The 40th anniversary of the death of racing legend Jim Clark passed with little fanfare. The Scotsman was killed in a Formula Two race in Germany April 7, 1968.
Are there more qualified journalists to write about Clark than I? By far — I was just a few months past my fourth birthday when he died. But in my many years of racing, I have often heard him talked about as one of the greatest drivers of all time.
After reading several books on Clark over the years, seeing videos and hearing accurate first-hand accounts, I’ve come to realize he was truly a legend that should never be forgotten.
Last year Clark’s name resurfaced when Dario Franchitti became the first Scotsman to win the Indy 500 since Clark in 1965. Franchitti, who has a large collection of Clark memorabilia, openly calls Clark his racing idol.

For those reading this column who saw Clark race or met him, little I say will be new. For those who know him just as a name in the record books perhaps, a new appreciation will be developed.

For those reading this column who saw Clark race or met him, little I say will be new. For those who know him just as a name in the record books perhaps, a new appreciation will be developed.
Born on March 4, 1936 in Duns, Scotland, Clark tended to his father’s prized sheep farm after graduating boarding school. Racing various sedans and formula series led to a chance meeting with Colin Chapman of Lotus. The pair teamed and along the way changed the face of American Indy-car racing.
In 1963, they showed up at Indianapolis with a rear-engine car painted green, defying all the odds and upsetting the fraternity. To this day some loyalists hold them responsible for the end of front-engine Indy-car racing.
Should Clark have won the Indianapolis 500 more than once? Yes, he could have easily been a four-time winner. His 1965 victory saw him dominate, leading all but 10 laps.
His first of three short falls came in 1963, running second late in the race; leader Parnelli Jones began dropping oil, making it hard for Clark to run behind Jones. Jones oiled the track enough by today’s standards to create three NASCAR cautions. However, the smoke stopped near the end of the race and Jones, in the traditional roadster, held off Clark’s rear-engine car for a disputed victory.
In 1966, Clark spun twice during the race, and at the conclusion of the race Clark drove into victory lane only to see Graham Hill celebrating. There were many questions on how many laps Clark may have completed, running identical team cars Clark and Al Unser may have had their scoring cards confused, creating a question as to where Clark actually finished, first or second?
During his era, Clark raced outside of Formula One in sedans, Formula Two and other disciplines. In 1965, after his Indianapolis victory, Clark won the next five Formula One races on his way to his second title. He also claimed the Tasman Formula series title three times and boosted 163 victories in a career spanning 12 seasons.
His remarkable Formula One record shows 25 wins, 33 poles and 32 podium finishes in 72 starts. His first F-1 title, in 1963, saw him win seven of ten races. He also made a NASCAR start at Rockingham in 1967.
Clark was a quiet, gracious, well-mannered man, who despite the two questionable second place finishes at Indianapolis, never held resentment but simply moved on and tried again. A far cry from today when we’d have several appeals processing and protests; sound like Indianapolis in 2002?
Records aside, Clark was Scotland’s first racing hero. The biggest part of his legacy may just be the influence he had on Jackie Stewart, David Coulthard and Dario Franchitti.