John Youl could be best described as the "Quiet Achiever" of  Tasmanian motorsport.

Youl first rose to prominence in the 1950s and competed in top local, interstate and international circuit racing events, firstly in sedans, and then in open-wheelers. In 1952 John Youl started racing in hillclimbs and sedan circuit racing. His first foray into national prominence was in 1957 when he set a new sedan lap record at Phillip Island (Vic.). During that era he also competed at the famed Longford International Raceway, winning numerous sedan events. In 1960 Youl graduated to open wheel racing, purchasing a car raced by the legendary Sir Jack Brabham. That season Youl went on to record 12 straight victories from 40 starts, including major placings in the Australian Grand Prix and the International Tasman Series. He continued to race extensively in subsequent years, finishing fourth in the 1964 Australian Grand Prix. In 1970 he retired from racing, but at the time of his induction was still actively involved in Tasmanian motorsport. In 1959 he and his late father leased a section of their property at Symmons Plains to the Light Car Club of Tasmania - the area is now the Symmons Plains International Raceway. After being built in the early 1960s, the circuit was sub-leased by the LCCT to the Tasmanian Motor Racing Company, of which Youl was still president at the time of his induction to the Tasmanian Motorsport Hall of Fame. In the mid-1990s, Youl came out of retirement to compete in the Targa Tasmania International Rally. Despite his considerable time out of competitive motorsport, he showed his talent was still there, finishing consistently in the top 20 in his Mazda RX-7 against fields of 250 top interstate and overseas drivers.