But this story is more concerned with the motivation behind Phil’s involvement in motor sport.

Phil was an apprentice motor mechanic who had a passion for spearfishing. Such was his passion, that he took off so many days to go fishing, that he had to work an extra eighteen months to finish his ap­prenticeship.

During his early years in the industry, Phil worked on one of the early Redex cars and at that time made up his mind to one day enter a Round Australia rally himself. He’d ride a bike if they were the best wheels he could afford.