Johnny Claes facts for kids
| Born | 11 August 1916 Fulham, London, England |
|---|---|
| Died | 3 February 1956 (aged 39) Brussels, Belgium |
| Formula One World Championship career | |
| Nationality |  Belgian |
| Active years | 1950 – 1953, 1955 |
| Teams | Écurie Belge, Gordini, HWM, Maserati, Ecurie Nationale Belge |
| Entries | 25 (23 starts) |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 0 |
| Career points | 0 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| First entry | 1950 British Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 1955 Dutch Grand Prix |
Johnny Claes (born August 11, 1916 – died February 3, 1956) was a famous racing driver who competed for Belgium. He was born in Britain. Before he became known for racing, Johnny was also a talented jazz trumpet player. He even led his own successful band in Britain.
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Johnny Claes: From Jazz to Race Tracks
Johnny Claes had an interesting life, starting with music before becoming a racing star.
His Early Life and Music
Johnny Claes was born in London, England. His mother was Scottish, and his father was Belgian. He went to school in England at Lord Williams's School.
While he was in England, Johnny started playing the trumpet in a jazz band. He played with other musicians like Max Jones and Billy Mason. In the 1930s, he moved to the Netherlands. There, he worked with famous jazz artists such as Valaida Snow and Coleman Hawkins. He also played with Jack Kluger's band in Belgium.
Later, Johnny went back to England and started his own band called the Claepigeons. They even made a recording in 1942. But by the late 1940s, Johnny decided to stop his jazz career. He moved to Belgium to become a professional racing driver.
Racing Cars and Victories
Johnny Claes was one of many "gentlemen drivers" who raced after World War II. These were drivers who often raced their own cars. His first experience with racing was at the 1947 French Grand Prix. He helped British drivers by being their interpreter.
Johnny started his racing career in 1948. He drove his own Talbot-Lago car, which he raced under the name Écurie Belge. Even though he never scored points in the World Drivers Championship, Johnny was very active. He raced in many non-Championship Grand Prix races and sports car events.
His first big win was at the 1950 Grand Prix des Frontières. This race was held at the Chimay track.
In April 1951, Johnny was practicing for the San Remo Grand Prix in Italy. Sadly, there was an accident where some people were injured. Johnny was not hurt himself.
In 1952, Johnny changed his older Talbot car for a faster Gordini. Later, he also raced a Connaught car. He always used the Écurie Belge colors for his cars. Sometimes, he also raced for bigger factory teams like Gordini and Maserati.
Johnny was also good at rally races. He won the 1953 Liège–Rome–Liège Rally. In 1954, he won his class at the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans race. He teamed up with Pierre Stasse, and they finished 12th in a Porsche car. The next year, in 1955, Johnny finished third in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. He raced with his friend Jacques Swaters.
A Champion's Final Race
Later in 1955, Johnny Claes started to have serious health problems. He had a sickness called tuberculosis. Because of his health, Johnny sold his racing team to Jacques Swaters. Swaters combined it with his own team to create Écurie Nationale Belge.
Johnny still entered a few races until the end of the year. But sadly, he passed away from his illness in Brussels in 1956. He was only 39 years old.
