John Smailes - Speed Kings: Australia and New Zealands Quest to win the Indy 500, the Worlds Greatest Motor Race

Rupert Jeffkins started it all. I first heard of him from my grandfather Charlie, who owned Woolgars Garage in the basement of a bond store on Circular Quay near the Royal Automobile Club. Long before they became classics, old Lagondas and Bentleys would rattle down the steeply angled, wooden-slatted rampway into Charlies dark cavern and there seemed no hurry for them to be serviced.

Charlie, a gentle-man, as attested on his gravestone, would treat them with reverence. He never seemed to make much money from working on them. Charlie and my father, his stepson, John Arthur Henry, were stalwarts of the Olympia Speedway in Sydneys Maroubra sand dunes. Charlie most likely was an occasional riding mechanic.

They filled my young head with stories of the greatsA.V. Turner, Hope Bartlett, Phil Garlick and, just occasionally, they would mention Jeffkins, although he was a mystery to them. That was Rupertfor all his bluster, he was an enigma. Its taken previously unrelated efforts by a group of enthusiasts, principal amongst them Brian Lear, to piece together his remarkable story. Motoring editors Peter Robinson and the late Eoin Young discovered him in the 1970s and wrote a piece for Wheels magazine, lauding his achievements but sceptical of his claims. The late Barry Lake pursued him for a decade but, like so many of Barrys projects, frustratingly never quite got over the line. Speedway historian Jim Shepherd had him in his grasp at the Melbourne Motordrome, but he slipped through Jims fingers. The president of the Liverpool Historical Society, Glen op den Brouw, took a giant leap when he started the Facebook page Friends of Rupert Jeffkins to bring context to the simple gravestone in his local cemetery. That brought Greg Fitzgerald forward. Greg is a sound-mixing genius on films like Mad Max. Hes also Ruperts great-grandson from his first marriage. Rupert, Greg explained, had left Gregs great-grandmother pregnant and unmarried and had become something of a dark part of his familys past. Brian Lear was able to produce the marriage certificate that at least proved legitimacy. Ruperts pivotal role in Speed Kings is a compilation of all their efforts and to Brian, especially, thanks for so willingly sharing.

The American racing obsession runs deep in Australia. Phil Christensen, journalist and promoter, has curated ten speed cars, sprint cars, midgets and quarter-midgets including the Genesee Beer Wagon of three-time USAC champion Sheldon Kinser, cousin of World of Outlaws sprint-car king Steve Kinser. Phil has stopped short of the massive investment required for an Indy roadster. New South Wales Central Coast bus and coach proprietor Aaron Lewis has contented himself with buying, restoring, racing and trading no fewer than seven rear-engine IndyCars ranging from Jack Brabhams BT25 through to Graham McRaes actual Rookie of the Year Eagle. Aaron got to drive one of his Eagles on the Brickyard during the Indy 500 Centenary celebrations in 2016. To both Phil and Aaron, thanks for your insight.

Family and friends of drivers in Australia and New Zealand embraced the Speed Kings project. Greeta Hulme and her daughter Adele; Jan McLaren and the curator of the McLaren Heritage Centre, David Rhodes; Kiwi racing legend Kenny Smith; Garry Pedersen; and especially Brian Lawrence (who opened so many doors, including that of Graham McRae); Jann Tauranac, who took me to her father, Ron; Damien Power, who allowed me to use his material; and Neil Crompton, who arranged entree to Roger Penske and Steve Horne, all took delight in contributing. And then there were the parentsGlenys Dixon, Bob and Margrett Power, Geoff and Marion Briscoe, and Bob Cunningham, who freely shared family recollections. Michal Barton of Automoto Bookshop made his library available to me.

There must be someone in Marion County, Indiana, not touched by the Indianapolis 500, but youd be hard-pressed to find them. The race is part of their DNA. Becky Stamatkin is the third generation of her family to have run the Workingmans Friend diner since 1918. Robin Miller has been eating there for half a century. To them both, thanks for the best damned double cheeseburger in the Midwest, and to Robin, an Indy-media legend, for the revelations. Indianapolis Motor Speedway historian Donald Davidson and his co-author Rick Shaffer literally wrote the book on the race. They are both human encyclopaedias and their willingness to talk across unfriendly time zones was golden. J. Douglas Boles, president of the Speedway, and his colleagues Alex Damron, Suzi Elliott, Wes Johnson and particularly photographers and archivists Chris Owens and Joe Skibinski opened the vault, a motorsport record like no other in the world. Terry Lingner crosses the streamspart-TV producer, part-team owner, and a tapped-in member of Indianapolis racing society. Hes an invaluable resource, a fact recognised by NBC Sports, which has made him their Hoosier on the ground. The teams, Ganassi and Andretti in Indianapolis and Penske in North Carolina; the chassis-maker, Dallara, on Main Street, Speedway, right opposite A.J. Foyts satellite operation; and Jim Leos PitFit gymnasium are all professional purveyors of their craft. To them, their drivers, engineers and team management, and to all those who paved the wayall of you covered in this bookthank you for your participation and congratulations on your achievements.

Speed Kings is the fourth in what has become a motorsport series published by Allen & Unwin and my deep appreciation goes to publishing director Tom Gilliatt; senior editor Samantha Kent, who is never content to leave well enough alone; copy editor Susin Chow; proofreader and all-round genius Emma Driver and cover designer Luke Causby for continuing the grand partnership.

Speed Kings was the most consuming of all four titles. To my family, Jenny, Andrew, Karen, Kate, Dan, Cameron and Matilda, thank you for letting me steal our summer. And to my part-time American family the DiffeysLeigh, Michaela, Myles and Reeve, thanks for your support and encouragement. Leigh is a true Aussie success story and for all of us in media who think maybe we could have or should have, hes living our dream.

500-mile rule 17

A1GP 216, 320

ABC 274

aeroplanes 5, 37, 2814

Agraz, Emile 36

Aitken, Johnny 32

A.J. Foyt Trophy 327

Alboreto, Michele 2278, 266

Alexander, Tyler 135, 270

Alexis Formula Ford 157

All American Racers (AAR) 15960

Allison, James A. (Jim) 6, 8, 59, 60

racetrack 8

Allison Engineering Company 60

alternative power sources 81

Always Evolving 240

Ambrose, Adelaide 281

Ambrose, Marcos 27881, 317, 333

Ambrose, Ross 279

Ambrose, Sonja 279, 280

Ambrose, Tabitha 281

American Automobile Association (AAA) 2001

rules of competition 36, 201

American military in Australia 18992

Amon, Alex 134

Amon, Chris 11416, 118, 1257, 146, 222

Bruce McLaren, death of 12930

death 134

Ferrari 116, 124, 134

Indy 500 (1967) 11618

Amon, Georgina 134

Amon, James 134

Amplex 32

Anderson, John Ando 249, 2589, 260, 262, 269, 297, 298

Andersson, Ove 21012

Andretti, John 203

Andretti, Marco 226

Andretti, Mario xiii, 845, 90, 115, 140, 145, 181, 195, 261, 277, 279, 289, 311

Indy 500 (1981) 1534, 169

Andretti, Michael 233, 248, 2612

Andretti Autosport 247, 251, 257, 262

Andretti-Green Racing 261

Angelelli, Max 209, 210, 212, 214, 217, 223

Arnold, Billy 62, 65

Ascari, Alberto 678, 201

Ascot track (Los Angeles) 12

Aspendale Picnic Ground Park 45, 46

Atlanta project 2713