Continuing with rally drivers we now take a look at the driving prowess and raw technique of the Scottish Rally Driver - Colin McRae.

Born Colin Steele McRae on the 5th of August 1968, in Lanark, Scotland. Colin Began his motor racing career young, racing on trails bikes. The two wheel motor sports only kept his interest shortly though as he always seemed to take a shine to the four wheeled equivalent. When McRae was 16 years old he traded his Bike in for a Mini Cooper, a move that he planned in order to allow him to enjoy his new found favourite motor sport. With the Coltness Car Club Colin McRae began autotesting.

Within a year Colin had moved up, negotiating the use of a fellow club members Hillman Avenger. He used the car for the Kames Stages (single staged rally venue based near McRae’s home.) This stage saw McRae finish fourteenth although first in his class and overall he achieved a high position throughout.

This was just the start for the talented Colin McRae and by 1986 he was driving a Talbot Sunbeam in the Scottish Rally Championship. It was apparent to spectators of this rally that McRae was a force to be reckoned with, his fast driving and exciting style made fans draw comparisons to the Finnish World Rally Champion Ari Vatanen, someone that Colin had always considered a role model.

The following years saw Colin progress to a Vauxhall Nova, Ford Sierra XR and in 1987 he took part in his first WRC event - the 1987 Swedish Rally. Two years after that first WRC rally in his nova, Colin finished 15th overall in the same event but driving his Ford Sierra. He went on to finish 5th overall at Rally New Zealand driving a rear-wheel drive Sierra Cosworth.

Several years later saw the union of Colin McRae with the infamous Subaru Rally team. In 1991 he signed to the Subaru team (by prodrive boss David Richards.) With this team he entered the British Rally Championship, claiming the title in both 1991 and 1992, guaranteeing his place with the Subaru Factory team in the World Rally Championships.Driving the Group A Subaru Legacy built by Pro-Drive, McRae won his first WRC rally at that year’s Rally New Zealand. After this Subaru started using the Subaru Impeza 555 and following an eventful two years in which the top TTE ran Toyota’s were excluded for using illegal turbo-chargers, Colin collected the Drivers Title.

Colin McRae then continued to win rallies for the following years, especially in the more specialised arenas such as Safari Rally and Tour De Corse, although he continued to be beaten at the last post by Finlands Tommi Mäkinen (driving for Mitsubishi Ralliart.) He did however manage to aid Subaru in completing their 3 consecutive manufacturer’s titles in the meantime. 1998 Saw Colin win 3 more rallies, placing him third in overall standings as well as winning the “Race of Champions” in Gran Canaria.

A new year and a new team, in 1999 Colin McRae signed to the Ford M-Sport team, driving the brand new ford focus rally car. A move that instantly brought fruit for Colin as he breezed two consecutive wins at Safari Rally and Rally Portugal, however after numerous reliability issues from the new ford McRae managed sixth place in the championship standings. Colin made a comeback over the asphalt turns of Catalunya, dominated the gravel corners of Greece and managed 4th in the 2000 championship overall. McRae seemed to find it difficult to consistently drive within the new ford, with good and bad patchs such as failing to score at all in the first for rounds, only to score 3 consecutive victories in the rounds thereafter (Argentina, Cyprus and Greece.) However despite his dominating of the championship and heading into the final round in Great Britain, Colin again had problems with the car, crashing and loosing the first place in the drivers championship - a mere 2 points behind the Subaru team’s Richard Burns.

2002 saw McRae make the record books - the driver with the most event wins within the World Rally Championship, a record that has since been broken by Carlos Sainz, Sébastien Loeb and Marcus Grönholm. The first two who beat Colin’s record were to be his team mates in 2003 as he joined Citroën Rally Team.

Citroën had struck lucky the previous year with Loeb, but otherwise they had never really successfully targeted WRC. Colins addition to the team lead to a 1-2-3 finish on his debut race in Monte Carlo with Loeb and Sainz (Colin providing the second place position.) Unfortunately this was not a sign of things to come and McRae and he ended the season in seventh place with no victories and the Citroen team then decided to drop Colin for the following season.

