The Best Racer Of All Time?!? (Racing Legends: Jim Clark)
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- Опубліковано 4 лют 2023
- The first in a series about some amazing drivers from history.
Starting with one of my favorites, Jim Clark.
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For me Jim is the "GOAT". I was in short pants when he arrived on the Motor Racing scene and was heart broken when both my heroes of the time, Jim Clark and Donald Campbell died within a few months of each other.
Great video. No doubt in my mind absolutely the best to sit in a cockpit. In a hugely competetive era of fully manual, and incredibly fragile, machinery and zero error circuits (where errors often meant paying a severe price) he pretty much destroyed everyone in every category he turned his hand to.
Some of his performances (Germany 62, Belgium 63, Britain 65, Netherlands 66, Italy and USA 67 just for starters) are pretty much motorsport miracles. Some of the machinery he dragged over the line had no business finishing races. He dominated the 1965 World Championship in a car his team mates managed just a singe podium with and was 40bph down on the opposition.
And then there's Indy (arguably should've been a 3 time winner with 63 and 66 being controversial), Tasman (basically his Championship from 65 to 68), the BSCC (64 Champion and usually a race winner whenever else he tried), Sports Cars (fantastic wins for the Border Reivers and even able to win in some dire Lotus Sports Cars). Hell he entered the 1966 RAC Rally for fun and stunned everyone with stage wins first time out.
The man was astonishing
Nothing to add - "The Best of the Best" - see also my comment.
I never met Jim, but his girlfriend, Sally (Stokes) Swart has long been one of my most cherished friends. Through Sally, I learned what a wonderful, gentle man - and driver he was. Rest in peace, Jim...............
great words.
He had a great fan too who went to visit his school.....his name was Aryton Senna.
Absolutely one of the best a True racer and did so without any controversy
JIM CLARK - By far the greatest driver ever - no doubt. He is and was "The Best of the Best" (Fangio and Senna about Clark). No other driver in history until today was so superior as Clark - No other driver as so much "Grand Slam" - Pole/Win/Fastest Lap/Leading every lap of the race - like him. And all that from just 72 starts... !
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. One, who won in Spa by 5 minutes (!) in monsoon rain with only one hand at the wheel (!) because of 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...For eternity and by lightyears unmatched in the sport. That`s just four examples of his mesmeric unique genius...
He Still doesn’t get the respect he rightly deserves and deserves. Killed way too young!!
Quite probably the most naturaly gifted driver ever and also Ayerton Senna needed a hero too.
Legends inspiring legends!
A magnificent human being, blessed with unequaled talent and natural ability, combined with admirable humility. When competing in the early 1960s at the US Grand Prix in Watkins Glenn, Jim Clark and Colin Chapman would share a room in a local motel. Compare that to today's pampered F1 primadonna drivers and ego infested team principals. Jim Clark was my hero and even today I remember how devastated I was on that fateful day in early April 1968. Jim Clark was a true giant of motorsports.
@@Mad.As.Hell.Infidel👍🇦🇺
Gilles Villenuve matched Senna, for inate talent, the 2 never went head to head. It's impossible to pin down any single greatest of all time.
met him in 1966, i was 11 yrs old and my dad had pit passes at Indy from a friend of his for AJ Foyt , was a great day and i got alot of autographs
Even in todays discussions on the best driver this and that with everyone saying Hamilton, Senna or even Verstappen being this naturally gifted driver I always mention Clark's name. He was the benchmark, and even if you spoke to his rivals back then and asked them who was the best, they just shrugged and pointed to Jimmy. Normally every driver thinks he is the best, "just give me this good car... " but everyone acknowledged Clark as being THE guy. The only one coming close to that was Schumacher who was being hailed as something else by his peers, but that was in an era where people didn't die every 2 races. So being at the forefront of so many races you just have to be in awe of what Clark was able to do.
I don't know what you are talking about but.... it's pretty much universally known that SENNA is the best, even amongst his peers and not just from the fanboys. Not to undermine what these racers of the earlier years in F1 such as Jim Clark and Juan Fangio accomplished but, you sometimes wonder how they would fare having to deal with a 1,000 raw horsepower car of the 80's or 90's.
