vern Schuppan in 1983. His brother, David Brabham, had previously secured victory in the Le Mans GT class but was later disqualified for technical violations; David eventually won the overall Le Mans race in 2009 with Peugeot.
Touring car racing
Toward the latter part of his career, Brabham returned to compete in Australia, finishing as runner-up in the Australian Super Touring Championship during both 1995 and 1997. He also won the 1997 Bathurst 1000 Super Touring race alongside his brother David, driving a BMW 320i. Although initially finishing second behind teammates Paul Morris and Craig Baird from BMW Motorsport Australia, a team mistake led to Baird surpassing the maximum continuous driving time of three hours, resulting in disqualification and awarding victory to the Brabham brothers.
Brabham also made occasional appearances in Australian V8 Supercars, notably claiming his first win at the 1993 Sandown 500. Over eleven starts, he recorded one victory.
Stock car racing
In the International Race of Champions stock car series, Brabham earned two wins at Michigan in consecutive years (1992 and 1993). He also competed once in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series, entering the inaugural Brickyard 400 in 1994 for team owner Michael Kranefuss, but was forced out after a mid-race crash.
Personal life
Geoff is the eldest son of three-time Formula One World Champion Jack Brabham, with two younger brothers named Gary and David. Partnering with David, he secured victory at the 1997 Bathurst 1000, making them unique as brothers to win this prestigious event. Unlike his siblings, Geoff never competed in World Championship Formula One races.
Married to Roseina Brabham, a multiple jet-ski champion, he retired from active racing to focus on supporting his son Matthew's motorsport pursuits. Matthew progressed from karting through international open-wheel ranks via the Road to Indy program and has become a three-time champion in the Stadium Super Trucks series.
Awards
Brabham was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2004 and was appointed as chief director of both Nissan and its motorsport division, Nismo, in 2014.
Racing record
| Season | Series | Position | Car | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | TAA Formula Ford Driver to Europe Series | 7th | Elfin 620 Ford | Jack Brabham Ford |
| 1974 | TAA Formula Ford Driver to Europe Series | 3rd | Bowin P6F Ford | |
| 1975 | Australian Formula 2 Championship | 1st | Birrana 274 Ford | Grace Bros - Levi's Racing Team |
| 1976 | Shellsport F3 Series | 11th | Ralt RT1 Toyota | |
| 1976 | BP Super Visco F3 Series | 8th | Ralt RT1 Toyota | |
| 1977 | Vandervell F3 Series | 6th | Ralt RT1 Toyota | |
| 1977 | BP F3 Series | 4th | Ralt RT1 Toyota | |
| 1978 | British Formula One Championship | 24th | Boxer PR2 Hart | Boxer Cars |
| 1979 | Formula Super Vee Championship | 1st | Ralt RT1 Volkswagen | |
| 1979 | Can-Am | 15th | Hogan HR-001 Chevrolet | Hogan Racing |
| 1980 | Can-Am | 3rd | Lola T530 Chevrolet | Racing Team VDS |
| 1981 | Can-Am | 1st | Lola T530 Chevrolet VDS 001 Chevrolet |
Racing Team VDS |
| 1982 | Champ Car | 8th | March 81C Cosworth | Bignotti-Cotter Racing |
| 1982 Can-Am season | Can-Am | 14th | Frissbee GR2 Chevrolet | Rick Galles Racing |
| 1983 IndyCar season | Champ Car | 21st | Penske PC-10/82 Cosworth March 83C Cosworth |
Racing Team VDS Kraco Racing |
| 1984 IndyCar season | Champ Car | 8th | March 84C Cosworth | Kraco Racing |
| 1985 IndyCar season | Champ Car | 15th | March 85C Cosworth | Kraco Racing |
| 1986 IndyCar season | Champ Car | 12th | Lola T8600 Cosworth | Galles Racing |
| 1987 IndyCar season | Champ Car | 8th | March 87C Honda | Galles Racing |
