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Graham McRae
Graham McRae
Graham McRae
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Graham Peter McRae (5 March 1940 – 4 August 2021) was a racing driver from New Zealand.[1]

Key Information

McRae achieved considerable success in Formula 5000 racing, winning the Tasman Series each year from 1971 to 1973,[2] and also at the 1972 L&M Continental 5000 Championship in the United States.[3]

McRae's single outing in the Formula One World Championship was at the 1973 British Grand Prix on 14 July 1973, where he retired in the first lap.[4][5] McRae also competed in the 1973 Indianapolis 500, finishing in 16th position and earning Rookie of the Year.[6]

Racing career

[edit]

McRae was born in Wellington, New Zealand.[7] As a qualified engineer, McRae competed in local sport car racing and hillclimbs in the early 1960s, notably at Levin and began to compete seriously in the 1.5 twin cam formula, which used an old F3 chassis.[8]

After running a dated Brabham chassis, McRae built a slim, McRae, National Formula car which dominated the 1968–69 series,[9] beating talented opponents in David Oxton, Ken Smith and Bert Hawthorne.

McRae also ran in the four NZ rounds of the Tasman Series,[2] and he proved surprisingly competitive at the tight Levin circuit where McRae, 160 hp down on power qualified 1.8 seconds slower than Jochen Rindt and almost equalled the time of GLTL Team Leader Graham Hill in a mishandling Lotus 49. This performance secured McRae the NZ Driver to Europe scholarship for a few 1969 F2 races where he ran in the upper midfield in an ageing Brabham BT23.[10][11]

Before entering Formula One, McRae placed third in both the 1970 Guards European Formula 5000 Championship[12] and first in the 1971 Rothmans European Formula 5000 Championship.[13] He won a number of rounds, but was hindered by some accidents, one serious, and impatience which earned him the nickname, 'Cassius' (after the boxing champion) reflecting his strut and belief in the greatness of his own talent.[14]

Fields were strong in European F5000 at this time and McRae was competing against former F1 drivers Brian Redman, Trevor Taylor, Mike Hailwood and Frank Gardner, all world class drivers and Peter Gethin and Howden Ganley in works backed McLarens. McRae was Tasman Series Champion three years in a row, from 1971 to 1973,[15][16] also taking the US F5000 Championship crown in 1972, with three race wins.[17] The US 5000 championship win in 1972 was a noted achievement against competent F5000 and World Championship sports car drivers David Hobbs and Sam Posey and McRae won a lot of money and laurels, and drove with control despite also competing in the 1972 Rothmans European Formula 5000 Championship, in which he placed third.[18]

In the combined F1/F5000 International Trophy, McRae finished seventh, the first F5000 car and for a while had run ahead of Graham Hill in a F1 Brabham BT34 and kept up with the F1 McLarens of Denny Hulme and Peter Revson, this reflected the very good race car set up skills of McRae on his Leda F5000. McRae would probably have got a regular F1 drive if he had not been a difficult customer and probably too old at 32 in most teams' eyes to be developed as a serious F1 driver. He was offered a drive in F1 at Nivelles when Jackie Stewart suffered an ulcer, but could not fit it into his demanding programme. He did race for Frank Williams in the British GP the following year but it was an uncompetitive chassis, and a good start was ruined by the multi-car crash which stopped the race after a lap.

In 1973, McRae faced much stronger competition in US F5000 with F1 drivers James Hunt and Jody Scheckter having far better financed efforts and more support. McRae also contested the 1973 Rothmans 5000 European Championship, but recorded only one round win, at Mallory Park.[19][20] 1974 was McRae's last good year and despite lack of finance and contractual disputes over his new McRae GM2 and its Talon derivative, McRae finished eighth in the US F5000 series and would have been fifth if he had not lost third place with tyre failure at Las Vegas, where he was running ahead of Unser.[21]

After writing off the GM2 in practice for the Oran Park, the Tasman round at the start of 1975, McRae contested the US F5000 National Travellers Cheque series, in a Lola T332 which showed promise in the heats, finishing fourth behind J.P Jarier at Watkins Glen and second in a heat at Laguna Seca to Al Unser, ahead of Warwick Brown and qualifying eighth at Long Beach, but never finished better than eighth in the main race during the series. McRae debuted his new GM3 at the last US F5000 race in Riverside in 1976, and retired from midfield.[22][23]

