John Duff facts for kids
John Duff, was a Canadian Auto racing who had won many races.
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| Nationality | Canadian |
|---|---|
| 24 Hours of Le Mans career | |
| Years | 1923–1925 |
| Teams | Private Bentley Motors Ltd. |
| Best finish | 1st (1924) |
| Class wins | 1 (1924) |
John Francis Duff (born January 17, 1895 – died January 8, 1958) was a Canadian racecar driver. He won many races and is now in the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame.
Duff was one of only two Canadians to race and win at England’s famous Brooklands Motor Course. He was also the first Canadian to race in the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans race. To this day, he is the only Canadian to win the entire Le Mans race.
John Duff also set over fifty world records for speed and how long a car could keep going. These records were approved by the AIACR, which is like today's FIA. His amazing achievements helped make the Bentley car company very famous. He also finished in the top ten in his first Indianapolis 500 race. These accomplishments make him one of the most important Canadian car racers of the early 1900s.
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Early Life and War
John Duff was born in Kiukiang, China. His parents were Canadians from Hamilton, Ontario. They had a business in a nearby town called Kuling. When John was a boy, he was sent to Hamilton for school. He lived there until he was sixteen.
In 1912, Duff went back to Kuling. When war started in 1914, he traveled across Russia to England. There, he joined the army. He was badly hurt at the Third Battle of Ypres. Duff was sent to a hospital in England. There, he met and married his nurse. In 1919, John Duff learned to drive a car and became a car dealer. He started racing cars in 1920.
Racing Adventures
In 1920, Duff began his racing career at Brooklands. This was a 2.6-mile concrete track with curved banks. He drove an old Fiat S.61, a large car built in 1908. By August 1920, he was driving as fast as famous drivers like Henry Segrave.
Duff won races at Brooklands in 1921 with his Fiat S.61. He was often the fastest car on the track. But because he was so good, the race organizers would give him a disadvantage. This made it harder for him to win.
Duff later bought another old Fiat called "Mephistopheles." In Denmark, he set the fastest time at a beach speed trial. In 1922, he tried to make "Mephistopheles" even faster. But during a race, the engine broke apart. Parts flew everywhere, and the hood almost hit his head. Duff then sold the car for scrap.
Bentley Records
In 1922, Duff helped start a dealership to sell the new Bentley cars. He began racing a Bentley at Brooklands. On August 28, he tried to set a "Double Twelve" record. This meant driving for 24 hours (split into two 12-hour parts because of noise rules). His car broke down, but he still set new world records for 1, 2, and 3 hours. He also set records for 100 and 200 miles.
Duff returned to Brooklands in September. He drove both 12-hour shifts by himself. He set the Double Twelve record, covering 2,082 miles. He also broke 38 international class records. This amazing event was shown on the cover of a famous magazine.
Later, Duff raced a very old, large car called a Blitzen Benz. He crashed it after the race because he couldn't stop it. He went off the track, hitting trees and a pole. Luckily, he was okay.
Le Mans Wins
In 1923, Duff heard about a new 24-hour race at Le Mans in France. He was the first person to enter! W. O. Bentley, who owned Bentley Motors, thought the race was crazy. But he agreed to prepare Duff's car. He also let his test driver, Frank Clement, race with Duff.
The Duff/Clement Bentley was one of the fastest cars. Duff even set the fastest lap time. But the rough track caused problems. A stone hit their fuel tank, making a hole. Duff had to run back to the pits. Clement then rode a bicycle with a can of gas to get the car back. Even with these problems, they finished a strong fourth place. W.O. Bentley saw the race and became very excited about Le Mans. This race would make his cars famous.
Duff then took his Bentley to a race in Spain. He was leading the race when a stone hit him in the face. He crashed into a wall, hurting his jaw and breaking teeth. But he had driven so far ahead that he still won first place in his class!
By 1924, Bentley was fully committed to Le Mans. Duff won the race easily with Clement as his partner. This was Bentley's first victory at Le Mans! In 1925, a fire in his car's engine ended Duff's chances at Le Mans.
More Records and Retirement
In September 1925, Duff went to the Montlhéry track near Paris. He wanted to break the 24-hour record. He drove a special Bentley with another driver, Dudley Benjafield. It rained a lot, and their car broke down after 18 hours. But they still set two world records for 1,000 kilometers and 1,000 miles.
Later that month, Duff returned to Montlhéry with Woolf Barnato. They drove for 24 hours in mist and rain. They covered 2,280 miles, averaging 95.02 mph. They beat the old record by over 7 mph! Their Bentley set 21 new world records, including those for six and twelve hours.
In 1926, Duff went to America for new challenges. He raced in the Indianapolis 500 and finished ninth. In another race in Pennsylvania, he finished third. But in a race in New Hampshire, his car got a flat tire. He was thrown from the car and broke his collarbone. He also had a concussion that affected his eyesight. Duff had promised his wife he would quit if he got another serious injury. So, he retired from racing.
Life After Racing
After his accident, John Duff brought his family from England to Santa Monica, near Los Angeles. He opened a fencing school. He taught many movie stars how to sword fight. He even acted as a stunt double for his friend Gary Cooper in sword fighting scenes. He also taught fencing at UCLA. In 1932, he coached some of his students for the U.S. Olympic team.
When the Great Depression made fencing less popular, Duff moved his family to China. They stayed there from 1932 to 1934. Then they moved back to England. In 1935, he joined the British Racing Drivers' Club. Duff continued to be a successful fencer and businessman. He also loved horses and became a competitive horse rider.
John Duff died in a riding accident in Epping Forest on January 8, 1958.
Canadian Identity
John Duff was born in China in 1895. At that time, Canadians were subjects of the British King or Queen. They were not citizens of Canada yet. But if Canadian citizenship had existed, Duff would have been Canadian because of his parents.
John Duff is listed as Canadian in the Canadian Census of 1901 and 1911. He lived a big part of his life in Canada. Canada started issuing its own passports in the 1860s. John Duff carried a Canadian passport throughout his racing career. In a newspaper interview after his last crash, Duff clearly said he was Canadian. His children also believe their father was Canadian.
Images for kids
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John Duff and Frank Clement, winners of the 1924 24 Hours of Le Mans.
