Racing great Jimmy Clark will be celebrated at the Sportscar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA) Brickyard Invitational 2015, to be held June 11-14 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indiana. A display of Clark’s Indianapolis 500 cars will honor his many accomplishments in the 50th anniversary year of his 1965 Indy 500 win.
Nicknamed ‘The Flying Scot’, Clark’s Indianapolis career alone would have made him a legend but the two-time Formula 1 World Champion (1963 and ’65) was one of those versatile drivers who not only won but dominated in numerous branches of the sport from Formula One to Indy cars to saloon cars, stock cars and sports cars. He tackled NASCAR once and scored a third-place overall very early in his career at Le Mans in a private entry Aston-Martin behind two factory-backed Ferraris.
In just five Indianapolis 500s Clark not only won once but also came home second twice, both in controversial finishes that bench racers continue to debate today. He could easily have been a multiple winner. Victory was within sight in 1964 when tire chunking triggered a suspension failure on his pole winning car. On the Formula One front Clark established the all-time record for race victories when he won his final Grand Prix outing at South Africa in 1968. While that record has been surpassed by several drivers Clark’s mark was set in just seven full seasons during an era that conducted about half as many events as are presented today. He still ranks at the top in winning percentage at nearly 35 percent. His record of F1 pole positions (33) even now ranks fifth in the history books.
While the Clark tribute has yet to be defined it will involve an array of his Indianapolis 500 cars, all Lotus, including the entry he won Rookie-of-the-Year with in 1963, his ’65 winner and the Lotus Turbine he took his last laps around the Brickyard in just before his fatal accident weeks later in Germany on April 7, 1968.
The SVRA Indy Brickyard 2015 will feature 11 groups of race cars spanning 100 years, including pre-war machines, sports cars, Formula One and Le Mans prototypes as current as 2009.
[Source: SVRA; photo: Indianapolis Motor Speedway]
The 1963 race had a controversial finish. That year Clark came second but some believe he should have won. I remember the 1965 win quite well. That win was a great one by Clark but historically it was even more important. It was the first win by a rear engine car and signalled the end of front engined roadster at Indy.
Wish I could afford to attend this. Jim Clark is my all-time favorite racing driver, and the most naturally talented driver ever!!
Jimmy was an incredibly talented driver in most any race car. I saw him drive just once, at Sebring, in a Team Lotus Cortina. He was magnificent to watch, even in a small saloon car. I’ll never forget him lifting the two inside wheels, lap after lap, almost exactly a foot off the track, at the hairpin. He is one of the Greats together with Nuvolari, Fangio, Moss and Senna. We miss you Jimmy.
Jim Clark was the Greatest Diver of my era and owned the track in 1965 at Indianapolis