The car featured Perspex windows in the cockpit (like the Tyrrell P34), so the spectators could watch McRae at the wheel. But with the US F5000 regulations being changed to require the cars to carry Can Am sports car bodies, McRae took a year to revise the GM3 and unsponsored he could not pay for competitive engines, and privateer competition against the Haas or Paul Newman teams was hopeless. In 1978, he won his fifth F5000 title, the Australian Drivers' Championship.[24]

Death

[edit]

McRae died on 4 August 2021 at the age of 81.[25][26][27][6]

McRae Cars

[edit]
McRae GM1

In 1972, McRae, Malcolm Bridgland of Malaya Garage, and car designer Len Terry built a new F5000.[28] The car was initially designated the Leda LT27 following Terry's designs.[28] McRae used the name Leda GM1 for his personal car.[28][29] In mid-1972, McRae and London insurance broker John Heynes bought out Bridgland and set up a United Kingdom company McRae Cars Ltd at Poole, Dorset.[30] As from 1 July 1972 the Leda was renamed the McRae GM1. Fourteen of these cars were built between 1972 and 1973. It achieved considerable success in the British Hill Climb Championship, driven by Roy Lane.

A one-off McRae GM2 was built in 1973 and the design was subsequently sold to Jack McCormack who built five examples under the name Talon.[31] A single GM3 followed in 1976 and this was later developed into the GM9 Can-Am car.[31]

McRae followed this up in 1993 with a replica of the Porsche 356 Speedster. It was based around a 2.0-litre Porsche 914 with a five-speed gearbox. McRae had imported a Porsche 356 Speedster from Vintage Speedsters of California to make the moulds for his production kits.[32] Being a technical perfectionist, McRae's Spyder is an accurate replica of original built by Porsche in 1954 and 1955.[33] Some McRae Spyders are powered by a Subaru engine.[34] In June 2000, McRae set up the New Zealand based McRae Cars Ltd. Since his illness in 2003, no more of these cars have been made and the existing 38 models are in high demand. The company was struck off the register in June 2003.[35]

Former McRae GM1 owner and driver, Alister Hey of Queenstown registered McRae Cars Limited again in 2010.[36]

Indianapolis 500 results

[edit]

Complete Formula One World Championship results

[edit]

(key)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 WDC Points
1973 Frank Williams Racing Cars Iso-Marlboro IR Cosworth V8 ARG
 BRA
 RSA
 ESP
 BEL
 MON
 SWE
 FRA
 GBR
Ret 		NED
 GER
 AUT
 ITA
 CAN
 USA
 NC 0

Complete Formula One Non-Championship results

[edit]

(key)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1969 Graham McRae Brabham BT23C F2 Cosworth L4 ROC INT MAD
DNA 		OUL
1970 Graham McRae McLaren M10B F5000 Chevrolet V8 ROC INT
Ret 		OUL
DNS
1971 Graham McRae McLaren M10B F5000 Chevrolet V8 ARG ROC QUE SPR INT RIN OUL
9 		VIC
1972 Crown Lynn Potteries McRae GM1 F5000 Chevrolet V8 ROC
DNS 		BRA INT
8 		OUL REP VIC
12
1973 Graham McRae Racing McRae GM1 F5000 Chevrolet V8 ROC
Ret 		INT
Ret

References

[edit]

General references

[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Graham McRae

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Graham McRae (5 March 1940 – 4 August 2021) was a New Zealand racing driver and engineer renowned for his dominance in Formula 5000 during the 1970s, where he won three consecutive Tasman Series titles from 1971 to 1973 while frequently designing and racing his own cars. He also secured the 1972 United States L&M Continental Formula 5000 Championship and earned Rookie of the Year honors in his only Indianapolis 500 start in 1973. McRae's career extended to a single Formula One World Championship appearance at the 1973 British Grand Prix and later successes including the 1978 Australian Formula 5000 title. Born in Wellington, McRae developed an early passion for engineering and motorsport, building his first cars in his father's workshop and dominating local New Zealand racing before transitioning to international Formula 5000 competition. He founded McRae Cars, producing notable models such as the GM1 (originally the Leda LT27), GM2, and GM3, which powered many of his victories against top professional opposition. Known for his self-confidence—earning the nickname "Cassius"—and hands-on approach as both driver and constructor, McRae stood out as one of New Zealand's most influential figures in open-wheel racing, rivaling contemporaries like Bruce McLaren in his ability to design and compete successfully at an international level. His later career included occasional entries in events such as the Bathurst 1000 and the construction of Porsche replicas, though health challenges marked his final years in Auckland. McRae was inducted into the Motorsport New Zealand Wall of Fame in 1994 and awarded the Jim Clark Trophy in 1970, cementing his legacy as a key contributor to both New Zealand and global motorsport history.

