David Lieb wrote: "Wow, you didn't mention "British Racing Green"! I am so
proud of you..."
BRG. British Racing Green. Once upon a time, a long time ago, it was the most
hallowed and beloved color...err, colour...among those who revered the English
cars.
How many here can remember furor when in 1963, Jim Clark stormed the
Indianapolis 500 in the British Racing Green livery of Team Lotus? Colin
Chapman's Team Lotus sported what was and continues to be known at BRG, for in
the European racing tradition of earlier days, cars wore their national colours
(e.g. Red for Italy, therefore Ferrari). England's national color was green.
The myth, the legend, the fear at Indianapolis had always been that green was
an unlucky color; unlucky not only for the car and driver who sported it, but
everyone else in the race. In 1963, many veteran Indy drivers were seriously
angered that this pipsqueak little Scot would tempt *their* fate with his green
car. Some drivers threatened to pull out of the race, and pressure was put on
Tony Hulman and USAC to prohibit Clark from racing in green car. Fortunately,
neither Chapman nor Hulman caved in, and Clark raced his BRG Lotus (I think it
was a 25), coming in at incredible second. Incredible because no American
thought it possible. The next year he was doing even better, leading until his
suspension crapped out in the first 100 laps. Then, in 1965, he did the
impossible. He won the 500 in a Lotus 31, although he was driving a green car,
and a *mid-engined" one, to boot! Mid-engine? Americans believed it an idiot's
design. Before the race, I can remember getting in arguments with race drivers
here in California who believed it was a fool's pursuit! Nor did they believe
that the dominant Offenhauser engines could ever lose a race! What a glorious
day it was for those of us who had already been converted to the English sports
cars.
Can anyone else remember going to races or other sports car events where "Jim
Clark for President" signs were sprouting up everywhere?!?! In what must rank
as one of the greatest losses in motor racing, Clack died less than three years
later, at 32, when instead of running at Brands Hatch, he was required to drive
at Hockenheimring instead. Early in the race, a tire went flat, sending him off
the track and into trees, killing him instantly. Why did he have to give up
Brands Hatch and go to Germany? Because of sponsor obligations for, of all
companies, *Firestone*. Without question, Jim Clark was one of the greatest
drivers of *any* generation!
(Clark, of course, was not the first driver of British cars to come to
Indianapolis, nor the first that *some* would like to believe drove a green
car. In 1961, Jack Brabham brought a Cooper-Coventry Climax to Indy; a car that
some claim was green, but most agree was a very dark blue that, depending upon
the light, could appear to be either very dark green or black.)
Buster Evans
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