VALE – BRIAN CALLAGHAN
Former Speedway star and privateer touring car driver Brian Callaghan died on May 19 after battling long-term heart problems. Born in May 1942, he passed away just days shy of his 80th birthday. He and wife Helen were married for over five decades, raised five children before becoming grandparents.
He is remembered for the Galvanising Services silver supercharged Holden Torana XU-1 that made him a speedway star with giant killing performances, particularly against touring Americans and their big block V8 Chevs. In later years he raced a Chev Corvette.
Among his many career highlights were victories in the 1975 and ’76 sedan 100-lap Marlboro Grand Nationals. The ‘75 victory was arguably the best after he stoutly repelled the challenge from American Donnie Graham that continued for 65 laps as fellow American Ed Wilbur finished third.
He was virtually unbeatable on the blacktop of Liverpool Speedway, against the likes of Paul Ash, Peter Crick, Rick Hunter, and USA stars Gene Welch, Wilbur, Charlie Swartz, Mike Klien and a host of others.
Brian’s races against Barry Graham went week to week as they turned it on for the fans. There was such a fierce rivalry, the promotors savoured and exploited it. Ironically the two ‘speedway boys’ teamed up later and competed at Mount Panorama in the Bathurst 1000 on eight occasions.
Brian displayed his motorsport versatility when he switched to circuit racing. He made his Bathurst debut in 1981 in a Ford Falcon XD, co-driven by journalist Peter McKay, and finished 14th. The following year Brian updated to the XE – the first of the new model to make it to the racetrack. It was a brand new shell with bits purchased from Ford and mated to other items from the XD. He went to Bathurst that year with Bob Muir.
The next two years he was joined by Graham in the Falcon for 20th and seventh respectively. From 1985 onwards the duo raced on the mountain in Holden Commodores after the change from Group C to Group A regulations.
Their best result was a sixth in 1988. Brian Callaghan was a regular in the Amaroo Park-based AMSCAR Series and took a pole position at the second round in 1989, stating at the time, “I’ll have to race with the doors open and make the Commodore wider to keep those turbos behind.”
Brian’s last Bathurst start came in the 1991 Tooheys 1000 where he shared the Everlast Commodore with son Brian Jnr and Bill O’Brien. They completed 116 laps, and finished but were not classified.
Brian Callaghan is fondly remembered by current racer Jason Bargwanna.
“Brian was larger than life and personified the ‘make it happen’ attitude,” Bargwanna said.
“In 1990 he took a risk, and gave me a chance to race with Freddy (Brian Jnr) at Bathurst in the Tooheys 1000 and we finished my first great race (21st) at only 18 years of age.
“He was a legend in his speedway career and a Bathurst battler in the Group C and Group A era. My thoughts are with Freddy, Michelle and the whole family,” Bargwanna added.
Callaghan’s funeral service is at 9:30 am on Monday May 30, at the North Chapel of the Pinegrove Memorial Gardens, Minchinbury.
AUTO ACTION extends its condolences to Callaghan’s family and friends.
