Ash Marshall was a pioneer in Australian hot rodding and drag racing.
Ash was at the first Australian Drag Racing Nationals in October 1965, held at Riverside Raceway, Fishermen’s Bend, not far from the centre of Melbourne.
Ash had a new bit of gear, which, four years later, took him to Australia’s first 200mph pass at the quarter mile.
Soon after that he set an Australian record of 7.49 seconds which stood until 1972 when Jim Read did 7.40s.
Marshall must have heard about it because, after being away for two years, he reappeared in November with an imported, state-of-the-art, Rail.
Amidst much controversy, he was credited with being the first Aussie into the six second zone with 6.98 seconds and 219.9mph.
At 354km/h that’s faster that anyone here had been, much less in a quarter mile.
However the time was disputed and, eventually, not allowed.
The best Ash did later was 7.09 and 221 so the rail soon returned to the US.
Ash took his business interests to Europe and then the US, where he lives now.
But Ash Marshal is now in the Australian Motor Sport Hall of Fame.
