Barry Lack grew up in a racing family and his first involvement in motorcycling came at just 16 years of age, when his father bought him a Yamaha YDS, in 1970

Working as an apprentice motor mechanic, Barry soon saved up enough money to upgrade to a Yamaha YDS6 and soon after joined the Tasmanian Motor Cycle Club (TMCC).

However, a teenager, Barry still needed his parent’s permission to go racing when he started in 1971.

In those days, Barry had to remove street equipment like indicators etc. on Friday nights, bolting on fairings and other race equipment to go racing at the weekend, and then returning the bike to street mode so he could ride it to work on Monday.

It didn’t take Barry long to succeed on the track though, and in 1972, he won his first Tasmanian championship – the 350cc title – on a Honda CB350 against more experienced riders on faster bikes.

The effort didn’t go unnoticed and attracted local dealer sponsorship with “go faster bits” transforming his stock Honda into a weapon, which broke lap records at Symmons Plains and Baskerville.

In 1973, with the support of Ian Tilley Motorcycles, Barry took delivery of one of only six new Yamaha TZ350s to be brought into Australia and went on to claim all three Tasmanian road racing championships the following year (1974), for 350cc, 500cc and unlimited classes.

He remains the only rider in Australia to have won all three championships in the same year in any state, under that format of racing.

Barry ultimately won the Tasmanian 350cc title six times (1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1976, 1977), the 500cc championship three times (1974, 1976, 1977) and the unlimited title in 1974, also dabbling in sidecar racing as a passenger for Garry Willis, Ross Allison and Les Swallow. 

Back in the 1970s, the Unlimited Tasmanian TT, was one of the biggest motorcycle circuit races in the country and a creditable fourth place against a field of the best riders in Australia in 1974 - despite clutch issues - convinced Barry it was time to test himself on the national stage.

He raced for several years thereafter at mainland circuits including Sandown, Calder and Adelaide, with regular top-five finishes in 350 Grand Prix and 400 production bike classes.

In 1977, Barry teamed with young up and coming star Malcolm Campbell to tackle the famous Castrol Six-Hour Race at Amaroo (NSW), on a Kawasaki Z900, qualifying in the top 10, before Barry crashed out (with help from another rider) just before the three-hour mark.

The pair returned the following year on board a Yamaha XS1100 and finished 16th outright after tyre issues thwarted their efforts, and also competed in the Adelaide Three-Hour and Calder Two-Hour races.

With a growing young family, Barry Lack decided to step back from motorcycle racing in 1980, but it was a short-lived retirement, returning in 1983 for the one-make Suzuki RG250 production series, also finishing second in the state championship that year.

He then raced a Suzuki GSX-R750 in Tasmania and Victoria for several seasons, with mixed results, before finally retiring again in 1990 after two decades as Tasmania’s gun rider.

However, motorcycling was always in his blood and Barry was instrumental in setting up one of Tasmania’s earliest learner rider training schemes, and also spent some time behind the microphone as a race commentator.

Barry was never far away from racing and was also involved in the TMCC as a committee member for many years, winning multiple clubman awards and point score trophies.

He also raced in Targa Tasmania three times as well as mentoring young drivers and motorcycle riders.

 Profile by Martin Agatyn