In 1951 John’s older brother Robert raced a 500cc Cooper-JAP and the following year John made his debut in the same class driving a Kieft at Castle Combe finishing fourth in the third heat to Stirling Moss and André Leöns.
When stock car racing arrived in Britain John built a car based upon a Massey-Ferguson tractor gearbox, a Mercedes chassis, a jeep rear axle and an Oldsmobile Rocket 88 V8 engine bored out to 7.5 litres. Described as a car that changed the game in stock car racing Brise won the 1956 World Championship and the British Trophy the following year. In 1959 and 1960 he again won the World Stock Car Championship.
During 1960 John became involved with karting and it was no surprise that his mechanical engineering ability would be channelled into this new form of motorsport. Initially John drove a Bernie Turney GET kart before developing his own brand of machine known as a Brise kart which he first advertised in the March 1961 issue of ‘Karting’ magazine. John used his own brand of kart to win the 1961 British Class 1 Karting Championship held that year at Brands Hatch. Incidentally, pictures taken of John at the Brands Hatch race showed him with a piece of tubing in his mouth which was reportedly said to pressurise his fuel tank! He also used the same method to pressurise his tank whilst competing at the 1962 Nassau World Karting Championship where he finished fifth in the single engine class collecting $150 for his efforts.
Previous to winning his British Class 1 Championship at Brands Hatch John won the World Championship Class 1 race at Banbury (now known as Shenington). Both times John used Montesa M100 power to propel his Brise-Trak kart as it was then advertised to victory.
At that time the Brise kart was constructed using Reynolds 531 tubing and nickel bronze welded. The very light and strong chassis featured twin drum brakes on a live rear axle and was described as having a crab track (wider at the front than the rear) for superb cornering. The Brise frame, as did all the karts at that time, mounted the engine behind the seat hoop although twin frame rails spaced similarly to the 1963 Tecno kart that would change kart design for ever were used to support the engine but just not beside the driver. The kart had plenty of leg room and was comfortable to drive; the wheelbase was set at 45", rear track at 32", and the front at 35".
Around mid 1961 John Brise and Trak Kart (Harry Foot) combined to form Brise-Trak Karts. Such collaboration allowed the Brise kart to feature all the advantages of the Trak kart with most of the shortcomings removed. The partnership of a firm that had devoted more time than any other in developing the Montesa M100 motor with one renowned for chassis handling resulted in a quality product.
Success continued for Brise and on Sunday November 18, 1962, John Brise aided by Nick Brittain won the European Team Championship for Great Britain at Thiverval near Paris; John winning the final and Brittain finishing sixth. Both Brise karts that day were powered by Komet K12 motors and the karts were designated as Mark III’s. The basic dimensions remained the same as the previous Mark II version, however the Trokart pressed steel wheels had been replaced by the American manufactured Go Power variety made from magnesium. The engines were now mounted to the chassis using a swing mount and a Fox kart type translucent fuel tank was attached to the seat back. The rear axle was now open to facilitate the swing mount and an alloy axle was available as an extra. A new style uncluttered front end was now incorporated into the chassis which was announced in the middle of 1962.
The 1963 Racing Car Show was chosen By John Brise to unveil a new kart called the Brise Continental. Alan Burgess, writing in 'Karting' magazine, said that the Continental must surely be one of the most important things to have happened to British karting for a long time. The main features of the kart were well demonstrated by the way it was exhibited, hanging suspended from a spring balance. Minus engine and fuel but otherwise complete the kart weighed a mere 56 lbs (26 Kg) was finished in metallic green and had an uncluttered balanced appearance that featured a fibreglass seat with integral fuel tank. Go Power magnesium wheels, alloy live axle keyed only were necessary, centrally positioned swing mount fabricated from alloy channel, heel depressions in the glassfibre undertray and pedals with side wings all added up to a top specification.
