Interview: Spencer Martin

The 1950s and ’60s were to many involved in Australian historic motor sport, the halcyon years. It was the time of the Australian Special, the racing of early model Holdens and the Tasman Series. Many names came and went, but quite a few remained and are still well known today through active participation both then and now. One such name is Spencer Martin who started out in an iconic Aussie special called the Prad Holden, before moving on to drive one of the quickest early model Holdens in its day. Martin was then “discovered” by one of Australia’s leading motoring lights, resulting in him stepping out of the sedan and into a Brabham F1 car with following success in the Tasman Series. After being a household name, Martin walked away from the sport for more than a decade before joining the early days of the historic ranks. Spencer Martin continues to be involved in historics by assisting current enthusiasts with their sport and also the occasional time behind the wheel. VR’s Patrick Quinn was privileged to sit with Spencer Martin to talk about his life in motor sport.

Spencer, I have a memory of you running in the 1960s at Catalina Park in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney. Let’s go back to then and see what was happening.