@@tonykartracer8032 That being said, anybody would wonder how Senna or Schumacher would've gone back in Jimmy's day. I personally think that they would've shit themselves, what with nothing but haybales between them and certain death & tyres a mere 4 inches wide for grip. Just a driver - a real driver - calling on nothing but his courage and skill to reach the top. While I'm not denigrating the formers achievements, but all they need do is hit a button to get more grip, flip a switch for more straight line speed and the like. The best thing about Jim Clarke was the fact that he was very down to earth and not a prima donna who thought that his shit didn't stink. Jim was & always will be the greatest.
Clark was the best
@@tonykartracer8032when asked who was the best,did Senna not say Clark.?
Fangio once said that Clark was the best driver he'd ever seen.
I idolized him as a kid .When he died I couldn't believe it ,my heroes never died they looked like they would but the script always had it that they were fine. I dont think I was ever the same again after we lost Jim.
He is the best F1 driver by a mile; class act
Here, here. My all time racing hero. Living in Australia I never missed an opportunity to watch him race whenever he was within traveling distance from home. Thanks for a nostalgic foray into my youth.
No doubt the best ever, a talent never seen before or since, from a far higher authority.
just saying no way this man only has 218 subs sorry 219 now after watching that has to be one of the best vids of racing really good editing the vid keep it up
Thank you for the support! 🙌
I wrote a paper and made a oral presentation about him ..(I agree with Leo) By Far the greatest F1 driver and Gentleman ..Imagine what he could have accomplished if he had a longer life ...he could/would have inspired and possibly mentored others 👍even more than he did
Jimmy Clark was my childhood hero and I once had the chance to sit down and talk with Derek Bell for an extended amount of time and he is also said Jimmy Clark was his hero growing up I would say that's a pretty good endorsement
The best ever from tractors to f1, he would make a heap of junk fly, RIP Jim sleep well in the memory , that you will never be forgotten, or bettered.
Él y Fangio. Nacieron para correr. Un talento nato. Nunca lo ví correr, pero lo tengo cómo mi ídolo. Un Mega corredor.
As a young race fan in the 1960's Jim was my favorite active driver. As an American kid at that time I was introduced to F-1 watching a TV interview with Sir Sterling Moss. Thank you for this video I had no idea of all Jim's accomplishments in other series he raced in during his career. It truly was a sad day for me when I learned of his death.
Legend, in his own lifetime. A shining example of a true gentleman and sportsman.
Jim clarke was a Real Racing Driver Because he Raced Everything he could at the same time , not just one series in one year he did the lot all at once all round the world sometimes in different countries on the same day his attitude and humility was something that todays top drivers could use a bit of , I"m looking at You Mr Hamilton And You Too Mr Verstappen
Those pampered primadonnas will never come close to the natural talent of Jim Clark. And today's drivers are as full of ego as Jim Clark was full of humility.
Having studied Jim Clarks successes and the control he maintained, it makes me despair of lewis hamilton and his blame everyone but himself when it starts going downhill attitude. As was stated, those cars required driving, not being a steering wheel attendant while pit crew managed the car for you! Another driver of equal standing to Clark was John Surtees, both on two wheels and four, an often forgotten supremo!
Sportsmanship in general was much more present back then compared to today. But Jim was just such a class act with what seemed like no idea of just how brilliant he was. Today’s sports people would need to try ultra hard to have what was natural to Jim
There are a few key points not mentioned here; When he died he had the most wins ever in F1, The most poles ever in F1, the most fastest laps ever in F1, the most grand slams ever in F1. He never had a contract to state that his teammate would pull over if required. He did not drive others off the track like some have more recently. He also won at plowing matches, rallying, and stock car racing. Make no mistake that NO other driver comes close to this man, not even Ayrton Senna and that's saying something.
GOAT- The End. Awesome talent. Superb sportsman- a real gentleman.
His knowledge and skill has never been equaled. He had a sense that made the car and himself as one. The story of him feeling when things were not right with the car made him legendary. One can not compare todays F1 drivers to him, he was a class act.
This is the best video tribute to Clark I’ve ever watched.
