Vale ‘Sambo’ Brian Sampson June 17, 1935 – November 17 2023
When Brian ‘Sambo’ Sampson died on Friday the 17th of November aged 88, one of the very few remaining racers of the 1950s Albert Park era left us…
Sampson was a racer to his very core, and one of only a handful of drivers to share a Bathurst 500/1000 race win with Peter Brock.
He was very competitive in all of his fields of endeavour, as a successful businessman, in the workshop and in the cockpit.
Brian Sampson at the home of Speco-VHT
His racing stated at a young age, and after a few hillclimbs he convinced his dad to allow him to race the family Austin Healey 100 at Albert Park in 1956.
Before too long he bought a Morris Special from Bob Jane, which was followed by a quick Austin A30.
His endurance career commenced with a class win at Phillip Island in a shared Renault Gordini in 1961, a performance repeated in another Gordini ’62 and in an Australian Motor Industries (AMI) Toyota Corolla at Bathurst in 1969.
Harry Firth invited ‘Sambo’ to partner Peter Brock in an Holden Dealer Team Torana SLR5000/L34 Torana in 1974, the pair famously brought-home-the-bacon in ’75 as privateers aboard another L34 prepared by Norm Gown and Bruce Hindhaugh.
Brian Sampson at the wheel of the Holden Dealer Team Torana SLR5000/L34 he shared with Peter Brock at Bathurst in 1974. Image www.autopics.com.au
He won the 1977 Rothmans 500 at Oran Park sharing Warren Cullen’s L34 and co-drove a large variety of cars in the enduros until his final run at Bathurst with Bill O’Brien in a VL Commodore Group A in 1990 (eighth).
Sambo’s Motor Improvements became one of the go-too tuners and machine shops for Victorian racers.
This St Kilda business and his Speco Thomas import/retail enterprise created considerable wealth, and Speco was the Australian importer and distributor of the well-known VHT brand of automotive related paint products.
The VHT range of products was a brand that Brian was incredibly proud to represent in Australia.
Sampson raced a Triumph Spitfire and various Toyotas for AMI. When they saw the speed of Brian’s Elfin 600 Toyota Corolla F3 car they provided sponsorship of a series of F3 and F2 Cheetah’s built by Sambo’s great-mate Brian Shead.
Brian racing the Cheetah Toyota Mk6 in its F2 specification, dicing with Terry Finnigan’s Mk6 Toyota at Amaroo in 1979. Image:www.autopics.com.au
The Two Brians dominated the class(es) for the better part the 1970s.
The AMI sponsored Celica sports-sedan was a crowd-pleasing giant-killer fondly remembered by many in the mid-1970s and is part of Sambo’s large collection of racing cars.
Sambo hated flying! The sight of his distinctive International truck and big-rig only disappeared from historic paddocks across the nation in the early 2000’s after a bad road accident caused by a bad reaction to prescribed medication.
Despite being past his peak – perennial single-seater man as he was – Sambo contested several Formula Pacific Australian Grands Prix for best of ninth in his Cheetah Mk8 Ford BDA in 1984.
Brian was still a regular competitor in State level Formula Ford and historic racing into the early 2000’s and was a tremendous supporter of Michael Borland’s (Brian Shead’s nephew) Spectrum Racing Cars.
Brian pretty much only ever raced with the one number on his car and that was the #78, and he was so proud to be still racing when he reached that milestone in his life.
Brian supported many young drivers on their pathway to success.
Brian Sampson has been a friend and supporter of Auto Action since our birth in 1971 and he’s been a close buddy, supporter and confidant of our publisher Bruce Williams for nearly forty years, Sambo’s passing is a death in our extended family.
VALE: We salute you Brian, and offer our warm and sincere condolences to his daughters, grandchildren, Brendan, Lily and Sambo’s loved ones and associates.
MAIN IMAGE: ‘Sambo’ with his Cheetah MK6 in July of 2021 – Image Bruce Williams.
in July 2021,
Mark Bisset : November 17, 2023
