Frank Matich
# Frank Matich

Frank Matich (25 January 1935 – 11 May 2015) was an Australian racing car driver. A highly successful motor racing competitor in the 1960s and 1970s, Matich built his own range of Matich sports cars and open wheel cars, mainly to support his own career, but some cars found success with other drivers. In these and other makes he won five Tasman Series races, two Australian Grands Prix, the 1972 Australian Drivers' Championship and a number of other Australian motor racing titles.

In April 1970, Frank Matich was appointed as a Director of Lambretta (Australasia) Pty Ltd, and was to assemble McLaren racing cars in the Lambretta site in Artarmon, Sydney.

Matich, who suffered major electrical burns in a boating accident in 1973, retired from racing in 1974 in order to spend more time with his family and his business. His son Kris Matich became a leading Formula Ford driver in Sydney during the late 1980s.

## Career results

A summary of some of his motor racing achievements is given in the table below:

| Season | Title / Series | Position | Car | Entrant |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1958 | Australian Tourist Trophy | 4th | Jaguar C-Type | Leaton Motors Pty Ltd |
| 1959 | Australian Drivers' Championship | 15th | Jaguar D-Type | Leaton Motors |
| 1960 | Australian Tourist Trophy | 3rd | Jaguar D-Type | |
| 1961 | Australian Tourist Trophy | 2nd | Jaguar D-Type | |
| 1961 | Australian GT Championship | 1st | Jaguar D-Type | Team Leaton |
| 1962 | Australian Formula Junior Championship | 1st | Elfin FJ-Ford Cosworth | F Matich |
| 1963 | Australian Drivers' Championship | 7th | Elfin Catalina Ford | Team Total |
| 1964 | Tasman Series | 10th | Brabham BT7A Climax FPF | Team Total |
| 1964 | Australian Drivers' Championship | 4th | Brabham BT7A Climax FPF | Team Total |
| 1964 | Australian Tourist Trophy | 1st | Lotus 19B Climax FPF | Total Team |
| 1965 | Tasman Series | 10th | Brabham BT7A Climax FPF | Team Total |
| 1965 | Australian Drivers' Championship | 6th | Brabham BT7A Climax FPF | Team Total |
| 1966 | Australian Tourist Trophy | 1st | Elfin 400 Traco-Oldsmobile | Laurie O'Neil |
| 1967 | Australian Tourist Trophy | 1st | Matich SR3 Traco-Oldsmobile | |
| 1968 | Australian Tourist Trophy | 1st | Matich SR3 Repco | Frank Matich Pty Ltd |
| 1969 | Australian Sports Car Championship | 1st | Matich SR4 Repco | Rothmans Team Matich |
| 1970 | Tasman Series | 2nd | McLaren M10A Chevrolet | Rothmans Team Matich |
| 1970 | Australian Sports Car Championship | 6th | Matich SR4 Repco | Rothmans Team Matich |
| 1971 | Tasman Series | 2nd | McLaren M10B Repco Holden | Rothmans Team Matich |
| 1971 | SCCA L&M 5000 Continental Championship | 6th | McLaren M10B Repco Holden | Rothmans Team Matich |
| 1971 | Australian Drivers' Championship | 8th | McLaren M10C Repco Holden | Rothmans Team Matich |
| 1972 | Tasman Series | 4th | Matich A50 Repco Holden | Frank Matich Pty Ltd |
| 1972 | Australian Drivers' Championship | 1st | Matich A50 Repco Holden | Frank Matich Racing |
| 1973 | Tasman Series | 3rd | Matich A50 Repco Holden Matich A51 Repco Holden | Frank Matich |
| 1973 | SCCA L&M Championship | 16th | Matich A51 Repco Holden | Early Racing Ent. Inc. |
| 1974 | Tasman Series | 11th | Matich A53 Repco Holden | Frank Matich Racing |

### Complete Tasman Series results

| Year | Team | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | Rank | Points |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1964 | Total Team | Repco Brabham BT7A Coventry Climax | LEV | PUK Ret | WIG | TER | SAN Ret | WAR Ret | LAK Ret | LON 3 | 10th | 4 |
| 1965 | Total Team | Repco Brabham BT7A Coventry Climax | PUK | LEV | WIG | TER | WAR 3 | SAN Ret | LON Ret | | 10th | 4 |
| 1970 | Rothmans Team Matich | McLaren M10A Chevrolet | LEV 3 | PUK 1 | WIG 1 | TER | SUR 4 | WAR Ret | SAN Ret | | 2nd | 25 |
| 1971 | Rothmans Team Matich | McLaren M10B Repco Holden | LEV Ret | PUK 2 | WIG 2 | TER 2 | WAR Ret | SAN 3 | SUR 1 | | 2nd | 31 |
| 1972 | Frank Matich Pty Ltd | Matich A50 Repco Holden | PUK Ret | LEV 2 | WIG 12 | TER 4 | SUR 3 | WAR 1 | SAN Ret | AIR Ret | 4th | 22 |
| 1973 | Frank Matich Racing Pty Ltd Frank Matich | Matich A50 Repco Holden | PUK Ret | LEV 2 | WIG 4 | TER Ret | SUR 1 | WAR 2 | SAN 4 | AIR Ret | 3rd | 27 |
| 1974 | Frank Matich | Matich A53 Repco Holden | LEV | PUK | WIG | TER | ORA | SUR 3 | SAN Ret | AIR 4 | 11th | 7 |

### Australian Grand Prix

| Title | Venue | Car |
| - | - | - |
| 1970 Australian Grand Prix | Warwick Farm | McLaren M10B Repco Holden |
| 1971 Australian Grand Prix | Warwick Farm | Matich A50 Repco Holden |
