Duncan Hamilton (racing driver) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Duncan Hamilton |
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| Nationality |  British |
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| Born | James Duncan Hamilton 30 April 1920 Cork, County Cork, Ireland |
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| Died | 13 May 1994 (aged 74) Sherborne, Dorset, England |
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James Duncan Hamilton (born April 30, 1920, in Cork, Ireland – died May 13, 1994, in Sherborne, England) was a famous British racing driver. He was known for his fun and outgoing personality. After serving in the Second World War, he started racing cars.
Even though he was good at racing single-seater cars (like Formula One cars), he was even better in sportscars. He won the big 1953 24 Hours of Le Mans race. He also won two Coupe de Paris events and the 12 Hours of Reims race in 1956. He stopped racing in 1958 and ran a car garage in Byfleet, Surrey for many years. He passed away in 1994.
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Duncan Hamilton's Early Life
Duncan Hamilton grew up in County Cork, Ireland. During World War II, he was a pilot in the Fleet Air Arm, flying special planes called Lysanders. After the war, he opened his own car garage.
In the years after the war, Hamilton began racing cars in local events. He started with cars like the MG R-type and the Bugatti Type 35B. Later, he raced a Maserati 6CM and then a Talbot-Lago Grand Prix car.
Racing in Formula One
Hamilton took part in five official World Championship Grand Prix races. He also raced in 18 other Formula One races that were not part of the championship. His first Grand Prix race was in 1948 at Zandvoort, where he finished fourth.
In 1949, he raced in many Grand Prix events. He didn't finish higher than ninth place, which he achieved twice. The next year, he raced fewer Grand Prix events and spent more time racing sportscars. He won the Wakefield Trophy, a smaller race in Ireland.
Duncan Hamilton was known for being a very skilled driver in wet weather. In 1951, at a race in Silverstone, he finished second. He even beat the world champion, Juan Manuel Fangio, in that race!
Racing at the 24 Hours of Le Mans
Duncan Hamilton raced in the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race nine times. He often teamed up with his friend, Tony Rolt. In their first race together in 1950, they finished fourth. The next year, in 1951, they finished sixth. Both times they drove a special Nash-Healey car.
In 1952, their Jaguar C-Type car didn't finish the race. But they came back strong in 1953 with a C-Type and won the race! In 1954, they finished second in a Jaguar D-Type. They lost to a Ferrari with a much bigger engine. Hamilton almost caught up in the rain, but the Ferrari kept its lead as the track dried.
He didn't finish the race in 1955. In 1956, Hamilton raced a Ferrari with Alfonso de Portago, but they also didn't finish. In 1957, he drove a Jaguar D-Type again with American driver Masten Gregory, finishing sixth. His last Le Mans race was in 1958, but his car didn't finish.
Hamilton also won the 1956 Rheims 12-hour race. He drove a Jaguar D-Type with Ivor Bueb. Even though he won, the Jaguar team didn't pick him for Le Mans that year. This was because he sped up and passed a teammate when the team manager had told everyone to slow down. That's why he raced a Ferrari that year. In 1957, Jaguar didn't enter Le Mans because of a fire at their factory. So, Hamilton used his own D-Type car.
Winning Le Mans in 1953
Duncan Hamilton won the 1953 24 Hours of Le Mans race with his co-driver Tony Rolt. They drove a Jaguar C-Type. At first, they were told they couldn't race. This was because they had practiced with a Jaguar that had the same racing number as another car on the track. But luckily, they were allowed to race again!
Amazing Escapes
Duncan Hamilton had some exciting moments, even outside of racing. In 1947, he was taking his MG R-type car to a race. As he drove down a hill, he saw another car behind him. He moved over to let it pass. But the car stayed behind him. Then, it pulled up next to him, and he realized it was his own car! He had forgotten he was towing it behind him.
A week after winning Le Mans in 1953, Hamilton went to Portugal for another race. He was leading the race when he crashed his Jaguar into an electricity pylon. He was thrown from the car and landed in a tree! He then fell to the side of the track and almost got run over by another car. The accident even cut off power to the city for several hours.
Life After Racing
Duncan Hamilton got hurt during the 1958 24 Hours of Le Mans race. He was also very sad when his friend Mike Hawthorn passed away in 1959. Because of these events, he decided to stop racing in 1959. He then focused on his garage business in Byfleet.
He had started his own company, Duncan Hamilton & Co Limited, back in 1948. This company became very well-known for dealing in classic cars.
Duncan Hamilton also wrote a book about his life called Touch Wood!. He passed away in Sherborne, England. His son, Adrian Hamilton, continued to run his father's classic car business until his own death in 2021. Duncan's grandson, Archie Hamilton, is also a racing driver today! He raced in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2013 and 2014.
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Duncan Hamilton, a famous British racing driver.
