1965 Lotus 38: America Laughed at This British Car, Then It Humiliated the Indy 500

Comments · 355

• LE

  @LeoWuerde · 2 months ago · pinned

  Racing God JIM CLARK - Unmatched Maestro. By far the Greatest Driver Ever - No doubt. He is and was &quot;The Best of the Best&quot; (Fangio, Senna, Prost, AJ Foyt, Dan Gurney, Colin Chapman and countless others about Clark). No other driver in history until today was so superior as Clark - No other driver has so much &quot;Grand Slam&quot; ( 8 ! ) - Pole/Win/Fastest Lap/Leading every lap of the race - like him. And all that from just 72 GP starts...By the way: Also 25 GP wins, 33 poles, 28 fastest laps ! <br>This man is the Olymp of driving - the Michelangelo of racing - a dynamic art at the highest level. So smooth, so precise, so fast....simply out of this world. Particularly noteworthy: According to the Lotus mechanics, Clark had virtually no brake and tire wear - and this in conjunction with his extraterrestrial speed. <br> <br>Only mechanical unreliability prevented three additional world championships in 1962, 1964 and 1967. And although Clark is legendary for his incomparably gentle driving style, it is not for nothing that he was the only driver to drive the fragile BRM H16 engine in the Lotus 43 to his only GP victory. <br>One, who won in Spa by 5 minutes (!) in monsoon rain with only one hand at the wheel (!) due to gearbox trouble...One, who takes back a complete lap (!) in Monza and back into the lead... One, who took pole on the original 22,8 km Nürburgring track by 9 (!) seconds and more....One who won Indy by 2 whole laps. (!) <br> <br>Perhaps his greatest, but unrewarded, race however, was the 1000 km race on the old, 22.8 km long Nürburgring Nordschleife on May 27, 1962, in the rain. The first 11 laps of this race are considered by many to be unparalleled in Nürburgring history. Clark, in the small Lotus 23 with a 95 hp Ford engine, competed against the huge sports car competition from Ferrari and others with over 300 hp, and fielded with world-class drivers such as Phil Hill, Dan Gurney, and Willi Mairesse. Clark started seventh in the underpowered car. After the first lap, he already had a 25-second lead, and after the sixth lap, an incredible 1 minute and 45 seconds... To this day, Nürburgring experts speak of this driving demonstration from another galaxy. <br> <br>In 1965 he had the most succesful year of any driver in the history of the sport: He won the F1 World Championship, the Tasman Series with F1 cars, the Indy 500, the British and French F2 Championship, the British Touring car Championship, totally over 50 (!) victories in one season !!!! For eternity and by lightyears unmatched in the sport. That`s just some examples of his mesmeric unique genius...

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• NE

  @NevilleBishop · 2 months ago

  As a 14yo in Christchurch, New Zealand &nbsp;I spoke with Jim Clark...a gentleman, pleasant and happy to talk to kids, allowed to wander through the pits, even touching the cars! Shock! Horror! No wonder Clark was so good. He accommodated everyone...a gentleman.

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• PA

  @patrickgriffitt6551 · 2 months ago

  I attended that race. Probably the biggest highlight of my life. Graduated high school same year.

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• SP

  @sparky6086 · 2 months ago

  This Lotus was the best looking Indy car ever!

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• ST

  @stevehartley621 · 2 months ago

  Jim Clark won the Belgian GP in 1963 finishing five minutes ahead of the second placed driver!

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• SM

  @smooth_sundaes5172 · 2 months ago

  Was a big fan of Jim C;ark at a very young age. Very sad when we lost him.

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• KU

  @kurtbader9711 · 2 months ago

  Senna drove the car to the limits of its ability, Clark drove it like he was going home after work but really fast.

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• SI

  @simmadpaul2880 · 2 months ago

  That exhaust is a work of art 😮

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• JI

  @jimmeltonbradley1497 · 2 months ago

  Jim Clark was my car racing hero. I actually saw him with the British Grand Prix at Silverstone in 1965. Unforgettable.

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• WI

  @willlockler9433 · 2 months ago

  Never forget this. Native Houstonian here. AJ Foyt was our home town hero. Jimi Clark and Lotus opened my eyes. My son and I still get together on Sundays to watch &nbsp;F1.

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• SA

  @samanthajanesmith9591 · 2 months ago

  I remember watching Jim Clark as a kid - he was a hero, best driver of any era IMHO driving a fragile but fast car.

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• SA

  @samson-q2b · 2 months ago

  My Father and I were there ! &nbsp;We had excellent seats on the pit side &nbsp;just at the entrance to the pits. &nbsp;THREE firsts that year &nbsp;1. First year a rear engine car won &nbsp; 2. First for &nbsp;Good year tires &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 3. &nbsp; &nbsp;First for FORD &nbsp; I am 78 yrs old now .

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