VALE JOHN LEFFLER
The 1976 Australian Gold Star winner, John Leffler died in Sydney yesterday, June 21, 2021.
‘Leffo’ was a 1970s single-seater star, and a Sydney sports-sedan hotshot in a works-supported Morris Cooper S before that.
Like so many of the era, he commenced racing an Austin Healey Sprite – albeit Simca powered – at Oran Park’s inaugural February 1962 meeting.
A series production and sports sedan Mini fixture for years, he thrilled crowds in the late sixties together with Wayne Rogerson, Falcon XT V8, Peter Brock’s Austin A30 Holden, and the Cooper S’ of Lynn Brown, Don Holland, Lakis Mantikas and others.
His opportunity to race a Formula Ford arose when a friend, Alan Vincent became ill, Leffler raced his Bowin P4A and took to it like a duck to water. He later bought a new P4A of his own and did well enough in early 1972 to secure coveted Grace Brothers sponsorship.
For the next few years he formed a successful partnership with them, mechanics Paul and Steve Knott and Bowin Designs’ chief John Joyce. Leffo bought his Bowins, highly regarded by Joyce, he was Bowin’s development driver.
Leffler, Bowin P6F Formula Ford, Warwick Farm July 1973 – image: AA Archive
He won the Formula Ford Driver to Europe Series aboard the edgy-wedgy, variable rate suspension Bowin P6F in 1973, then progressed to F2 in 1974.
An early season Amaroo Park prang scuttled his championship hopes, but Leffler’s Bowin P8 Hart-Ford was one of the quickest cars that year along with the Birranas of series-winner Leo Geoghegan, and Bob Muir.
Max Stewart gave him an F5000 taste in 1974, Leffo did well in his old Elfin MR5 Repco in a couple of Gold Star rounds. He developed a taste for the 5-litre, lethal roller skates he satisfied for the balance of his career.
The 5-litre Chev powered Bowin P8 was a more challenging car than its 1.6-litre sibling, but still carried Leffler to fifth in the 1975 Gold Star. He led the soaking wet AGP at Surfers Paradise for a bit, and looked the goods but drowned electrics ended his race, Stewart won.
With Joyce easing out of racing car construction, Leffler bought a new Lola T400; a different marque but again a car which had variable rate suspension. All of the promise obvious to Sydney pit-pundits from the mid-sixties was finally realised with a win in the ’76 Gold Star, and second place in 1977.
Given Leffo’s touring-car background he was always in demand for a good seat in the Manufacturers Championship. His best results were a pair of seconds at Sandown and Bathurst. In Melbourne he shared Bob Morris’ Holden Torana GTR XU-1 in 1974, and at Mount Panorama Allan Grice’ Holden Torana SS A9X in 1978.
Leffo did it the hard way, preparing his own car, and funding it from a successful garage business. British Leyland, BP and Grace Brothers support allowed a mid-career blooming, his talent splendidly realised.
John Leffler quietly retired from the sport, never too far from it, he continued to run his garage business.
Auto Action sends its condolences to his friends and family.
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