June 16, 1923 - April 12, 1962
Ron Flockhart
Born in Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
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.
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. He achieved podium finishes at Goodwood, Charterhall, Snetterton and Crystal Palace, as well as several hill climb successes.
In 1956, driving for the 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 miles.
Flockhart took up flying so he could get quickly to the European racing car circuits. Through his love of flying, and his passion for speed and setting records, Flockhart decided that he would attempt to set a speed record for a petrol-engine powered flight from Sydney to London. It was this quest to set a world record that lead to Flockhart's death. On April 12, 1962, while on a test flight in preparation for the record attempt, Flockhart crashed in poor weather near Kallista, Victoria, and was killed.
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