RE: Jim Clark tribute at Goodwood Revival
Friday 10th May 2013
Goodwood has announced that Jim Clark will be the subject of the annual driver tribute at this year’s Revival meeting.
Clark helmed anything from Astons to 'tinasThe tribute will commemorate the 50th anniversary of Clark’s maiden Formula 1 world championship, the first of two he won in his time. Clark was tragically killed in a Formula 2 crash at Hockenheim in 1968, cut down in the midst of an illustrious career that saw him behind the wheel of everything from single-seaters to saloon cars and GTs, on both circuits and the rally stage. And the daily track parade that’s a feature of the annual tribute will reflect that, including cars as varied as the Lotus 25 in which he won that first Formula 1 world championship, the Lotus Cortina that won him the 1964 British Saloon Car Championship, and the Lotus 38 in which he swept to victory at the 1965 Indy 500.
Jim Clark tribute at Goodwood Revival
Racing legend Clark to be the subject of this year's tribute
Clark helmed anything from Astons to 'tinas
It’s a fitting tribute as Goodwood was in its heyday during Clark’s time, and as well as racing at the iconic circuit a number of times, he still holds the lap record for the circuit jointly with Sir Jackie Stewart, set at the last-ever Formula 1 race to be held there in 1965. Stewart, along with several other of Clark’s contemporaries including Sir Stirling Moss, John Surtees and Tony Brooks, will all be on hand to assist in the celebration of Clark’s life. If you want to go along and join them, the Revival will take place from September 13-15.
Discussion
Shambler said:
Was he the greatest ever? I would say so.
Well, the stories about him suggest that he was up there if you value speed along with delicacy of touch with the car. His peers seemed to say that he caused hardly any wear and was very gentle - just right for Lotus.Wish I could have seen him race
I could make a case for 'recent' F1 champions who died prematurely, including Graham Hill, Jochen Rindt and Ayrton Senna as well as Jim Clark.
All were almost perfect in their own way and I remember watching Clark and Rindt as a young boy. I also remember my late fathers sadness when Clark and Rindt were killed, and his words; "I doubt you will ever see drivers of their like again".
How true.
All were almost perfect in their own way and I remember watching Clark and Rindt as a young boy. I also remember my late fathers sadness when Clark and Rindt were killed, and his words; "I doubt you will ever see drivers of their like again".
How true.
F1 magazine a few years ago organized a poll of "the greatest F1 driver of all time" . An impossible question to really get a definitive answer, as we all know. But, their voting audience was exclusively composed of people who'd worked in the motor racing industry for a long while, so had a sense of perspective re the question and had mostly seen all the post WW2 "greats" in person. They voted Clark in as their number one.
I never followed F1 or circuit racing in general until Jim Clark came across in 1966 from circuit racing to rallying and drove a Lotus-Cortina on the RAC rally. Ford wanted the publicity, I think, and Jim was always up for driving anything new; he really had a curiosity about cars of all types. By now Clark was a twice World Champion, with reputation to lose - but to his eternal credit that never worried him. He took an experienced co-driver with him, Brian Melia, and when interviewed later could provide the journalists with an incisive analysis of the differences in technique between F1 driving and rallying. [Which are considerable] A novice to rallying he may have been, but that did not stop Jim setting three fastest stage times, seven second fastest times, nor rarely being out of the top ten. I fell in love with the man watching the rally that year and followed his career ever after. As did a lot of other rally men of the time. Yes, the best I've seen so far, overall/
I never followed F1 or circuit racing in general until Jim Clark came across in 1966 from circuit racing to rallying and drove a Lotus-Cortina on the RAC rally. Ford wanted the publicity, I think, and Jim was always up for driving anything new; he really had a curiosity about cars of all types. By now Clark was a twice World Champion, with reputation to lose - but to his eternal credit that never worried him. He took an experienced co-driver with him, Brian Melia, and when interviewed later could provide the journalists with an incisive analysis of the differences in technique between F1 driving and rallying. [Which are considerable] A novice to rallying he may have been, but that did not stop Jim setting three fastest stage times, seven second fastest times, nor rarely being out of the top ten. I fell in love with the man watching the rally that year and followed his career ever after. As did a lot of other rally men of the time. Yes, the best I've seen so far, overall/
Yes - and unlike some of the other candidates for the title, a shy, unassuming, gentleman. Can you imagine him running another competitor off the track, or "breaking down" in a strategic position during practise? I think not!
