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| Alana, Bruce and John in the restored Formula Vee |
John Bruce Moxon, my partner of 35 years developed a passion for motorsport as a ten-year-old when a neighbour took him to a race at the Sydney Speedway. Certainly his father Bert would never have taken him.
At 17, John obtained his license, and a series of cars - never new - became some of his greatest loves. He had just begun an apprenticeship in fitting and turning. This wasn't enough for him - he wanted to build his own racing car, so studied mechanical engineering at Sydney Technical College at the same time.
In his early 20s, having joined a number of car clubs, he made many friends and began racing sedan cars at a variety of racing tracks around Sydney and the environs.
As a young married man, he decided to focus on Formula Vees and built his own by 1969. His wife Pauline took an interest, and elder son Bruce, now in his late fifties has also developed the same passion, fostered as a toddler in the 1960s. One of the racetracks he frequented many times was Oran Park one of two popular racetracks which were still open at the turn of the twenty-first century.
On Captain Cook Day - a public holiday on 29th April 1970 celebrating 200 years since Cook "discovered" the east coast of Australia - John was practicing at Oran Park in his fairly new Formula Vee.
It didn't go too well.
He smashed into a concrete wall and broke his neck. He has been a spinal cord-injured quadriplegic ever since. Fifty-one years ago this month. The ambulance was called, one racing car mate, bob Muir drove the ambulance to Camden Hospital whilst the lone ambulance driver kept John alive in the back. Another mate Ken Goodwin accompanied John in the ambulance. Gaye Finlay took the Xrays at the hospital. Despite his parents and wife being told he may not survive the night, we all know that he is alive - well and truly - and aged 82.
The accident didn't turn John off motorsport - far from it. Someone bought the wreck and it languished in a backyard unloved for over 20 years. A guy called Paul English - now a good friend - restored it to its former glory and kept the name Moxon. Paul has kindly permitted John's son Bruce to drive it a few times, including in a race.
John became president of the Formula Vee Association for a while after his accident, went to many a race meeting, finding and yarning to his mates, followed the supercar events right around Australia in 2003 and supported son Bruce as he developed and followed his passion for motorsport photojournalism - a paying hobby.
The photo above shows the Formula V restored vehicle, with son Bruce in the car, his daughter Alana and John, about eight years ago.
As was always expected, the Oran Park Raceway is now a large commuter suburb with streets named after many of the racing fraternity.
One day, my Google alerts for the name Moxon - I receive an email each day - showed a Moxon Street in the suburb of Oran Park. Just a short street.
And yes, it was named after John Bruce Moxon. Lasting fame ...
I was at Oran Park on that fateful day. Bobby Muir, Ken Goodwin, my wife, Gaye, and I went to his assistance and it was obvious that John had suffered serious injuries. He could hardly breathe. Bob drove the ambulance while the crew applied CPR. I used to visit John at RPAH and, later, RNS. The Formula Vee Association, led by the now late Aub Revell, set up several fund-raising programmes to assist John, Pauline and young Bruce. A whole troupe of us used to party with John when he resided at the House with No Steps. John moved to a house in Dundas and he impressed everyone with his very advanced studies. Peter Finlay
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing John's story, one is often curious about another's disability but too polite to ask. You have a brave and successful partner.
ReplyDeleteNow I have caught up with my reading and you have caught up with the posting schedule. I look forward to further posts.