From ice-racing to F1

William “Bill” Brack (born 26 December 1935) is a Canadian former racing driver who raced briefly in Formula One (three entries), and then successfully in the Formula Atlantic Championship. He is seen here-above in the cockpit of his BRM P180 at the 1972 Canadian Formula One Grand Prix, where he retired.

Born in Toronto, Brack originally became involved in auto racing in the early 1960s, in the form of ice-racing Minis (using a company car) in Huntsville, Ontario. He went on to purchase Gordon Brown’s own racing Mini (Brown being another Mini racer as well as dealer of British cars at Glendale Suburban Motors in Brampton.)

Brack subsequently became a Formula One driver who raced for the Lotus and BRM teams, but failed to score any championship point. After Formula One he was successful in the Atlantic Championship in the mid-1970s, winning the Canadian Formula Atlantic Championships in three successive years (1973, 1974, 1975) before retiring from racing to open a Daimler Chrysler dealership near the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto.

Picture-below: Bill Brack on his way to third in his Formula Atlantic Chevron B29-Ford, at Edmonton in 1975. The Canadian will take the title at the end of the year.