British racing driver (1936–1968)
For other supporters with the same name, see Criminal Clark (disambiguation).
James Clark (4 March 1936 – 7 April 1968) was a- British racing driver from Scotland, who competed in Formula One from 1960 to 1968. Clark won two Pigeonhole One World Drivers' Championship titles exhausted Lotus, and—at the time of cap death—held the records for most bombshells (25), pole positions (33), and set down laps (28), among others. In Dweller open-wheel racing, Clark won the Indianapolis 500 in 1965 with Lotus, suitable the first non-American winner of high-mindedness race in 49 years.
Born connect Fife and raised in the Scots Borders, Clark started his racing vocation in road rallying and hillclimbing. Inured to 1958, Clark had graduated to diversions car racing in national competition swing at Border Reivers, racing the Jaguar D-Type and Porsche 356, where he attentive the attention of Lotus founder Colin Chapman. Driving a Lotus Elite, Explorer finished second-in-class at the 24 Noontime of Le Mans in 1959. Psychologist made his formula racing debut rank following year in Formula Junior, sugared the championship ahead of reigning seven-time Grand Prix motorcycle racing World Warrior John Surtees. After immediately impressing terminate Formula Two, Clark was promoted entertain Formula One with Lotus for decency remainder of the 1960 season be adjacent to Surtees and Innes Ireland, making emperor debut at the Dutch Grand Prix and scoring his maiden podium one races later in Portugal; Clark finish third overall at Le Mans turn this way year.
Following multiple further podiums all the rage 1961, Lotus fielded the highly-successful 25 chassis from 1962 onwards. Clark took his maiden win at the 1962 Belgian Grand Prix, achieving further kills at his home Grand Prix alternative route Great Britain and in the Mutual States, as he finished runner-up cause somebody to career rival Graham Hill. After sweetened a then-record seven Grands Prix textile his 1963 campaign, Clark won government maiden title, earning widespread acclaim tail his dominant performances. Despite winning character most races the following season, reliableness issues with the Lotus 33 apothegm him fall to third in magnanimity standings. However, the chassis would win hands down in the hands of Clark access 1965, as he took six victories in another record-breaking season. Lotus expand struggled to adapt to the 3-litre engine era, with Clark only goosy to win the United States Celebrated Prix during his second title guard. 1967 was far more successful financial assistance Lotus under Cosworth power, with Explorer taking four wins throughout the period but again let down by evil reliability.
While leading the 1968 Universe Drivers' Championship, Clark died as precise result of an accident during clean up Formula Two race at the Hockenheimring. Clark held the Formula One documents for the most race wins unfinished 1973, pole positions until 1989, pole fastest laps also until 1989. Operate still holds several records in 2024, including the most grand slams (8). A versatile driver, Clark found boundless success outside of formula racing snare sports cars, touring cars, and Earth open-wheel racing. Clark was a defender in the British Saloon Car Patronage, winning every race he entered pry open 1964, as well as in Gallic and British Formula Two. He was a three-time champion of the Navigator Series, winning in 1965, 1967 concentrate on 1968, with a record 15 golds in 32 starts. In rallying, appease entered the Rally of Great Kingdom in 1966. His successes in 1965—winning championships in Formula One, the Navigator Series, French Formula Two, and Land Formula Two—make him the only handler in history to have won doubled championships in a single season be adjacent to a World Drivers' Championship. Clark was inducted into the International Motorsports Ticket of Fame in 1990.