In 2004 Colin was left without a drive, suitors Subaru chose another driver to partner with Petter Solberg and so McRae pursued some other interests, including competing in the famous Paris Dakar Rally as well as the 24 Hours Le Mans. In 2005 McRae also drove a Skoda Fabia WRC at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff -the Special Stage of the 2005 Rally GB.
Continuing for Skoda, McRae entered in one off drives for Skoda - 2005 Rally GB and Rally Australia saw him take seventh place, retiring due to a clutch problem on the Fabia.McRae Competed in the first live televised American rally in Los Angeles in 2006 as part of the X-Games. He rolled his car on the penultimate corner after landing skewed from a jump. Despite this he managed to retain a time only 0.13 seconds slower than the eventual winner named Travis Pastrana. Colin had one more final rally at World Championship level, replacing the then injured Loeb for Kronos Citroen at Rally Turkey, however an alternator problem restrained him and co-driver Nicky Grist to a final place below the top ten positions.

Colin McRae partook in numerous types of racing, his competitive desire to race stretching far from the World Rally Championship. He drove in Ascar (the UK equivalent of Americas NASCAR), as well as the aforementioned Le Mans 24 hour race, Race of Champions and Paris Dakar rally.

Colin McRae was the 1991 and 1992 British Rally Champion and the 1995 World Rally Champion. He lead Subaru to their constructors title three times in succession from 1995 to 1997. Appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 1996 Colin McRae was truly a Motor Racing Legend.

In a tragic accident on 15th September 2007 McRae, his Son Johnny and two family friends, Graeme Duncan and Johnny’s friend Ben Porcelli died when a helicopter they were in crashed to the ground. Piloted by Colin McRae it was identified that the crash was caused by mechanical failure. A tragic event for both motorsport and the families of the deceased.

Much like the other racing legends we have looked at in this series Solberg showed promising signs of his future prospects from a young age, participating in Remote Control Car Championships as a child and teen, winning a nationwide RC Car Championship at the young age of 13. Solbergs’ parents (mother Tove and father Terje) likely inspired his interest in motorsport and car racing, competing in Bilcross (a lower cost version of Norwegian Rallycross) and being general rally enthusiasts and Rallycross fans.

The family lived on a farm, where Petter used to help rebuild the competition cars, too young to drive this was as close as he could get to the rally cars, for now. Following in his parents footsteps Petter Solberg entered his first bilcross in 1992, the day after receiving his driving license (and 3 days after his 18th birthday.) Only three years later in 1995 Solberg won the Norwegian championship in both Rallycross and Hillclimb, winning a staggering 19 out of 21 events. Solberg then won both again the following year with an impressive 15 out of 19 events won. 1998 saw Petter Solberg become the Norwegian Rally Champion and for 5 consecutive years after his win his older brother (Henning) claimed the title!

With such unanimous wins Petter Solberg began to be noticed by the World Rally Championship team bosses, who realised his potential and proceeded to offer him test drives. In the end of 1998 Solberg won a comparative test drive that sealed an agreement that he would drive for three years as a junior pilot for the Ford Motor Company. When he started this role he was not expected to break any records or do any high profile rallying but Solberg managed to become a nominated points scorer for ford. This was partly due to the gruelling Safari Rally in 1999 in which after Thomas Radstrom sustained an injury that would take him out of the race, Petter Solberg replaced him as Colin McRae’s understudy.

2000 saw Solberg leave the Ford Motor Company team early, signing up with the Prodrive Subaru World Rally Team. At the time SWRT (Subaru World Rally Team) was led by drivers such as Richard Burns and Juha Kankkunen and Solberg’s first podium finish was delayed until the following year where he took the podium in the Acropolis Rally, Greece.

In 2002 Robert Burns left Subaru for Peugeot, opening the door for four-time champion Tommi Mäkinen to join and become Petter’s new team mate. Petter Solberg took his first ever World Rally Championship win in Wales (the Wales Rally GB) where he consistently drove well. Solberg won the event at Wales Rally GB again in 2003, providing him with his first World Championship Title.

The 2005 rally season was not lucky for Petter Solberg who was able to score 71 points in the year, severely hampered by Sébastien Loeb who won in his Citroen. He did win the Wales Rally GB, but this was marred after the death of Michael Park (Markko Martin’s navigator) who died in a crash on day three. Winning three rallies that year Solberg was considered to be affected by bad luck, most notably when he was forced to retire after hitting a kangaroo in the Telstra Rally Australia.

