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James Clark OBE (1936–1968) was a Scottish Formula One racing driver, racing in F1 from his 1960 Debut until his death at the Hockenheimring in 1968, spending his entire career with Lotus. He is widely regarded as being the greatest F1 driver in history,[1] and by the time of his fatal crash, he had won 25 Grands Prix and sat on 33 Grand Prix pole positions out of just 73 entries, giving him one of the highest percentages in both categories in F1 history.[2]
James Clark was born on March 4, 1936, in Kilmany, Fife, Scotland. He was the only son of a sheep farmer James Clark and his wife Helen Rorie Niven, and in 1942 the family had moved to Edington Mains, a farm just outside Chirnside in the Scottish Borders.[3]
Clark developed a passion for driving from a very young age, and when he was still a child, he was frequently seen joyriding his father's 1930 Alvis Speed Twenty around the Farm. However, despite his passion for driving, Clark had no real interest in becoming a racer and instead desired to become a shepherd, much like his father.
During his education, Clark was an unwilling student but did enjoy sports such as Cricket and Hockey, showing great promise in that regard. However, In 1952 Clark's education was cut short following the death of both his grandfather and uncle, and he subsequently returned to the family farm. There, he took control of the 1,242 acres of Edington Mains.[4]
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In 1957 Clark was introduced to the Border Reivers Racing Team when his friend Ian Scott Watson let him drive his DKW at Crimond. It became instantly clear that Clark had talent, which led Border Reivers founder, Jock McBain, to buy a Jaguar D type to share amongst team members Jimmy Somervail and Ian Scott Watson, and potentially Jim Clark.[5]
During the test drive at Charterhall, Ian Scott Watson had difficulty with the long straights of the track and passed the torch onto Clark, who subsequently put on a good showing. The decision was then made that both Clark and Somervail would race the car during the next Season. However, Somervail suggested that Clark should be the main driver, and during the 1958 season, Jim Clark would become the toast of the British club racing scene, making a big name for himself.[6]
Following his successes in club racing, Clark gained the attention of Colin Chapman of Lotus, who recruited Clark after an impressive showing at Le Mans in 1959.
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On June 6, 1960, mid-way into the season, Clark made his Formula One debut at the Dutch Grand Prix, but Clark was forced to retire on lap 42 due to transmission issues.[7] However, during his second F1 race at the 1960 Belgian Grand Prix, Clark managed to finish 5th, making it his first points finish.[8] During the race, he witnessed the fatal crashes of drivers Chris Bristow and Alan Stacey, with Clark later remarking, "I was driving scared stiff pretty much all through the race."
Later next year, on September 10, 1961, during the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, Wolfgang von Trips' Ferrari collided with Clark's Lotus sending von Trips airborne and crashing into the crowd killing 15 spectators along with himself. The crash remains one of the deadliest crashes in F1 history.[9]
During the 1963 Season, Clark, driving the Lotus 25, had won his first Driver's World Championship, winning a record-setting seven out of ten races and giving Lotus its first Constructors' World Championship.[10] His record of seven wins in a season wasn't broken until 1984 by Alain Prost and again in 1988 by Ayrton Sena, despite Clark still possessing a greater win ratio during the 1963 season when compared to Prost and Sena's season performances.
In that same year, Clark made his first showing at the Indianapolis 500, finishing 2nd behind Parnelli Jones.[11] However, The race was not without controversy, seeing as Jones wasn't black-flagged after an oil spill coming from his A. J. Watson-built roadster sent several drivers careening into the outside wall, including the renowned Eddie Sachs. The decision by the USAC not to black flag Jones led Lotus Team owner, Colin Chapman, to accuse the USAC of bias.[12]
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Later in 1965, Clark would rectify his loss by winning at the 49th Indianapolis 500 in his Ford-powered Lotus 38, beating out Parnelli Jones and Mario Andretti.[13] Later that same year, Clark won his second F1 Driver's World Championship, becoming the only driver to win both the titles in the same year.[14]
During the 1966 season, Due to regulations from the FIA, Clark began with the 2-litre Coventry-Climax engine Lotus 33, with Clark not scoring any points until roughly halfway through the season at the British Grand Prix. However, before the Italian Grand Prix, Lotus switched Clark to the new BRM H16 engine Lotus 43, with which Clark won the U.S. Grand Prix and placed second at the Indianapolis 500.
In 1967 during the opening South African Grand Prix, Clark drove the BRM Lotus 43, refitted with a new engine. However, after the engine performed poorly, Clark decided to swap to an older model he used during the Monaco Grand Prix before retiring with suspension failure. Following this debacle, Lotus finally switched to the Ford-Cosworth DFV-powered Lotus 49, which Clark drove to victory at the Dutch, British, US, and Mexican Grand Prix.
On April 7, 1968, while racing at the Hockenheimring in West Germany, Clark's Lotus 48 veered off track during the fifth lap, sending Clark barreling towards the trees at 160 mph. The resulting crash caused him to suffer both a broken neck and a fractured skull, with Clark dying instantly.[15][16]
The direct cause of the accident was initially speculated to have been the result of either a deflating rear tire or driver error, but after a three-week investigation by aircraft crash investigators, it was concluded that the crash was likely due to a deflating rear tire.
Later in the 1968 season, Clark's teammate Graham Hill won the F1 Drivers' Championship after beating out Jackie Stewart for the Crown, with Hill subsequently dedicating the title to Clark's memory.
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Clark was buried at the Chirnside Parish Churchyard in the Scottish Borders,[17] and a small museum dedicated to his memory is located in the nearby town of Duns.[18] There is also a memorial to Clark at the Hockenheimring, bearing mention of his career highlights as well as details surrounding his final race at Hockenheim. In 2002, he was posthumously inducted into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame.
"He was so smooth, he was so clean, he drove with such finesse. He never bullied a racing car, he sort of caressed it into doing the things he wanted it to do." ~ Sir Jackie Stewart
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Categories: Motorsports Hall of Fame of America | International Motorsports Hall of Fame | Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame | 24 Hours of Le Mans | Indianapolis 500 | Indianapolis 500 Winners | Notables | Scotland, Notables | Kilmany, Fife | Chirnside, Berwickshire | Racing Car Drivers | Accidental Deaths | Hockenheim, Baden-Württemberg | British Notables
