Ron Flockhart (racing driver)

Ron Flockhart
Born 16 June 1923
Died 12 April 1962 (aged 38)
Formula One World Championship career
Nationality United Kingdom British
Active years 1954, 19561960
Teams Maserati, BRM, Connaught, Cooper, Lotus
Races 14 (13 starts)
Championships 0
Wins 0
Podiums 1
Career points 5
Pole positions 0
Fastest laps 0
First race 1954 British Grand Prix
Last race 1960 United States Grand Prix

Ron Flockhart (16 June 1923, Edinburgh – 12 April 1962, Dandenong Ranges, Victoria, Australia) was a Scottish racing driver. He participated in 14 World Championship Formula One Grands Prix, achieving one podium finish and won the 24 Hours of Le Mans sportscar race twice.

Racing career

Flockhart started competing in 1951 in a Joe Potts Formula 3 car. He purchased the famous ERA R4D from Raymond Mays and in 1953 had a very successful season, beating one of the works BRMs at Goodwood. With podium finishes at Goodwood, Charterhall, Snetterton and Crystal Palace, as well as several hill climb successes, his rise to prominence had begun.

In 1956, driving for the small Scottish team Ecurie Ecosse, he won the 1956 24 Hours of Le Mans, sharing an ex-works Jaguar D-type with Ninian Sanderson. The following year he won again for the same team, this time sharing with Ivor Bueb, setting a distance record of 2,732.8 mi (4,398.0 km).[1]

Record flight attempts and death

In the early 1960s the United Dominions Trust made plans to break the record for the time taken to fly from Sydney to London in order to gain publicity for its UDT Laystall racing team.[2] A Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation-built Mustang World War Two fighter was purchased in Australia and Flockhart was engaged to make the attempt.[2] Flockhart departed Sydney in the Mustang, registered G-ARKD, on 28 February 1961 and after several delays due to bad weather finally ended the attempt at Athens due to engine problems.[2] Flockhart subsequently entered the London-Cardiff Air Race to be held in June that year but withdrew because G-ARKD was still in Athens.[2] G-ARKD was abandoned and another CAC Mustang, registered VH-UWB, was bought in Australia for Flockhart to make a second attempt at the Sydney-London record.[2] On 12 April 1962, while on a test flight in preparation for the record attempt, Flockhart crashed VH-UWB in poor weather near Kallista, Victoria and was killed.[2]

Formula One World Championship results

(key)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 WDC Pts.
1954 "B. Bira" Maserati 250F Maserati Straight-6 ARG 500 BEL FRA GBR
Ret*
GER SUI ITA ESP NC 0
1956 Owen Racing Organisation BRM P25 BRM L4 ARG MON 500 BEL FRA GBR
Ret
GER 14th 4
Connaught Engineering Connaught B Type Alta L4 ITA
3
1957 Owen Racing Organisation BRM P25 BRM L4 ARG MON
Ret
500 FRA
Ret
GBR GER PES ITA NC 0
1958 Owen Racing Organisation BRM P25 BRM L4 ARG MON
DNQ
NED 500 BEL FRA GBR GER POR ITA MOR
Ret
NC 0
1959 Owen Racing Organisation BRM P25 BRM L4 MON
Ret
500 NED FRA
6
GBR
Ret
GER POR
7
ITA
13
USA NC 0
1960 Team Lotus Lotus 18 Climax L4 ARG MON 500 NED BEL FRA
6
GBR POR ITA 25th 1
Cooper Car Company Cooper T51 Climax L4 USA
Ret

* Shared drive with Prince Bira

References

  1. The Times-Picayune, New Orleans, 12 June 1961, p. 34.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Anderson, Peter N. Mustangs of the RAAF and RNZAF. A. H. & A. W. Reed Pty. Ltd. Terry Hills, Sydney, NSW 1975. ISBN 0-589-07130-0

External links

Sporting positions
Preceded by
Mike Hawthorn
Ivor Bueb
Winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans
1956 with:
Ninian Sanderson
Succeeded by
Ron Flockhart
Ivor Bueb
Preceded by
Ron Flockhart
Ninian Sanderson
Winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans
1957 with:
Ivor Bueb
Succeeded by
Olivier Gendebien
Phil Hill