| 1988 | IMSA GT Championship | ' '1st' ' | Nissan GTP ZX-Turbo | Nissan Motorsport |
| 1989 | IMSA GT Championship | ' '1st' ' | Nissan GTP ZX-Turbo | Nissan Performance Technology |
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1989 IROC Season | International Race of Champions | 10th | Chevrolet Camaro | |
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1990 |
IMSA GT Championship |
style=background:#ffffbf;|' '1st' ' |
Nissan GTP ZX-Turbo | ||||
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1990 IROC Season | International Race of Champions | 11th | Dodge Daytona | |
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1991 |
IMSA GT Championship |
style=background:#ffffbf;|' '1st' ' |
Nissan R90C | ||||
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1991 IROC Season | International Race of Champions | 7th | Dodge Daytona | |
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1992 IROC Season | International Race of Champions | 6th | Dodge Daytona | |
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1993 IROC Season | International Race of Champions | 6th | Dodge Daytona | |
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1994 IROC Season | International Race of Champions | 11th | Dodge Avenger | |
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1995 | Australian Super Touring Championship | style=background:#dfdfdf;|' '2nd' '| BMW E36 BMW 318i | Paul Morris Motorsport | | ||||
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1996 | |
4th | BMW E36 BMW 318i |
Paul Morris Motorsport |
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1997 | |
style=background:#dfdfdf;|' '2nd' '| BMW E36 BMW 320i |
Paul Morris Motorsport |
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1999 | |
31st | Ford AU Falcon |
Glenn Seton Racing |
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2001 | |
36th | Ford AU Falcon |
Steven Ellery Racing |
Full USAC Mini-Indy Series Performance
| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Final Position | Total Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | David Psachie | PIR1 | TRE1 | MOS 12 |
MIL1 6 |
TEX | MIL2 | OMS1 | OMS2 | TRE2 1 |
PIR2 | 13th | 290 |
| 1979 | TEX1 19 |
IRP 3 |
MIL1 3 |
POC 4 |
TEX2 5 |
MIL2 2 |
MIN1 6 |
MIN2 6 |
3rd | 824 | |||
Complete USAC Championship Car Standings
| Year | Race 1 | Race 2 | Race 3 | Race 4 | Race 5 | Race 6 | Final Rank | Points Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981-82 | INDY 5 |
POC 2 |
ILL |
DUQ |
ISF |
INDY 28 |
2nd | 1,310 |
CART Series
(The key for results is available in the driver results legend; races highlighted in bold denote pole positions)
| Year | Team Name | Car Number | Chassis Model | Engine Type | Race 1 | Race 2 | Race 3 | Race 4 | Race 5 | Race 6 | Race 7 | Race 8 | Race 9 | Race 10 | Race 11 | Race 12 | Race 13 | Race 14 | Race 15 | Race 16 | Race 17 | Overall Standing | Points Accumulated |
|---|
| 1981 CART PPG Indy Car World Series | Kraco Racing | 54 | Penske Racing PC-7 | Cosworth DFX V8 turbo | PHX1 9 |
MIL1 | ATL1 | ATL2 | MIS | 27th | 14 | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All American Racers | 48 | Eagle 81 | Chevrolet V8 | RIV 19 |
MIL2 | MIS2 | WGL | MEX 9 |
PHX2 | ||||||||||||||
| 1982 CART PPG Indy Car World Series | Pentax Super | 21 | March 81C | Cosworth DFX V8 turbo | PHX1 15 |
ATL 15 |
8th | 110 | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 82C | MIL1 7 |
CLE 6 |
MIS1 7 |
MIL2 10 |
style="background:#dfffdf;" POC Template:Small 4 | | ||||||||||||||||||
- Note:* To maintain emphasis on business-relevant performance indicators such as team partnerships, chassis and engine suppliers, final standings, and point totals, only selected seasons and key summary data are presented here due to the volume of race-by-race statistics.
