Jim Clark - racer "Formula 1". Biography, sport achievements

He is a legend of racing. And also the lord of speed and drive. He - the youngest champion of "Formula 1", besides a multiple winner. And just a brave man. He's James (Jim) Clark!

Childhood

The future world car racing champion was born in March 1936, in the small village of Kilmani (Scotland). James's parents are well-off farmers who spent a lot of time in labor and cares. From an early age, Jim was determined to become an assistant and heir to his father. Among the six children of Clarke, he was the only boy who was to continue his parental work as a son and take care of the farm.

But the child was not attracted to the opportunity to live a settled and sedately, engaging in farming and animal husbandry.

He, brought up on the Scottish expanses, from infancy breathing fresh air of freedom, was always interested in sports cars and high-speed riding.

Acquaintance with sports

At the age of thirteen, Jimmy entered the prestigious school of Edinburgh, the capital of the Scottish Kingdom. There he falls in love with the sport - regularly engaged in cricket and hockey. Playing in a team helps him to develop self-discipline and a spirit of cooperation, strength and fearlessness.

Here, Jim Clark gets acquainted with motor racing. He enthusiastically collects notes from periodicals about the best racers and the fastest cars.

The first steps towards a sporting goal

At school, Jimmy did not stay long. Parents decided that the guy needed to get used to farm life, and took him home. Since then, young Clark began to work seriously with his father, learning all the subtleties of agricultural craft.

However, the pleasure obtained in sports, and the drive from fast driving is not so easy to forget. Jim works on the farm, but secretly dreams of conquering the racing Olympus. By the way, work on the farm and participate in racing Clark managed to combine until the end of his days!

To his goal the guy goes slowly. First, stealthily drives a family car, then gets a driving license. Everywhere, even being in the field on the tractor, young James dreams of speedy driving and successful victories.

For the proceeds, Jimmy buys his first "Talbot", which takes part in minor rallies and other high-speed competitions.

All this time the guy's parents were against his enthusiasm for speed and tried to influence his son, revealing before him all the advantages of farming life. However, persuasion and seduction had little effect on the young man. He saw the goal in front of him and insistently went to her.

First victories

Victory follows one after another, and in love with the race Jimmy joins the German racing team Porsche. A year later, as part of another German team, he takes an honorable tenth place in the "24 Hours of Le Mans" race. This competition, held regularly since 1923 near the French city of Le Mans, checks participating teams not so much on speed as on endurance and economy.

Participants of the competition should seek a middle ground between the speed and reliability of the car, which needs twenty-four hours to stay on the track without technical breakdowns and damages, and rational use of consumables: fuel, brake pads and tires.

Much of this competition depends on the endurance and skill of the pilot of a racing car, since he has to spend an average of four hours driving, waiting for the change of partner on the next pit stop.

The experience gained by Jim in the race "24 Hours of Le Mans", had a huge impact on the entire future career of a novice sportsman.

Fateful acquaintance

After participating in the 24-hour competition of Le Mans, sports cars become the main part of the life of a young rider.

It draws the attention of the successful British automaker Colin Chapman, who founded his own company for the production of racing and sports cars.

The Lotus car is Chapman's innovative invention, redesigned and modified from another well-known car model specifically for Formula 1 racing.

In 1958, Colin founded his own racing team to participate in the legendary races - Team Lotus.

Watching the ride of Jimmy, Chapman was fascinated by the technical techniques and courage of this young novice rider and offered him a place in his team.

For Clark, it was a happy opportunity to break out of the chain of small minor competitions and declare his skills to the whole world.

Since 1960, James sits on the car "Lotus" and begins to take part in the "Formula-2", and a few months later - and in the "Formula-1".

Jim Clark: "Formula 1", the beginning

In the same year, Jimmy took third place in the eighth stage of the World Championship in car racing in the class of "Formula 1". The competition passed a memorable August 14 on a route laid along the city streets of Porto (Boavista).

This season was marked by several tragedies on the highway. Chris Bristow breaks up, and his body remains for a while to lie on the racing strip. Shocked Jim managed to get around this horrible place, but still his car got bloody.

After a few laps there was another terrible death - Clark's team-mate, Alan Stacy died, was killed because a bird hit him.

Despite the nightmare reigning on the track, Jimmy tried to do everything in his power to win, and it was not in vain: in the overall standings, Jim Clark took tenth place.

Approximately at this time, the racer received gold at the youth races and bronze at the "24 Hours of Le Mans" competition. However, the daily competition is not in the liking of a young man, and in subsequent years he ceases to participate in it.

Continuation

In the next season of "Formula 1" Jim Clark gets permission to compete in all the Grand Prix competitions. The championship was held from the fourteenth of May to the eighth of October and consisted of eight stages. The Scottish pilot came twice to the podium, and in the overall standings he took seventh place.

At the seventh stage of the competition, on the tenth of September, when speaking at the Italian Grand Prix, at a frenzied speed, Clark collided with the car of the famous rider Wolfgang von Threps. The car of the multiple world champion soared skyward and fell on the spectators. Von Threps, who fell out of the cabin, died on the spot. His car killed another thirteen people.

