Graham Mcrae 1940-2021
New Zealander Graham Mcrae, who has died of a heart attack aged 81, was a star in Formula 5000’s heady days, taming the V8-engined monsters in which he won in Europe, North America and across Australasia in brutal self-run programmes.
The big-talking Wellingtonian – dubbed ‘Cassius’ after boxer Clay, later Muhammad Ali – never appeared short of confidence in his pomp, when he aced successive Tasman Series titles in 1971-73, and the US crown in 1972. He battled demons, however, and in later life, when he eschewed medication for deep-rooted mental health issues, sadly destroyed many of his prized trophies.
Dissuaded from fighter pilot aspirations, Mcrae excelled in mechanical engineering. He raced an old Fjunior Brabham BT6 with a Lotus twin-cam engine in the late 1960s, then built his first Mcrae, impressing the establishment.
His first UK F5000 victory came in 1970’s Brands Hatch finale when he beat compatriot Howden Ganley, the championship runner-up, in a similar Mclaren M10B. Mcrae twice finished in the top six in the points, improving to third in 1972, when he won five races.
Mcrae’s obsessive attention to detail was evident in the eponymous racing cars he designed and built. He made a proverbial silk purse from a sow’s ear in transforming the Len Terry-originated Leda LT27 into the Mcrae GM1 of 1972, of which a dozen were sold before the company was bought by Roger Penske.
Mcrae’s subsequent GM2, with its transparent cockpit surround, was no match for Lola’s T332, but American Jack Mccormack bought the design, renaming it Talon. Five were built, Chris Amon winning in one at Teretonga.
Indy 500 rookie of the year on his only start in 1973, Mcrae had the briefest of F1 cameo roles, with Frank Williams’s
Iso Marlboro, in the British GP at Silverstone two months later.
Mcrae, who never married, built magnificent Porsche 356 Speedster evocations in the 1990s before his daily struggles worsened. Loyal friends sustained him through a tough final few years.
“Graham was an amazing guy,” said
1970 Tasman Series champion Graeme Lawrence. “While he and I raced together many times, surprisingly we never battled on track.”