British racing driver (1930–1993)
Lieutenant Robert McGregor Innes Ireland (12 June 1930 – 22 October 1993) was a British racing driver, military officer, engineer and journalist, who competed in Formula One from 1959 to 1966. Ireland won the 1961 United States Grand Prix with Lotus.
Born in Mytholmroyd and raised in Scotland, Ireland initially served in the British Army, reaching the rank of lieutenant in 1955. Ireland competed in Formula One for Lotus, BRP, Reg Parnell Racing and Bernard White Racing, winning the United States Grand Prix in 1961 with the former, as well as finishing fourth in the 1960 World Drivers' Championship and taking victories at eight non-championship races. He entered eight editions of the 24 Hours of Le Mans from 1958 to 1966, and was a race-winner in the British Saloon Car Championship.
Upon retiring from motor racing, Ireland started a career as a journalist in the late-1980s for ESPN, later working with automobile magazines Road & Track and Autocar. He was the president of the British Racing Drivers' Club from 1992 until his death the following year.
Early life
Ireland was born 12 June 1930 in Mytholmroyd, West Riding of Yorkshire, England, the son of a Scottish veterinary surgeon. His family returned to Kirkcudbright, Scotland during his youth, and he trained as an engineer with Rolls-Royce, first in Glasgow and later in London. Commissioned as a second lieutenant in the King's Own Scottish Borderers,[1] he served with the Parachute Regiment in the Suez Canal Zone during 1953 and 1954.[2] In 1955 he transferred to the Territorial Army and was promoted to lieutenant,[3] and in 1958 he was placed on the Reserve of Officers.[4]
Racing career
Ireland began racing a Riley 9 in 1954. His first year of nationally competitive events was 1957,[5] by which time he was running a small engineering firm in Surrey. Success in sports car racing saw him make his Formula One debut for Team Lotus in 1959. In 1960 he won three non-championship Formula One races and finished fourth in the World Drivers Championship. Badly injured in the 1961 Monaco Grand Prix, Ireland recovered to win the Solitude Grand Prix and Flugplatzrennen races, then finished the season with a victory in the United States Grand Prix at Watkins Glen. He was sacked at the end of the season as team boss Colin Chapman considered Jim Clark a better bet.[6]
Ireland entered the 24 Hours of Daytona using a Ferrari, with motorcycle racer Mike Hailwood as intended co-driver, but broke down with gearbox problems after 3+1⁄2 hours, before Hailwood was scheduled to participate.[7]
Ireland was encouraged by Bill France, founder of NASCAR, to participate in the 1967 Daytona 500, one of the last races of his career, where the V8 engine of his year old Dodge exploded outside the stands.
Ireland worked as a journalist for ESPN for several F1 races in the late 1980s as well as the American Road & Track magazine, Autocar magazine, and skippering fishing trawlers in the North Atlantic. Towards the end of his life, he was elected president of the British Racing Drivers' Club, which post he still held at the time of his death from cancer on 22 October 1993, at Reading, Berkshire, England.
Writing
A talented writer, Ireland produced a classic autobiography, All Arms and Elbows (ISBN 0-85184-050-7). Marathon in the Dust, published in 1970 is Ireland's account of the grueling 1968 Daily Express London-Sydney Marathon, which Ireland completed with 2 friends, fellow F1 competitor Michael Taylor and British bobsledder Andy Hedges in a Mercedes Benz 280 SE.
Personal life
On 30 October 1954 Ireland married Scarborough schoolteacher Norma Thomas. They had two daughters before divorcing in 1967. He then married Edna Humphries also in 1967. Ireland married his third wife Jean Mander (née Howarth), a former fashion model, on 11 June 1993 at Newbury register office. Jean had been engaged to Mike Hawthorn at the time of Hawthorn's death in 1959. Ireland also had a son who died in 1992.
Ireland was described as a larger-than-life character who, according to a rival team boss, "lived without sense, without an analyst, and provoked astonishment and affection from everyone."[8]
Racing record
(key) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)
- ^1 The Parnell Lotus driven by Ireland in 1965 and 1966 was a written-off 25 rebuilt around a 33 monocoque.
Complete British Saloon Car Championship results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap.)
24 Hours of Le Mans results
NASCAR: Grand National
Daytona 500
See also
References
External links