This terrible accident made an indelible impression on Jim Clark. In a state of shock, he left the race, but a few days later he was ready to compete for the leadership at the American Grand Prix.

Takeoff

In the championship in 1962, Jim Clark moved to a new invention of his friend, Colin Chapman. "Lotus 25" is still considered one of the best racing cars in history. On his improved "Lotus" Jimmy spent a whole season and was preparing to become a leader, but prevented technical problems. During the ninth, final stage of the competition, taking place in South Africa, Jim Clark came down on the stratum due to oil leakage.

Although James did not win this season, with his bright lightning performances, he proved to the world that he is the fastest and most experienced racer. "Formula 1" has found a new brilliant star. And this was confirmed in the next season, where Jim Clark has achieved the same first leading place and the title of world champion. It was a brilliant peremptory victory: Graham Hill, who received silver, fell behind the winner by twenty-seven points!

In the same year, the successful autopilot ranks second in the race "500 miles of Indianapolis" (race "Indy-500").

Everyone was looking forward to the next season of world races. They were supposed to perform Jim Clark - an amazing and magnificent racer. "Formula-1" was looking forward to a new victory of his brilliant champion.

In the season of 1964, the leading autopilot confidently went to victory, winning three Grand prix, but summed up frequent gatherings for technical reasons. This was due to the change of the car to a less reliable and durable - "Lotus 33".

Despite such difficulties (for example, in the fifth stage of the race, in the UK, Jim managed to win a race on three wheels), Clark took the honorable third place. The victory went to the representative of Great Britain - John Sertis.

Second triumph

January-February 1965, Jimmy held in the winter championship, where he won first place, having won five wins.

Further, in the same year, with his participation in Formula 1, he secured the 1963 title, showing a brilliant and exciting game: six victories in the Grand Prix, six podiums, six poles. Twice the world champion in twenty nine years - here was what to be proud of and what to rejoice!

Along with the World Cup, Jim Clark participates in another favorite race - "500 miles of Indianapolis", which he also wins with brilliance and enthusiasm. For the sake of this competition, James even decided to donate to participate in the Grand Prix of Monaco.

After the victories

Since 1966 in the "Formula-1" were allowed three-liter engines. To this turn were not ready, either "Lotus" or its creators. Therefore, Jim took only the sixth place in the championship table, winning just one Grand Prix - in the United States of America.

The next season, Clark was preparing as never before. Having won brilliant victories in the Grand Prix of Great Britain, the Netherlands, the United States and Mexico, he won only bronze because of frequent gatherings in South Africa, Monaco, Germany, France and Canada.

In the same year the racer again takes part in the competition "Indy-500", where he takes the second place.

The tragic 1968 began for the legendary autopilot quite successfully. He defeated the South African Grand Prix with defeat (this was his twenty-fifth victory in this country). Then he took part in some other competitions, where he also took the leading first places (for example, the race "Formula 2" in Barcelona).

Since there were several months left until the next Formula 1 Grand Prix, Jim Clark decides to attend other competitions. Therefore, on April 7, he went to race "Formula 2" in Germany.

Jim Clark: the accident

On this tragic day on the Hockenheimring route, James, as always, participated in a speed competition, confidently holding onto the wheel of his favorite car and almost without worry or anxiety. It was pouring rain, the car, dissecting the water wall and leaving behind a long spray, was moving at a speed approaching 250 km / h.

Fifth circle. "Lotus" Jim could not overtake other cars. The driver uses the usual movement to press the gas and ... The rear of the car for some reason led to the left. Clark tried to straighten the car with a strong jerk, but she refused to obey. At a frenzied speed, auto slid sideways to the left shoulder of the road and, without encountering life-saving obstacles and obstacles, flew into the forest plantation zone.

From a powerful collision with a tree, the car flew apart. The engine and gearbox flew eighty meters along the wall, the front part of the body swept along the asphalt, and the driver himself, still in the cockpit, froze in place.

A second later the doctor arrived in time to stiffen in a dead stupor. Immovable Jimmy, with his head on his side, caused a hopeless exclamation from him: "He is still alive!".

Yes, the great racer was alive, but he died on arrival in the hospital because of a terrible neck fracture and a deadly head injury.

He was thirty-two years old ...

Causes of death

At first, it was announced that Jim Clark had not coped with the management. Then there were rumors that he had a broken left rear tire - punctured or flattened. But this did not explain the reasons for the terrible tragedy. The fact is that, having such a technical malfunction, the experienced rider could easily get out of the existing difficulties and stop the unruly car. And since this did not happen, it was necessary to look for other reasonable explanations for the death of the star of Formula-1.

Much later, after a long thirty years, it was found that the cause of the death of Clark was a serious malfunction of the car. Most likely, the rear suspension collapsed, because of what the racing car ceased to be obedient and controlled auto in the experienced hands of a professional.

Memories

About the death of Jimmy lamented many of his friends in the shop and even rivals, not to mention enthusiastic fans and fans. Everyone considered the Scotsman to be an exceptionally gifted rider, capable of winning more than one championship title. He was remembered as a good, faithful friend and a modest, polite person.

Now on the spot where Jim Clark died, a memorial cross was erected.