Indianapolis 500
| Year | Chassis | Engine | Starting Position | Finishing Position | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Penske PC-9 | Ford Cosworth DFX | 15 | 5 | Kraco Racing |
| 1982 | March 82C | Ford Cosworth DFX | 20 | 28 | Bignotti-Cotter |
| 1983 | Penske PC-10 | Ford Cosworth DFX | 26 | 4 | Team VDS |
| 1984 | March 84C | Ford Cosworth DFX | 8 | 33 | Kraco Racing |
| 1985 | March 85C | Ford Cosworth DFX | 9 | 19 | Galles Racing |
| 1986 | Lola T86/00 | Ford Cosworth DFX | 20 | 12 | Galles Racing |
| 1987 | March 87C | Brabham-Honda Judd | 14 | 24 | Galles Racing |
| 1989 | Penske PC-18 | Chevrolet Ilmor 265A | Withdrawn | Team Penske | |
| 1990 | Lola T89/00 | Judd AV | 19 | 19 | Truesports |
| 1991 | Truesports 91C | Judd AV | 22 | 20 | Truesports |
| 1993 | Lola T93/00 | Menard V6 turbocharged | 29 | 26 | Team Menard |
| 1994 | Lola T93/00 | Menard V6 turbocharged | DNQ (Did Not Qualify) | Team Menard | |
Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results
| Year | Team | Co-drivers | Vehicle | Class | Laps Completed | Overall Position | Class Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Nissan Motorsport (JPN) | Chip Robinson (USA), Arie Luyendyk (NED) | Nissan R89C | C1 | 250 | DNF (Did Not Finish) | DNF |
| 1990 | Nissan Performance Technology Inc. (USA) | Chip Robinson (USA), Derek Daly (IRL) | Nissan R90CK | C1 | 251 | DNF | DNF |
| 1993 | Peugeot Talbot Sport (FRA) | Éric Hélary (FRA), Christophe Bouchut (FRA) | Peugeot 905 Evo 1B | C1 | 375 | style="background:#ffffbf;" | 1st | style="background:#ffffbf;" | 1st |
V8 Supercar results
| Year | Team | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Round 4 | Round 5 | Round 6 | Round 7 | Round 8 | Round 9 | Round 10 | Round 11 | Round 12 | Round 13 | Final Standing | Points Accumulated |
|---|
| Ford Tickford Racing |
ECK |
ADL |
PTH |
PHI |
HDV |
SAN |
CDR |
SYM |
WIN |
OPR |
style="background:#dfffdf;" | QLD |
31st | 360 | |
|---|---|---|
| Larkham Motor Sport Rod Nash Racing |
PHI |
PTH |
ADL |
ECK |
HDV |
CAN |
QLD |
WIN |
OPK |
CDR |
style="background:#efcfff;" | QLD | |
| Steven Ellery Racing |
PHI |
ADL |
ECK |
HDV |
GMC Queensland Supercars #GMC Queensland Supercars CAN |
PTH |
CDR |
OPK |
style="background:#dfffdf;" | 2001 VIP Petfoods Queensland 500 #Queensland VIP Petfoods Queensland Supercars CAN |
Full Bathurst 1000 Results
| Year | Car# | Team | Co-drivers | Vehicle | Category | Laps Completed | Pos. | Class pos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | 31 | WA Fisher (Holdings) Pty Ltd | Bernie Haehnle | Mazda RX-3 | 2001 – 3000cc | 151 | 8th | 3rd |
| 1975 | 36 | B S Stillwell Ford & Co Pty Ltd | Mike Stillwell | Ford Escort RS2000 | B | 141 | 12th | 5th |
| 1977 | 4 | John Goss Racing Pty Limited | Jack Brabham | (Ford XC Falcon GS500 Hardtop) | 3001cc – 6000cc | 141 | 18th | 9th |
| (1993) Tooheys 1000 | 35 | (Peter Jackson Racing) | David "Skippy" Parsons | Ford EB Falcon | A | 154 | 6th | 6th |
| (1997) AMP Bathurst (Super Touring)* | 83 | (BMW Motorsport Australia) | David Brabham | BMW E36 | A | 161 | 1st | 1st |
| (1998) FAI 1000 | 25 | Longhurst Racing | Tony Longhurst | Ford EL Falcon | OC | 157 | 8th | 8th |
