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| Jim Clark |
Jim Clark
Born: 4 March 1936, Kilmany, Scotland
Died: 7 April 1968
Grand Prix Starts: 72
Grand Prix Victories: 25
Points Total: 274
World Champion: 1963, 1965
Famous for his smoothness, effortless control and computer-like brain, Jim Clark inherited the mantle of supreme champion from Fangio. Having joined Lotus in 1960, he spent his whole career there, forging a formidable partnership with team boss Colin Chapman. His GP debut came at Zandvoort in 1960 picking up a respectable 8 points by the end of the season. The following year, he gained eighth place overall but the campaign was overshadowed by his involvement in the crash at Monza in which fourteen spectators were killed and Ferrari's Wolfgang von Trips lost his life...
Clark's maiden victory came at the 1962 Belgian GP and he went into the final round in South Africa with a chance at the championship. He was heading for the victory which would have snatched the crown from Graham Hill when his Lotus failed.
Brushing aside disappointment, Clark took the championship the following year, winning seven of the ten rounds. His chances of retaining his title in 1964 were lost when the Lotus failed on the penultimate lap of the final race in Mexico. He took his second world crown in 1965 with another maximum haul from the six races where he reached the line. Victory in the Indy 500 made it a notable double.
1966 was a relatively lean season but early in 1967 the new Cosworth DFV engine arrived and Clark was immediately back in contention. Four more wins put him third in the championship behind the two powerful Brabhams.
His first victory in 1968 came at Kyalami, giving him his 25th career success, and putting him one ahead of Fangio in the all-time list. Clark was 31 and at the height of his powers when he competed in a F2 race at Hockenheim on 7 April. His car left the track and hit a tree, killing him instantly.