Jim Clark 1968

[launchpad]

It was Jim Clark's birthday on 4/3/36 .
Here are a few of my favourite photos of Jim Clark at Longford in 1968.

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Jim at Newry Corner, entering the Flying Mile, and at the end of the Flying Mile - lining up for Mountford Corner.
Although he finished fifth, he was presented with the Tasman Cup as championship winner. This was his last title, and was dead on 7 April.

[kiwi285]

Pretty rough times back then and the roll of drivers killed is shocking. So many great drivers never made it through that period. I guess that we were lucky to see such top flight drivers here racing and for that we are thankful. I was in Australia in 66/67 and took in the Warwick Farm and Sandown Park meetings. I remember spending about 20 minutes talking to Jim whilst we watched his mechanics working on his car. Magic times.

[Oldfart]

I often reflect on how lucky we were to see the great drivers of the time, and how easy it was to talk with them. At Pukekohe he asked if my friend and I could give a hand to carry wheels from the paddock just below the grandstand across to the pits. I know we didn't need to be asked twice, and spent the rest of the day in his pit. Magic memories. We would have been 15 or so at the time!

[Ray Bell]

And you call yourself 'old'?

One of the best races was the previous week at Sandown, dicing all the way with Chris Amon in the little Ferrari for the Australian Grand Prix. I was there for that one but I missed Longford.

[khyndart in CA]

Mike, Ray and Rhys,
Those are really wonderful memories that you have of Jim and thank you for sharing them.
I was not good with history at school but April 7 1968, June 2 1970 and May 1 1994 will always be etched in my brain with the memories of Jim, Bruce and Ayrton.

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Ken H

[John H]

I spoke to Pears Courage in the pits. I was a little freaked out with such a post accent but he seemed friendly enough. He was in the little McLaren that year. Was that the same year as these photos? Great photos thanks. :)

[Ray Bell]

Yes, that was the year Piers drove the M4a...

I'm sure launchpad has some great pics from that race too.

[GD66]

This natty Lance J Ruting (god how I wish that had been my name) shot from WF
is on autopics.com.au :cool:

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[Ray Bell]

Heading straight towards me!

[Oldfart]

"Interesting" cockpit cooling scoop! Post #8

[Ray Bell]

Cooper had similar in the late fifties, probably into 1960...

[khyndart in CA]

49 years ago today we learnt the dreadful news that Jimmy Clark had died at a F 2 race at the Hockenheimring circuit in Germany.
Here is a photo of Jimmy as he enters his final lap. April 7. 1968.
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We will never forget him.
I think Dan Gurney towards the end of this tribute sums it up well when he emotionally states that motor racing was never the same again after Jimmy died.
R.I.P. Jimmy.


https://youtu.be/c0fMoPgsA3M


(Ken Hyndman )p.s. This was a tough time as just 2 days later the "Wahine" ferry sank in Wellington harbour. I remember all this very vividly.

[Oldfart]

And we will never really know what happened. I feel there was a lot of "butt covering" in many places.
RIP

[John H]

And we will never really know what happened. I feel there was a lot of "butt covering" in many places.
RIP
Hi Oldf.. Was it not just a case of flat tyre? Do you have a theory? What a sad photo...

[SPman]

Chris Amon had a very firm idea of what happened!

[Oldfart]

Chris Amon had a very firm idea of what happened!
Care to share?

[khyndart in CA]

April 7 1968.
From the crash site photos it does seem that the right rear tire has a lot more stress than the left rear which could be due to deflating before the accident ?

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Although in this clip it seems Graham Hill is very interested in what I believe is a damaged front hub assembly. (Is that correct ? )

https://youtu.be/fyMD9HodD9w

(Ken Hyndman )

[Grant Sprague]

442654426644267 Die cast model of Jims car my father bought me for my birthday as a Clark fan , Wigram about 1968...while we were getting the bread van anglia read for practice , the Rindt lotus painting was a gift from my father ..

[SPman]

Care to share?
...suspension failure.

[Kwaussie]

I think at Chris Amon's cricket match.

[John McKechnie]

Suspension failure........

That still covers a lot of components -any thing more precise?

[Grant Sprague]

John I did a search as probably you did , nothing supports a final verdict , as we know very well in that era , Chapman went lighter & lighter on his engineering to achieve more power to weight & things kept breaking , if this was a wet race who would really know at 170 mph and no witness , hardly be driver error unless aquaplaned or a tyre ? any ones guess ? what do you think . Only person I knew that got close to Clark was Roly he mentioned that Jim would leave some of his fire proof clothing etc behind for the locals also Jim became good friends with Marion [Roly,s wife] freinds only that it .