Len Lukey (died 28 October 1978) was an Australian racing driver. He was the winner of the 1959 Australian Drivers' Championship driving a Lukey Bristol and a

Cooper T45 The Cooper T45 was an open-wheel formula racing car, developed and built by the Cooper Car Company in 1958, and designed by Owen Maddock. It competed in Formula 2 racing as well as in Formula One racing, where it won one World Championship Grand ...

Coventry Climax Coventry Climax was a British forklift truck, fire pump, racing, and other specialty engine manufacturer. History Pre WW1 The company was started in 1903 as Lee Stroyer, but two years later, following the departure of Stroyer, it was relocat ...

Motorsport career

Lukey made his motor sport debut in 1953Len Lukey... driver of the year, Automobiles Australia - incorporating Australian Motor Sports Review 1959 - 1960, pages 82 to 86 at the wheel of Ford Mainline Utility. After such vehicles were ruled ineligible, he moved on to racing

Ford Customline The Ford Customline is an automobile model that was sold between 1952 and 1956 by Ford in North America. First generation (1952–1954) 1952 The Ford Customline was introduced in 1952 as the mid-range model in that year’s US Ford range, p ...

s, winning the main saloon car race at the

Albert Park Circuit The Albert Park Circuit is a motorsport street circuit around Albert Park Lake, three kilometres south of central Melbourne. It is used annually as a circuit for the Formula One Australian Grand Prix, the supporting Supercars Championship Melbo ...

in March 1957. In October 1956 Lukey purchased a Cooper T23

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...

which he first raced in the 1956 Australian Grand Prix meeting, finishing ninth in the main event.John B. Blanden, Historic Racing Cars in Australia, 1979, page 100 The following year Lukey used the car at

Coonabarabran Coonabarabran is a town in Warrumbungle Shire that sits on the divide between the Central West and North West Slopes regions of New South Wales, Australia. At the 2016 census, the town had a population of 2,537, Material was copied from this s ...

to establish a new Category E Australian National Speed record of 147.4 mph for the flying kilometre. Lukey acquired a

from

Jack Brabham Sir John Arthur Brabham (2 April 1926 – 19 May 2014) was an Australian racing driver who was Formula One World Champion in , , and . He was a founder of the Brabham racing team and race car constructor that bore his name. Brabham was a R ...

in early 1959 and embarked upon a concerted campaign to win the 1959 Australian Drivers' Championship. He won the title by 2 points, securing the championship at the twelfth and final race of the series. His last race was the 1960 New Zealand Grand Prix after which he retired from active participation at the age of 38. In 1964 Lukey purchased the property which included what is now the

Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit The Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit is a motor racing circuit located near Ventnor, on Phillip Island, Victoria, Australia. The current circuit was first used in 1956. History Road circuit Motor racing on Phillip Island began in 1928 with t ...

in Victoria for $40,000. Following extensive repairs, the circuit was reopened in 1967 and ownership was retained by Lukey's estate until 1984. Lukey died on 28 October 1978 in Melbourne.Death of Len Lukey, Racing Car News, November 1978, page 9 Turn 9 on the Phillip Island circuit is named Lukey Heights in his memory.

Career results

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lukey, Len Australian racing drivers 1978 deaths Year of birth missing