I quit following F1 after April 7, 1968. But I never really cared for the races as I did about following Clark. Endurance racing was really my thing, Challenge Mondial and World Endurance. Championship
Always my favourite driver. That ability to just get into anything and drive the socks off of it. I think he and Chapman also were my favourite team. Difficult to find the words how much...
Very nicely told! What a brilliant racer Jim Clark was....his physique and looks remind me a little bit of another great one: Ayrton Senna....
A very good outstanding insight to Jim Clark's achievements in his career.
Ultimate driver sportsman and gentleman. Like most great things they just don’t make em like they used to
Excellent video, my maiden name is Bell and my younger Brother, Jim and I are both members of Clan Bell N.A., our Paternal 2X Grandfather emigrated from Paisley to Philadelphia in 1859.
My late Husband, David and I were blessed enough to have owned and enjoyed our 1991 Lotus Esprit, Jim Clark Edition from 1997 until my Husband passed in 2011 afterwards I gifted "Jimmy" as we referred to the Esprit to our Daughter. She and her Husband sold "Jimmy" about two years ago and he lives in Canada now. We had many great memories of our Lotus and were members of Lotus Cars Ltd. for years and went to many annual club events and British car shows. We made many friends over the years, but most of us don't live anywhere near to one another.
Great car, great friends, and even greater memories, thanks to Jim Clark and Colin Chapman!
Dad was the biggest Jim Clark fan you could ever meet. Being stationed in Germany for alot of the 50’s and 60’s he would always tell me of listening to him on the radio down shifting and how it impressed him so. Not til the 80’s did we know he was born on the EXACT day as my pop. He has been gone since 07 and would so loved all these videos. THANK YOU SO MUCH for making this.
I can picture a man listening to downshifts with a smile and goosebumps.
Pure talent best F1 racer
Best I've ever seen. Genius.
Jim Clark, forever my favourite
incredible production, more people need to find you
My all time motor sport hero
Brilliant video, well done!
Remember the tasman series when i was a nipper ; it was awesome , and so was Jim . . .
A true racer....The Greatest.....and what a man!
Great Video. What a legend he was!
Wow, great video 👏👏👏
Thank you! 😃
Great video, very sad ending of course.
Another doco about this great driver, concise but well put together and narrated. Some people say they never forget where they were when a significant event happened. I was a 10 year old in bed listening to the news on my crystal radio when I heard about Jim’s demise.What a bad day that was for me. I have yet to figure out how someone can have a “natural talent” for excelling in a man-made machine. What an inspiration and legacy for us petrol heads.
I am Brazilian and therefore South American and I would have reason to consider Fangio or one of the three great Brazilian champions (Fittipaldi, Piquet or Senna) as the best of all time. But for me, who has been following motorsport since the 60s, there is no doubt. Jim Clark is undoubtedly the best and most complete driver of all time, regardless of era, cars, technologies, etc.
Nice one mate, good little piece you done on Jim there.
Thanks 👍
A lovely tribute.
Don't forget that in addition to his 25 GP wins he won a further 19 non champioship F1 races (out of 56 starts) and an incredible 15 Tasman races out of 32 starts.
In today's world these were the equivalent of F1 GPs so 59 top formula wins from 160 starts.
Compare that with the moderns.
Definitely the GOAT IMO and my all time hero.
Look at Leo Würde's comment below and remember that he hated Spa!
And one whole lap recovered at Monza where the closet ever GP finish would take place with the first five cars crossing the line in less than one second!
My 4 wheel racing idol. 63 races in a year!?
My motorcycle idols are Mick Doohan, Casey Stoner, & Eddie Lawson.
A deflating tyre! So sad.
You don't mention anything about his driving style.
Farmers are so underrated. Class.
Not too clued into the motorbike scene so I’ll have to give Mick, Casey & Eddie a look into!
I could make a whole other video on Jim’s driving style, he was just so smooth with the cars he drove, Hardly any wear on the machinery compared to other drivers. A true natural talent!
