Gary Hocking's fine race Options

[KJJ]

“There was a select bunch of V8-engine cars out in front, but on their tail and not losing any ground at all came a lone 4 cylinder Climax car driven by Gary Hocking. This showed that his practice times were not luck, and he was holding 9th place behind eight V8-engined cars and going extremely well, his speed out of corners being quite exceptional, not by reason of lots of power, by reason of high cornering speeds, his Lotus continually showing three inches of daylight under the inside front, wheel, a thing not seen on a modern G.P. car for some time.”

From DSJ’s report on the 1962 Gold Cup race. The eight drivers ahead of Hocking’s Tim Parnell entered car were: Clark, G Hill, Ginther, McLaren, Surtees, Ireland, Brabham and Salvadori. Not a bad bunch!

Now I read in one of Mike Argetsinger’s contributions to this forum that Hocking was born and brought up in Wales. This is confirmed on a motorcycle website, by the way I hadn’t realised just how good a motorcycle racer Hocking was, with 19 wins and 11 seconds in 38 World Championship starts.

Does anyone know anything about Hocking’s Welsh background, date and place of birth for example? Did he race any car except in Formula One?

[Vitesse2]

He won the 1962 Formule Libre Rhodesian GP in a Lotus (a Rob Walker car?). Previous to that I think he had done a bit of Formula Junior.

[Jimmy Piget]

Gary Hocking was born at Caerleon the 30 September of 1937.

We can still wonder how the RRC Walker stable could have scored in 1963 with such tigers at the wheel as Ricardo Rodríguez and Gary Hocking...

[Doug Nye]

I understand that Gary Hocking had not yet set a time in the Walker Lotus 24 at Westmead. BRM mechanic John Sismey had walked down during a lull in their running to look at the rival cars. He snapped a picture of Hocking as he was standing in the pits talking to Rob's young mechanic Tony Cleverley. Hocking said "I'd better go for a time then" and he settled into the car. Tony asked John to give him a hand and they push-started the car. Gary drove off into his final moments. The car went off on a fast curve, tripped in a ditch and then struck the stump of a tree standing in an area where several quite large trees had recently been felled, leaving the stumps standing perhaps 1-2 feet above ground level. This was the impact that broke the car in two, and inflicted the unfortunate driver's injuries - which I believe were immediately fatal.

DCN

[David McKinney]

IIRC, the really special thing about Hocking's Oulton Park performance was that it was his very first race on four wheels - no Juniors, no sportscars, but straight into F1

[lynmeredith]

Originally posted by KJJ


Now I read in one of Mike Argetsinger’s contributions to this forum that Hocking was born and brought up in Wales. This is confirmed on a motorcycle website, by the way I hadn’t realised just how good a motorcycle racer Hocking was, with 19 wins and 11 seconds in 38 World Championship starts.

Does anyone know anything about Hocking’s Welsh background, date and place of birth for example? Did he race any car except in Formula One?

Hocking was a terrific performer on two wheels, KJJ, and I was quite a fan of his in the early 60s. He rode in the MV team in Surtees' time. I remember that he was always referred to as 'Rhodesian' in reports. I'm delighted to know that he was a Welshman. I too would be interested in more background info. (By the way, what was the bike website?)

Lyn

[fines]

Gary was the *whiz kid* in bike racing in the early sixties, probably even more so than Mike Hailwood. I'm sure he would have impacted big time in car racing as well.

[Barry Lake]

Hocking must have been discussed here before.

I have a note:

"15 December 1962. Rand Grand Prix. John Surtees 3rd, Gary Hocking 4th after a race-long duel."

Source: Chris Bloom, The Nostalgia Forum.

Sounds like he had the potential to emulate Surtees' efforts in F1 cars.

[ry6]

There was a very good story on Gary Hocking in Classic Car Africa Vol. 1 No. 2 - a few years back.
The story ells of his motorcycle exploits as well as his turn to cars.
Although he was born and buried in Wales he way always "a Rhodesian" to the fans.
To obtain CCA write to Box 2210, Bedfordview 2008.

[Vitesse2]

Originally posted by David McKinney
IIRC, the really special thing about Hocking's Oulton Park performance was that it was [B]his very first race on four wheels - no Juniors, no sportscars, but straight into F1 [/B]

It was actually his second F1 race - the previous weekend he had taken part in the Danish GP at Roskildering, a race we discussed in this thread:

http://www.atlasf1.com/bb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=37961

[KJJ]

Many thanks for the interesting replies to this thread, I guess Gary Hocking’s race record must look something like this:

26/8/62 Roskildering Danish GP Lotus-Climax 4th
1/9/62 Oulton Park Gold Cup Lotus-Climax retired
10/10/62 Kyalami Rand Spring Cup Lotus-Climax 1st
24/11/62 Swartkops Total Cup Lotus-Climax 1st
2/12/62 Kumalo Rhodesian GP Lotus-Climax 1st
15/12/62 Kyalami Rand GP Lotus-Climax 4th
22/12/62 Westmead Natal GP Lotus-Climax killed in practice
29/12/62 East London South African GP

Lyn, the motorcylcle website which referred to Hocking as a Welshman was www.iomtt.com, there is a summary of his motorcycle record on a German site www.eggersdorfernet.de/hocking-gary.html

By the way anyone interested in Welsh Motorcycle sport should have a look at www.silverdragons.co.uk which is a site dedicated to the Epynt racing circuit of the late 40s and early 50s

[dmj]

Originally posted by KJJ
22/12/62 Westmead Natal GP Lotus-Climax killed in practice
29/12/62 East London South African GP

??? Sorry???