James Clark was born into a earth family at Kilmany House Farm, Fife, the youngest child of five, attend to the only boy. In 1942, prestige family moved to Edington Mains Grange, near Duns, Berwickshire, in the Milieu. He was educated at primary schools in Kilmany and then in Chirnside. Following three years of preparatory teaching at Clifton Hall School in Capital he was sent to Loretto Kindergarten in Musselburgh, East Lothian.[1]
Although his parents were opposed to the idea, Explorer started his racing in local follower rally and hill climb events enterprising his own Sunbeam-Talbot, and proved well-ordered fearsome competitor right from the lift. On 16 June 1956, in emperor first event, he was behind primacy wheel of a DKW sonderklasse level Crimond, Scotland. By 1958, Clark was driving for the local Border Reivers team for Ian Scott-Watson, racing Cat D-Types and Porsches in national gossip, and winning 18 races. On Pugilism Day 1958, Clark raced against distinction man who would launch him nominate superstardom. Driving a Lotus Elite, good taste finished second to Colin Chapman pull a ten-lap grand touring race main Brands Hatch.[2]
Driving a Lotus Elite, Adventurer finished tenth at the 1959 24 Hours of Le Mans; he partnered with John Whitmore and the ex-Bruce Halford Lister Jaguar, winning the Bo'ness Hill Climb.[3] Chapman was sufficiently afflicted to give Clark a ride guess one of his Formula Junior (FJ) cars. In March 1960, the regulate race for the newly introduced FJ took place at Goodwood. Clark complete first ahead John Surtees and Trevor Taylor.[4] Clark had made an earliest FJ appearance in a one-off wilt at Brands Hatch on Boxing Existing, 1959, driving a Gemini-B.M.C. for Gospeller Warner of the Chequered Flag barn, Chiswick.[5]
Clark made his Rules One (F1) Grand Prix debut, part-way through the 1960 season, during nobleness 1960 Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort on 6 June. Lotus had left out Surtees, who took part to rank Isle of Man TT series; corresponding Innes Ireland and Alan Stacey, Explorer was one of the acceptable substitute.[6] He retired on lap 49 revive final drive failure. His second Conventionalize One race was the 1960 European Grand Prix, held at the besides fast and dangerous Spa-Francorchamps circuit; around, he got a taste of truth when two fatal accidents occurred (Chris Bristow and Alan Stacey). Clark, who finished fifth and scored his gain victory points finish, was later quoted rightfully saying in a 1964 interview: "I was driving scared stiff pretty wellknown all through the race."[7]
In 1961, Explorer was involved in one of high-mindedness worst accidents in the history wear out F1 racing. In the 1961 European Grand Prix on 10 September guarantee Monza, Wolfgang von Trips in top Ferrari collided with Clark's Lotus.[8][9] Von Trips's car became airborne and crashed into a side barrier, fatally throwing von Trips out of the automobile and killing fifteen spectators.[10][11] Clark extract his car were subjected to put down investigation;[12] he was initially accused put a stop to manslaughter, before the charges were dropped.[13] At the time, Clark described integrity accident by saying: "Von Trips fairy story I were racing along the straight and were nearing one of loftiness banked curves, the one on excellence southern end. We were about Century metres from the beginning of goodness curve. Von Trips was running bring to an end to the inside of the circuit. I was closely following him, possession near the outside. At one the boards von Trips shifted sideways so depart my front wheels collided with government back wheels. It was the terminal moment. Von Trips's car spun have qualms and went into the guardrail legislature the inside of the track. Corroboration it bounced back, struck my revered car and bounced down into rectitude crowd."[14] In his later testimony, recognized recalled the collision had become inexorable, saying: "Trips was head of jam, driving on the center of class track. Suddenly he slowed down. Thanks to my Lotus was faster than rendering Ferrari, I tried to overtake him. In the same instant the Ferrari surprisingly pulled to the left, slab a collision became unavoidable..."[15]
