Ivor Bueb Explained

Ivor Bueb
Nationality: British
Birth Date:6 June 1923
Birth Place:East Ham, Essex, England, UK
Death Place:Near Clermont-Ferrand, France
Years:
Team(S):Connaught,
non-works Maserati, Lotus and Cooper
Races:6 (5 starts)
Championships:0
Wins:0
Podiums:0
Points:0
Poles:0
Fastest Laps:0
First Race:1957 Monaco Grand Prix
Last Race:1959 British Grand Prix

Ivor Léon John Bueb (6 June 1923 – 1 August 1959) was a British professional sports car racing and Formula One driver from England.[1]

Career

Born in East Ham, Essex east of London, Bueb started racing seriously in a Formula Three 500cc Cooper in 1953, graduating to the Cooper works team in 1955 when he finished second in the British championship. He made occasional starts in Grands Prix in 1957 with a Connaught and a Maserati run by Gilby Engineering. The following year he raced Bernie Ecclestone's Connaught at Monaco, and drove a Formula Two Lotus at the German Grand Prix.

In 1959 he had two outings for BRP, firstly a non-qualification at Monaco, then another Formula Two entry at the British Grand Prix. He participated in six Formula One World Championship Grands Prix in all, but scored no championship points. He also participated in numerous non-Championship Formula One races. With the death of Archie Scott Brown at Spa in May 1958, Brian Lister hired Bueb to fill the now-vacant Lister-Jaguar driver's seat. Bueb did an admirable job, scoring several first places at tracks such as Crystal Palace and Goodwood during the 1958 and 1959 sports car campaigns.

Bueb is perhaps best known for sharing the winning works Jaguar D-type with Mike Hawthorn in the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans which was marred by an accident in which 82 spectators were killed; a success he repeated with Ron Flockhart in the ex-works Ecurie Ecosse car in 1957.[2] [3] [4]

He suffered serious injuries in 1959 when he crashed his BRP Cooper-Borgward Formula Two car at the Charade Circuit near Clermont-Ferrand, France.[1] He crashed at Gravenoire, a multiple apex-section at the very far end of the circuit, and was thrown out of his Cooper.[1] After being carried off the circuit by Gendarmes in a way that probably worsened his injuries, Bueb died six days later at a hospital near the circuit.[1]

It was Ivor Bueb's death, in conjunction with Archie Scott Brown's demise, that finally led Brian Lister to shut down his very successful sports car racing effort.

Racing record

Complete Formula One World Championship results

(key)

YearEntrantChassisEngine1234567891011WDCPoints
1957Connaught EngineeringConnaught
Type B
Alta Straight-4ARGMON
500FRANC0
Gilby Engineering Ltd.Maserati 250FMaserati Straight-6GBR
GERPESITA
1958BC EcclestoneConnaught
Type B
Alta Straight-4ARGMONNED500BELFRAGBR
NC0
Ecurie Demi LitreLotus 12Climax Straight-4GER
11 *
PORITAMOR
1959British Racing PartnershipCooper T51Climax Straight-4MON
500NEDFRANC0
Borgward Straight-4GBR
13
GERPORITAUSA

Complete British Saloon Car Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap.)

Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results

YearTeamCo-DriversCarClassLaps
1955 Jaguar Cars Ltd. Mike HawthornJaguar D-TypeS5.03071st1st
1956 Jaguar Cars Ltd. Mike HawthornJaguar D-Type FIS5.02806th3rd
1957 Ecurie Ecosse Ron FlockhartJaguar D-TypeS5.03271st1st
1958 J. D. Hamilton
(private entrant)
Duncan HamiltonJaguar D-TypeS3.0251DNF
(Accident)
1959 Brian Lister Engineering Bruce HalfordLister SportS3.0121DNF
(Engine)

Complete 12 Hours of Sebring results

YearTeamCo-DriversCarClassLaps
1956 Jaguar of New York Distributors Inc. Duncan HamiltonJaguar D-TypeS5.063DNF
(Brakes)
1957 Jaguar Cars North America Mike HawthornJaguar D-TypeS5.01933rd2nd
1958 Ecurie Ecosse Ninian SandersonJaguar D-TypeS3.022DNF
(Valve springs)
1959 The Lister Corp. Stirling MossLister-JaguarS3.098DSQ
(Illegal refuelling)

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Ivor Bueb at Motorsport Memorial . motorsportmemorial.org . 9 April 2017.
  2. News: Scots win at Le Mans. Jaguars in First Four Places . . 24 June 1957 . 7 . 11 October 2017.
  3. Web site: 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans results . racingsportscars.com . 9 April 2017.
  4. Web site: 1957 24 Hours of Le Mans results . racingsportscars.com . 9 April 2017.