Brian Gubby
Encyclopedia
Brian Gubby is a British
racehorse trainer
and former racing driver
from England
. As a racing driver, Gubby briefly competed in Formula One
during the 1960s.
in the 1950s, Gubby became a freelance motor trader, and throughout his career he developed his business interests to include several garages and car showrooms, a hotel and a building company.
, and also raced a Speedwell-tuned Austin A30
and a 3.8 litre Jaguar
before switching to single-seaters in Formula Junior
in the early 1960s. During this time, he raced a Lotus Eleven
, a Lotus 18
, and also a rare Ausper
T4. He witnessed the death of his friend Dennis Taylor
at a Formula Junior race at Monte Carlo
in 1962, later describing it as the worst accident he had seen. Taylor's car touched wheels with that of Denis Hulme, and Taylor crashed into a tree. "I had to dodge all the wreckage and I was nearly sick in the car," Gubby remembered.
He subsequently progressed to Formula Libre
and bought himself a dark blue Lotus
24
. With this car he won the Gold Flake Trophy at Leinster and a race at Phoenix Park, and encouraged by this success, decided to move up to Formula One. He drove to Sicily
with one mechanic in a VW pickup
, having entered the 1964 Mediterranean Grand Prix
at the Autodromo di Pergusa
. In practice, having posted the eighth fastest time and outqualifying his closest rival Peter Revson
by a second, Gubby's Lotus suffered a wheel failure and he crashed heavily through chainlink fencing. "Lotuses were always falling apart... I ended up upside down in the woods, cocooned in wire with a mouthful of leaves and grass," he recalled. He was able to disconnect the battery to help prevent a fire, and some Italian mechanics arrived on the scene to cut him free, but he was unable to take part in the race. The wheel that failed was one that he had obtained from the BRP
team after one of his own wheels had developed a crack.
Gubby's single attempt to participate in a Formula One World Championship race, the 1965 British Grand Prix
at Silverstone
, also ended with problems in practice. At the Woodcote corner, his Lotus jumped out of sixth gear at 170mph, and Gubby was forced to hold the gear lever in position whilst cornering at high speeds. He decided there and then to retire from the sport, and did not attend the following day's practice session. He later recalled, "I was driving on a shoestring, and I thought to myself, 'Brian, you've got a family to look after and you'll end up killing yourself'." He had entered the 1965 Mediterranean Grand Prix
, but withdrew his entry and sold his Lotus to Stirling Moss
for use by a film company working with Steve McQueen
.
, and after his career in motor racing he became a racehorse trainer, based in Bagshot, Surrey
. The most successful horse he has trained to date is the sprinter Gabitat, winner of ten races including the Group 3 Duke of York Stakes
at York
in 1984, and the Group 3 Goldene Peitsche
at Baden-Baden in 1984 and 1985. Other well-known horses trained by Gubby include Easy Dollar, Omaha City and more recently, Son of the Cat, which won the Stewards' Sprint Handicap at Goodwood
in July 2011.
Gubby's 80-acre training facilities include a mile all-weather strip and a mile gallop, and at his peak, he kept as many as 16 horses in training, owning them all himself. Now in his late 70s with fewer horses, Gubby still performs most of the daily tasks himself, including driving the horsebox.
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| 1965
! Brian Gubby
! Lotus
24
! Climax
V8
| ROC
| SYR
| SMT
| INT
| MED
WD
| RAN
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United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
racehorse trainer
Horse trainer
In horse racing, a trainer prepares a horse for races, with responsibility for exercising it, getting it race-ready and determining which races it should enter...
and former racing driver
Auto racing
Auto racing is a motorsport involving the racing of cars for competition. It is one of the world's most watched televised sports.-The beginning of racing:...
from England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. As a racing driver, Gubby briefly competed in Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
during the 1960s.
