Roger Clark facts for kids
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Clark in 1968
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality |  British |
| Born | 5 August 1939 |
| Died | 12 January 1998 (aged 58) |
| World Rally Championship record | |
| Active years | 1973–1981, 1984, 1995 |
| Co-driver | Jim Porter Tony Mason Stuart Pegg Neil Wilson Chris Serle Ian Grindrod Max Harvey |
| Teams | Ford, British Leyland, M.C.D. Services, Prodrive |
| Rallies | 21 |
| Championships | 0 |
| Rally wins | 1 |
| Podiums | 5 |
| Stage wins | 51 |
| Total points | 1 |
| First rally | 1973 East African Safari Rally |
| First win | 1976 Lombard RAC Rally |
| Last rally | 1995 Network Q RAC Rally |
Roger Albert Clark, who was awarded the MBE, was a famous British rally driver. He was born on August 5, 1939, and passed away on January 12, 1998. Roger Clark made history in the 1960s and 1970s. He was the first British driver to win a World Rally Championship (WRC) event. This big win happened at the 1976 RAC Rally.
Contents
Roger Clark's Early Life and Start in Cars
Roger Clark grew up in a family that loved cars. His father, also named Roger Clark, owned a car dealership. After finishing school at Hinckley Grammar School, Roger followed in his father's footsteps. He joined the family business as an apprentice.
He learned how cars work by being a mechanic. Then, he helped the business grow by adding new car brands to sell. By 1975, there were four "Roger Clark Cars Ltd." garages. These garages sold popular car brands like Alfa Romeo, Ford, Jensen, Lotus, Renault, and Porsche. Roger's younger brother, Stan Clark, also became a rally driver.
Roger Clark's Racing Journey
Starting with Club Racing
Roger Clark got his driver's license in 1956. Right away, he joined the Leicester Car Club. There, he met Jim Porter, who would be his co-driver for 20 years. A co-driver helps navigate during rallies.
He started rallying in a very old Ford Prefect from his father's garage. He kept the number plate "2 ANR" for his entire career. After that, he used a 1950s Ford 100E van. In 1960, Roger and Jim started winning races. This happened after they switched to a BMC Mini Cooper.
With the Mini Cooper, they won the East Midlands Rally Championship twice. They also placed well in other big races. These included the International Circuit of Ireland and the Motoring News Championship.
Driving for Car Companies
Roger's success caught the eye of big car companies. In 1963, he drove a Triumph TR4 and a Reliant Sabre for different teams. In 1964, he signed a two-year deal with the Rover Company. In 1965, he and Jim won their category at the famous Monte Carlo Rally in a Rover 2000.
During this time, Roger also won the Scottish Rally twice in his own Ford Cortina. He won his first of four British Rally Championship titles in 1965. Later, in 1980, he drove for British Leyland in the TR7 V8 car.
Joining the Ford Works Team
In 1966, Roger Clark and Jim Porter joined the official Ford of Britain racing team. This partnership lasted for 15 successful years. Ford of Britain led the Ford of Europe rally team. Roger first drove a Ford Cortina GT. Ford gave Roger improved car parts and engines. Roger then built these into rally cars in his own workshops.
In 1968, Roger started driving the car he became most famous for: the Ford Escort RS. He raced this car for Ford until 1979. After that, he continued to race it privately until he retired. Roger and Jim won the British Rally Championship again in 1972, 1973, and 1975.
His biggest wins were at the RAC Rally, the UK's largest rally race. Because Jim Porter worked for the rally organizers, Roger had to find other co-drivers for these wins. Roger won the RAC Rally twice. In 1972, he won with Tony Mason. In 1976, he won again with Stuart Pegg. This 1976 win was part of the World Rally Championship, making Roger the first British driver to win a WRC event.
Roger and Jim also won the Acropolis Rally in 1968 and the Circuit of Ireland in 1970. They won the Scottish Rally six times. Overall, they had 40 national and international victories. In 1973, Roger was leading the East African Safari Rally by a lot, but his car broke down.
As part of his deal with Ford, Roger also helped develop new cars. He would race unusual models to test them. This included racing a Ford Zodiac in Eastern Europe and a Ford Capri in the Tour of Britain. He even raced a Ford Escort pulling a Sprite Alpine caravan in a special rally!
Between 1969 and 1971, Roger also raced Ford's Capri in Rallycross events. These cars had four-wheel drive and V6 engines. They were fast, but had problems, so Ford stopped the program.
Later Rallying Years
Roger Clark was very loyal to Ford. But sometimes, he did race other car brands. In 1975, Roger and Jim received the Segrave Trophy. This award is for the British person who shows the most amazing achievement in transport. Roger was given the MBE in 1979 for his contributions.
Life After Professional Rallying
Roger Clark never truly stopped rallying. He just went back to racing in smaller club events. This happened as new four-wheel drive cars like the Audi Quattro became popular. Roger stayed involved in motorsport. He was part of the British Racing Drivers Club. He helped create a new Rallysprint track at Silverstone in 1997.
Roger spent most of his time building his family business with his brother Stan. They had opened "Roger Clark Cars" in Narborough. The businesses closed in the early 1990s due to tough economic times. Even when his health was not good in the mid-1990s, Roger started "Roger Clark Motor Sport." His son, Matt, now runs this business, preparing cars for other rally drivers. His other son, Olly Clark, is also a racer.
Roger Clark wrote an autobiography called Sideways . . . to Victory. The book described his amazing skill. He could make the Ford Escort "dance" sideways through corners on any surface. This was a skill shared by other top rally drivers.
Roger Clark passed away on January 12, 1998, after having a stroke. A bronze statue was later put up at Mallory Park to remember him.
The Roger Albert Clark Rally
In 2004, a special historic rally event was created to honor Roger Clark. It was named the Roger Albert Clark Rally. This event tries to recreate the long, classic RAC Rally route across the country. The modern WRC rallies are shorter and mainly in Wales.
Only cars made before 1982 can compete in the Roger Albert Clark Rally. It follows old rally routes through Scotland and northern England. These routes include places like the Kielder Forest and Grizedale Forest. These areas are no longer part of the modern WRC rallies. The rally was held every year until 2014. Since 2017, it has been held every other year.
Roger Clark's Family Life
Roger Clark married Judith Barr in 1965. They had two sons together.
Images for kids
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Clark in 1968
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Clark's 1972 RAC Rally-winning Escort RS1600
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Clark's Cossack sponsored Ford Escort RS1800, winner of the 1976 Lombard RAC Rally
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Bronze statue of Roger Clark MBE at Mallory Park
