Racing Heroes - Brian Redman

Brian Redman and Steve McQueen. Photo courtesy Brian Redman.

Name a competitive sports racing car of the late 1960s and early 1970s, and chances are good that Brian Redman drove it. His resume includes time behind the wheel of the Ford GT40, the Porsche 917 and 908, the Lola T70, various Chevrons and McLarens and the Ferrari 312, to name but a few. The English driver spent time in Formula 1 as well, taking a single podium finish at the 1968 Spanish Grand Prix, but walked away from F1 contract offers to focus on sports car racing. He quit the sport he loved no less than three times, each time convinced he could start a new life outside of the dangers of motorsport. Fortunately, his retirements never lasted long, and Redman himself once said of racing, "It was the only thing I ever did that I could do reasonably well."

Born in Burnley, Lancashire, England, in March of 1937, Redman got his start in motorsports in 1959, racing a Morris 1000 Traveller station wagon. From these humble beginnings, Redman next stepped up to compete in an Austin Mini Minor, a Jaguar XK 120 roadster and a Morgan Plus 4, cars that he also drove for his day job of manufacturing and delivering mop heads. By 1965 Redman was winning often enough in both open wheel and sports car series that he began to attract attention from companies like Ford, which first hired him to drive its GT40 at Spa in 1966 (though Redman had previously driven a Nick Cussons-owned Ford GT40 at Monza the same year).

At the BOAC 500, Brands Hatch, England, 1968. Photo courtesy Ford Media.

By 1968, Redman had established himself as a member of the Ford team, which would go on to take the World Championship for manufacturers with its GT40. Like many drivers of his day, Redman raced the occasional F1 event as a hired gun, and in 1968 he piloted a Maserati-powered Cooper T81B at the South African Grand Prix, switching to a BRM-powered Cooper T86B at the next race in Spain. Redman finished third here, behind winner Graham Hill and second-place Denny Hulme, but it was to be his only podium finish in a Formula 1 race. At his next outing in Belgium, his Cooper suffered a suspension failure, trapping the driver's arm between a trackside barrier and the side of his car. The resulting compound fracture left him sidelined until late in the season, when he returned to sports car racing behind the wheel of a Chevron B8.

Despite suffering his first serious accident, Redman appeared none the worse for wear, and spent 1969 driving for Porsche alongside teammate Jo Siffert. Porsche would go on to take the Wold Championship for Makes that year, a feat the team would duplicate in 1970. Redman returned to F1 in 1970 as well, driving a few races for both the Rob Walker and Frank Williams teams as his schedule with Porsche allowed. He claimed the South African Springbok Championship that year as well, driving a Chevron B16 Spyder in a series that wrapped up in January of 1971. Racing at the sport's highest levels was beginning to take its toll, and Redman stepped away from the sport for the first time in early 1971, opting to run a BMW dealership in South Africa.

Redman's initial retirement didn't last long, and by March of 1971 he was back behind the wheel of a Surtees TS7 at the South African Grand Prix. He finished seventh in his only Grand Prix appearance of the year, then went to Europe to race Porsches for the Martini Racing Team, Chevrons for Red Rose Racing and McLarens for Sid Taylor Racing. While piloting a Porsche 908 for the JW Automotive Engineering Team in Italy's Targa Florio, Redman suffered his second significant racing crash when his steering failed. Unable to slow the car in time, the 908 hit a concrete barrier and burst into flame. Before he could get out of the car, Redman suffered burns to his face, neck, legs and hands, sidelining him for nearly three months.

Late in the year, Redman was hired to drive a single race at Kyalami, South Africa, for the Ferrari team. His victory with co-driver Clay Regazzoni earned him a full-time offer from Ferrari to race the 312 in 1972, and Redman helped to deliver a World Championship for manufacturers to Ferrari. He also returned to F1, driving a handful of races for the Yardley McLaren team and a single race for Marlboro BRM.

Driving a 3.0 CSL for BMW Motorsport, 1975. Photo courtesy Brian Redman.

By 1974, Redman had relocated to the United States, where he was racing Lolas for Carl Haas in the F5000 series. He delivered championships to the team in 1974, 1975 and 1976, but split his time racing for various teams associated with BMW in sports car endurance racing. While practicing for the Can-Am race at Mont-Tremblant in June of 1977 (where he was once again driving for Carl Haas), Redman suffered the worst accident of his career. Cresting a rise at 170 MPH, his Lola T332 caught air and flipped, landing on its roll cage and body work. With no way to slow the car, Redman was merely along for the ride, watching and listening as the roll cage and his helmet ground away on the racing surface. At the edge of the track, the car's wheels dug in and flipped the car upright, allowing medical personnel quick access to the badly injured driver. Redman had stopped breathing by the time help arrived, but was quickly resuscitated by first responders. Though still alive, the accident took a heavy toll, leaving Redman with a broken neck, a shattered shoulder, a cracked breastbone and two broken ribs. It affected his eyesight as well, leaving the English driver with serious vision problems that would potentially end his racing career.

For months, it was unclear if a return to racing would even be possible, and Redman began to consider the prospects of a forced retirement. He and his family downsized, selling assets to pay the bills until Redman could find another career path, one that didn't involve the risk of a fatal accident. Ultimately, Redman's passion for the sport (and his ability to heal) led him back to the track, and on March 18, 1978, less than a year after his potentially career-ending crash, Redman piloted a Dick Barbour Performance Porsche 935 to victory in the 12 Hours of Sebring, with co-drivers Charles Mendez and Bob Garretson.

Redman continued his success behind the wheel, capturing the 1981 IMSA Camel GT Championship, and winning a multitude of sports car races in a variety of series. He raced professionally through the 1989 season, finally "retiring" for good at the age of 52. Though he no longer races for a paycheck, Redman is a frequent sight at vintage and historic races, as well as a regular participant at the annual Goodwood Festival of Speed.