Career
After completing his national serviceNational service
National service is a common name for mandatory government service programmes . The term became common British usage during and for some years following the Second World War. Many young people spent one or more years in such programmes...
in the 1950s, Gubby became a freelance motor trader, and throughout his career he developed his business interests to include several garages and car showrooms, a hotel and a building company.
Motor racing
Gubby started his motor sport career in rallyingRallying
Rallying, also known as rally racing, is a form of auto racing that takes place on public or private roads with modified production or specially built road-legal cars...
, and also raced a Speedwell-tuned Austin A30
Austin A30
The A30 was a compact car produced by Austin Motor Company in the 1950s. Introduced in 1951 as the "New Austin Seven", it was Austin's answer to the Morris Minor...
and a 3.8 litre Jaguar
Jaguar Mark 2
The Jaguar Mark 2 is a medium sized saloon car built from 1959 to 1967 by the Jaguar company in Coventry, England, as successors to the Jaguar 2.4 and 3.4 models, manufactured between 1957 and 1959...
before switching to single-seaters in Formula Junior
Formula Junior
Formula Junior is an open wheel formula racing class first adopted in October 1958 by the CSI . The class was intended to provide an entry level class where you could use inexpensive mechanical components from ordinary automobiles...
in the early 1960s. During this time, he raced a Lotus Eleven
Lotus Eleven
The Lotus Eleven was a racing car built in various versions by Lotus from 1956 until 1958. The later versions built in 1958 are sometimes referred to as Lotus 13, although this was not an official designation...
, a Lotus 18
Lotus 18
The Lotus 18 was a race car designed by Colin Chapman for use by Lotus in Formula Junior, Formula Two, and Formula One. It was the first mid-engined car built by Lotus and was a marked improvement over Chapman's early and only moderately successful front-engined formula cars, the 12 and 16. It was...
, and also a rare Ausper
Ausper
The Ausper was an automobile made in Great Britain from 1960 to about 1962. It started life as a normal Formula Junior car, with a rear-mounted engine set in a tubular space frame. Originally, it was based on the Tomahawk, a design from Australian Tom Hawkes that was intended for export to his home...
T4. He witnessed the death of his friend Dennis Taylor
Dennis Taylor (racing driver)
Dennis Taylor was a British racing driver from England. He competed in 500cc Formula 3 from 1952 to 1954...
at a Formula Junior race at Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo is an administrative area of the Principality of Monaco....
in 1962, later describing it as the worst accident he had seen. Taylor's car touched wheels with that of Denis Hulme, and Taylor crashed into a tree. "I had to dodge all the wreckage and I was nearly sick in the car," Gubby remembered.
He subsequently progressed to Formula Libre
Formula Libre
Formula Libre is a form of automobile racing allowing a wide variety of types, ages and makes of purpose-built racing cars to compete "head to head". This can make for some interesting matchups, and provides the opportunity for some compelling driving performances against superior machinery...
and bought himself a dark blue Lotus
Team Lotus
Team Lotus was the motorsport sister company of English sports car manufacturer Lotus Cars. The team ran cars in many motorsport series including Formula One, Formula Two, Formula Ford, Formula Junior, IndyCar and sports car racing...
24
Lotus 24
The Lotus 24 was a Formula One racing car designed by Team Lotus for the 1962 Formula One season. Having devised the monocoque Lotus 25 for use by the works team, Colin Chapman decided to build a 'conventional' back-up spaceframe design which he would also sell to privateers...
. With this car he won the Gold Flake Trophy at Leinster and a race at Phoenix Park, and encouraged by this success, decided to move up to Formula One. He drove to Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
with one mechanic in a VW pickup
Volkswagen Type 2
The Volkswagen Type 2, officially known as the Transporter or Kombi informally as Bus or Camper , was a panel van introduced in 1950 by German automaker Volkswagen as its second car model – following and initially deriving from Volkswagen's first model, the Type 1 , it was given the factory...
