Howden Ganley


James Howden Ganley is a former racing driver from New Zealand. From 1971 to 1974 he participated in 41 World Championship Formula One Grands Prix. He placed 4th twice and scored points 5 times for a total of 10 championship points. He also participated in numerous non-Championship Formula One races.

Personal and early life

When he was thirteen years old, he attended the 1955 New Zealand Grand Prix at Ardmore which inspired him and provided him with an impetus to follow a career in racing. Immediately after leaving school, Ganley became a reporter for the Waikato Times and wrote a column for Sports Car Illustrated. He moved to the United Kingdom in 1961 and pursued a career as a mechanic.

Career

Early career

Between 1960 and 1962, Ganley competed in many events throughout New Zealand driving a Lotus Eleven. Throughout this period, he was earning a living by working as a foreman for a concreting company.
In 1970, Ganley finished second to Peter Gethin in the European Formula 5000 championship. This caught the attention of the BRM Formula One team, who signed him to a contract for 1971.

Formula 5000

In 1970, Ganley finished the European Formula 5000 Championship in 2nd place with help from his friend and mechanic Barry Ultahan.

Formula One

In, Ganley started off the season promisingly with fifth place at the non-championship Race of Champions. At the end of 1971, having scored two points finishes during the year, Ganley was awarded the Wolfgang von Trips Memorial Trophy for the best performance by a newcomer to Grand Prix racing.
In Ganley raced for the Marlboro BRM team and finished 13th in the Championship with 4 points. His highest finish for the season was 4th at the Nürburgring. For the season Ganley signed up to drive an Iso–Marlboro car for Frank Williams Racing. At the 1973 Canadian Grand Prix he was almost declared the winner because of a timing mix up with the pace car; when the results were corrected, Ganley was classified sixth.
A suspension failure in practice for the 1974 German Grand Prix while driving for the Maki team left Ganley with serious foot and ankle injuries that ended his Grand Prix career.

Ganley F1 Car

In 1975 a Ganley F1 project was initiated. The Ganley-Cosworth 001 car was hand-built by Howden Ganley on his premises at Windsor. It was almost readied, and Ganley had two DFV engines at hand, but it never ran in anger. Ganley eventually used the equipment to start Tiga Race Cars with fellow driver Tim Schenken the following year.

Sportscars

Ganley and François Cevert drove a Matra-Simca MS670 to second place in the 1972 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Tiga Race Cars

In 1976 Ganley and former Formula One driver Australian Tim Schenken founded Tiga Race Cars as a British-based race car constructor and race team. The team had plans to compete in Formula One in 1978, but the project did not proceed due to sponsorship withdrawal.

Complete Formula One World Championship results

YearTeamChassisEngine123456789101112131415WDCPoints
1971Yardley Team BRMBRM P153BRM P142 3.0 V12RSA
Ret		ESP
10		MON
DNQ		NED
7		FRA
10		GBR
8		GER
Ret		15th5
1971Yardley Team BRMBRM P160BRM P142 3.0 V12AUT
Ret		ITA
5		CAN
DNS		USA
4		15th5
1972Marlboro BRMBRM P160BBRM P142 3.0 V12ARG
9		RSA
NC		ESP
Ret		BEL
8		FRA
DNS		13th4
1972Marlboro BRMBRM P180BRM P142 3.0 V12MON
Ret		13th4
1972Marlboro BRMBRM P160CBRM P142 3.0 V12GBRGER
4		AUT
6		ITA
11		CAN
10		USA
Ret		13th4
1973Frank Williams Racing CarsIso–Marlboro FX3BFord Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8ARG
NC		BRA
7		RSA
10		19th1
1973Frank Williams Racing CarsIso–Marlboro IRFord Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8ESP
Ret		BEL
Ret		MON
Ret		SWE
11		FRA
14		GBR
9		NED
9		GER
DNS		AUT
NC		ITA
NC		CAN
6		USA
12		19th1
1974March EngineeringMarch 741Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8ARG
8		BRA
Ret		RSAESPBELMONSWENEDFRANC0
1974Maki EngineeringMaki F101Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8GBR
DNQ		GER
DNQ		AUTITACANUSANC0

Footnotes