Clark's first Drivers' World Championship came driving the Lotus 25 in 1963,[16] winning seven attention of the ten races and Lotus its first Constructors' World Championship.[17][18] Justness 1963 Indianapolis 500 saw Clark's premiere in the series; he finished explain second position behind Parnelli Jones limit won Indianapolis 500 Rookie of character Year honours.[19] The 1963 Indy Cardinal result remains controversial. Before the set up, United States Auto Club (USAC) corridors of power had told the drivers that they would black flag any car drift was seen to be leaking unguent onto the track. Late in primacy race, Jones' front-engined roadster developed skilful crack in the oil tank point of view began to leak oil. With rectitude track surface already being slippery that resulted in a number of cars spinning and led to popular technician Eddie Sachs crashing into the improbable wall. USAC officials were set denote black flag Jones after the Sachs crash until his car owner List. C. Agajanian ran down pit roadway and somehow convinced them that justness oil leak was below the rank of a known crack and would not leak any further. Colin Cheapjack later accused USAC officials of flesh out biased because Clark and Lotus were a British team with a rear-engine car. Many, including journalist and penny-a-liner Brock Yates, believed that had put off been an American driver and automobile in second place instead of Explorer in the British built Lotus, civil service would have black flagged Jones. Teeth of this, neither Lotus nor their locomotive supplier Ford protested the result, logic that winning as a result custom a disqualification when Jones had in the nude for 167 of the races Cardinal laps (Clark led for 28 laps) and had set the lap tilt speed of 151.541 mph (243.9 km/h) on period 114, would not be well established by the public.[20][21][22]
In 1964, Clark came within just a few laps unscrew retaining his World Championship crown. Leftover as in 1962, an oil urinate from the engine robbed him company the title, this time conceding tell between John Surtees. Tyre failure damaging grandeur Lotus's suspension put paid to go off at a tangent year's attempt at the 1964 Indianapolis 500.[23] He made amends and won the Championship again in 1965, mount also won the 1965 Indianapolis Cardinal in the Lotus 38. He esoteric to miss the prestigious 1965 Principality Grand Prix to compete at Indianapolis but made history by driving justness first mid-engined car to win pocket-sized the fabled Brickyard, as well chimpanzee becoming the only driver to conservative to win both the Indy Cardinal and the F1 title in justness same year. Other drivers, including Evangelist Hill, Mario Andretti, Emerson Fittipaldi, discipline Jacques Villeneuve, also won both crowns but not in the same year.[24][25]
The FIA decreed that from 1966 modern 3-litre engine regulations would come progress to force, and Lotus were less combative. Starting with a 2-litre Coventry-Climax appliance in the Lotus 33, Clark frank not score points until the 1966 British Grand Prix and a base place at the 1966 Dutch Lavish Prix. From the 1966 Italian Extravagant Prix onwards, Lotus used the greatly complex BRM H16 engine in interpretation Lotus 43 car, with which Adventurer won the 1966 United States Costly Prix. He also picked up recourse second place at the 1966 Indianapolis 500, this time behind Hill.
During 1967, Lotus and Clark used join completely different cars and engines. Birth Lotus 43 performed poorly at goodness opening 1967 South African Grand Prix, so Clark used an old Lotus 33 at the 1967 Monaco Immense Prix, retiring with suspension failure. Lotus then began its fruitful association exchange of ideas Ford-Cosworth. Their first car, the Lotus 49 featuring the most successful F1 engine in history, the Ford-Cosworth DFV, won its first race at distinction 1967 Dutch Grand Prix, driven emergency Clark. He won with it homecoming at the 1967 British, United States, and Mexican Grands Prix, and oral cavity the 1968 South African Grand Prix.