Other points of detail were grease nipples for the kingpins and an armoured outer for the brake cable. The rear axle drive sprocket was bolted to the brake drum carrier which required the brake to be positioned on the right side of the frame. The kart was not that different to the Mark III Brise except for the light weight fibreglass seat and a shorter wheelbase of 41.5". The Continental frame designated for the Montesa M100 motor was constructed with a cross member behind the seat whereas the Komet powered frame was not. Like all the former Brise karts the frame continued to be fabricated using Reynolds 531 tubing.
Further international success was again achieved by the marque; this time by Nick Brittain on board a Brise chassis powered by a Saetta when he won the Dutch GP held on August 18/19, 1963, at a circuit near Amsterdam.
Sometime in 1964 Brise bought out the remaining kart parts stock from Trokart and proceeded to run adverts listing petrol tanks, axle and engine sprockets, pressed steel wheel rims, stub axles, kingpin bolts, front wheel bearings, track rods, steering yokes, chain guards plus complete live axle kits. Such stock allowed Brise to enter the fun kart market offering the Brise Invicta, unpainted and less engine for £25. The Invicta main frame was fabricated from 1" square box section and bolted together. For an additional £12:15:00 a JAP J80 engine with sprocket, chain, chain guard, silencer, petrol tank, engine mount and bolts could be purchased.
At the same time as the Invicta kart was in production Brise was selling British Blow karts and importing the Quick and the Birel karts from Italy.
Following their sojourn into the £25 kart business (500 units were produced by the middle of 1966) not much was heard from Brise as a manufacturer of full out racing karts. That variety of Brise kart gradually disappeared except for odd one-offs that were made for particularly persistent customers.
Although John retired from competitive karting in the mid-sixties to concentrate on his sons, Tony and Tim, as they progressed through karting and up the career ladder of motorsport he did compete at the 1965 Guernsey Kart and Motor Club’s fourth hill climb at Le Val des Terres in the class for Special Karts 101 to 200cc were he set the fastest time of 41.63 seconds driving of all things a Matador powered by a Montesa of course.
John Brise died of cancer on November 29, 1980, five years to the day after his son Tony and the core of the Graham Hill Formula 1 Team died in a plane crash.
When stock car racing arrived in Britain John built a car based upon a Massey-Ferguson tractor gearbox, a Mercedes chassis, a jeep rear axle and an Oldsmobile Rocket 88 V8 engine bored out to 7.5 litres. Described as a car that changed the game in stock car racing Brise won the 1956 World Championship and the British Trophy the following year. In 1959 and 1960 he again won the World Stock Car Championship.
During 1960 John became involved with karting and it was no surprise that his mechanical engineering ability would be channelled into this new form of motorsport. Initially John drove a Bernie Turney GET kart before developing his own brand of machine known as a Brise kart which he first advertised in the March 1961 issue of ‘Karting’ magazine. John used his own brand of kart to win the 1961 British Class 1 Karting Championship held that year at Brands Hatch. Incidentally, pictures taken of John at the Brands Hatch race showed him with a piece of tubing in his mouth which was reportedly said to pressurise his fuel tank! He also used the same method to pressurise his tank whilst competing at the 1962 Nassau World Karting Championship where he finished fifth in the single engine class collecting $150 for his efforts.
Previous to winning his British Class 1 Championship at Brands Hatch John won the World Championship Class 1 race at Banbury (now known as Shenington). Both times John used Montesa M100 power to propel his Brise-Trak kart as it was then advertised to victory.
At that time the Brise kart was constructed using Reynolds 531 tubing and nickel bronze welded. The very light and strong chassis featured twin drum brakes on a live rear axle and was described as having a crab track (wider at the front than the rear) for superb cornering. The Brise frame, as did all the karts at that time, mounted the engine behind the seat hoop although twin frame rails spaced similarly to the 1963 Tecno kart that would change kart design for ever were used to support the engine but just not beside the driver. The kart had plenty of leg room and was comfortable to drive; the wheelbase was set at 45", rear track at 32", and the front at 35".