Early life

Birth and family background

Graham Peter McRae was born on 5 March 1940 in Wellington, New Zealand. He grew up in Wellington as the son of engineer Don McRae and Oreti McRae, and had a brother named Kevin.

Education and engineering qualifications

Graham McRae was a qualified engineer whose professional training provided a strong technical foundation for his later activities in motorsport. He attended Wellington Technical College and completed an engineering apprenticeship. This engineering background enabled him to self-design and construct racing cars. Some biographical sources indicate that he obtained an engineering degree in 1962 after entering university in 1957.

Racing career beginnings

Initial racing in New Zealand

Graham McRae began his racing career in New Zealand during the early 1960s, initially competing in local sports car events and hillclimbs after building and driving his first handcrafted, Austin-powered sports car at the age of 20. He soon transitioned to single-seater competition, using Brabham chassis including an elderly Brabham BT2 during the 1967-68 New Zealand National Formula (1.5 litre) Championship, although he was outclassed in that campaign. For the 1968-69 season, McRae designed, constructed, and raced his own slimline McRae Twin Cam single-seater, powering it with a 1.5-litre twin-cam Ford engine. He dominated the 1.5-litre class in the New Zealand National Formula Championship, securing his first title and establishing himself as a leading local talent. These performances earned him the New Zealand Driver to Europe scholarship in 1969, enabling his transition to international competition.

Move to single-seaters and scholarship

Following his success in New Zealand single-seater racing, particularly his dominance of the 1969 New Zealand National 1.5 litre Championship in his self-designed McRae Twin Cam and a competitive performance against international entries at Levin during the Tasman Series, Graham McRae earned the New Zealand Grand Prix Association's Driver to Europe Scheme scholarship. This support enabled him to travel to Europe and contest several rounds of the 1969 European Formula 2 Championship with an ex-Frank Williams Brabham BT23C. On a limited budget amid strong competition, McRae delivered notable results including fourth place at Zolder, ninth at Hockenheim, and tenth at Reims.

Formula 5000 success

Tasman Series victories

Graham McRae achieved his greatest success by winning the Tasman Series championship three consecutive times from 1971 to 1973. These titles marked a period of dominance in the Formula 5000 category during the annual Tasman Series, which featured competition among drivers from Australia, New Zealand, and international visitors. McRae accomplished these victories using cars of his own design and construction. In 1971 he drove a modified McLaren M10B to secure the title with three race wins and multiple podiums. For 1972 and 1973, he campaigned the Leda LT27 design—which he further developed and renamed the McRae GM1—achieving four race wins and four podium finishes in each season to claim the championships. These Tasman Series triumphs represented a high point in McRae's Formula 5000 career.

European and American championships

Following his Tasman Series successes, Graham McRae continued his Formula 5000 career with competitive performances in both European and American series. In the European Formula 5000 championship, McRae finished sixth in the 1970 Guards series with 36 points and one victory driving a McLaren M10B-Chevrolet. He achieved the same sixth-place finish in the 1971 Rothmans European Formula 5000 Championship, earning 33 points and three wins with the McLaren M10B. His strongest European result came in 1972, when he placed third in the Rothmans series with 57 points and five victories (the most of any driver that year) in the Leda GM1 and self-built McRae GM1, both powered by Chevrolet V8 engines. McRae also competed successfully in the United States, winning the 1972 L&M Continental 5000 Championship—the American Formula 5000 title—with 87 points and three victories in his Leda GM1-Chevrolet, securing the crown before the final round.

Formula One and Indianapolis 500

1973 British Grand Prix

Graham McRae made his sole Formula One World Championship appearance at the 1973 British Grand Prix, held on 14 July at Silverstone Circuit. Entered by Frank Williams Racing Cars, he drove the Iso-Marlboro IR and qualified in 28th position on the grid. During the race, McRae passed five cars on the opening lap before becoming involved in a multi-car incident that eliminated several competitors. Debris from the accident damaged the throttle mechanism on his car, forcing his retirement after completing just one lap. This marked the end of his only Grand Prix start, with no points scored in the championship.