| (1999) FAI 1000 | 6 | (Ford Tickford Racing) | Neal Bates | Ford AU Falcon |
160 |
10th | 10th | |
| (2000) FAI 1000 | 54 | Rod Nash Racing | Cameron McConville |
105 |
DNF |
DNF | ||
| (2001) V8 Supercar 1000 | 31 | Steven Ellery Racing | Steven Ellery |
161 |
7th |
7th |
- Super Touring event
Complete Sandown 500 Outcomes
| Year | Car# | Team | Co-drivers | Vehicle | Category | Laps Completed | Pos. | Class pos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 35 | Template:Country data AUSTemplate:Namespace detect showall Peter Jackson Racing | Template:Country data AUSTemplate:Namespace detect showall David Parsons | Ford EB Falcon | V8 | 161 | 1st | 1st |
| 1994 | 23 | Template:Country data AUSTemplate:Namespace detect showall Diet Coke Racing | Template:Country data AUSTemplate:Namespace detect showall Paul Morris | Holden VP Commodore | V8 | 94 | NC | NC |
| 1998 | 25 | Template:Country data AUSTemplate:Namespace detect showall Longhurst Racing | Template:Country data AUSTemplate:Namespace detect showall Tony Longhurst | Ford EL Falcon | OC | 7 | DNF | DNF |
Comprehensive Australian Super Touring Championship outcomes
(1996)(1997)| Year | Team | Vehicle | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | Championship Position | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Diet Coke BMW Motorsport | BMW 318i | PHI 1 6 |
PHI 2 3 |
ORA 1 2 |
ORA 2 1 |
SYM 1 2 |
SYM 2 1 |
CAL 1 1 |
CAL 2 2 |
MAL 1 1 |
MAL 2 1 |
LAK 1 2 |
LAK 2 11 |
WIN 1 3 |
WIN 2 2 |
EAS 1 3 | |||
| EAS 2 "Ret" |
2nd | 232 | ||||||||||||||||||
|
Paul Morris Motorsport BMW Motorsport |
BMW 3 Series (E36) BMW 318i |
4 | 4 | Ret | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 2 | Ret | Ret | 5 | 4th |114 | ||||||||||||||||||
|
Paul Morris Motorsport BMW Motorsport |
BMW 3 Series (E36) BMW 320i |
2 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 3 | Ret | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2nd |171 |
NASCAR
(key) (Bold – Pole position earned by qualifying time. Italics – Pole granted by points ranking or practice session. * – Most laps led.)
Winston Cup Series
| NASCAR Winston Cup Series performance records | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | Car No. | Manufacturer | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | NWCC | Points Earned | ||||||||
| 1994 | Kranefuss-Haas Racing | 07 | Ford | DAY | CAR | RCH | ATL | DAR | BRI | NWS | MAR | TAL | SON | CLT | DOV | POC | MCH | DAY | NHA | POC | TAL | IND 38 |
GLN | MCH | BRI | DAR | RCH | DOV | MAR | NWS | CLT | CAR | PHO | ATL | 76th | 49 | ||||||||
External links
- Pages with script errors
- Articles with short description
- Articles with hCards
- No local image but image on Wikidata
- 1952 births
- 24 Hours of Le Mans drivers
- 24 Hours of Le Mans winning drivers
- Atlantic Championship drivers
- Australian expatriate sportspeople in the United States
- Australian Formula 2 drivers
- Bathurst 1000 winners
- Brabham family
- Champ Car drivers
- Indianapolis 500 drivers
- International Race of Champions drivers
- SCCA Formula Super Vee drivers
- Formula Super Vee Champions
- Living people
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- 12 Hours of Sebring drivers
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