Tony Shelly

Anthony Joseph "Tony" Shelly (2 February 1937 - 4 June 1998) was a New Zealand racing driver who competed in Formula One during the early 1960s. Born in Whanganui, New Zealand, Shelly was part of the wave of talented drivers from New Zealand who ventured to Europe to compete in Formula One during the sport's expansion in the early 1960s. He made three World Championship Grand Prix starts in 1962, driving for the Lotus team as a paying customer driver. Shelly competed in the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps, and the British Grand Prix at Aintree, but failed to finish any of these races due to mechanical retirements.

His best grid position was 18th at the Dutch Grand Prix. Shelly raced Lotus 24 machinery, which was competitive equipment but challenging for inexperienced drivers to master. Beyond his Formula One appearances, Shelly competed in various Formula Junior events and other racing categories in Europe during his time abroad. Like many drivers from New Zealand and Australia of that era, he faced the challenge of limited funding and support while competing far from home against established European teams and drivers.

After his brief Formula One career, Shelly returned to New Zealand where he continued to race in domestic events and maintained involvement in motorsport. He became a successful businessman in New Zealand while remaining connected to the racing community. Shelly was part of the generation that helped establish New Zealand's reputation for producing talented racing drivers who could compete on the world stage. He passed away in June 1998 at the age of 61, remembered as one of the early New Zealand drivers to tackle the challenge of European Formula One racing.