1973 Indianapolis 500

New Zealand racing driver Graham McRae competed in the 1973 Indianapolis 500, marking his debut and only appearance in the event. Driving the #60 STP Gas Treatment-sponsored Eagle-Offy for Patrick Racing as a teammate to eventual winner Gordon Johncock and Swede Savage, McRae qualified in 13th position. During the race, McRae reached as high as third place before retiring after completing 91 laps due to a broken header. The event was shortened to 133 laps because of rain, with McRae classified in 16th position. For his efforts in the rain-affected race, he earned the 1973 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year award.

Car design and innovation

Development of McRae GM series cars

Graham McRae began developing his own Formula 5000 chassis in 1972 through a partnership with designer Len Terry and Malcolm Bridgeland, resulting in the Leda LT27, which drew inspiration from the coke-bottle shape of the McLaren M19 Formula 1 car. Mid-1972, McRae and business partner John Heynes acquired full control of the project, formally renaming it the McRae GM1 from 1 July 1972 and shifting production to McRae Cars Ltd in Poole, Dorset. Fourteen GM1 chassis were built between 1972 and 1973, and the model established itself as the era's leading Formula 5000 design, powering McRae to the 1972 Tasman Series and US Formula 5000 championships as well as the 1973 Tasman title. The GM2 followed as a one-off design completed in 1973, incorporating rocker front suspension, deformable side pods to meet emerging safety regulations, and refined aerodynamics influenced by contemporary Formula 1 trends. After the Poole factory was sold to Roger Penske late that year, the GM2 drawings and rights were sold to American constructor Jack McCormack, who produced five more examples as the Talon MR-1 and MR-1A. In 1976, McRae introduced the one-off GM3, notable for its distinctive transparent cockpit cover that allowed external visibility of the driver. This model served as the basis for the GM9, an advanced Can-Am derivative developed in 1980 with ground-effects bodywork. The GM9 debuted at Riverside in October 1980 but was hampered by insufficient funding to fully develop its aerodynamic features.

Later automotive projects

After retiring from competitive racing, Graham McRae returned to New Zealand and shifted his engineering expertise to producing replica cars in the 1990s and early 2000s. In 1993, he began building accurate replicas of the Porsche 356 Speedster, importing an original example to ensure fidelity to the classic design. These replicas were handcrafted and noted for their high standards of construction. McRae expanded his efforts to include replicas of the Porsche 550 Spyder, with some examples powered by Subaru engines instead of traditional Porsche units. In June 2000, he formalized the operation by establishing McRae Cars Ltd in New Zealand. The company produced a limited run of these replicas—approximately 38 Speedsters and Spyders combined—before ceasing production in 2003. The vehicles were offered as kits or turnkey builds and gained recognition among enthusiasts for their authenticity and quality.

Later career and legacy

1978 Australian Drivers' Championship

In 1978, Graham McRae won the Australian Drivers' Championship, the national title for Formula 5000 racing also known as the Gold Star. Driving his self-designed McRae GM3, which had been converted back to full single-seater F5000 specification after use in Can-Am trim the previous year, McRae achieved strong results across the series. This victory marked a successful return to competitive form in Australia later in his career, building on his earlier international F5000 achievements. The GM3 proved particularly effective that season, highlighted by McRae's dominant performance at the Australian Grand Prix, a key event in the championship calendar, where he qualified on the front row, led every lap, and took the win for his third victory in the event. His consistent pace and the car's competitiveness enabled him to secure the overall championship title. This success underscored McRae's ongoing skill as both a driver and constructor in the Formula 5000 category.

Post-racing activities

After retiring from competitive racing in 1987, McRae returned to New Zealand and focused on automotive manufacturing. He specialized in producing high-quality replicas of classic Porsche models, beginning with accurate Porsche 356 Speedster replicas in 1993, where he emphasized technical precision and fidelity to the originals. In 2000, he formally registered the company as McRae Cars Ltd, expanding to handcrafted versions of both the 356 Speedster and Porsche 550 Spyder. He also produced Porsche 550 replicas under the name McRae Spyder. Production of these vehicles ended in 2003 amid emerging health challenges, after which the company was struck off the register. In recognition of his contributions to motorsport, McRae was inducted into the Motorsport New Zealand Wall of Fame in 1994. During his later years, he derived significant enjoyment from watching his original McRae GM1 Formula 5000 cars—fourteen of which he had built—compete in historic racing events organized by enthusiast groups, including appearances at Pukekohe in New Zealand.

