Ian
______________________________________________
Our Grand Prix Editor Nigel Roebuck answers your questions every
Wednesday. So if you want his opinion on any motorsport matter drop us
an e-mail here at Autosport.com and we'll forward on a selection to
him. Nigel won't be able to answer all your questions, but we'll
publish his answers here every week. Send your questions to
Dear Nigel,
One Grand Prix driver that has interested me for a bit now, has been
Chris Irwin. The only information that I have been able to find on the
man, was that he raced in only 10 grands prix from 1966-67, and that
he had a massive shunt at Flugflatz in a Ford F3L practicing at the
Nurburgring 1000K in 1968, unfortunately ending his career. It would
be great if you could please shed some light upon this lesser known
individual in F1 history?
Bryan Cobb, California, USA
Dear Bryan,
A very sad story, this. In the mid-'60s Chris Irwin was looking very
much like an F1 star of the future. A graduate of the wonderful
1-litre F3 of the time, Irwin made his F1 debut at the British Grand
Prix in 1966, and finished a superb seventh in an outdated Brabham.
The following year he drove for BRM, as number three, partnering
Jackie Stewart and Mike Spence, and showed his class at Le Mans (where
the French Grand Prix was held that year), outqualifying Stewart, and
finishing fifth.
Irwin really should have held on to an F1 drive in 1968, but BRM
decided (following JYS's departure to Tyrrell) to run only two cars,
and brought in Pedro Rodriguez to partner Spence.
Following the death of Spence on May 7, while testing a Lotus in
preparation for the Indianapolis 500, Irwin might have been brought
back to BRM, but just 10 days later, as you say, while practising his
new Ford 3L for the Nurburgring 1000Kms, he had an enormous accident
after the car had got airborne. Although he survived, he suffered
terrible head injuries, and never raced again.
Since then, nothing has been seen or heard of Irwin in racing circles.
I gather he still lives in London, but am afraid to say I can tell you
no more than that.