A very nice tribute . Thankyou
Brilliant!! Thank-you for the perspective so few will ever realise. Just astonishing achievements 👌
Nice video
I did enjoy this, very much, thankyou... perhaps I was still young in those days, born sep 1950.... in an era when so many young men could enter motor racing, as the costs then were just affordable, with a little help, and dreams of getting into F1 sometimes became reality... Yes I grew up in New Zealand, and with the Tasman series being so open, I had the chance to meet the likes of Jim, Jack Brabham, a grouchy Graham Hill, Bruce Mclaren, and a man who was for a short time a freind, Jochen Rindt, and many others... Great times,and unfortunately throuch this era, great losses
With better race prep, it would have been about 30 GP wins, 5 World Championships, and 3 Indy 500 wins. Lotus cars were fragile, which Clark could drive around. But basic flaws like bad tires and poorly secured bolts cost him many races (notably South African in 1962 and Mexico in 1964) and, in the end, his life.
Excellent video, visited Jims grave on a number of occasions, spoke to an elderly lady who knew Jim, saw Ian scott watson and a few other famous people at the Chirnside anniversary of Jim's death.
The humbleness and lack of ego is what's missing most.
Definitely the GOAT
Very good video. Jim Clark was an amazing talent, often driving sub-standard machinery. For me, quite clearly the best, by a country mile. Some small observations, if you are planning a successful series yourself. Le Mans, being a French name is pronounced without the ‘s’ on the end. Similarly coupé is a French word, and when applied to a British car such as a Lotus, then confusingly the ‘é’ is pronounced. I am aware there is a large country across the Atlantic, who have chosen to mispronounce many European derived words, but to my ears they describe their 2 door cars as chicken homes, which may be appropriate in many cases.
And Berwick is pronounced "Berrick" 😀
Love!
Hard to argue against him. But for mechanical failures he would have been a F1 5 x WDC.1962, 1964 and 1967. He did have by far the fastest car in most of his F1 career though.
I would Jim Clark was & still is the great racing driver of all. 😃😃
Jim Clark was fantastic, but John Surtees was the racers racer. Won a World Championship in F1, but won 7 GP Championship in two different motorcycle classes. You could say he had a need for speed!
Mario Andretti won in everything from midgets to F1, NASCAR to sportscars and even offroad and dirt. And then there's Indy. No other driver comes remotely close to his accomplishments in so many varied categories.
Here it is...55 years since his untimely death (4-14-2023, the date I'm writing this comment) by several days and literally, everytime his death date rolls around over the years, I remember the "Greatest" in my all-time auto racing favorites, the Scottish driver, Jimmy Clark. All good noted acolades of him are accurate: smooth, focused, knew how to make a racing car work its best. Amazing! Clark would have been even better in his sport had he continued few more years in auto racing. I think he even would have won Indy one more time. I would say, 1969 the year.
Jim Clark today would still be better than Schumacher Senna Hamilton Verstappen etc etc etc , the most natural gifted F1 driver ever , the G.O.A.T.
Forget ye not that Clark set Moss as his standard
Fangio stated that Jim Clark was the best F1 driver ever. All you need to know.
Er, some commentary errors here, the Sunbeam is a TALbot not a talBOT and Berwick is not BERwick.
Quite funny when modern F1 drivers complain about a 23/24 race calendar
They actually had to shift gears back then, with or without the clutch.
There's a hole still in the sport.
wasnt a tire that killed Jimmy..it was a fuel metering issue causing the engine to cut off and cut back on. anyone who knows anyhting about the "cigar cars" of that era, knows what happens when the "squat" comes off the back of these cars.
Jim Clark. The best racer of all time by far. Same with Ayrton Senna.
To my mind he was the GOAT of F1, Hockenheim ended his life and cut short his career.
I was born in Indianapolis in 1962. Clark was a "rock star" in this City. I do not believe there has been another of his talent since. Senna had the speed but was "sportsmanship" delete! Just unlikable from this quarter. Clark and Chapman left an indelible mark on the history of Motorsport.
Nice video but PLEASE note "Le Mans" is pronounced with a silent "s".
Both Fangio and Senna said Clark was the best. I'll go with their opinions.
Is there a best racing driver of all time ? Maybe not but jim Clark would be a contender
USAC is pronounced as a word...U sac!😊
You skipped a major event in 1961 - the tangle with Von Trips at Monza.
Don't think he would have wanted to die no other way
People muss stop who is the best F1 driver. Why each driver as is own Era
Although spelt ‘Berwick,’ it’s pronounced “Berwick,” silent ’W’
😭
The Best Racer of all time ......Germany 57
The Master Fangio
Fangio said Jim Clark was the best driver of all time.