Personal life and death

Nickname and personal traits

Graham McRae earned the nickname "Cassius," a reference to the famously outspoken boxer Cassius Clay (later Muhammad Ali), due to his frankness and strong self-confidence. He was known for speaking his mind openly and expressing an absolute belief in his racing abilities, often proclaiming his conviction in upcoming achievements with intimidating directness. This nickname became associated with McRae during his dominant period in Formula 5000 racing in the early 1970s, when his bold self-promotion and reputation for boosting his own talent were particularly prominent. Contemporary accounts from that era highlighted his tendency to promote himself assertively, which directly contributed to the adoption of the "Cassius" moniker.

Death and tributes

Graham McRae died on 4 August 2021 at the age of 81 in a secure care facility in Auckland, New Zealand, following a prolonged illness that included deteriorating mental health over two decades. His passing was announced by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which paid tribute to his achievement as Rookie of the Year in his only start at the 1973 Indianapolis 500. The New Zealand motorsport community mourned the loss of a pioneering driver and car constructor, with obituaries describing him as one of the nation's most accomplished engineer-drivers since Bruce McLaren and a dominant force in Formula 5000 racing through his self-built cars. In a personal reflection, his niece Julie McRae remembered his deep passions for motor racing, his mother, and cats, noting his generosity toward those less fortunate, regular church attendance, and lifelong independence despite never marrying or having children. Tributes highlighted his fierce dedication to the sport and his enduring legacy as an innovative figure in motorsport, even as later years brought reduced circumstances and care needs.

References

  1. https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/motorsport/126392415/obituary-graham-mcrae--king-of-the-racing-track-in-cars-he-built-himself
  2. https://www.nzigp.co.nz/legends/graham-mcrae/
  3. https://www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com/news-multimedia/news/2021/08/04/1973-indianapolis-500-rookie-of-the-year-mcrae-dies-at-81
  4. https://www.f1forgottendrivers.com/drivers/graham-mcrae/
  5. https://www.driverdb.com/drivers/graham-mcrae
  6. http://www.motorsportmemorial.org/LWFWIW/focusLWFWIW.php?db=LWF&db2=ms&n=2543
  7. https://racer.com/2021/08/04/f5000-icon-and-1973-indy-500-roy-graham-mcrae-dies-at-81
  8. http://www.forix.com/8w/mcrae.html
  9. https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/april-1973/54/graham-mcrae-three-times-tasman-champion/
  10. https://driverdb.com/drivers/graham-mcrae
  11. https://www.oldracingcars.com/f5000/uk/1970/
  12. https://www.oldracingcars.com/f5000/uk/1971/
  13. https://www.oldracingcars.com/f5000/uk/1972/
  14. https://www.oldracingcars.com/f5000/us/1972/
  15. https://www.statsf1.com/en/graham-mcrae.aspx
  16. https://www.f1forgottendrivers.com/graham-mcrae-the-southern-star/
  17. https://www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com/events/indy500/history/historical-stats/race-stats/race-results/1973
  18. https://www.oldracingcars.com/mcrae/gm1/
  19. https://www.oldracingcars.com/f5000/mcrae/
  20. https://primotipo.com/2018/09/06/amons-talon-mcraes-gm2/
  21. https://www.drivencarguide.co.nz/reviews/me-my-car-porsches-most-iconic-shape-inside-a-356-speedster/
  22. https://www.speedsterowners.com/topic/porsche-550-spyder-graham-mcrae
  23. https://themotorhood.squarespace.com/themotorhood/porsche-358-spyder
  24. https://www.motorsport.com/general/news/new-zealand-legend-graham-mcrae-dies/6641754/
  25. https://www.oldracingcars.com/mcrae/gm3/
  26. https://autoaction.com.au/2021/08/05/s5000-creator-pays-tribute-to-mcrae
  27. https://www.velocitynews.co.nz/graeme-mcrae-brilliant-race-car-pioneer/
  28. https://motorequipmentnews.co.nz/article/obituary-vale-graham-peter-mcrae%C2%A0
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