No rider is more closely associated with the racing Suzuki 500 than Jack Findlay.
Jack Findlay, a European-based Australian won 3 world championship races, two as a privateer and was a keen devotee to the Isle of Man and the Ulster GP. He twice captured the unofficial title of best privateer in the 500 GPs - 1966 and 1968, in an era of Agostini and Hailwood on works machinery. Jack successfully rode a 250 Bultaco, campaigned a 500 Matchless and had a disastrous season on a Linto. He rode works TR500s in 1973 and 74 and helped develop the RG500. He beat Barry Sheene to win the 1975 FIM Formula 750 championship.His most cherished prize is winning the 1973 Isle of Man Senior TT after 15 years and 31 race starts..
Jack at the Ulster GP 1971
In 1970 Jack chose to use the TR500 as his engine of choice, saying it was lighter, more compact, less complicated and produced peak power at lower rpm than the opposition Kawasaki triples. Jack installed a modified road engine in a Seeley frame. In 1971 Jack and Danielle Fontana built their own 500 Suzuki (see next page)
He won the 1971 Ulster 500 on this machine. It was his first world cham[ionship win and arguably the nearest to a road bike engine ever to win a world 500 championship round. Jack said that Suazuki was already selling TR500s, but the only part they would sell him were pistons. Suzuki GB loaned him 2 for Ulster (he had to give them back). He used converted road cylinders.
Isle of Man 1973
Suzuki Italia sponsored Jack on a water-cooled TR500 in 1973. He rode this machine to victory in the 1973 Senior TT. In 1974 he realised his ambition of a works contract riding for Suzuki on the new 500 Four and a TR750. Despite herculean efforts on the prototype Suzuki thought he was too old at 39 and did not renew his contract for 1974. Jack turned to a TZ750 Yamaha winning the 750 title. He pushed on, racing a production RG500 in 1976. He won the 1977 500 GP at Salzburgring which was boycotted by the works teams. After a serious accident in May 77 he finished his last GP in 1978 in Belgium. he entered the Nurburgring GP but DNF. His career had spanned 28 years.
1973
1973 - Raatle in Holland
Jack (no.4) and Barry Sheene (no.11) on prototype RG500s at Salzburgring in 1974
Note: The above 3 pics and more
can be seen in detail in Australian Motorcycle Heroes 1949-89 By Don Cox and Wil
Hagon. A&R 1989 ISBN 20716207 7
This book has a detailed write-up of Jack Finday's career plus coverage of
many other Australian Motorcycle racers. Don Cox has written (7 November 06) to
advise that Jack Findlay is unfortunately quite ill.
Part-two - Jack and the Jada Suzuki
Newsflash: April 2006
An artist has been formally engaged
to create a life-size bronze statue of Mooroopna Austalia's 1975 world
motorcycle champion, Jack Findlay.
It's expected the work should be completed in June this year ready for
installation soon after in the median strip in Mooroopna's McLennan St.
Elphinstone artist, Phil Mune, was given the go ahead only a week ago after
talks with representatives of the Jack Findlay Recognition Committee, Noel
Heenan, Mick Pettifer and Robert McLean .
The work of Mune is well known in the area as he was responsible for the
creation of the statue of Shepparton author, Joseph Furphy, and champion
Rochester cyclist, Sir Hubert Opperman.
Support from motorcycle enthusiasts have made the statue possible – the FIM, the
international controlling body of motorcycle racing and Jack's employers after
he retired from racing, contributed more than $6000; Motorcycling Australia have
matched that; the GV Motorcycle Club raised $1000 from a ride organized
especially for the Jack Findlay appeal; several local businesses have
contributed generously; a fellow who raced in Britain and Europe with Jack and
shared a house with him for a time in London added $500 to the appeal and a
Mooroopna woman eager to see one of her fellows recognized paid in $20.
Phil Mune is planning to use a computer generated image for the major part of
the statue – it will produce a polystyrene copy that can then be used for the
creation of a mold. The special computer based device will scan a racing bike
similar to that used by Jack when he won the Senior TT at the Isle of Man in
1973.
Marong mechanic and motorcycle tuner, Karel Zegers, raced in Europe before
immigrating to Australia about 20 years ago and has a restored version of the
Suzuki Jack raced to success at the Isle of Man. He is enthusiastic about his
bike being the model upon which the statue will be based.
Bob West, now retired in Melbourne , threw fresh light on the Jack Findlay story
and has added $500 to the fund created to build a life-sized statue of Jack on
his Isle of Man winning Suzuki.
After a busy year and a half of racing throughout Europe and Britain , Bob,
along with Jack, who had seen many of his fellows die on the race track, decided
to return home.
He loved his racing, but he also loved his life and figured he did not want to
join those who had made a disagreeable departure.
For full story see here
Now where else in the world is there a statue of a racing Suzuki??
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