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Jim Clark, a great racing hero

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Jim Clark died more than half a century ago, but he continues to be listed as one of the greatest F1 drivers of all time. Why?

In his too short career, the Scottish driver took victory in 25 races, at that time a record for the sport. Since his death, of course, that marker has been eclipsed by many drivers including Jackie Stewart, Nigel Mansell, Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton. 

However, Clark was racing in an era of not only fierce competition (after all he was racing against the likes of Graham Hill, Jack Brabham, John Surtees and Jochen Rindt), but one where reliability was a major factor in deciding races and championships.

Many of the drivers and mechanics who worked with, or raced against, Clark pointed to him as the smoothest and most natural driver of his era. It was said that after a race Clark’s car would not need new tyres or brake pads fitted as he was so gentle on the components.

And, even against the strong opposition of the time, the quiet sheep farmer’s son produced some truly spectacular drives. Monza, 1967 is one that is often quoted as a stand out moment in a career of excellence.

Starting from pole with five different makes of cars on the first two rows after torrential rain played havoc with qualifying, Clark lost the lead immediately to Jack Brabham who got the drop in a disorderly start.

Dan Gurney had the lead at the start of the second lap but Clark was ahead on the third, and Gurney dropped out of the race on the fifth lap, his Weslake engine proving insufficient to the challenge of the DFV.

Clark was forced to pit at the end of lap 12 with a flat rear right tyre, rejoining the race one lap down on the leading group of Denny Hulme, Jack Brabham and Graham Hill, who were lapping at the 1 minute 30 mark (Clark’s pole lap was 1:28.5).

Within four laps of rejoining the race Clark had gained four places, on the 26th lap he set a new race lap record equalling his best in qualifying. He gained two seconds per lap on the leaders, catching Jochen Rindt’s Cooper-Maserati for fourth place on lap 54, passing Surtees to take second place on lap 59 and overtake Brabham for the lead on lap 60. 

Just 2.8 seconds separated Clark from Surtees and Brabham, who’d switched places, as they started the final lap. The well-earned victory wasn’t to be. Clark’s momentous efforts to reduce a one lap deficit and retake the lead had cost him nearly all of his fuel, his engine cut out in the Curve Grande at over 150mph. Surtees and Brabham whistled past, duelling to the line with the Englishman (in a Japanese car) taking the win by just 0.2 seconds from the Australian. Jim rolled in in third place.

No-one who witnessed that race was in any doubt they’d seen a drive of the quality only a few other drivers have ever possessed. Denis “Jenks” Jenkinson of Motor Sport Magazine said the drive put Clark in the league of Nuvolari, Moss and Fangio.  

Perhaps Senna, Prost, Alonso and Hamilton of more recent decades could have delivered a drive of the same calibre, but what is undoubtedly true is that Jim Clark’s untimely death in a Formula 2 at the Hockenheimring on the 7th of April 1968 deprived the world of motorsport of a driver of extremely rare quality.