Denis Jenkinson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Denis Jenkinson
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Jenkinson in 1967
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| Born |
Denis Sargent Jenkinson
11 December 1920 |
| Died | 29 November 1996 (aged 75) |
| Nationality | English |
| Occupation | Motor sport journalist and competitor Author |
| Years active | 1946–1996 |
| Known for | Continental Correspondent for Motor Sport magazine, World Sidecar Champion 1949 1955 Mille Miglia winner |
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Notable work
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With Moss in the Mille Miglia |
Denis Sargent Jenkinson (born December 11, 1920 – died November 29, 1996) was a famous British journalist and racer. People often called him "Jenks" or "DSJ". He loved motorsports and wrote for Motor Sport magazine.
Jenkinson was the magazine's main reporter for Europe. He traveled all over the continent to cover exciting races like Formula One. He became very well known for helping Stirling Moss win the 1955 Mille Miglia race. This was a long, tough race across Italy.
Contents
What was Denis Jenkinson's career like?
How did Jenks get into motorsports?
Denis Jenkinson became a big fan of motor sports in the mid-1930s. He once said:
"In 1936 I saw a racing car "in the metal" for the first time. It was an E.R.A. at an exhibition. Later, I went to the Lewes Speed Trials. That's where I first saw racing cars in action. What a thrill!"
Jenkinson was studying engineering when World War II started. He chose to help in a civilian role at the Royal Aircraft Establishment. This is where he met Bill Boddy, who was the editor of Motor Sport magazine. In 1943, Motor Sport reported that Jenkinson had built a cool motorcycle himself.
What did Jenks do after the war?
After the war, Jenkinson started racing motorcycles and cars. But he didn't have much money to race often. He found a way to be part of top-level European races by being a sidecar passenger. This meant he rode in the sidecar next to the main motorcycle rider. He even became a World Champion in 1949 with rider Eric Oliver. He also rode with Marcel Masuy.
For two more seasons, he continued as a sidecar passenger, often for BMW. BMW even gave him a motorcycle to use for his travels. He used it to report on races across Europe. He once mentioned picking up famous driver Mike Hawthorn, who would ride the motorcycle with Jenks as the passenger.
How did Jenks become a famous journalist?
Jenkinson stopped competing full-time to become the "Continental Correspondent" for Motor Sport magazine. This meant he spent his summers traveling around Europe. He reported on races and wrote articles. In the winters, he would return to England.
He eventually settled in a small house in Crondall, Hampshire. His house was very simple, without main electricity or water. It was mostly filled with his racing archives and car parts. Jenks was known for not caring much about his home comforts. For him, nothing was more important than racing.
He became a respected figure among British racing journalists. This was because he was close to the teams and drivers. His writing style was easy to read, and his passion for the sport was clear.
What cars did Jenks love?
DSJ loved to race and drive Porsche cars. He even made up a word, wischening, to describe how to corner a Porsche 356 successfully. Later, he used an E-Type Jaguar for his work travels. At home, he had other older cars like a Mercedes-Benz and a Citroën 2CV.
What was the 1955 Mille Miglia race?
His most famous racing moment was as the navigator for Stirling Moss in the 1955 Mille Miglia race. His article about it, With Moss In The Mille Miglia, is considered a classic. He also wrote a book called The Racing Driver. It was based on his experiences as a navigator.
Jenkinson's "pacenotes" during this race were groundbreaking. These notes helped Moss know what was coming on the road. Today, pacenotes are used a lot in rallying. Jenkinson and Moss beat the five-time Formula One World Champion Juan Manuel Fangio by 32 minutes to win the race. This was one of the first times a motoring journalist was an active part of the event they were reporting on. Many former racers, like Jenson Button and Nico Rosberg, now work as reporters.
What other adventures did Jenks have?
One of Jenks' famous stories is when he tested a Lotus Formula Two car on Christmas Day 1958. This car was not meant for public roads. He drove it near his home, thinking the roads would be quiet and there wouldn't be many police around.
Besides his journalism, Jenkinson wrote many books about motorsports. He wrote about Porsche, Frazer Nash, the Jaguar E-type, and famous drivers like Juan Manuel Fangio. A collection of his best writings was published after he died, called Jenks: A Passion For Motor Sport.
For many years, he wrote an annual Racing Car Review for Motor Sport. But he stopped because he was unhappy with teams giving wrong information about their cars. He didn't want to compromise his honesty as a journalist.
Jenkinson also created a way to describe a driver's effort, using "tenths." "10/10ths" meant the highest effort, achieved by only a few drivers. He believed that being able to "Tiger" (race at ten-tenths) was key for a champion.
In the 1960s, Jenkinson helped make drag racing more popular in Motor Sport magazine. He rode his own special motorcycles in races. He even drove an Allard Dragon dragster. He continued to race his hybrid motorcycle in hillclimbs and sprints even into his seventies. He also wrote regular articles for Motorcycle Sport magazine.
What happened in Jenks' later life?
In his later years, Denis Jenkinson became involved with the Brooklands Museum. He helped with exciting projects, like exploring old underground air raid shelters. Even though he was older, he worked hard and never asked for special treatment.
Jenkinson had several strokes in 1996. He moved to a special home for people from the motor industry. He passed away on November 29, 1996.
What books did Denis Jenkinson write?
Here is a list of some of the books written by Denis Jenkinson:
- The Racing Driver: The Theory and Practice of Fast Driving (1959)
- Grand Prix Cars (1959)
- A Story of Formula 1 1954–1960 (1960)
- The Racing Car Pocketbook (1962)
- The Maserati 250F (1975)
- The Batsford Guide to Racing Cars (1978)
- Porsche 356: Coupé, Cabriolet, Roadster, Speedster & Carrera (1980)
- Jaguar E Type: 3.8 & 4.2 6-cylinder, 5.3 V12 (1982)
- Porsche: Past and Present (1983)
- From Chain Drive to Turbocharger: The A.F.N. Story (1984)
- Maserati 3011: The story of a racing car (1987)
- Directory of Historic Racing Cars (1987)
- Motorcycle road racing: the 1950s in photographs (1989)
- Grand Prix Winners: Motor Racing Heroes since 1950 (1995)
- Jenks: A Passion For Motorsport (1997)
- A Passion for Porsches (2001)