In 2006 Solberg continued to race for the Subaru Team behind the wheel of a new improved version of the WRC Impreza. He gained a main sponsor in 24SevenOffice with a large 5 million kroner (£450,000) sponsorship deal. Unfortunately Solberg did not manage any wins, only achieving a handful of runner-up places in Mexico, Australia and Argentina.

Petter Solberg has however got his 2007 season off to a better start where he managed a joint career best finish of 6th place in the Rally Monte Carlo. Since then he managed a third place finish in Sweden but had problems in Mexico, Argentina and Sardinia as he struggled with his Impreza. Retirements caused by technical problems saw Petter suffer a huge drop down the leader board.

Turning that around Petter managed a third place in the Acropolis Rally, which gives hope to his turnaround in the 2007 series.

Solberg is currently in 5th Position with 38 points between Sordo (4th) and his older brother in 6th place.

Petter Solberg is this weeks Motor Racing Legend, his team work and skill at Wales Rally GB mark him as a Motor Racing Legend. To see more photo’s and read more on Petter Solberg and his Prodrive Subaru Impreza WRC Car visit our Motor Racing Legends Gallery Or if you want to read more about other Motor Racing Legends here.

Michael Schumacher was born 3rd January 1969 in Hürth Hermülheim, Germany. Born to a bricklayer named Rolf Schumacher at the age of four was already driving, his dad modified a pedal kart, adding a small motorcycle engine to propel it. Schumacher managed to crash the kart into a lamp post in Kerpen, at which point his parents thought it a good idea to take him to the local kart track at Kerpen-Horrem. He joined the karting club there as their youngest member. Michaels father built him a better cart from discarded parts allowing Schumacher to win his first cup championship at only six years old!

Rolf Schumacher wanted to support his son’s new hobby and took on a second job renting and repairing karts at the track. Michaels mother (Elizabeth) worked at the tracks food stand to further support her son. Despite their efforts Schumacher soon needed a new engine which was to cost DM800 (around £240) and his parents could not afford it. Luckily he managed to continue racing through support offered by several local business men.

Schumacher enjoyed karting tremendously and even obtained a karting license in Luxembourg (aged 12) in order to get around the age restrictions in Germany. 1983 saw Schumacher win the German Junior Kart Championship at the age of 14, from which he continued to win many German and European races. In 1985 he joined the Eurokart dealer Adolf Neubert and by 1987 he was the German and European Kart Champion. Schumacher then withdrew from schooling to begin work as a mechanic, but by 1988 he was again moving up the formulas and started racing single seat cars in the German Formula Ford and Formula König series. He won the Formula König series that year.

In 1989 Micheal Schumacher signed to Willi Weber’s WTS Formula 3 team and for the following two years competed in the German Formula 3 Series, winning in 1990. At the end of 1990 Schumacher joined the Mercedes junior racing program and the World Sports-Prototype Championship along with his Formula 3 Rival Heinz-Harald Fretzen. Although some said this move was unusual, Schumacher was acting on the advice of Weber, who told Michael Schumacher that ‘exposure to professional press conferences and driving powerful cars in long distance races would help his career’.

Schumacher gained victory at the final race of the season in a Sauber Mercedes C11. This victory gave him 5th place in the drivers championship. Continuing with the team for the 1991 Season Schumacher again won the final race (this time at Autopolis in Japan) driving a Sauber Mercedes-Benz C291, which placed him 9th in the drivers championship. That year Michael also competed in a single race in the Japanese Formula 3000, claiming second place.Michael Schumacher made his Formula 1 debut with the Jordon-Ford team in the 1991 Belgian Grand Prix. He was acting as a replacement for Bertrand Gachot (who had been imprisoned for spraying cs gas at a taxi driver.) Schumacher was still at this point a contracted Mercedes driver, but was signed by Eddie Jordan after Mercedes Paid him $150,000. Schumacher learned the track before the race by cycling around it on a fold-up bicycle, which he had brought with him and when the race came Schumacher managed to qualify seventh, matching the team’s season-best grid position.

After this debut race Schumacher signed with Benetton-Ford, to which Jordan was not happy and applied for an injunction in the UK courts to prevent such a move, but lost the case as they had not yet signed a contract. Schumacher managed to finish the season (1991) with 4 points over 6 races.

