Four years ago, the family of the late Bert Hawthorne donated a cup that he had been awarded for winning a 1970 Formula 3 race at the Brands Hatch circuit. It was felt appropriate to resurrect the cup at Bert’s home track in Christchurch and award it under the name of the Bert Hawthorne Cup, to a class that has historic links with Ruapuna, along with the English and American circuits that he raced at. The final F5000 race on Sunday will therefore be contested for this cup.
Bert Hawthorne was one of many of Kiwis who trod the motor racing path in England in the 1960’s. Born in Northern Ireland, his family immigrated to New Zealand in 1956, a voyage that ended in Kaiapoi. Bert was then 13.
His interest in motor racing was strong and his competition days started at the wheel of a 105E Ford Anglia here at Ruapuna. The Canterbury Car Club’s book, The First 50 year history publication notes that at the meeting on 22nd March 1964, he recorded a second and a fourth placing.
The trek to England quickly resulted in work for Ron Tuaranac at the Brabham factory. During this time Bert built a Brabham BT21, which he brought back to New Zealand and competed in the 1968/69 formula championship or 0 to 1600cc. (then the feeder series to the national Gold Star championship and the forerunner to Formula Ford).
Bert duly won the opening race of the championship held at Ruapuna, heading off Kenny Smith by half a second, with David Oxton third.
Again, referring to the First 50 book, it notes that at the meeting on 24 November 1968, he headed off Timaru’s Wayne Murdoch, who was also driving a 1500 Brabham, to win the single seater scratch race. He was subsequently fourth and second in the handicap races.
Wayne (who has been a regular at Skope) remembers Bert well and recalls him holidaying with the Murdoch family at Otematata, before returning to England.
Back in England and still with Brabham, he won the 1970 Lombank F3 Trophy race at Brands Hatch. A move to the United States to race in the 1971 Formula Atlantic series, ended with the runner’s up spot. A year later in early February he won the Bogotá Grand Prix (Colombia) giving the Brabham BT38 its maiden victory.
A friendship with Alan McCall resulted in Bert joining him at Leda Racing and a move to F2, driving a factory Tui. He won a European championship race at Thruxton but sadly that was the last.
On April 14, 1972 at the next round of the championship at Hockenheim, Bert was killed during the Jim Clark Memorial Trophy race when he was hit from behind. It is believed that the Tui driveshaft issues had caused him to slow ….over.
It is appropriate that we preserve Bert Hawthorne’s memory in Canterbury and the awarding of one of his trophies to a single seater category is fitting. It is also timely that we remember 52 years since his Columbian Grand Prix victory.
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