David Brabham

Le Mans 24 Hour winner

Despite being born into a famous racing family David Brabham was 17 before he started his career in a second-hand kart.

Just five years later in 1987 Brabham was the Australian Drivers Champion and set off to England to further his career, just like his father Jack, 30 years earlier.

Brabham quickly emerged as a star in the cut and thrust of the highly competitive British Formula 3 series, winning that championship in 1989.

That successful season was capped by a superb victory in the 1989 Macau Formula 3 Grand Prix, a race that included future world champion Michael Schumacher.

After two attempts to build a career in Formula One, initially in 1990 and then in 1994 with the uncompetitive Simtek team, Brabham focussed on a globetrotting and hugely successful sportscar career.

Victories included the 1996 All Japan GT Championship in a McLaren F1 GTR and then championships – in 2009 and 2010 – in the American Le Mans Series.

But it was the holy grail of sportscar racing, the Le Mans 24 Hours, that would deliver a career highlight with victory in 2009 driving for the factory Peugeot squad, just as brother Geoff had done in 1993.

In a rare home appearance, the two Brabhams, David and Geoff, joined to share victory in the Bathurst 1000 Super Touring car classic in a BMW in 1997.