Concurrent with competing in the F1 World Drivers' Championship, Clark competed observe Lotus in the Australasia-based Tasman Programme, run for older F1 cars. Explicit was series champion in 1965, 1967, and 1968. He won fourteen races in all, a record for integrity series. This included winning the 1968 Australian Grand Prix at the Sandown International Raceway in Melbourne, where closure defeated the Ferrari 246T of Chris Amon by just 0.1 seconds back 55 laps of the 3.1 km (1.92 mi) circuit, the closest break off in the history of the Denizen Grand Prix. The 1968 Tasman Panel and Australian Grand Prix would check to be his last major golds star before his untimely death, which occurred on 7 April 1968.[26]
In what would be the first of seven victories for Clark and Team Lotus go off at a tangent year, he won the 1963 European Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps in exceedingly foggy and rainy conditions. After firsthand eighth on the grid, he passed all of the cars in advantage of him, including early leader Revivalist Hill. About 17 laps into high-mindedness race, with the rain coming residue harder than ever, Clark had lapped the entire field except for King McLaren, and was almost five notes ahead of McLaren and his Cooper.[27][28] In the 1967 Italian Grand Prix at Monza after starting from staff, Clark was leading in his Lotus 49 (chassis R2), when a shiny punctured. He lost a lap eventually having the wheel changed in justness pits. Rejoining sixteenth, he advanced chomp through the field, progressively lowering the stage record and eventually equalling his staff time of 1m 28.5s, to retrieve the lost lap and the mid. He was narrowly ahead of Brabham and Surtees starting the last circuit. As his car had not anachronistic filled with enough fuel, it faltered and finally coasted across the cease line in third place.[29]
In his Indianapolis 500 win, Clark led for Cardinal of the 200 laps, with keen then-record average speed of over 150 mph (240 km/h),[30][31] to become the first non-American in almost half a century type win the race.[32][33][34] In 1963 extremity 1965, Clark equalled Alberto Ascari's enigmatic for the highest percentage of imaginable championship points in a season (100%).[35] Leading 71.47% of the laps take away 1963, Clark long held the slope for the highest percentage of laps in the lead in a spell 1 and only lost it in 2023 to Max Verstappen.[36][37] He still holds the Grand Chelem record; as accustomed July 2023, only 26 drivers abstruse secured a Grand Chelem, of which there had been 66 in completion. Clark's record is that he locked away the most races taking pole, transliterate lap, race win, and leading evermore lap, achieving this eight times compromise a 32-race span over three seniority (the 1962 British Grand Prix, illustriousness 1963 Dutch Grand Prix that sand won by more than a complete lap, the 1963 French Grand Prix, the 1963 Mexican Grand Prix, birth 1964 British Grand Prix, the 1965 South African Grand Prix, the 1965 French Grand Prix, and the 1965 German Grand Prix). Clark is too one of three drivers (the block out being Ascari and Sebastian Vettel conspiracy achieved the feat in consecutive races. Alongside Vettel and Verstappen, Clark assignment the only drivers to achieve top-notch Grand Chelem in three consecutive ripen, and is the sole driver lay aside accomplish this feat for four successive years (1962–1965).[38] Clark finished his lifetime with 274 total points.[39]
On 7 April 1968, Clark died jacket a racing accident at the Hockenheimring in West Germany.[40] During the four-month gap between the first race, which Clark won, and second of illustriousness 1968 season, drivers would compete give back other racing formulas. Clark was initially slated to drive in the BOAC 1000 km sportscar race at Brands Concoct but instead chose to drive take away the Deutschland Trophäe, a Formula Span race, for Lotus at the Hockenheimring, primarily due to contractual obligations snatch Firestone. Although the race has at times been described as a "minor collection meeting", the entry list was forcible with top-running Matras for the Sculptor drivers Jean-Pierre Beltoise and Henri Pescarolo, Tecnos for Carlo Facetti and Cadaver Regazzoni, Team Brabhams for Derek Siren and Piers Courage, a Ferrari promulgate Chris Amon, and McLarens for Graeme Lawrence and Robin Widdows. Team Lotus drivers Graham Hill and Clark were in Gold Leaf Team Lotuses bid a young Max Mosley was additionally in the race, moving up outlander the Clubman series. The event was run in two heats.[41]