As said in an earlier post, he was the quickest driver despite being easiest on his car.
I'm not one for heroes, but if ever I had to pick such a thing, Jim Clark would be it.
As said in an earlier post, he was the quickest driver despite being easiest on his car.
I'm not one for heroes, but if ever I had to pick such a thing, Jim Clark would be it.
bluesboy said:
Yes - and unlike some of the other candidates for the title, a shy, unassuming, gentleman. Can you imagine him running another competitor off the track, or "breaking down" in a strategic position during practise? I think not!
As said in an earlier post, he was the quickest driver despite being easiest on his car.
I'm not one for heroes, but if ever I had to pick such a thing, Jim Clark would be it.
Here's a true story that I've related on occasion, and I'll do it again, because it's not that well-known, but really shows what the man was like, deep down, as said, a - no, 'the' - gentleman of motor sport.As said in an earlier post, he was the quickest driver despite being easiest on his car.
I'm not one for heroes, but if ever I had to pick such a thing, Jim Clark would be it.
Jim Clark and Sebring Ginetta G4
1965 Sebring race Florida weekend.
Jack Walsh was boss of CCE (Competition Car Engineering - formerly known as Walsh's Foreign Cars) was the US importer of Ginettas, based in Haverhill, Mass. USA.
A new Ginetta G4R had been shipped from England prepared for the Sebring weekend.
2 cars would take part: a Mini Cooper for the 3 Hour race, and the Ginetta G4R for the main 12 Hour GP of Endurance event. Problems for CCE entering the G4R were overcome when Bob Walklett, MD of Ginetta Cars England, was contacted and he made the car an official Ginetta Cars factory entry.
Drivers were Walsh himself, Gordon Brown(!) and Peter Keith.
All three put in some credible laps during practice on the 5.2 mile circuit until disaster:
the G4R's Lotus twin-cam engine let go.
This is where one Jim Clark intervened.
Earlier in the 3 Hour race Jack Walsh had raced the Mini Cooper. Clark was in his 3-wheeling Lotus Cortina and was the eventual winner of the race. Clark was about to lap Walsh as the pair diced in a corner, both were flat out and locked together.
After winning the race, Clark went to the Ginetta pit and thanked Walsh for not lifting-off because by Clark's reckoning, if Walsh had, then both would have been off the track. The pit crew were busy trying to remove the Ginetta's twin-cam and Clark enquired: 'How is it going?' to which Walsh replied 'Badly!' He explained it looked like the G4 (car 52) would now be a non-starter for the main 12 hour race.
Clark really wanted to help. He said he would see if he could arrange for the Ginetta team to borrow the practice engine from his Lotus Cortina. Of course, this engine had been built for the 3 Hour race, not the 12 Hour, but at least it would ensure that the G4 would be back in the race.
Significantly, permission was granted (by Ford - not Lotus - one could not imagine Chapman's reaction to Clark helping a rival!).
The engine was fitted, fired up and ready to race.
Walsh was absolutely delighted. So much so, he went to Clark, thanked him, and suggested he (Clark) do a stint in the G4 at some point. Clark very politely answered: 'Let's wait and see how the car goes.'
