Jim Read Inducted Into Australian Motor Racing Hall of Fame

 

Australia's greatest drag racer, Jim Read has been inducted into the prestigious Australian Motor Sport Hall of Fame.

Read was presented with his award in front of his family and the who's who of Australian motor racing at the second annual Hall of Fame gala function held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Read started in the sport 51 years ago, and was the first Australian to break the seven, six and five second barriers.

He was also the first Australian to surpass 300 miles per hour, and is the only driver to have won both the Top Fuel and Funny Car titles at the same Nationals event.

In 1982, Read also became the first Australian to top qualify at an NHRA national event in the United States when he grabbed the top spot at the Winternationals in Pomona, California.

Read won 17 Nationals titles, 16 Australian Championships, and 10 Winternationals, along with NSW Championships, Grand Finals, USA versus Australiam and Australia versus New Zealand Match races.

He is Australia's only representative in the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame (2010), and is also a member of the Cruzin' Magazine (2001) and ANDRA (2016) Halls of Fame 

But perhaps his greatest legacy for the sport came as a result of the culmination of six years hard work with the construction of Sydney Dragway.

Read joins other inductees including Sir Jack Brabham, Peter Brock, Mick Doohan, Casey Stoner, Alan Jones, Wayne Gardner, Mark Skaife, Allan Moffat, Dick Johnson, Colin Bond, Garry Rush, Jim Richards, Phil Irving, and drag racing's Ash Marshall.