PAT STRIDE
Pat Stride was born in London in 1928, and from an early age, he had a passionate interest in planes and cars. This passion led him to serve apprenticeships in airframe fitting and Rolls-Royce aircraft engines. He left the airforce in 1948, but the following year rejoined to complete his training as a qualified pilot, initially flying Meteors. He then spent three years in Germany during the Cold War flying Vampires, followed by time flying the Sabre F86 jet.
During this period, Pat was a regular spectator at race meetings, but it wasn’t until 1961 that he started competing. He sold his Triumph TR2 to buy an early Lotus Seven, which he raced for a year at circuits such as Goodwood, Silverstone, Mallory Park, Snetterton, and Oulton Park. In 1963, Pat moved to Australia to take up a position in Melbourne as an air traffic controller, before being posted to Launceston in 1964.
Around this time, Pat was keen to return to motorsport but, with limited funds, needed something simple and cost-effective. Formula Vee was proving very successful in America with its simple triangulated space frame construction and the use of the standard VW 1200 cc engine, gearbox, and suspension components. Pat designed the chassis jig, and together with Mike Bessant, they built what are believed to be the first two Formula Vees in Australia. The cars made their race debut at Symmons Plains in October 1965.
Known as Scarabs, the cars were built in a small shed in Evandale, with a further four cars built by others using the Scarab design. Pat and Mike enjoyed considerable success, often finishing first and second, with Mike being the driver to beat due to his lighter weight and a slightly better-tuned engine.
Local enthusiast Mary Jolliffe then commissioned Pat to build a new car called a Gremlin, which Pat raced with success. Never one to stand still, Pat had plans to build a Formula Two car based on the American Super Vees, which ran the larger 1600cc engines. While awaiting the arrival of components from England, Pat gathered surplus parts in his Kings Meadows garage and constructed the Ford-powered rear-engined Gremlin sports car, which is currently undergoing a complete restoration by Launceston enthusiast Randall Langdon.
Pat raced the Gremlin with success before the VW-powered Gremlin F2 arrived on the scene in November 1970. This car featured a chassis designed by Pat, utilizing several Lotus suspension components and a highly developed engine that ran up to 9000 rpm. Pat raced the car until 1973, when he purchased the ex-John McCormack Elfin 600c rolling chassis, into which he installed a Fiat engine. Unfortunately, the engine blew up on the back straight at Symmons Plains in 1974, and with the costs of competing spiralling, Pat decided it was time to retire.
Pat served as the Secretary/Manager of the Tasmanian Motor Racing Club, which ran Symmons Plains, for about a year. However, he maintained his involvement in motorsport as an official in various capacities well into the 1980s.
