Jim Clark OBE: A Tribute to the First Flying Scot

I recently wrote an article on financing and its effects drivers in Formula One. In that piece, I wrote very briefly about the great Jim Clark; I don't think I did him any justice, so I thought I should elaborate on one of my favourite drivers.

Jim Clark OBE was born on the fourth March 1936 and died on seventh April 1968. At the time of his death, he had won more Grands Prix (25) and achieved more Pole Positions (33) than any other driver.

He was born into a Scottish farmer’s family in Fife; he was the youngest of five children and the only boy.

Much to his parent’s dismay, Clark started racing his OWN Sunbeam-Talbot in the local Road Rally and Hill Climb events and proved himself a worthy competitor.

By 1958 he was driving for the local Border Reivers team, racing in D-Type Jaguars and Porsche's, and won 18 races for them. In late 1958 he met Colin Chapman, who would move him firmly in the limelight of the motor racing world; he drove in Chapman’s Formula Junior cars.

He made the move to Formula One driving Chapman’s Lotus. Early in his career, he was involved in one of the worst accidents in Formula One history on 10th September, 1961 in Monza, Italy.

Wolfgang Von Trips, in a Ferrari, collided with Clark. Von Trips’ car went airborne and crashed into the barrier, throwing Von Trips out of his car. The accident killed Von Trips and 15 spectators.

In 1963, he won his first Formula One championship, winning seven races in the process. That same year, he entered the Indy 500 and came second, winning Rookie of the Year.

In 1964, he came within laps of retaining his Formula One crown, but an oil leak robbed him of his second title.

In 1965, he once again won a Formula One world championship; he also won the Indy 500, making history by being the first to win the great race driving a mid-engine car.

In 1966 and 1967, which brought new FiA regulations, the Lotus was less competitive. However, in Italy in 1967, Clark drove what is regarded by some people as the greatest drive ever.

Starting from Pole, Clark was leading the race until he got a puncture. He lost a lap while limping back to the pits. He then drove qualifying lap after qualifying lap to regain the lost lap AND the lead. Unfortunately, he ran out of fuel and coasted across the line to finish third.

On the seventh April 1968 Jim Clark was tragically killed while driving a Lotus in a Formula Two race at the Hockenheimring in Germany. The cause of the crash was never identified; however, investigators thought it was most likely due to a deflating rear tyre.

The team replaced the green and yellow badge with a black one for a month after his death. The 1968 World Drivers Championship was won by team mate Graham Hill; he dedicated his title to Clark.

Jim Clark was then and is still regarded as one of the greatest Formula One drivers of all time by many. Of the 72 starts Clark made, he won 25 of them, a remarkable 35 percent.