Motor Racing and the late Jim Clark.

[Leekbrookgull]

Have to say not the biggest fan of motor sport but TV channel Yesterday showed last night a rather moving programme on the two time world champion from the Scottish boarders and Clark lost his life at 32 years of age.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Always used to follow Jim Clark,s career when l was a kid back in the 60's, and it was probably him who gave me my lifelong love of Lotus cars, the team he drove for right up until his tragic death at Hockenheim.

 

[luppers]

The was also a superb programme on last week about the late Graeme Hill

 

[theboybilly]

Always used to follow Jim Clark,s career when l was a kid back in the 60's, and it was probably him who gave me my lifelong love of Lotus cars, the team he drove for right up until his tragic death at Hockenheim.

Indeed, I always associate Jim Clark with Lotus more than any other driver. I remember that the Lotus Climax was struggling compared to the opposition around a US circuit (I think Indianapolis) so Clark suggested to Colin Chapman moving body of the car across the chassis to compensate for the predominant left (or right - I can't recall which) curves. It worked a treat

 

[jakarta]

Jim Clark was the finest racing driver of all time. Put him, Fangio, Schumacher and Senna in the same type of car and he would have beaten them.

Aside from Grand Prix racing he won in saloon cars, sports cars and won the Indianapolis 500.

 

[cheshunt seagull]

I met him as a child when he and some other drivers took part in an event in Helsinki, where my parents were living, in the mid 60s. I am really proud of the autograph. The only other driver I can name who was there was Jochen Rindt and tragically he was also dead within a few years.

 

[jakarta]

I met him as a child when he and some other drivers took part in an event in Helsinki, where my parents were living, in the mid 60s. I am really proud of the autograph. The only other driver I can name who was there was Jochen Rindt and tragically he was also dead within a few years.

And both of them driving Lotuses, very fast but apparently fragile racing cars...

 

[GOM]

And both of them driving Lotuses, very fast but apparently fragile racing cars...

Didn't matter what car you were driving then, it was a very dangerous sport.

 

[Leekbrookgull]

For me it's just amazing that nearly fifty years after his tragic death this humble sheep farmer from the Scottish borders is so warmly remembered.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

And both of them driving Lotuses, very fast but apparently fragile racing cars...

Indeed. Although it wasn't just the Lotus, all of the Formula One cars were the same back in those days. Fatal accidents were much more common. The welfare of the driver wasn't the top prority that it is nowadays.

 

[Pavilionaire]

The guy is a genuine legend and in these days where there are cameras covering every inch of every F1 circuit it is weird to think that he died crashing into a tree with no onlookers and no footage whatsoever.

 

[jakarta]

The guy is a genuine legend and in these days where there are cameras covering every inch of every F1 circuit it is weird to think that he died crashing into a tree with no onlookers and no footage whatsoever.

It wasn't a Grand Prix or indeed a Formula 1 race, it was Formula 2 at Hockenheim in the era when the German GP was at the old 13 mile Nurburgring.

As previously stated he raced many different formats, something todays drivers wouldn't contemplate.

 

[Mo Gosfield]

I met him as a child when he and some other drivers took part in an event in Helsinki, where my parents were living, in the mid 60s. I am really proud of the autograph. The only other driver I can name who was there was Jochen Rindt and tragically he was also dead within a few years.

Rindt....the only ( to date ) posthumous F1 World Champion ( 1970, I think )

 

[Mo Gosfield]

Jim Clark was the finest racing driver of all time. Put him, Fangio, Schumacher and Senna in the same type of car and he would have beaten them.

Aside from Grand Prix racing he won in saloon cars, sports cars and won the Indianapolis 500.

Agree with that. He was very talented and deserves legendary status.

 

[DavidRyder]

Also on Yesterday over the weekend was a prog about the 1955 Le Mans. It was all about the horrific crash that killed 87 people, and Mike Hawthorn's tussle with the Fangio. Very interesting programme, with accounts from other drivers/spectators that were there. Hawthorn died when he was about 30 on the Guildford bypass, but I hadn't realised until watching the prog that he had a terminal illness during his Le Man/F1 days.

 

[Leekbrookgull]

Also on Yesterday over the weekend was a prog about the 1955 Le Mans. It was all about the horrific crash that killed 87 people, and Mike Hawthorn's tussle with the Fangio. Very interesting programme, with accounts from other drivers/spectators that were there. Hawthorn died when he was about 30 on the Guildford bypass, but I hadn't realised until watching the prog that he had a terminal illness during his Le Man/F1 days.

I saw that programme about a month ago didn't even know about the incident at all and like you say what an insight.

 

[Icy Gull]

And both of them driving Lotuses, very fast but apparently fragile racing cars...

Their road cars too. Lots Of Trouble Usually Serious

 

[Icy Gull]

I

Their road cars too. Lots Of Trouble Usually Serious

Loved the John Player Special Lotus F1 cars. Think they were post Jim Clark though

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=j...UIECgB&biw=1024&bih=649#imgrc=qRUEsgufZm_BVM:

 

[ferring seagull]

In those days drivers were no way as protected as they are now !

But yes, Jim Clark was something else !