[KJJ]

Sorry, guess I meant to say that Hocking was entered for the South African GP of 1962. If he had appeared in that race then no doubt he would have made it to all the encyclopedias and be better remembered than he is today

[dmj]

No problem, I presumed it is that but it was a little bit unclear (and strange) in original post...

[Hieronymus]

I understand that Gary Hocking had not yet set a time in the Walker Lotus 24 at Westmead.

- Doug Nye


I have the race results from this event that I got from a book (can't remember the name, unfortunately) many years ago. According to the race statistics, Gary was credited with a practise time of 1min 25,1 sec.

This was the fifth fastest time out of the 33 drivers that recorded times. His lap time was beaten only by the Lotus 25's of Clark and Trevor Taylor and also the BRM 57's of Hill and Ginther. It may be that Gary's time was unofficial, but it is not being mentioned, if it was indeed the case.

The Lotus 24 that he used in this race was Chassis Number 940.

With regards to the tree stump that hit - seems the lot out here never learns. Forty years later we still see these "death traps" along many a country road here in SA! Seems they still have not mastered the art of properly uprooting a tree.

[lynmeredith]

Originally posted by KJJ
Lyn, the motorcylcle website which referred to Hocking as a Welshman was www.iomtt.com, there is a summary of his motorcycle record on a German site www.eggersdorfernet.de/hocking-gary.html
By the way anyone interested in Welsh Motorcycle sport should have a look at www.silverdragons.co.uk which is a site dedicated to the Epynt racing circuit of the late 40s and early 50s

Thanks for these, KJJ.
Cheers
Lyn M

[Doug Nye]

Hieronymus - I would presume that the lap time credited to Hocking was plainly that which he set during that final run before the fatal lap. John Sismey is adamant he recalls those words and in such traumatic circumstances I would not doubt his vivid memory....

DCN

[Carlos Jalife]

Ricardo was not about to run in 1963 with Rob Walker, his Mexican GP race was a one-off, he had a contract to run with Ferrari in 1963 and he intended to return to the Scuderia after Sebring, and this time it seemed he would be coming back with a relative.

[ry6]

As a matter of interest some grid times for the Natal GP at which Hocking was killed can make for interesting comparison -

Heat 1 :

Polesitter : Jim Clark 1 min 22.1
Ritchie Ginther (BRM) 1 min 24.06 s
Bruce Johnstone (BRM) 1 min. 25.95 s.
Syd van der Vyver (Lotus 24) 1 min 26.6s
John Love (Cooper T55 4 cyl) 1 min 27.4 s

Heat 2 :

Graham Hill (BRM) 1 min 22.67 s
Trevor Taylor (Lotus 25) 1 min 22.8s
Neville Lederle (Lotus 21 4 cyl) 1 min 26.2s
Pieter de Klerk (Alfa Spl) 1 min 27.9
Ernie Pieterse (Lotus 21) 1 min 28.0


Syd van der Vyver (Lotus 24) was the holder of the lap record previous to this race at 1 min 26.5 s (93.5 mph).

Clark did a lap at 1 min 25.5 in heat 1.Taylor in winning the final set a new lap record of 1 min 24.2 s (97 mph)

Note : The book Springbok Grand Prix says that the Hocking crash may have been caused by a suspected steering failure.

[KJJ]

Some Gary Hocking links:

http://www.prisonpotpourri.com/Sport/Hocki...ry_Hocking.html

http://www.eggersdorfer.info/hocking/gary-hocking.htm

[humphries]

This thread ran before I joined TNF. Just want to say I was spectating at Knicker Brook, Oulton Park during the 1962 Gold Cup. Gary Hocking's driving was simply brilliant. Nobody was quicker through this difficult corner. Everybody agreed we were watching an exceptional talent. What a loss; what could have been.

[Nanni Dietrich]

I've found an old Autosport magazine, issue 28 December 1962.

On page 873 there is an article by Gregor Grant "Championship Final - Full Preview of the South African G.P." in sight of the last race of the season, scheduled 29 December.
There are some pictures, Jim Clark and Graham Hill the duellists, and Chapman, Sir Alfred Owen, the map of the East London circuit and... Gary Hocking! The text is: "Another source of danger to the main contestants may come from the Rhodesian Gary Hocking in a Rob Walker's V8 Lotus-Climax. Although comparatively inexperienced, he may do a "Baghetti", setting the cat amongst the pigeons with a vengeance. After all, he is no stranger to speed, and from all accounts must be a driver with a future, otherwise the shrewd Walker would not have signed him up to replace the injured Stirling Moss."

But at the end of the page there is a * and a sad note, written in bold: "Since we closed for Press we learn that Gary Hocking was killed while practising for the Natal Grand Prix".

[hoosierfiddler]

My daughter, Heidi Hocking, found the websites while researching her lineage. Gary Hocking is her uncle, but he died long before his brother, Duncan Hocking, married. Duncan gave up racing to come to the United States and has returned to Wales, is again building a motorcycle and hopes to break his own world records. He lives in Pontypool with his second wife, Angela Hocking. He came to America to race, and I believe HE should tell his own version of our story as husband and wife. We have 5 children- all girls. Alisa is in Boston. Amy, Hayley, Heidi, and Cali live in Salt Lake City, Utah. If anyone wants info on Duncan I will gladly give you his e-mail. susansuzukischool@musician.org - Susan Hocking-Wilcox - former wife of Duncan