, having entered the 1964 Mediterranean Grand Prix
1964 Mediterranean Grand Prix
The 3rd Mediterranean Grand Prix was a motor race, run to Formula One rules, held on 16 August 1964 at the Autodromo di Pergusa, Sicily. The race was run over 60 laps of the circuit, and was won by Swiss driver Jo Siffert in a Brabham BT11....
at the Autodromo di Pergusa
Autodromo di Pergusa
The Autodromo di Pergusa is an automobile and motorcycle circuit that encircles the only Sicilian natural lake, Pergusa Lake. The circuit is also known as Enna-Pergusa, as the lake is located near the city of Enna....
. In practice, having posted the eighth fastest time and outqualifying his closest rival Peter Revson
Peter Revson
Peter Jeffrey Revson was an American race car driver who had successes in Formula One and the Indianapolis 500.-Background:Peter Revson was born in New York City, the son of Julie and Martin Revson....
by a second, Gubby's Lotus suffered a wheel failure and he crashed heavily through chainlink fencing. "Lotuses were always falling apart... I ended up upside down in the woods, cocooned in wire with a mouthful of leaves and grass," he recalled. He was able to disconnect the battery to help prevent a fire, and some Italian mechanics arrived on the scene to cut him free, but he was unable to take part in the race. The wheel that failed was one that he had obtained from the BRP
British Racing Partnership
British Racing Partnership was a racing team, and latterly constructor, from the United Kingdom. It was established by Alfred Moss and Ken Gregory — Stirling Moss's father and former manager respectively — in 1957 to run cars for Stirling, when not under contract with other firms.BRP ran a...
team after one of his own wheels had developed a crack.
Gubby's single attempt to participate in a Formula One World Championship race, the 1965 British Grand Prix
1965 British Grand Prix
The 1965 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Silverstone on July 10, 1965.- Classification :-Standings after the race:Drivers' Championship standingsConstructors' Championship standings...
at Silverstone
Silverstone Circuit
Silverstone Circuit is an English motor racing circuit next to the Northamptonshire villages of Silverstone and Whittlebury. The circuit straddles the Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire border, with the current main circuit entry on the Buckinghamshire side...
, also ended with problems in practice. At the Woodcote corner, his Lotus jumped out of sixth gear at 170mph, and Gubby was forced to hold the gear lever in position whilst cornering at high speeds. He decided there and then to retire from the sport, and did not attend the following day's practice session. He later recalled, "I was driving on a shoestring, and I thought to myself, 'Brian, you've got a family to look after and you'll end up killing yourself'." He had entered the 1965 Mediterranean Grand Prix
1965 Mediterranean Grand Prix
The 4th Mediterranean Grand Prix was a motor race, run to Formula One rules, held on 15 August 1965 at the Autodromo di Pergusa, Sicily. The race was run over 60 laps of the circuit, and was won for the second year in succession by Swiss driver Jo Siffert in a Brabham BT11.-Results:* Masten Gregory...
, but withdrew his entry and sold his Lotus to Stirling Moss
Stirling Moss
Sir Stirling Craufurd Moss, OBE FIE is a former racing driver from England...
for use by a film company working with Steve McQueen
Steve McQueen
Terrence Steven "Steve" McQueen was an American movie actor. He was nicknamed "The King of Cool." His "anti-hero" persona, which he developed at the height of the Vietnam counterculture, made him one of the top box-office draws of the 1960s and 1970s. McQueen received an Academy Award nomination...
.
Horse racing
Gubby was the son of a jockeyJockey
A jockey is an athlete who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing.-Etymology:...