It went well. Despite an engine not prepared for this long event, after the first hour it was in 34th - roughly halfway down the field. There was some powerful machinery in this race, like the Chapparal of Hall and Sharp (eventual winners), Ferrari 275P (although reports say it was a 330P - what do I know? - of Graham Hill and Pedro Rodriguez - many famous drivers and cars: Richie Ginther, Phil Hill, Bruce McLaren et al, GT40s, Lola T70 debut... yes, this tiny Ginetta G4 was not in some minor sports car race!
As the race progressed, the heavens literally opened... 5 or more inches of rain (imagine the diminutive G4 in that!). The rain was so bad the Hill/Rodriguez Ferrari took 11 minutes to do a lap (Rodriguez at the wheel) and flooded the engine. By contrast the Ginetta was still there. The rain eased and it had moved up to 30th position, doing well still with 3 hours now gone.
The car consistently held this position over the next 3 hours and it was at this point, just halfway through the race, that a con-rod let go. Officially given at 4.03pm, running second in class to the Timo Makinen/Hopkirk Sebring Sprite which finished 18th overall.
So we never got to know if Jim Clark would have taken Walsh's offer of a stint at driving the G4.
It could be that Clark said what he had as a 'get out', but if that is the case surely he simply would have said 'no thank you'?
Another story says that said Clark not only asked, but received permission from his bosses to do a stint. If only the G4 had continued longer... it didn't.
Was that permission from the bosses at Ford, or the boss at Lotus?
We don't know. But we can guess which... rather easily I think!
Jim Clark. The gentleman racer. The best. By a mile.
http://www.racingsportscars.com/photo/1965/Sebring...
I can thoroughly recommend a visit to the Jim Clark Rooms in Duns. No interactive displays, no games , no CGI just a couple of rooms containing trophies and memorabilia. Dignified and deeply moving . Senna visited there - I assume with the late Sid Watkins.Can't see Vettel doing the same somehow...My first visit many years ago had the added bonus of being told by the lady on the desk that she was Clark's sister.
I produced this song as a tribute to Jim Clark with a video of him driving Oulton park in a Lotus.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQdRppb693E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQdRppb693E
Dandarez - thanks for your Sebring/Ginetta story. I didn't know that one and I reckon to have read just about everything published on Jim Clark that has been written in English.
Two more Jim Clark stories which are not in print:-
In February 2008 I attended a Jim Clark Film Festival. This was organized by the motoring historians Michael Oliver and Gary Critcher and ran over a weekend in a hotel in Oxfordshire. It was one of those rare events when you wanted to try and meet everyone in the room, because they were all very interesting people.
We had talks and Q&A sessions with many of those who had mechanicked his cars, or raced against him. Same feedback from everyone; Jim Clark was easy on his machinery and yet always capable of getting that little bit more from the equipment at the same time.
I met two ex-racers over dinner who I was able to quiz at length and I am very grateful for the honesty of their respective answers:- Jack Sears and then Sir John Whitmore.
Jack Sears lived in Norfolk, so was fairly near to the Lotus factory. He was Jim's team - mate for a season in the British Saloon Cars Championship effort made by Ford & Lotus. Jack did almost all of the set-up testing on the works Ford Lotus-Cortina's, as Jim lived up in Scotland and in any case was always very busy.
Jack confirmed to me that he would always test both the cars and their set-ups would be made identical. Jim would then appear in time for practice, say "which one do you want" to Jack, jump in the other one and usually put it on pole, or ahead of Jack anyway - despite JS having spent far more time in the car to date.
That is pure ability and class....
I asked Sir john Whitmore, in a later, one-on-one conversation, what he thought it was that made Jim Clark so really special. Sir John raced an Alan Mann - prepared Lotus-Cortina saloon against the Lotus-Ford factory cars.
His reply to me was:- " You would invariably sit behind Jim on track if he was driving the same type of car as yourself. It then usually took 5 or 6 laps of watching from behind to work out what his car was doing that yours wasn't, and then a further 5 or 6 laps to mentally work out what Jim was doing to his car (by his control inputs) that was making it do what it was doing. Then, you could start trying to do the same things. Trouble was - by now you were 10 laps or so into a 15 lap race and Jim was long gone up the road!"