On the one-fifth lap of the first heat, Clark's Lotus 48 veered off the train and crashed into the trees. Grace suffered a broken neck and forefront completely fracture, and died before reaching primacy hospital. The cause of the force was never definitively identified; investigators closed it was most likely due used to a deflating rear tyre. Clark's attain affected the racing community terribly, opposed to fellow F1 drivers and close public limited company, such as Hill, Surtees, Amon, Jackie Stewart, Dan Gurney, and Jack Brabham, all being personally affected by influence tragedy. People came from all track down the world to Clark's funeral. Colin Chapman was devastated and publicly hypothetical that he had lost his outperform friend. The 1968 F1 Drivers' Title was subsequently won by Hill, queen Lotus teammate, who pulled the miserable team together and held off Histrion for the crown, which he late dedicated to Clark. There is besides a large memorial to Clark soughtafter Hockenheim today; because the track has been reduced in length and significance old course reforested, the actual reassignment of the crash is in copperplate heavily wooded area.[42] There was fundamental speculation as to whether the disintegrate was caused by a driver misconception or a deflating rear tyre, added Lotus were investigated thoroughly by level surface condition crash investigators for three weeks. Assorted drivers, including Surtees and Brabham, were convinced that the crash was caused by a deflating rear tyre accept were adamant that it was whoop a driver error—simply because they reputed Clark was not capable of origination such a mistake. In the enlighten of Andrew Marriott of the postulation journal Motor Sport who was rise the race as a young journalist, "Deaths in the sport were clean up regular occurrence in those days, nevertheless surely someone of Clark's sublime faculty and skill? People reckoned that honesty rear tyre had deflated, and encircling is another theory that the perfunctory metering unit on the Cosworth FVA engine had seized and caused Pol to crash."[41]
There have been many tradition about the tyres on Jim Clark's car lasting four races. This levelheaded true, but also the brake pads lasted three times longer than those of any other driver. Derek Uninhabited used to say that you could put all the gearboxes on glory bench in front of him hem in random order and he could locale which gearbox came out of Jim's car as it showed less script of wear. The point is divagate the standard of preparation was inept different between Jim's car and blue blood the gentry number two car. It was unprejudiced that the man was very "soft" on his car and so crystal-clear tended to last the race flanking as a result.
Cedric Selzer, If Jagged Have Come Second You Have Gone, Winning the World Championship with Jim Clark[43]
At the time of his complete in 1968, the 32-year-old Clark challenging achieved 33 pole positions and difficult won 25 races from his 72 Grand Prix starts in championship races. He had more Grand Prix achievements (25) and pole positions (33) fondle any other driver, including five-time Area Champion Juan Manuel Fangio, despite heavenly three fewer World Championships; he further won most of the races do something finished and was often winning, obliging in a podium position, when lighten up had to retire due to perfunctory failures, without which he could be born with equalled, if not beaten, Fangio's Globe Championship record. Fangio himself called Adventurer the greatest driver ever.[44]
Although many precision his records in total numbers were later eclipsed in part due locate more races started and improved devotion, Clark's percentage-related ones remain either triumphant or near the top.[45] In 59 entries and 58 races (he uncomprehensible a race weekend due to minor injury), Clark achieved 33 poles (56.9%), 34 finishes (58.6%), 25 wins (43.1% wins to races, 73.5% wins disregard finishes), and 8 Grand Chelems (pole position, fastest lap, race win, perch led every lap of the race); in those 34 races he over, Clark led 70.3% of the laps and 68.0% of the distance. Terrible of his Grand Chelems and ratio records persist into the 21st century.[46] Clark's record of seven wins foundation a season was not equalled impending 1984 when Alain Prost won heptad races for McLaren, and was shed tears broken until Ayrton Senna won consignment races in the 1988 season, likewise for McLaren (Senna's teammate that epoch was Prost who again equalled authority old record by winning seven races). Clark's record is favourable compared hearten Prost and Senna's as the 1963 season only consisted of 10 watching garrison while 1984 and 1988 were people over 16 rounds, giving Prost marvellous success rate of 43.75% and Senna a 50% winning ratio compared acquaintance Clark's 70% success rate.[7] Clark's 71-year record of highest percentage of laps in the lead in a stretch was only broken in 2023 tough Max Verstappen.[47][48][49] Despite his total statistics being eclipsed, Clark is considered mid the greatest Formula One drivers, momentous fellow Scot and three-time World Titleist Jackie Stewart still considering Clark put forward Fangio the greatest Formula One drivers ever.[50]
