Bruce Johnstone, one of Formula 1’s forgotten heroes passed away on the morning of 3 March 2022.
As reported by Dr Greg Mills, president of the Western Province Motor Club, Johnstone was among the last standing British Racing Motors (BRM) drivers, along with Howden Ganley, Vern Schuppan, and Brian Redman.
The above collage, starting from the top left, is an old BRM factory publicity shot, next is Bruce racing at the Roy Hesketh circuit in Pietermaritzburg in the early 1960s and at the bottom, Bruce who is dressed in red, is pictured after taking Dr Mills’ Ginetta G55 around the Killarney racecourse in 2017.
Johnstone stopped racing in his mid-twenties to focus on his life and career, despite this, he left an unforgettable impression on the sport.
Some of his greatest achievements in the racing world include his win in the Kyalami Nine Hour in 1962 along with David Piper. He drove a Ferrari GTO in this race, which he later used as transport for his family in Johannesburg. Johnstone participated in one World Championship Grand Prix, the famous 1962 BRM/Lotus title decider in East London, and finished in ninth place. He also took part in many non-championship events where he achieved a fourth in the 1962 Oulton Park Gold Cup for BRM.
He was an early mover in the world of corporate sports sponsorships by working for Charlie Young, South Africa’s Yamaha importers. This was before he cemented his lifelong love of motorcycles, which he continued to ride up until a year before his death,
Johnstone was a regular at Killarney historic meetings and a firm supporter of their little endurance racing efforts. ‘He had a meticulous and detailed recall about his era of motorsport, always with a wry chuckle,’ Mills said. ‘It is in so many ways the passing of an era.’
Picture: Supplied
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