Innes Ireland facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Innes Ireland

Born	Robert McGregor Innes Ireland (1930-06-12)12 June 1930 Mytholmroyd, West Riding of Yorkshire, England
Died	22 October 1993(1993-10-22) (aged 63) Reading, Berkshire, England
Formula One World Championship career
Nationality	British
Active years	1959–1966
Teams	Lotus, BRP, BRM
Entries	53 (50 starts)
Championships	0
Wins	1
Podiums	4
Career points	47
Pole positions	0
Fastest laps	1
First entry	1959 Dutch Grand Prix
First win	1961 United States Grand Prix
Last win	1961 United States Grand Prix
Last entry	1966 Mexican Grand Prix
24 Hours of Le Mans career Years 1958–1959, 1962–1966 Teams Team Lotus Ecurie Ecosse UDT-Laystall Racing Team Aston Martin Maranello Concessionaires Alan Mann Racing Comstock Racing Best finish 6th (1964) Class wins 0

Robert McGregor Innes Ireland (born June 12, 1930 – died October 22, 1993) was a British engineer and a famous motor racing driver. He won one Formula 1 Championship race and eight non-Championship Formula 1 races. He also had many wins in sports car races. People remembered Ireland as a very lively and exciting person. One team boss said he was someone who "provoked astonishment and affection from everyone."

Early Life and Military Service

Innes Ireland was born on June 12, 1930, in Mytholmroyd, a town in Yorkshire, England. His father was a veterinary surgeon from Scotland. When Innes was young, his family moved back to Kirkcudbright, Scotland.

He trained to be an engineer at Rolls-Royce, first in Glasgow and then in London. Later, he joined the British Army. He became an officer in the King's Own Scottish Borderers and served with the Parachute Regiment. He was stationed in the Suez Canal Zone from 1953 to 1954.

Racing Adventures

Innes Ireland started his racing journey in 1954 with a car called a Riley 9. By 1957, he was running his own small engineering business in Surrey. He became very successful in sports car racing.

His talent led him to make his Formula One debut in 1959 with Team Lotus. In 1960, he won three Formula One races that were not part of the main championship. He finished fourth in the World Drivers Championship that year.

In 1961, Innes was badly hurt in a crash at the 1961 Monaco Grand Prix. But he recovered quickly! He went on to win the Solitude Grand Prix and Flugplatzrennen races. He ended the season with a big win at the United States Grand Prix in Watkins Glen.

Even after his big win, the boss of Team Lotus, Colin Chapman, decided to let him go. Chapman thought another driver, Jim Clark, would be a better choice for the team.

Ireland also raced in other famous events. He took part in the 24 Hours of Daytona race with a Ferrari. He also raced in the 1967 Daytona 500, a big NASCAR race, where his car's engine broke down.

Life After Racing

After his racing career, Innes Ireland became a journalist. He wrote about Formula 1 races for ESPN and for magazines like Road & Track and Autocar. He also worked as a skipper, guiding fishing trawlers in the North Atlantic Ocean.

Towards the end of his life, he was chosen to be the president of the British Racing Drivers' Club. This is a very important role in British motor racing. Innes Ireland passed away on October 22, 1993, in Reading, Berkshire, England, after battling cancer.

Author and Adventurer

Innes Ireland was also a talented writer. He wrote a classic book about his life called All Arms and Elbows. He also wrote Marathon in the Dust in 1970. This book tells the story of the very tough 1968 London–Sydney Marathon car rally. Innes completed this long journey with two friends, fellow racer Michael Taylor and bobsledder Andy Hedges, in a Mercedes Benz 280 SE.

Family Life

Innes Ireland married Norma Thomas, a schoolteacher, in 1954. They had two daughters together before they divorced in 1967. Later that same year, he married Edna Humphries. His third wife was Jean Mander (née Howarth), a former fashion model, whom he married in 1993.

Images for kids

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  Innes Ireland, a British racing driver.