It's a pity we have to choose "best". Fangio and Clark were the best of their generation, and their exploits set a benchmark for driving excellence. Jackie Stewart also was a natural at the wheel.
Those decades were the true golden era of F1 racing, before money, technology and unsporting behaviour became the norm.
Taking another driver out, such as with Senna, Prost and Schumacher at various times, disqualifies them from the greatness accorded to drivers of earlier decades.
Winning isn't everything.
It's how you win.
One or two errors, but nice tribute.
LEGEND NOT LEGAND !
Whoops! 😳
Ber wick????
It's pronounced Berrick!!!
Er NO , that would be Sterling Moss.........He could drive anything quickly.
Clark had great talent...many drivers said he was the fastest driver they ever raced. But sadly Clark did not respect life, had he respect for his own life he would still be around! In my opinion the best racecar drivers are the ones who didn't get killed doing it like; Andretti and Foyt, Gurney and Hill. You have to be respectful of the preciousness of life. Clark no doubt was one of the fastest racecar drivers ever, but he wasn't the greatest (IMO).
Fangio. End of discussion.
Jim Clark or Senna can't be the best racers of all time because staying alive is kind of a necessary goal to deserve this title.
Check your intro: Legend not legand!! 🤦🏻♂️ ... Doesn't inspire much confidence in the content of this video.
Cheers, Michael 🇦🇺
Trust me no one is more frustrated with that typo then me 🤦♂️
Sounds fairly narrow minded to me to write off the whole video because of it 🤷♂️.
How can anyone consider Clark the "Best racer" of all time based on a simple fact:
Clark was fast, and generally had the fastest car, I'm cool with that, that the way it's almost always been in motorsport, fast drivers get the fastest cars.
However, what I can't understand about Clark, is he had the fastest car by far many races, and drove them flat out, out to large gaps to 2nd place, and continued to drive the cars flat out - WHY?? So may cars broke under him while having a big lead.
"best Racers" drive cars as slow as possible to finish the race, especially in those days when cars broke often. Jack Brabham won 3 x WDCs because he drove them as slow as possible, and there is no excuse for how Clark murdered his cars while so far out in front.
Except of course this is nonsense. Clark is famed for driving around numerous mechanical failures which had nothing to do with driver stress.on the machinery. Look up races like Silverstone 65 or Watkins Glen 67.
Hell his brake pads lasted 4 times longer than any of his team mates. He was unbeleivably smooth and easy on machinery.
As for the fastest car? Have you seen what other drivers managed in a Lotus during his career? He utterly dominated 1965 for example in a car which his team mates put on the podium just once.
Brabham simply wasn't in the same league I'm afraid. Two titles running rear engined superior machines against front engined dinosaurs and another with the only comoetetive engine in the sport that year. And even then his win ratio is less than half of Clark's
@@dryfesands1367 Fook me, you got it bad Mate.
LOL at your Brabham quip, Brabham is no good because he had superior equipment, but when Clark has superior equipment "it's Clark!", LMAO!
My comment stands, and provable, Clark was miles out in front and would still thrash his cars, and they broke.
@@markmark5269 ummm . . . Tell us how the Lotus 33 was superior when nobody else who drove it ever put it on the front row or followed Clark home in it?
This is the same Lotus 33 thay, by the way. Clark drove away from Brabham in at the 1966 Dutch GP despite having an engine 1 litre smaller than the Australian.
As for the notion thay Clark was a car breaker, I'm genuinely forced to ask, do you know anything about him whatsoever?
I mentioned two races above, Silverstone 65 and Watkins Glen 67, (I could add Mexico 67, Spa 63 and more while we're at it). Are you aware of why I used them as examples?
Hell, let's just look at 1967 and the Lotus 49A. Legendarily unreliable and hard to drive initially. Want to guess who got it home more often and with greater success? Clark or his team mate Graham Hill? You probably don't know about him either.
Sorry, Senna was the best, driving for different teams.
The best don't ram opponents when they can't beat them. They don't veto team mates they are scared of. They don't fail to convert poles into wins. They don't lose to team mates.
None of which we can say for Senna.