, and after his career in motor racing he became a racehorse trainer, based in Bagshot, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
. The most successful horse he has trained to date is the sprinter Gabitat, winner of ten races including the Group 3 Duke of York Stakes
Duke of York Stakes
The Duke of York Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at York over a distance of 6 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in May.-History:...
at York
York Racecourse
York Racecourse is a horse racing track in the southwest of the city of York in North Yorkshire, England with a spectator capacity of 60,000. The most famous race to be held at York on an annual basis is the Ebor Handicap, which is run during the Ebor Festival meeting in August...
in 1984, and the Group 3 Goldene Peitsche
Goldene Peitsche
The Goldene Peitsche is a Group 2 flat horse race in Germany which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Baden-Baden over a distance of 1,200 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late August or early September.The event was established in 1867, and it...
at Baden-Baden in 1984 and 1985. Other well-known horses trained by Gubby include Easy Dollar, Omaha City and more recently, Son of the Cat, which won the Stewards' Sprint Handicap at Goodwood
Goodwood Racecourse
Goodwood Racecourse is a horse-racing track five miles north of Chichester, West Sussex, in England controlled by the family of the Duke of Richmond, whose seat is nearby Goodwood House...
in July 2011.
Gubby's 80-acre training facilities include a mile all-weather strip and a mile gallop, and at his peak, he kept as many as 16 horses in training, owning them all himself. Now in his late 70s with fewer horses, Gubby still performs most of the daily tasks himself, including driving the horsebox.
Complete Formula One World Championship results
| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | WDC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 1965 Formula One season The 1965 Formula One season, which was the 16th season of FIA Formula One racing, featured the 16th World Championship of Drivers and the 8th International Cup for F1 Manufacturers. The two titles were contested concurrently over a ten round series which commenced on January 1 and ended on October 24... |
Brian Gubby | Lotus Team Lotus Team Lotus was the motorsport sister company of English sports car manufacturer Lotus Cars. The team ran cars in many motorsport series including Formula One, Formula Two, Formula Ford, Formula Junior, IndyCar and sports car racing... 24 Lotus 24 The Lotus 24 was a Formula One racing car designed by Team Lotus for the 1962 Formula One season. Having devised the monocoque Lotus 25 for use by the works team, Colin Chapman decided to build a 'conventional' back-up spaceframe design which he would also sell to privateers... |
Climax Coventry Climax Coventry Climax was a British forklift truck, fire pump, and speciality engine manufacturer.-History:The company was started in 1903 as Lee Stroyer, but two years later, following the departure of Stroyer, it was relocated to Paynes Lane, Coventry, and renamed to Coventry-Simplex by H... V8 V8 engine A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of four cylinders, in most cases set at a right angle to each other but sometimes at a narrower angle, with all eight pistons driving a common crankshaft.... |
RSA 1965 South African Grand Prix The 1965 South African Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at East London on January 1, 1965.- Race report :Jim Clark celebrated Hogmanay by dominating the race, leading from pole and breaking the 100 mph barrier, winning by half a minute from Graham Hill and John Surtees and even had... |
MON 1965 Monaco Grand Prix The 1965 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Monaco on May 30, 1965.- Classification :- Notes :* Pole position: Graham Hill - 1:32.5* Fastest Lap: Graham Hill - 1:31.7 on lap 82... |
BEL 1965 Belgian Grand Prix The 1965 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Spa-Francorchamps on 13 June 1965. The race was won by British driver Jim Clark who led every lap of the race driving a Lotus 33.- Classification :-Standings after the race:... |
FRA 1965 French Grand Prix The 1965 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Clermont-Ferrand on June 27, 1965.- Classification :- Notes :* Pole position: Jim Clark - 3:18.3* Fastest Lap: Jim Clark - 3:18.9 on lap 34* Lap Leaders: Jim Clark 40 laps .... |