The 1992 Season saw more negotiations between the newly entered Sauber Formula 1 team and Schumacher. But ultimately Michael stayed with Benetton, finishing 3rd in the Championship with 53 points. 1994 saw a similar outcome for Schumacher with a forth place overall finish (52 points.) Although he did manage a pole position and nine podium finishes.

1994 saw Michael Schumachers first Drivers Championship win. A mixed season, marred by the deaths of Ayrton Senna and Ronald Ratzenberger and scattered with allegations of cheating, and fines. Schumacher raced well although problems with his gear box and disqualifications based on cheating allegations meant Damon Hill managed to catch up. Damon would have taken first place had it not been for a crash between the two that saw Hill out of the race and Germany’s first Formula 1 World Championship.

In 1995 Michael Schumacher won a clear victory for Benetton, with Damon hill 33 points behind at the end of the season. Schumacher then moved to Ferrari, who at this point were considered far inferior to the other F1 teams. But in the following years he turned this around with continued efforts improving the team and even helping Ferrari win the Constructors title in 1999. At this point Mika Häkkinen also became a serious competitor for Schumacher. Three-time World Champion Jackie Stewart has said ‘the transformation of the Ferrari team was Schumacher’s greatest feat’.

The following three years saw three winning seasons for Schumacher, the 2000 world championship was Schumacher’s third, and the 2001 championship saw him finish with 123 points - 58 in front of the nearest competitor (Coulthard.)

2002 was an astounding year for Ferrari, the team who had been a running joke just 3 years ago won 15 out of 17 races and secured victory with six races to go. Schumacher drove the F2002, which is widely considered to be one of the most dominant racing cars in Formula 1.

In 2003 and 2004 Michael Schumacher’s achieved the last 2 of his record breaking 7 driver championships, notably in the 2004 Championship he managed to win twelve out of the first 13 races. The following two years saw the FIA’s attempts to make Formula 1 more interesting, with tyres required to last the whole race Ferrari lost its competitive edge with Bridgestone tyres not competing against Michelin.

Michael Schumacher retired in 2006 to work for Ferrari, picking the next generation of drivers. After the news got out, leading F1 figures such as Coulthard and Lauda hailed Schumacher as ‘the greatest all round racing driver in the history of Formula one’.

Schumacher has since been awarded for his legendary motoring from lots of different motoring bodies, with the Nürburgring renaming its turns 8 and 9 as the Schumacher S, the FIA awarding him their Gold Medal for Motor Sport and he has even won World Sportsman of the Year - twice!

Schumacher is undeniably a motor racing legend, he is often credited with popularising Formula 1 in Germany, has 7 championship titles and countless other records (most career wins, most wins in season, most career pole positions, most points in a season, most consecutive world championships, most consecutive race wins, most podium finishes, most laps leading, most fastest laps to name just a few.)

This concludes this weeks motor racing legend, if you would like to view some classic photographs of Schumacher or read more the click here to go to our motor racing legend gallery or perhaps read some more of our motor racing legends.

Born 21st March 1960 in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Ayrton Senna da Silva was the son of a wealthy Brazilian landowner. He started his life fascinated with cars, from a very young age he showed signs of his future career. Senna was diagnosed early on as having motor coordination difficulties, something which his father (also a motor racing fan) sought to improve when he brought Senna a 1hp (one horsepower) kart at the age of four! It is said that from then on he became a different boy, less awkward with more focus and great bursts of confidence which was to become somewhat of a Senna trademark later in his life.

Spurred on by Ayrton’s previous success with the 1hp kart his father purchased a full size kart (100cc) for the young Senna, which allowed him to further hone his ability’s. As soon as he was legally allowed (thirteen years old) Senna was entering kart racing competitions and won the South American Kart Championship in 1977. Proceeding to enter in the World Karting Championship, although he never accomplished more than the runner-up spot.

In 1981 Ayrton moved to England with his 19 year old wife Liliane Vasconcelos. He adopted his mothers name ‘Senna’, as “da Silva” had been very common in Brazil. They lived together in a rented bungalow near Snetterton. That very same year Senna won the British Formula Ford 1600 Championship for Ralph Firman and the Van Diemen Team.

