John Coombs facts for kids
Quick facts for kids John Coombs |
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John Coombs in 2012
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| Nationality |  British |
| Born | 1 February 1922 Chertsey, Surrey |
| Died | 3 August 2013 (aged 91) Monaco |
| Years active | 1949–c. 1955 |
John Coombs (born February 1, 1922 – died August 3, 2013) was a famous British racing driver and team owner. He loved cars and racing! After racing himself, he started his own team. His team helped many top drivers, like Jackie Stewart and Graham Hill, win races.
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John Coombs: A Racing Driver's Story
John Coombs was a British racing legend. He started as a driver and later became a successful team owner. His passion for cars and racing made him a key figure in motorsport.
Early Racing Days
John Coombs owned a Jaguar car dealership. He started racing cars in 1949. His first race car was a Cooper with a Rover 10 engine. He then moved up to Formula Three racing.
In 1952, John won two races with his Cooper car. He won at Thruxton and at Silverstone. He even set a lap record at Fairwood Circuit. This record still stands today!
Racing in Formula One Cars
In 1953, John Coombs got a chance to test for the Connaught Engineering factory team. He did very well, coming in second fastest. This led him to race in several Formula Two events.
In 1954, he bought a Lotus Mark VIII car. With this car, he won the Cornwall MRC Formula 1 Race. This was the very first win for a Lotus car in a Formula One race! Even though the Mark VIII wasn't a true Formula One car, it was a big moment.
John later realized that running his business took too much time. He decided to stop driving himself. Instead, he focused on preparing cars for other talented drivers.
Building a Racing Team
Success in Sports Car Racing
John Coombs started his own racing team. He began by preparing Lotus 15 cars for drivers like Ron Flockhart and Roy Salvadori. His team also raced Cooper Monaco cars with famous drivers like Jack Brabham and Bruce McLaren.
John's team also prepared Jaguar Mark 1 and Mark 2 saloon cars. These cars were very fast and successful. In 1961, his team started using the new Jaguar E-Type. By 1962, Graham Hill joined his team.
His team grew to include many different cars. They raced Jaguar saloons, E-Types, and even Ferrari 250 GTOs. Top drivers like Mike Parkes and Jackie Stewart raced for John's team.
Conquering Formula Two Races
In 1964, John Coombs expanded his team into Formula Two racing. He ran a Cooper-Cosworth car for Graham Hill. Later, with a Brabham-BRM car, Hill beat Jim Clark at Snetterton.
After Hill left, John hired Piers Courage. In 1968, with help from Ken Tyrrell, John's team prepared Matra cars. Johnny Servoz-Gavin won the 1969 European Formula Two Championship with one of these cars.
In the 1970s, many future stars raced for John Coombs. These included drivers like Patrick Depailler and François Cevert.
Later Years and Legacy
In the 1980s, John Coombs slowed down his racing team's activities. He sold his car dealership and moved to Monaco. However, he kept a workshop in Guildford, England.
He never lost his love for racing cars. He continued to prepare classic cars for events like the Goodwood Revival. John Coombs passed away in 2013 at the age of 91. He left behind a great legacy in the world of motorsport.
