| Jim Clark | ||
|---|---|---|
| ||
| Driver Details | ||
| Nationality | {{{{{natflag}}}}} British 
| |
| Date of Birth | 4/3/1936 | |
| Date of Death | 7/4/1968 | |
| Début | Molyslip Trophy 1963 | |
| Championships | 1 (1964) | |
| Previous Teams | Alan Brown Racing Ltd. Team Lotus | |
| Career Statistics | ||
| Total Entries | 0 (0 Starts) | |
| Pole Positions | 0 | |
| Fastest Laps | 0 | |
| Wins | 0 (0 in Class) | |
| Total Points | 0 | |
James Clark was a British Touring Car Championship and Formula One champion, having won the BTCC in 1964, before his death in 1968.[1] Jim as he was more commonly known, was (and remains) one of the best racing drivers ever to have lived, having displayed his talent in virtually every series he competed in, including the BTCC.
Background[]
Clark's racing career began when he entered a Sunbeam Talbot (against his parent's wishes) into a series of local rallying and race events.[1] This was followed by Clark's entry into national level racing in 1958, using Porsches and Jaguars to win eighteen races in a single year.[1] A fateful day that was the 26th of December saw Clark finish second to Colin Chapman (of Lotus fame) in a race at Brands Hatch, a drive which Chapman saw as enough to give Clark a chance in a Formula Junior Car.[1]
The following year, Clark took a Lotus Elise to tenth in the 24 hours of Le Mans (partnered by future BSCC rival John Whitmore), before making his debut in Formula One for Team Lotus in 1960.[1] 1963 proved to be the most important year for Clark, as he won his first F1 World Championship, alongside making his debut in the BSCC.[2]
BTCC History[]
On his way to the Formula One title, Clark made two appearances in the British Saloon Car Championship in 1963, making his debut at the first Molyslip Trophy meeting at Brands Hatch.[3] Clark won the Trophy on his debut, running a Ford Galaxie against Jack Sears.[3] At the final race of the year, Clark returned with a Lotus Cortina, run by his F1 team Team Lotus, taking victory in his class.[3]
Clark (and Team Lotus) returned to BSCC in 1964, competing for the full season.[4] Clark won his class at every single race meeting that year, claiming 48 points and the championship, despite a challenge from Sears at several races.[4] 1965 saw Clark's year hit by retirements and a disqualification, as well as conflicts with the F1 calendar. As a result, Clark managed three wins and a podium, enough to take seventh in the championship.[5]
1966 proved to be Clark's final season in the BSCC, in a season where his title challenge was hampered by more calendar conflicts. Fifth place in the final standings resulted from Clark's four wins.[6] It is not known if Clark would have returned to the BSCC again, as Clark was killed in a Formula 2 meeting at Hockenheim in 1968, a great loss to the World of Motorsport.
BTCC Record[]
A table containing Jim Clark's best results in the BTCC. The figures after the information about the car used indicate Jim Clark's best finish at that meeting in their class.
| Year | Team | Pos | Pts | Car | Class | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | Alan Brown Racing Ltd. | 11th | 18 | Ford Galaxie | bgcolor="#FFA500" rowspan="2" style="border-radius:5px; color:white;"|D | N | 1 | N | ||||||||
| Team Lotus | Lotus Cortina | bgcolor="#214B9B" rowspan="2" style="border-radius:5px; color:white;"|B | 1 | |||||||||||||
| 1964 | 1st | 48 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | |||
| 1965 | 7th | 30 | bgcolor="#008000" rowspan="2" style="border-radius:5px; color:white;"|C | R | N | 2 | 1 | N | 1 | bgcolor="black" style="color:white; font-size:90%; border-radius:5px;"|DSQ | 1 | - | - | - | ||
| 1966 | 5th | 34 | 1 | 1 | N | 1 | 1 | 3 | - | - | - | |||||
References[]
Images
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Clark
- ↑ http://f1.wikia.com/wiki/Jim_Clark
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 http://touringcarracing.net/Pages/1963%20BSCC.html
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 http://touringcarracing.net/Pages/1964%20BSCC.html
- ↑ http://touringcarracing.net/Pages/1965%20BSCC.html
- ↑ http://touringcarracing.net/Pages/1966%20BSCC.html