Unfortunately to continue to stay racing and in England Senna required sponsorship, but with several up and coming Brazilian drivers already featuring in the higher Formulas Senna was unable to find sponsorship. Announcing his retirement he returned home to Brazil to work for his father.

After just four months at home Senna was longing for a racing career again and made the decision to return to motor racing. Liliane, having been brought up in a life of luxury and knowing that with his absolute passion for racing and focus for the sport decided that life would be a struggle with Senna. Refusing to follow Senna into racing once again they agreed to mutually separate, with the marriage ending in less than a year.

Senna got sponsorship (from his father and a Brazilian bank) in 1982 and returned for another year of racing. Joining the Russel Green Racing Team he entered the British Formula Ford 1600 Championship, winning it with a total of 22 wins. Senna also won the European Formula Ford 2000 Championship in the same year!

Senna did not stop there, progressing to British Formula 3 Championships, where he joined West Surrey Racing. Senna had been made a pre-season favourite for winning along with Martin Brundle and the competition was tough between the two drivers. After a tough fight for championship points it was to be that the Championship would be decided by the final race at Thruxton. Prior to the race Senna had his engine rebuilt and tuned by Novamotor, which seemed to give Senna the winning advantage as he went on to take Pole Position, the race and the Championship.

The conclusion of the season was at the Macau Grand Prix with drivers from each of the national series competing. Senna won, opening up serious opportunity for him to enter Formula one with a number of teams.

Given the choice Senna would have gone to Brabham but unfortunately Nelson Piquet, Brabham’s then leading driver, vetoed such a move. This meant Senna was left with the single choice of Toleman Hart. A classic example of the politics behind Formula one, Senna noted this and learned never to allow himself to be left outside the negotiations again.

From this move for the following ten years Senna was a force to be reckoned with in Formula one, driving for Lotus, McLaren and Williams. Senna managed a total of 41 wins starting with his first in 1985 (Portugal.)

Tragically Senna’s last race was the San Marino Grand Prix in 1994. A disastrous weekend of racing that many will never forget. During the Friday afternoon’s practice Ruben Barrichello’s car was launched onto the tyre wall, with enough force to keep him out of the race on Sunday. Saturday saw disaster as Senna’s young friend Roland Ratzenberger was killed during his practice. Upsetting Senna incredibly, the following morning before the race he began to talk to all of the other drivers, arranging a safety meeting. Furthermore he accepted the role of leader in an effort to establish a drivers safety group. Senna even went to his rival Alain Prost, apologising for his manoeuvre that took the championship from him.

The race was just as disastrous, beginning with a crash between JJ Lehto and Pedro Lamy ensuring that the safety car was out for several laps. Just two laps after resumed racing Senna left the track on the corner known as ‘Tamburello’. The race was red-flagged as medics and race marshals rushed to the track side, attempting to revive the young racing driver. A helicopter was called in to take him to hospital and the race restarted. No-one at this point was aware of the severity of Senna’s condition. Within hours it was announced on television that Ayrton Senna was on a life support machine, not capable of making a recovery. His parents rushed to the hospital, taking the advice from the doctors they then agreed to remove Senna’s life support. Ayrton Senna, the motor racing legend died at the young age of 34 years. Brazil immediately began to mourn its famous racing drivers death.

Senna was truly a motor racing legend, who had stopped mid race on numerous occasions to help other drivers who had encountered crashes. It was announced after his death that he had secretly donated millions of pounds over the years to children’s charities. His family started the Ayrton Senna Foundation to carry on this good work.

This concludes our article on Senna - The motor racing legend. If you would like to read more please view our motor racing legend gallery or perhaps read about some of our past motor racing legends.

Jimmy (or Jim) Clark OBE was born on the 4th March 1936 in a country farming family in Kilmany, Fife. Jimmy was the only boy out of 5 children and although his parents did not really agree, Jimmy started his racing career in local road rally/hill climb events. He drove his own Sunbeam-Talbot (pictured) in the local races and proved his driving ability from the beginning. It took Jimmy 2 years from his first ever race (16th June 1956 behind the wheel of a DKW sonderklasse at Crimond, Scotland) to get start racing for a team. Clark drove Jaguar D-Types and Porsches for the local Border Reivers team in national events, claiming 18 wins that year.

