A farmer’s son born in north Fife who won two Formula One World Championships and the Indianapolis 500 is to be remembered in the US.
Jim Clark, regarded as one of the greatest motor racing champions, took victory in the ‘Indy 500’ in 1965, three years before he was killed in a Formula Two race in Germany.
Now, America’s Sportscar Vintage Racing Association is to honour Jim with a display of his Indianapolis 500 cars at its Brickyard Invitational at the speedway between June 11 and 14.
President and chief executive Tony Oarella said: “We just could not come to Indianapolis Motor Speedway on the 50th anniversary of Jim Clark’s victory and not do justice to this great champion.”
Raised on Wester Kilmany Farm, four miles north of Cupar, Jim entered five races at the high-speed American oval and came second twice, both in controversial finishes that motor sport historians continue to debate.
In the 1965 race, Jim dominated throughout, leading 190 of 200 laps and winning by over two minutes.
It was the first Indy victory for a non-American driver since Dario Resta took the chequered flag in 1916.
Clark could easily have been a multiple winner victory was also within sight in 1964 when a tyre problem caused suspension failure on his pole-winning Lotus car.
Controversy had prevailed the previous year when it appeared the Lotus driven by Parneiil Jones was leaking oil, but the black flag was never displayed and Clark took second.
Confusion reigned in the scoring of the 1966 race with Clark and his Lotus boss Colin Chapman convinced the ‘Flying Scot’ had won.
Clark drove to Victory Lane only to find Graham Hill already there.
Clark’s final appearance at Indiana-polis was early in 1968, just weeks prior to his death, when he tested a turbine car at the speedway.
In April 1968, Clark lost his life at the Hockenheim circuit in Germany, aged just 32.
He was racing in a Formula Two Lotus when a rear tyre is thought to have punctured suddenly on a corner. His single seater veered off the circuit into thick woodland and Jim was killed instantly.
Jim was six years old when he moved with his family to the Borders. But he is still remembered in Kilmany where a bronze statue was unveiled in 1997 by his friend, triple world champion Sir Jackie Stewart. To this day, the statue is often adorned with fresh flowers.