Tam's Tall Tales

- Duns Tribute to Jim Clark


Jim Clark (graphic © Lothar Spurzen via Wikimedia Commons



Museum Celebrating Scottish Borders Farmer and F1 Legend
Duns enjoyed the 2015 Jim Clark Weekend when over 6,000 people turned out to see an array of classic Formula One cars and star drivers Sir Jackie Stewart and Allan McNish.

Sir Jackie Stewart (that's his racing car on the right displayed in the Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh) recalled how Jim Clark was "the man to beat" when he started his own Formula One career 50 years ago and said Clark had been a "very good friend" and would have been his second son's godfather but for the crash which claimed his life in 1968.

He was a very, very good friend," he said. "We shared an apartment in London together - two fellow Scots - in 1965, my first year in Formula One.

"I was on the podium with Jimmy three times, I think, the Belgian, the French and the Dutch grand prix. We were, in those days, called Batman and Robin and there was no doubt who was Batman and who was Robin. It was a great period in my life."

Fellow motor racer Allan McNish was also in Duns for the event, helping to mark the 50th anniversary of the season in which Jim Clark became the only man to win both the F1 and Indy 500 titles in the same year. It was the same season that Sir Jackie made his F1 debut. The graphic of Jim Clark on the left is from the US Grand Prix in 1968 ( © Rtsanderson via Wikimedia Commons )

The event was also designed to raise the profile of plans for a renovated Jim Clark Museum in Duns, projected for 2018. Jim Clark was killed in a Formula Two motor racing accident in Hockenheim, Germany in 1968. At the time of his death, he had won more Grand Prix races (25) and achieved more Grand Prix pole positions (33) than any other driver.

Ben Smith, secretary of the Jim Clark Trust, said that he hoped the enthusiastic response to the weekend would prove to be a springboard in terms of attention and funding for the development of the museum.

Please give me whatever feedback comes to mind via tamfromrampant@gmail.com.

Tam O'Ranter
May 2015

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