BRUCE MCMAHON

IDLE TORQUE

Some called him erratic, some thought the kid cocky and one rival quipped this young bloke was ‘too quick for a long life’. But few doubted Bruce Allison’s skill in a race car.

A winner from Australian Formula Ford to Formula 5000 to the British Formula One series, Bruce was awarded the Grovewood in 1977, edging out the likes of Nigel Mansell for the most promising of British and Commonwealth talents. Bruce loved top-flight motor racing as a front-runner but returned to Australia by 1979 and had given the game away by 1982; in hindsight, he says, he should have gone to England earlier.

The Queenslander, entranced by the Tasman race series of the late 1960s, swapped football boots and a promising career as an Australian Rules forward for a race helmet in 1970. ‘I was sick of getting teeth knocked out so I went for a less dangerous sport,’ he laughs.

The 17-year old graduated from his twin-cam Escort road and race car to a Gary Cooper-built Elfin 600FF in 1971; the car returned from South Africa on a cargo ship (where ‘the cockroaches carried suitcases’) to a wharf where six cartons of beer supplied by father Col saw the crate unpacked in no time.

‘We went for a test, got everything pointed in the right direction and you’d brake where you braked the Escort and you’d just about have to change up a gear to get to the corner. I never had any background in karting or anything, just got thrown in. But it seems like every time I moved up to a better machine I got better and better.’

By 1972 Bruce was in an Elfin 600D, lime green with the family’s Hobby and Toyland business painted on the side. There followed a Bowin and a pretty Birrana before the bellowing Formula 5000 cars took hold.

The Allisons bought a Lola 332 with spares, but no engine, from Kevin Bartlett for $25,000. (That car sold not long ago for $US350,000.) Legendary race engineer Peter Molloy came on board as team manager and mentor; ‘I knew I could drive quick but I needed guidance,’ Bruce admits. Hecameinfromthefirstrunwiththatlola–some525horsepower for about 605 kilograms – with a face-splitting grin. His engineer suggested wait until he’s given full throttle. There were race wins, poles and race moments with the Lola and the 22-year-old was voted 1975’s Australian Driver of the Year. ‘I seemed to come of age with the 5000. It was like me and that car were made for each other but also Peter Molloy was bloody good.’

Now Bruce was tapped for Teddy Yip’s foray into the North American F5000 series, joining countryman Alan Jones for the 1976 season. It was a waste of time he says. He didn’t mind being Alan’s number two – ‘he was way better than me’ – but the machinery was second-class. ‘The car just wasn’t up to speed, if I’d taken my Lola over I would’ve done way better.’

Bruce regrets not heading to England in 1976 or before. It was 1977 when he arrived there with his B37 Chevron and took on the Shellsport Series, finishing seventh despite missing some rounds with cash-flow issues before RAM Racing’s John Macdonald ‘kicked the tin’.

He loved English circuits, loved the constant racing every weekend. ‘All that racing, that’s the thing that makes you better.’ (It did irk that Pommy racer Derek Bell was sponsored by Swan Lager and Bruce had no backing.)

For 1978 it was back to England, all sponsored-up with RAM’S March Cosworth for the British F1 Aurora series. He led races, had breakages and podiums, before his first win at Mallory Park in July.

Bruce finished sixth in that championship and was offered a new Lotus 77 in John Cooper’s team for 1979. ‘In hindsight I did the wrong thing. That’s one thing I would change. I was contracted to RAM and when I said I wanted to change teams they said they’d sue. I said “stick it”.’

Bruce called it quits on motorsport, came home, married and returned to the family’s toy business.

But he was back on Australian tracks by 1981 in a Ralt RT4, winning that year’s Formula Pacific series and the Shah Alam Grand Prix in Malaysia.

There followed sporadic outings, guest spots, before stepping up in 1991 to run at the Gold Coast’s Indycar race. He aced the rookie test in Arizona, had handshake deals on a Friday for Castlemaine Perkins sponsorship, just before two new rugby league teams were announced; the brewer’s dollars went to football by the Monday and Bruce hung up his helmet. No serious injuries – aside from a broken arm in a charity go-kart race years later.

Today Bruce considers he should’ve taken up the offer of a Surtees’ F1 test drive in 1977. ‘I might’ve got in the car and done all right, I might not have. What’s done is done. At the peak of my powers I was probably on par with most people but whether you’re going to be that much better when you get to the pointy end, who knows? You need all the planets aligning and some times you’ve got to work hard to get those planets aligned.’

Formula One champ Alan Jones says: ‘I think Bruce was very talented and at least he had the guts to go overseas and give it a go which a lot of Aussies didn’t. Instead of staying back here and saying “I could’ve done it, would’ve done it, should’ve done it”, he went over and had a go.’

Bruce Allison was ever game to take it on – without looking like a dickhead, he says. ‘I went out on track and thought I’ll go for this and if it doesn’t work out, I’ll back off a smidgen. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t.’