Wednesday, January 1, 2020

Jim Clark Wins His Final F-1Grand Prix - January 1, 1968

January 1, 1968
(Photo: The Henry Ford via photopin cc)
Jim Clark, finished 25.3 seconds ahead Team Lotus teammate Graham Hill, to win the South African Grand Prix, at Kyalami Circuit, Kyalami, South Africa.

It was the first round of the 1968 Formula One season. The race, contested over 80 laps, was won by the two time World Drivers' Champion and 1965 Indianapolis 500 winner, after starting from pole position. The race is significant as not only the last Formula One race to be won by Jim Clark, but also the last in which he ever competed, due to his fatal crash at the Hockenheimring in Germany three months later.

This was also Mike Spence's final race, as he was killed a few months later, while practicing for the 1968 Indianapolis 500.

Clark broke many records during the weekend, such as leading the most Grands Prix (43), having the most laps led (1,943), having the most perfect weekends (11), achieving the most pole positions (33) and finally achieving 25 race wins, beating Juan Manuel Fangio's 11-year-old record. 

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