Hedley McGee

Inducted 2007

In 1946, Hedley McGee founded McGee Racing Cams in Sydney. Auto electrician by trade, Hedley was fascinated with racing engines. He actually designed and scratch built his first camshaft/grinding machine and began grinding cams for top racing teams. His famous shop in Kings Cross was not far away from the Sydney Sports Ground and Showground speedway tracks. Soon, he teamed up with his long-time friend Gordon Cox and raced a Rugby powered midget. He also helped many of the top drivers that were guests of Empire Speedways. With New Zealand born Frank Brewer, he won the 1949 Australian Championship and the 1950 World Speedcar Title.

Hedley also raced his FX Holden at Bathurst, Avondale and Mt Druitt.

Later, he joined forces with German born Werner Greve, and developed the first McGee Fuel Injection system for his midget and captured the 1956 World Speedcar Championship at the Showground. During the 1950’s,

Hedley also helped speedcar champions Murray Hoffman and Stud Beasley.

By the 1960’s, midget racing became huge around the country and Hedley’s customer base grew to include speedway stars Joe Braendler, Len Brock, Gordon Benny, Barry Butterworth, Brian Mannion, Johnny Fenton, Jeff Freeman, Kevin Gormly, Bill Jost, Lew Marshall, Gary McClenahan, Max Monk, Des Nash, Jack O’Dea, Kevin Park, Johnny Peers, Barry Powers, Ray Redding, Bruce Rickard, Blair Shepherd, Alan Streader, Bill Warner, Jack Watson, and Charlie West.

His shop in Kings Cross became home to visiting U.S stars including Bob Tattersall, Leroy Warriner, Jimmy Davies, Johnny Tolan, Mike McGreevy, Walt Land, Sherman Cleveland, Marshall Sargent, Billy Mehner, Don Meacham, and Merle Bettenhausen.

In 1964, Hedley teamed with Johnny Stewart. The team won races at every track in the country on their way to winning the 1965-66 National Championship with the famous McGee Shell ‘Trackbumer’. In 1966, the Falcon powered McGee ‘Tornado’ midget hit the track and McGee, always good at spotting new talent, hired midget rookie and rising super modified star, Garry Rush, to drive the machine. Rush was instantly fast, and his natural ability became obvious.

Veteran driver Len Brock took over the seat for the big year-end races and captured the 1967 Australian Grand Prix.

By the 1970’s, more midget stars became McGee powered including Barry Pinchbeck, Doug Sunstrom, Sid Middlemass, Peter Nunn, Jack Porritt, Phil Herreen, Zeke Agars, Bruce Doolan, Kevin Higgins, Greg Smith, Doug Maurer, Brian Dillon, Jeff Besnard, Jeff Clarke, Max Butterwoth, Bill Jackson and Stan Lawrence.

In addition to the midgets, fuel systems were also developed for sprintcars, sedans and even motorcycles. John Langfield ran the first McGee Fuel Injection on his solo, and was later joined by Greg Kentwell, Mitch Shirra and Ole Olson. Graham Young won the 1973 NSW Championship, and Doug Robson won the 1974 Australian Championship with McGee injection on their sidecars.

McGee Injection dominated sedan racing for decades and was used by such greats as Barry Lewis, Grenville Anderson, Adrian Anderson, Phil Green, Howard Revell, Frank Clarke, Carl Jeffrey, Peter Taunton, Bruce Maxwell, Ron Darrell, Peter Hogan,

Ray Solway, Col O’Brian, Bill Roberts, and sprintcars saw National Titles won by John Moyle and Dick Britton.

In 1973 son’s Phil and Chris established a McGee Cams & Injection facility in Southern California, concentrating on Speedcar, Sprintcar, Indy Car and Drag Racing, continuing to build on the success their father had enjoyed after he passed away in 1984.