Ron Flockhart (racing driver)


Ron Flockhart was a British racing driver. 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.

Racing career

Flockhart was born in Edinburgh. He 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.

Record flight attempts and death

In the early 1960s the United Dominions Trust made plans to break the record for the time taken to fly from Sydney to London in order to gain publicity for its UDT Laystall racing team. A Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation-built Mustang World War Two fighter was purchased in Australia and Flockhart was engaged to make the attempt. Flockhart departed Sydney in the Mustang, registered G-ARKD, on 28 February 1961 and after several delays due to bad weather finally ended the attempt at Athens due to engine problems. Flockhart subsequently entered the London-Cardiff Air Race to be held in June that year but withdrew because G-ARKD was still in Athens. G-ARKD was abandoned and another CAC Mustang, registered VH-UWB, was bought in Australia for Flockhart to make a second attempt at the Sydney-London record. On 12 April 1962, while on a test flight in preparation for the record attempt, Flockhart crashed VH-UWB in poor weather near Kallista, Victoria, and was killed.

Racing record

Complete Formula One World Championship results

YearEntrantChassisEngine1234567891011WDCPts
1954Prince BiraMaserati 250FMaserati 250F1 2.5 L6ARG500BELFRAGBR
Ret*		GERSUIITAESPNC0
1956Owen Racing OrganisationBRM P25BRM P25 2.5 L4ARGMON500BELFRAGBR
Ret		GER14th4
1956Connaught EngineeringConnaught BAlta GP 2.5 L4ITA
3		14th4
1957Owen Racing OrganisationBRM P25BRM P25 2.5 L4ARGMON
Ret		500FRA
Ret		GBRGERPESITANC0
1958R.R.C. Walker Racing TeamCooper T43Climax FPF 2.0 L4ARGMON
DNQ		NED500BELFRAGBRGERPORITANC0
1958Owen Racing OrganisationBRM P25BRM P25 2.5 L4MOR
Ret		NC0
1959Owen Racing OrganisationBRM P25BRM P25 2.5 L4MON
Ret		500NEDFRA
6		GBR
Ret		GERPOR
7		ITA
13		USANC0
1960Team LotusLotus 18Climax FPF 2.5 L4ARGMON500NEDBELFRA
6		GBRPORITA25th1
1960Cooper Car CompanyCooper T51Climax FPF 2.5 L4USA
Ret		25th1

* Shared drive with Prince Bira