By boxing day that year, Jimmy had met the man who would catapult him to super stardom - Colin Chapman. Chapman was driving a Lotus Elite and beat Jimmy, however was impressed with Jimmy’s driving and so let me take a ride in one of his Formula Junior Cars.

Jimmy’s first year of Drivers’ World Championship (1963) was a phenomenal one, driving the Lotus 25 he won seven out of ten races which in turn gave Lotus its first Constructor’s World Championship title. In the same year he had also one rookie of the year honours for coming a close second in the Indianapolis 500, as he was slowed by oil on the track left by the winner (Parnelli Jone’s) car. The next year he had similar problems, loosing his World Championship title due to oil on the track and the Lotus’s fouled suspension meant Indianapolis 500 was not achievable.

This didn’t stop Jimmy Clark, who by the following year (1965) won both the Drivers’ World Championship and the Indianapolis 500. He also entered the history books for driving the first mid-engined car to a win at “Brickyard” - a famous track, this year was a good year for Clark, he was at this point the only driver to ever win both that race and the F1 title on the same year.

From 1966 the FIA decreed that new regulations would come into force, limiting engines to 3Litre Capacity. As a result Lotus lost some of its competitive spark and starting with a 2litre Coventry Climax engine (in a Lotus 33) were not very successful. But after the Italian Grand Prix Lotus started using the highly complicated BRM H16 engine (in a Lotus 43). Coupled with this car Jimmy Clark won the United States Grand Prix and second place at the Indianapolis 500.

1967 saw three completely different drives as Lotus used the Lotus 43, Lotus 33 and the Lotus 49. The Lotus 43 performed badly at the opening South African Grand Prix, which led Clark to use the older Lotus 33 in the next race at Monaco. However this car then retired with suspension failure. However these two unimpressive cars led to the use of the most successful Formula 1 engine in history. Lotus began its association with Ford-Cosworth, the resulting car was the Lotus 49 featuring the Ford-Cosworth DFV (the most successful Formula 1 Engine in history). Driving this car to its first win at the Dutch Grand Prix, Jimmy Clark then went on to win the British, United States and Mexican Grand Prix and in January of the following year (1968) the South African Grand Prix.

Jimmy Clark’s drive in the 1967 Italian Grand Prix makes Clark a motor racing legend, and is regarded by many as the greatest ever drive in Formula 1. He started in Pole Position, leading in the Lotus 49, when he encountered a punctured tyre, he lost an entire lap while having the wheel replaced. He then rejoined the race in 16th position, from which point he pushed his driving to its limits, lowering the lap record consistently until he was equal with his pole time of 1m 28.5s. He had made his way back to the lead and completely recovered his lost lap, unfortunately just before the finish he was to realise that his car had not been filled with enough fuel to maintain his limit pushing racing performance. He coasted across the finishing line in third place. Jimmy Clark’s performance on that race is still considered unmatched in Formula 1 history.

Unfortunately Jimmy Clark’s life and career ended in early April 1968. A tragic car crash saw the conclusion of a motor racing legend, Clark was supposed to have driven in the BOAC 1000km race at Brands Hatch but decided differently. He chose to race in a minor Formula 2 Race for Lotus. The race was held at Hockenheimring, Germany and he chose it largely due to his contractual obligations with Firestone. On his 5th lap tragedy struck as his Lotus 48 veered off the track and crashed into the trees, Jimmy Clark died instantly. The exact reason for the crash was put down to the rear tyre deflating, although never formally announced. Fellow racing driver Colin Chapman was devastated by the crash and publicly noted that he had lost his best friend. In respect Chapman ordered the traditional Lotus Badge (Yellow and Green) to be replaced with a black badge for the month following. The Lotus Team then won the 1968 Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship, Graham Hill was driving, pulling the heartbroken team together and holding off Jackie Stewart. He dedicated this win to Jimmy Clark.

Jimmy Clark was a Motor Racing Legend, he achieved 33 pole positions and won 25 races out of 72 Grand Prix starts. A great driver in whatever car he sat in, from a Lotus Cortina (with which he won the 1964 British Touring Car Championship), NASCAR (driving a Ford-Galaxie), IndyCar, RAC Rally (in 1966 he almost won until he crashed the Lotus Cortina.) Also driving in Le Mans 24 Hour race in an Astom Martin DBR1 he achieved a second and third place in 1959 and 1960.