Today's F1 stars are good; I am in no doubt about that. But, the ability to get into anything with wheels on it and outperform those who were more familiar with it - Jim Clark was the best at that. I'll stand by my earlier comment: I have not seen better yet.
Two more Jim Clark stories which are not in print:-
In February 2008 I attended a Jim Clark Film Festival. This was organized by the motoring historians Michael Oliver and Gary Critcher and ran over a weekend in a hotel in Oxfordshire. It was one of those rare events when you wanted to try and meet everyone in the room, because they were all very interesting people.
We had talks and Q&A sessions with many of those who had mechanicked his cars, or raced against him. Same feedback from everyone; Jim Clark was easy on his machinery and yet always capable of getting that little bit more from the equipment at the same time.
I met two ex-racers over dinner who I was able to quiz at length and I am very grateful for the honesty of their respective answers:- Jack Sears and then Sir John Whitmore.
Jack Sears lived in Norfolk, so was fairly near to the Lotus factory. He was Jim's team - mate for a season in the British Saloon Cars Championship effort made by Ford & Lotus. Jack did almost all of the set-up testing on the works Ford Lotus-Cortina's, as Jim lived up in Scotland and in any case was always very busy.
Jack confirmed to me that he would always test both the cars and their set-ups would be made identical. Jim would then appear in time for practice, say "which one do you want" to Jack, jump in the other one and usually put it on pole, or ahead of Jack anyway - despite JS having spent far more time in the car to date.
That is pure ability and class....
I asked Sir john Whitmore, in a later, one-on-one conversation, what he thought it was that made Jim Clark so really special. Sir John raced an Alan Mann - prepared Lotus-Cortina saloon against the Lotus-Ford factory cars.
His reply to me was:- " You would invariably sit behind Jim on track if he was driving the same type of car as yourself. It then usually took 5 or 6 laps of watching from behind to work out what his car was doing that yours wasn't, and then a further 5 or 6 laps to mentally work out what Jim was doing to his car (by his control inputs) that was making it do what it was doing. Then, you could start trying to do the same things. Trouble was - by now you were 10 laps or so into a 15 lap race and Jim was long gone up the road!"
Today's F1 stars are good; I am in no doubt about that. But, the ability to get into anything with wheels on it and outperform those who were more familiar with it - Jim Clark was the best at that. I'll stand by my earlier comment: I have not seen better yet.
' GENTLEMAN JIM '
It was good to read the piece by dandarez about JIM CLARK, and the Ginetta G4R at the 1965 Sebring 12 hour Race at Florida, USA.
Yes - it was an important moment for GINETTA, when Jim Clark came to the aid of our USA importer, Jack Walsh. No need to repeat the story.
There was another occasion, in the UK this time, when Jim Clark wanted to assist Ginetta - but his boss said no ( I really did understand why his boss said no - and as a boss myself ( at the time) I sympathised with his decision. However, I have never forgotten Jim's comradely feelings, which made him stand out as a person, as well as being one of the worlds greatest racing drivers.
Jim Clark - 'Gentleman Jim ' Rest - in - Peace.
It was good to read the piece by dandarez about JIM CLARK, and the Ginetta G4R at the 1965 Sebring 12 hour Race at Florida, USA.
Yes - it was an important moment for GINETTA, when Jim Clark came to the aid of our USA importer, Jack Walsh. No need to repeat the story.
There was another occasion, in the UK this time, when Jim Clark wanted to assist Ginetta - but his boss said no ( I really did understand why his boss said no - and as a boss myself ( at the time) I sympathised with his decision. However, I have never forgotten Jim's comradely feelings, which made him stand out as a person, as well as being one of the worlds greatest racing drivers.
Jim Clark - 'Gentleman Jim ' Rest - in - Peace.
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