Australian racing driver
Norman Edward Beechey (born 9 July 1932) is a retired Australian race car driver, who was given the nickname "Stormin Norman" by his fans. To some, he was the closest thing Holden had to a star racing driver, before Peter Brock .[ 2] Australian Touring Car Championship from 1963[ 3] 1965 driving a Ford Mustang and in 1970 at the wheel of a Holden Monaro .[ 4]
Career
Beechey began racing at the age of 22 in a Ford Customline V8 . He came to prominence only a year later when he won the Olympic Touring Car Race at Albert Park , a support event at the Australian Grand Prix meeting which was held in conjunction with the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games . As the expense of running this and two subsequent Customline V8s proved too prohibitive he reverted to a Holden 48-215 in 1959. After becoming part of David McKay’s Scuderia Veloce team he again returned to V8s, developing a Chevrolet Impala with which he won the New South Wales Touring Car Championship at Catalina Park . He progressed to a Ford Galaxie owned by Len Lukey and was then instrumental in forming the Neptune Racing Team in 1964. He raced a Holden EH S4 as part of that team alongside Jim McKeown’s Lotus Cortina and Peter Manton’s Morris Cooper S . He subsequently developed and raced a series of V8 powered Touring Cars with which he contested the Australian Touring Car Championship and other events. The first Ford Mustang to race in Australia was followed by a Chevrolet Chevy II Nova , a Chevrolet Camaro , a Holden Monaro GTS 327 and a Holden Monaro GTS 350 .[ 5]
Beechey retired from racing at the end of the 1972 season.[ 6] V8 Supercars Hall of Fame in 2000.
Career results
A recreation of the Chrysler VH Valiant Charger R/T E38 which was driven to 6th place in Class D of the 1971 Hardie-Ferodo 500 by Norm Beechey & Jim McKeown
Complete Australian Touring Car Championship results
(key ) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
References
^ John Connolly, Stormin’ Norman set the race pace, 16 August 2014, www.theaustralian.com.au Retrieved 22 December 2018^ 2008 V8 Supercar Eastern Creek round official event programme
^ Graham Howard & Stewart Wilson, The Australian Touring Car Championship, 30 fabulous years, 1990, page 47
^ Series Champions - History - The Official Website of V8 Supercars Australia ^ Australian Motor Racing Annual, 1971, pages 26-27
^ Graham Howard & Stewart Wilson, The Australian Touring Car Championship, 30 fabulous years, 1990, page 111
External links
Seven-time Five-time Four-time Three-time Two-time One-time
