It is the 82nd time Darren Smith and Garry O’Brien have had the opportunity to hear someone tell their story. Chris never saw himself as a racing car driver until a suggestion from a passenger he was transporting.
Daz and Gaz also catch up on the latest happenings on the state and club motorsport scene, covering off the recent results and upcoming events.
https://player.captivate.fm/episode/5d1edcd7-1f3f-4fe6-bfbf-7efb5b159bef/
After a stella career playing for the Queanbeyan Blues, Chris Clearihan’s first race car was a Bolwell Nagari. It was with this car that he raced at Oran Park in the 1972 Toby-Lee Series and had his first win. He continued to win production sports car races before he purchased a Elfin Formula Ford and won a TAA Driver to Europe Formula Ford race in the wet at Surfers Paradise.
Chris won two Australian Sports Car Championships in 1982 and 1985. He had a second in 1984 and also chased the titles with thirds in 1983, 1986 and 1988. He also took out state titles, the Pie Series and scratch races at Amaroo Park.
He has a top 10 finish in the Bathurst 1000, and an eighth in the 1988 Indonesian Grand Prix among consistent performances through to 1992. After purchasing the Tony Edmondson Chev-powered Alfa Romeo Alfetta, Chris spent the next 10 years competing in Sports Sedan events.
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At the 1984 Castrol 500 at Sandown Chris was to co-drive with David Grose in a Mazda RX-7. However he was excluded from the meeting after qualifying due to an altercation with Allan Moffat. The confrontation followed an incident on the track which Chris sets the story right in the podcast.
Chris switched to flying in search of a new challenge. In 1992 and 1994 he won the Twin Engine Pylon Air Race, was second in 1993 while still racing cars. In 1998 he won the Around Australia Air Race and continued to win other twin-engine races.
It is also worth catching up on the other entertaining 81 Grassroots Racing Podcasts. There have had many of the big names in the sport, where they discuss where it started for them and their progression through their careers.
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