Loved by many Clark left a wake of sorrow across racing. Chris Amon a fellow racing driver was quoted with saying “If it could happen to him, what chance do the rest of us have? I think we all felt that. It seemed like we’d lost our leader.” after Clark’s death. A life-size memorial of Jimmy Clark racing stands by the bridge over a small stream in the vilage of Kilmany, Fife.

Or if you would like to read more about Jimmy Clarke, we would recommend the following books -

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Hailwood is considered by many to be one of the greatest racers of all time, with his natural motorbike riding ability quickly gaining him the nickname ‘Mike the Bike‘. But his racing skills did not just encompass 2 wheeled machines, he is one of the few men to compete at Grand Prix level on both Motorcycles and in Car Racing.

Riding motorbikes from an early age, he started on a minibike as a small boy. Practising his motorbike riding in an eight-acre field close to his residence he managed to wear an oval track from the consistent laps he had rode on Sunday afternoons after church.

Mike Hailwood’s Motor Racing career then got started in 1957 when he was 17 and by 1961 he had won the 250cc World Championship for then a Japanese upstart factory named Honda. He then went on to claim the following wins in Grand Prix World Championships: 250cc (1966 and 1967), 350cc (1966 and 1967), 500cc (1962, 1963, 1964, 1965 - 4 consecutive Wins!) He closed his Grand Prix Motorcycle career with 76 wins and 112 podium finishes in total. As well as these amazing totals he also won the Isle of Man TT Island Mountain Course 12 times including 3 consecutive wins in the 1961 TT.

Moving on to cars Mike Hailwood never really had the same level success as he had done on motorbikes, however his achievements are noteworthy: He won the 1972 Formula 2, and earned a podium finish at the 24 hour LeMans. It should also be noted that Mike won over the hearts of the fans when in 1973 in the South African Grand Prix he stopped mid circuit to pull out Clay Regazzoni from his burning car caused by an accident, for this he won the George Medal - the second highest gallantry award that a British civilian can be awarded.

Mike Hailwood made a comeback at the 1978 Isle of Man TT, re-retiring the next year with 76 Grand Prix victories, 14 Isle of Man TT wins and 9 World Championships.

Mike Hailwood OBE, GM is this weeks Motor Racing Legend of the Week. For more information and some great racing photographs click here to go to our Motor Racing Legend Gallery.

Sir Stirling Craufurd Moss OBE (Stirling Moss) was born in London on September 17th 1929. He is a racing legend and had a huge amount of racing success across a variety of motor racing categories. He is often known as “The greatest driver never to win The World Championship.”.

Stirling first raced in 1948 and continued to do so professionally until 1962 - he won 194 out of 497 races he took part in. Of these 16 of the wins were Formula One Grand Prix wins. In a conversation with a reporter he is said to have explained his career as ‘525 races overall, as many as 62 in a single year, in 84 different cars‘. This is an astounding number of races, cars and they did cover several racing categories. Occasionally he would take part in different racing categories in the same day!!!

Stirling Moss was a British pioneer in the Formula One racing scene and has one a phenomenal amount of trophies, awards and races in his lifetime. The following is just an excerpt of these.

• 1955 - 1958 - placed second four years in a row in the Drivers Championship
• 1955 - Stirlings First Formula one win at Aintree in the British Grand Prix
• 1955 - Famous drive at Mille Miglia he won in 10 hours and 8 minutes
• 1957 - Stirling one the longest circuit to hold a Grand Prix (Pescara Circuit - 25km!)
• 1958 - 1960 - Stirling won the 1000km race at the Nürburgring, Germany 3 Years in a row
• 1990 - Inducted to the International Motor sports Hall of Fame
• 2005 - Segrave Trophy
• 2006 - FIA gold medal in recognition of his outstanding contribution to motor sport

Stirling Moss has driven an astound number of cars and raced for the following during his career:

• Maserati
• Vanwall
• Cooper
• Lotus
• Mercedes-Benz

Stirling Moss is this weeks Motor Racing Legend! for more information and some great racing photos of Stirling Moss visit our Gallery.