Jack McDonnell was one of WA’s leading sidecarcross racers in the 1970s, best remembered for winning the 1977 WA Unlimited Sidecar Championship alongside passenger Campbell Leitch aboard a Norton-powered WASP outfit. He passed away on 22 December 2025, aged 91.

Born John William McDonnell in Perth on 10 January 1934, Jack came from an Irish family and grew up on a farm in Wattle Grove. From an early age he developed a love of motorcycles, a passion shared with his brother Jim.

In the late 1960s, Jack and his son Jeff joined the AJS Motorcycle Club. The pair purchased a 250cc BSA scrambler, sharing the bike at club-run events and laying the foundations for a family deeply involved in the sport.

Inspired by the eastern state’s sidecar teams competing at the 1974 Australian Motocross Championships at Cosy Creek, Manjimup, Jack stepped into sidecar racing the following year. He purchased a 350cc Husqvarna sidecar from Australian motocross legend Glen Britza of Bunbury. The Husqvarna was later upgraded with a 400cc engine, and Jack teamed up with Campbell Leitch. 

In their first season together, the new pairing finished runner-up in the 1975 WA Sidecar Championship, behind Peter Mabbs and Phil Ford on a Kawasaki-powered homebuilt outfit.

In 1976, both leading teams moved to purpose-built British WASP frames, sourced from new Australian importer Steven Smith of Horsham, Victoria. While Mabbs/Ford retained their Kawasaki engine, Jack made the switch to a British 840cc Norton. Mabbs/Ford claimed the 1976 State Championship, ahead of Colin Cook and Bob Sharp on a Triumph, with McDonnell/Leitch finishing third.

The breakthrough for Jack came the following season. In 1977, he and Campbell captured the WA Sidecar Championship, defeating Cook/Sharp—now also on a Norton WASP—and Mabbs/Ford.  The McDonnell family enjoyed further success that year, with Jeff McDonnell and nephew Mike winning the State Junior Sidecar Championship aboard a 650cc Yamaha WASP. The family also competed that year at the Australian Motocross Championships at Acusa Park in South Australia.

Jack raced sidecars for four seasons with Campbell Leitch, competing in distinctive black, red and white racing tops—reminiscent of AFL club St Kilda—initially carrying race numbers 275 and 172, before switching to number 51. The duo consistently finished on the State Championship podium in every season they contested.

Away from the track, Jack worked as a truck driver for List Plant Hire. He retired from racing in 1979 after starting his own transport business, regularly driving semi-trailers interstate, which made balancing work and racing increasingly difficult.

Despite retiring from competition, Jack’s passion for motorsport never faded. He remained a keen follower of the sport and was always willing to help the next generation. Selling his Norton WASP to the Fanderlinden brothers Wayne and Dean, the brothers finished third on the outfit in the 1979 Australian Unlimited Sidecar Championship at Wanneroo in WA, followed up by a win in the 1980 WA State Sidecar Championship on the same bike.

Jack would return to racing sidecars with Campbell Leitch, who moved to Victoria, but in the occasional hill climb events. He always immaculately prepared and presented his bikes, reflecting the same pride and professionalism that defined his motocross career.

Jack McDonnell leaves behind a lasting legacy in Western Australian sidecarcross racing and will be remembered as a pioneer, competitor, and true enthusiast of the sport.