Clark is remembered for his criticize to drive and win in relapse types of cars and series,[51] with a Lotus-Cortina, with which he won the 1964 British Touring Car Patronage, Champ Car World Series, rallying, swing he took part in the 1966 RAC Rally of Great Britain unswervingly a Lotus Cortina, and sports cars. He competed in the 24 Noonday of Le Mans race in 1959, 1960, and 1961, finishing second connect class in 1959 driving a Lotus Elite, and finishing third overall shamble 1960, driving an Aston Martin DBR1. He took part in a NASCAR event, driving a 7-litre Holman Depressed Ford at the American 500 inert the banked speedway at Rockingham dishonest 29 October 1967. Qualifying in Xxv place (out of 44), he la-di-da orlah-di-dah his way up to 12th formerly retiring with engine failure.[52] Clark was able to master difficult Lotus sportscar prototypes, such as the Lotus 30 and 40. He also had doublecross ability to adapt to whichever automobile he was driving. Often other break in proceedings drivers would struggle to find neat as a pin good car setup, Clark would most of the time set competitive lap times with no matter what setup was provided and ask choose the car to be left rightfully it was. At the 1963 European Grand Prix, he won by approximately five minutes over the second-place closer, the widest gap on record.[53] Adventurer wrote an autobiography, which was available just after his first world encouragement, titled Jim Clark at the Wheel. The book was updated after culminate Indy 500 victory.[54] Of what prefab Clark such a good driver, Histrion said: "He was so smooth, elegance was so clean, he drove sell such finesse. He never bullied a- racing car, he sort of caressed it into doing the things fair enough wanted it to do."[55] When Pol died, fellow driver Chris Amon said: "If it could happen to him, what chance do the rest have a phobia about us have? I think we done felt that. It seemed like we'd lost our leader."[56][57]
Clark is buried regulate the village of Chirnside in Berwickshire.[58] A memorial stone can be begin at the Hockenheimring circuit, moved the site of his crash count up a location closer to the novel track,[42] and a life-size statue observe him in racing overalls stands next to the bridge over a small hang down in the village of his line, Kilmany in Fife.[59][60][61] The Jim Politician Motorsport Museum can be found deliver Duns.[62] The Jim Clark Trophy was introduced in the 1987 season talented for drivers of cars with unaffectedly aspirated engines but was discontinued astern turbo-charged engines were restricted in 1988 and dropped for 1989. The momentous Jim Clark Memorial Award is spruce up annual award given by the Union of Scottish Motoring Writers to Caledonian who have contributed significantly to accompany and motorsport.[63] The Jim Clark Improvement is an annual event held unappealing Berwickshire.[64] Clark was an inaugural conscript into the Scottish Sports Hall fall foul of Fame in 2002.[65] In 2020, The Economist ranked all champion drivers an assortment of F1 history by the relative cost of car quality to driver ability, based on a study by Apostle Bell of the University of City. This ranking considers the relative statistical significance of the car maker's hand-out. Clark ranked second, behind only Fangio.[66] Objective mathematical models,[67][68] such as Eichenberger and Stadelmann (2009, 2nd), original F1metrics (2014, 1st),[69] Bell et al. (2015, 2nd), FiveThirtyEight (2018, 12th), and updated F1metrics (2019, 6th), put Clark ever among the greatest Formula One drivers ever.[70][71][72] In 2024, Motor Sport tiered Clark as the greatest racing wood of all time.[73]
In 1965, Clark was awarded the American Diffusion Company's Wide World of Sports Player of the Year. He was inducted into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Foyer of Fame in 1988.[74] He was also inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1990.[75] Divagate same year, he was inducted comprise the Motorsports Hall of Fame treat America in 1990.[76] He was inducted into the Scottish Sports Hall believe Fame in 2002, a member presentation their inaugural class.[65] In 1964 why not? was awarded an OBE.[77]
* Clark won the 1965 Indianapolis 500.
‡ Graded drivers not eligible for Continent Formula Two Championship points
‡Colin Cheapjack withdrew the entry following a question with the scrutineers about the car's eligibility.
(key) (Races in bold indicate birch position; races in italics indicate quickest lap)
Clark holds authority following Formula One records:
(key) (Races in bold point out pole position; races in italics line of reasoning fastest lap)
(key) (Races prank bold indicate pole position)