Today marks the 10th anniversary of the death of one of Australia’s best-ever production bike racers, Jim Budd. Jim burst onto the scene in the early 1970’s but achieved almost instant fame as one half of the Team Avon Tyres team in the 1976 Castrol Six Hour race at Sydney’s Amaroo Park. Teamed with Roger Heyes and under the expert guidance of Team Manager, Lindsay Walker, the slick and professional team saw off all the challengers to guide their Kawasaki 900 to victory.
Budd, with his perpetual tan, film star looks and amiable personality was a promoter’s dream and the stocks of the team and of production racing rose and rose during that era due to his, and others’ efforts.
In 1978 TAT repeated the dose, this time on the most unlikely of mounts, the Yamaha XS1100 shaft drive touring bike. It was big, heavy, bulky and unwieldy and had a ferocious appetite for rear tyres. Worst of all, Jim HATED it. BUT, Lindsay Walker, clever chap that he was, had surveyed all the bikes that were available and determined that this was the bike that could win him a second Six Hour race. Remember that Amaroo park was a tiny little bullring, less than 2 kms round per lap so it seemed like a weird choice. But, as always, Walker had a plan. He had noticed that the biggest problem that all teams had had over the last few races was tyre wear and he determined that a half-race distance rear tyre change was the secret. Yes, it would take up valuable time in the pits, but it would mean a fresh tyre for his boys while everyone else was struggling to keep the lap times up on a rapidly-wearing rear hoop.
AND the XS1100, totally unsuited as it was in just about every area, WAS suited in that you could do a very fast rear wheel change due to its shaft drive and hinged rear mudguard. So, the XS1100 it was to be.
At half-race distance, (just as planned but not told to anyone), the 1100 rolled into the pits, fuel was added and the mechanics set about removing and replacing the rear wheel, now fitted with a brand new tyre. Commentators Will Hagon and John Smailes (who was doing the pit stop live to ABC TV) were gob-smacked, as was everyone else up and down pit row. In just over 30 seconds, not much longer than a normal pit stop, Walker had pulled the ace card and ensured a famous victory. For the rest of the race while everyone else skated around on destroyed rear tyres, Budd and Heyes cruised to the easiest of victories on a near-new tyre.
In 1979 EVERYONE did a rear wheel change, but Walker had trumped them by a year and Jim and Roger were the toast of the town yet again.
Jim continued racing through into the 80’s enduring a very soul-destroying year at TKA before hanging up the helmet as ill-health started to set in. Jim was an all-round athlete, owing his perpetual tan to, amongst other things, regular visits to Aspen in Colorado to go skiing.
But something was wrong and a mystery ailment began to ravage his body. I last saw Jim at Bathurst in October 1999 at the preview of the 2000 Bathurst Easter Carnival. I was horrified to see how haggard and drawn he was and I tried to disguise my concern as we chatted. Despite all this, he was cheerful and approachable as he always had been. Eventually illness was to claim his life at a much-too-young age and leave us with just memories of one of the brightest and most entertaining riders ever to strap on a helmet.
10 years gone, but never forgotten. Jim Budd, rest in peace, mate. You paid your dues.
Here’s some photos of Jimbo that I took during that wonderful era.
Jim during the memorable Six Hour win, 1978.
In 1979, TAT changed to a Honda CBX. They never achieved the success with it that they hoped, but Jim adored the bike. Here he “flat-tracks” around Honda Corner in the rain at Amaroo park.
In 1977 Jim and Roger rode separate bikes in a 1 hour production race at Hume Weir sponsored by a local building company called Viscount Holdings. Jim’s bike packed it in part way through the race, but Roger’s did the distance and won the, for the time, quite substantial prize money. Here’s Jim encouraging Roger to keep his mind on the job.
At Oran Park, Jim, the late Roy Dennison and Graeme Crosby featured in one of the most entertaining Unlimited Improved Production races ever staged at the popular Sydney circuit. The three spent most of their time wheelstanding out of all the slow corners, much to the crowd’s delight. Jim was on Barry Taylor’s Phase 4 Engineering superbike, #7.
And here’s Jim at Bathurst, in the cutting, on the Phase 4 Kawasaki.
adrian1 says
G’day, did you ever across a chap by the name of Ian Roberts? Tragically killed at Oran Park in the early 80’s?
Phil Hall says
The name rings a bell, Adrian and I vaguely remember the event, but details are very hazy. I can’t actually picture what Ian looked like, either.