Around mid 1961 John Brise and Trak Kart (Harry Foot) combined to form Brise-Trak Karts. Such collaboration allowed the Brise kart to feature all the advantages of the Trak kart with most of the shortcomings removed. The partnership of a firm that had devoted more time than any other in developing the Montesa M100 motor with one renowned for chassis handling resulted in a quality product.
Success continued for Brise and on Sunday November 18, 1962, John Brise aided by Nick Brittain won the European Team Championship for Great Britain at Thiverval near Paris; John winning the final and Brittain finishing sixth. Both Brise karts that day were powered by Komet K12 motors and the karts were designated as Mark III’s. The basic dimensions remained the same as the previous Mark II version, however the Trokart pressed steel wheels had been replaced by the American manufactured Go Power variety made from magnesium. The engines were now mounted to the chassis using a swing mount and a Fox kart type translucent fuel tank was attached to the seat back. The rear axle was now open to facilitate the swing mount and an alloy axle was available as an extra. A new style uncluttered front end was now incorporated into the chassis which was announced in the middle of 1962.
The 1963 Racing Car Show was chosen By John Brise to unveil a new kart called the Brise Continental. Alan Burgess, writing in 'Karting' magazine, said that the Continental must surely be one of the most important things to have happened to British karting for a long time. The main features of the kart were well demonstrated by the way it was exhibited, hanging suspended from a spring balance. Minus engine and fuel but otherwise complete the kart weighed a mere 56 lbs (26 Kg) was finished in metallic green and had an uncluttered balanced appearance that featured a fibreglass seat with integral fuel tank. Go Power magnesium wheels, alloy live axle keyed only were necessary, centrally positioned swing mount fabricated from alloy channel, heel depressions in the glassfibre undertray and pedals with side wings all added up to a top specification.
Other points of detail were grease nipples for the kingpins and an armoured outer for the brake cable. The rear axle drive sprocket was bolted to the brake drum carrier which required the brake to be positioned on the right side of the frame. The kart was not that different to the Mark III Brise except for the light weight fibreglass seat and a shorter wheelbase of 41.5". The Continental frame designated for the Montesa M100 motor was constructed with a cross member behind the seat whereas the Komet powered frame was not. Like all the former Brise karts the frame continued to be fabricated using Reynolds 531 tubing.
Further international success was again achieved by the marque; this time by Nick Brittain on board a Brise chassis powered by a Saetta when he won the Dutch GP held on August 18/19, 1963, at a circuit near Amsterdam.
Sometime in 1964 Brise bought out the remaining kart parts stock from Trokart and proceeded to run adverts listing petrol tanks, axle and engine sprockets, pressed steel wheel rims, stub axles, kingpin bolts, front wheel bearings, track rods, steering yokes, chain guards plus complete live axle kits. Such stock allowed Brise to enter the fun kart market offering the Brise Invicta, unpainted and less engine for £25. The Invicta main frame was fabricated from 1" square box section and bolted together. For an additional £12:15:00 a JAP J80 engine with sprocket, chain, chain guard, silencer, petrol tank, engine mount and bolts could be purchased.
At the same time as the Invicta kart was in production Brise was selling British Blow karts and importing the Quick and the Birel karts from Italy.
Following their sojourn into the £25 kart business (500 units were produced by the middle of 1966) not much was heard from Brise as a manufacturer of full out racing karts. That variety of Brise kart gradually disappeared except for odd one-offs that were made for particularly persistent customers.
Although John retired from competitive karting in the mid-sixties to concentrate on his sons, Tony and Tim, as they progressed through karting and up the career ladder of motorsport he did compete at the 1965 Guernsey Kart and Motor Club’s fourth hill climb at Le Val des Terres in the class for Special Karts 101 to 200cc were he set the fastest time of 41.63 seconds driving of all things a Matador powered by a Montesa of course.
John Brise died of cancer on November 29, 1980, five years to the day after his son Tony and the core of the Graham Hill Formula 1 Team died in a plane crash.
