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Jim Clark honoured at Silverstone Classic

Published 17 July 2013

Final plans to celebrate the racing achievements of double world driver's F1 champion Jim Clark at this summer’s Silverstone Classic (26-28 July) have been confirmed. As previously announced the two historic Formula One races for grand prix cars dating back to the early 1960s are being dedicated to Clark as well as a commemorative dinner.

Set in the Silverstone Wing building, the inaugural BRDC Silverstone Classic Dinner will be held on Friday 26 July almost exactly 50 years after Clark won the British Grand Prix at Silverstone on 20 July 1963 en route to his first World Championship crown. Open to members of the British Racing Drivers’ Club and Silverstone Classic competitors, the evening will include special tributes to the Scotsman – a racing legend who is still widely hailed to be Britain’s greatest ever Grand Prix driver.

Adding further to the special golden anniversary celebration, the Jim Clark Trust will be displaying around 20 of the trophies currently on show at the Jim Clark Room – the museum located in Clark’s home town of Duns, Berwickshire. Several members of the Clark family will also be savouring the evening.

Famous cars once raced by Clark won’t just be on static display. The entry list for the two hugely evocative Jim Clark Trophy for Pre-1966 Rear Engined Grand Prix Cars showdowns organised by the Historic Grand Prix Cars Association (HGPCA) is headed by a number of the Lotuses in which the talented Scot scored so many of his stirring victories.

Foremost among these is the very Lotus 25 in which he won the 1963 British Grand Prix at Silverstone en route to his first world championship crown. In total, Clark won the British Grand Prix on no fewer than five occasions – a tally that remains unbeaten to this day – and three of these victories were at Silverstone.

Clark’s earlier Formula One career is well represented by two slab-sided 2.5-litre Climax-powered ex-works Lotus 18s raced by John Chisholm and Paul Smeeth. Also lining up is the unique Type 32B which carried Jimmy to the 1965 Tasman Cup title in the Antipodes with American lawyer Chris Locke at the helm.

General admittance tickets to the Silverstone Classic must be purchased in advance by Thursday 25 July. Full details can be found on the official www.silverstoneclassic.com website.