GBR 1965 British Grand Prix The 1965 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Silverstone on July 10, 1965.- Classification :-Standings after the race:Drivers' Championship standingsConstructors' Championship standings... DNQ |
NED 1965 Dutch Grand Prix The 1965 Dutch Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Zandvoort on July 18, 1965.- Race report :Honda capitalised on their long hours of testing at Zandvoort when Ginther claimed a front-row space with Graham Hill and Clark. He shot into the lead for the first 2 laps. Hill took the lead... |
GER 1965 German Grand Prix The 1965 German Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Nürburgring on August 1, 1965.- Race report :Graham Hill could still theoretically overhaul Clark for the championship. However Clark became Champion with a masterful performance, leading from pole to the flag and setting fastest lap,... |
ITA 1965 Italian Grand Prix The 1965 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Monza on September 12, 1965. The race, which was the seventh round of the 1965 Formula One season, was won by Jackie Stewart who took his first Grand Prix victory whilst driving for the BRM team... |
USA 1965 United States Grand Prix The 1965 United States Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on October 3, 1965 at the Watkins Glen Grand Prix Race Course in Watkins Glen, New York.__FORCETOC__-Summary:... |
MEX 1965 Mexican Grand Prix The 1965 Mexican Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Mexico City on October 24, 1965. The race, which was the tenth and final round of the 1965 Formula One season, was won by Richie Ginther who took his first victory and the first for the Honda team. after leading for the entire race... |
NC | 0 |
Non-Championship Formula One results
DNS| RAN
1964 Rand Grand Prix
The 7th Rand Grand Prix was a motor race, run to Formula One rules, held on 12 December 1964 at Kyalami, South Africa. The race was run over two heats, each of 25 laps of the circuit, and was won overall by British driver Graham Hill in a Brabham BT11....
|-
| 1965
! Brian Gubby
! Lotus
Team Lotus
Team Lotus was the motorsport sister company of English sports car manufacturer Lotus Cars. The team ran cars in many motorsport series including Formula One, Formula Two, Formula Ford, Formula Junior, IndyCar and sports car racing...
24
Lotus 24
The Lotus 24 was a Formula One racing car designed by Team Lotus for the 1962 Formula One season. Having devised the monocoque Lotus 25 for use by the works team, Colin Chapman decided to build a 'conventional' back-up spaceframe design which he would also sell to privateers...
! Climax
Coventry Climax
Coventry Climax was a British forklift truck, fire pump, and speciality engine manufacturer.-History:The company was started in 1903 as Lee Stroyer, but two years later, following the departure of Stroyer, it was relocated to Paynes Lane, Coventry, and renamed to Coventry-Simplex by H...
V8
V8 engine
A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of four cylinders, in most cases set at a right angle to each other but sometimes at a narrower angle, with all eight pistons driving a common crankshaft....
| ROC
1965 Race of Champions
The 1st Race of Champions was a non-Championship motor race, run to Formula One rules, held on 13 March 1965 at Brands Hatch circuit in Kent, UK. The race was run over two heats of 40 laps of the circuit, and was won overall by Mike Spence in a Lotus 33....
| SYR
1965 Syracuse Grand Prix
The 14th Syracuse Grand Prix was a motor race, run to Formula One rules, held on 4 April 1965 at Syracuse Circuit, Sicily. The race was run over 56 laps of the circuit, and was won by British driver Jim Clark in a Lotus 33.-Results:-References:...
| SMT
1965 Sunday Mirror Trophy
The 1st Sunday Mirror Trophy, previously known as the Glover Trophy, was a motor race, run to Formula One rules, held on 19 April 1965 at Goodwood Circuit, England...
| INT
| MED
1965 Mediterranean Grand Prix
The 4th Mediterranean Grand Prix was a motor race, run to Formula One rules, held on 15 August 1965 at the Autodromo di Pergusa, Sicily. The race was run over 60 laps of the circuit, and was won for the second year in succession by Swiss driver Jo Siffert in a Brabham BT11.-Results:* Masten Gregory...
WD
| RAN
1965 Rand Grand Prix
The 8th Rand Grand Prix was a motor race, run to Formula One-style rules, held on 4 December 1965 at Kyalami, South Africa. The race was run over 50 laps of the circuit, and was won by Australian driver Jack Brabham in a Brabham BT11....
|}