In 1964 America’s greatest race, ‘The Indy’, was won by Britain’s Jim Clark

Posted in America, Cars, Historical articles, Sport, Sporting Heroes on Thursday, 28 June 2012

Click on any image for details about licensing for commercial or personal use.

This edited article about Jim Clark originally appeared in Look and Learn issue number 743 published on 10 April 1976.

Clark wins the Indy, picture, image, illustration

Jim Clark winning ‘The Indy’ by James E McConnell

No Briton had won America’s great race, the Indianapolis ‘5000’ until Jim Clark, in his Lotus car, decided that a British victory was long overdue

An inferno of blazing fuel killed two American drivers in that 1964 Indianapolis ‘5000’. This halted the race for an hour and 45 minutes. When it was over, Scottish driver Jim Clark in his English Lotus car, raced into the lead at the 47th lap.

Burning tyres cost him the race. But next year he was back and became the star of the race. When he drove into the pits on his 66th lap, he was well in the lead.

Even after 150 laps, Clark was so far ahead he could relax and give his rivals a few seconds.

It’s history now. Clark won, the first British driver to do so at Indianapolis since the race began in 1911.

In 1968, Clark paid the price of his dangerous career. He died when his Lotus 48 crashed in a Formula II race at Hockenheim, West Germany.

He was the greatest Grand Prix driver of all time with more than 24 world championship race victories and was twice world champion (1963 and 1965).

Comments are closed.