Jim Clark
James Clark OBE (4 March 1936 – 7 April 1968) was a British racing driver from Scotland who won two Formula One World Championships in 1963 and 1965. A versatile driver, he competed in sports cars, touring cars, and in the Indianapolis 500, which he won in 1965. He was particularly associated with Team Lotus, driving for the team his entire Formula One career between 1960 and 1968.
| Jim Clark OBE | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Clark in Zandvoort in 1965 | |||||||
| Born | James Clark 4 March 1936 Kilmany, Fife, Scotland | ||||||
| Died | 7 April 1968 (aged 32) Hockenheim, Baden-Württemberg, West Germany | ||||||
| Championship titles | |||||||
| FIA World Drivers' Championship (1963, 1965) British Saloon Car Championship (1964) Tasman Series (1965, 1967, 1968) Major victories Indianapolis 500 (1965) | |||||||
| Formula One World Championship career | |||||||
| Nationality | British | ||||||
| Active years | 1960–1968 | ||||||
| Teams | Lotus | ||||||
| Entries | 73 (72 starts) | ||||||
| Championships | 2 (1963, 1965) | ||||||
| Wins | 25 | ||||||
| Podiums | 32 | ||||||
| Career points | 255 (274) | ||||||
| Pole positions | 33 | ||||||
| Fastest laps | 28 | ||||||
| First entry | 1960 Dutch Grand Prix | ||||||
| First win | 1962 Belgian Grand Prix | ||||||
| Last win | 1968 South African Grand Prix | ||||||
| Last entry | 1968 South African Grand Prix | ||||||
| Champ Car career | |||||||
| 9 races run over 5 years | |||||||
| Best finish | 6th (1963) | ||||||
| First race | 1963 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis) | ||||||
| Last race | 1967 Rex Mays 300 (Riverside) | ||||||
| First win | 1963 Tony Bettenhausen 200 (Milwaukee) | ||||||
| Last win | 1965 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis) | ||||||
| |||||||
| 24 Hours of Le Mans career | |||||||
| Years | 1959–1961 | ||||||
| Teams | Border Reivers | ||||||
| Best finish | 3rd (1960) | ||||||
| Class wins | 0 | ||||||
Clark was killed in a Formula Two racing accident in April 1968 in Hockenheimring, West Germany. At the time of his death, aged 32, he had won more Grand Prix races (25) and achieved more pole positions (33) than any other driver. Into the 21st century, he maintains several Formula One records, such as Grand Chelem and percentage-related ones. His record of highest percentage of laps in the lead in a season was only broken in 2023.