Thursday, May 18, 2006

Flying the Flag for Wales, Jack Lewis

After a race long struggle with Rodriguez in the works Ferrari Jack Lewis, at the wheel of his Ecurie Gallois BRM, settles for third place in the 1962 Pau Grand Prix. The red dragon is clearly visible by the car number (see photo)

Today Lewis is one of the forgotten men of Formula One, but in the early Sixties his driving of the privately entered Coopers marked him as one of the smoothest and most promising racers on the grid.

A fourth place in the 1961 Italian Grand Prix encouraged Lewis to purchase an ex-works BRM for the 1962 season. Disillusion set in as the car was suspiciously underpowered. At the Monaco Grand Prix young Jack equalled the practice time of the works BRM driver Ginther, only to be excluded from the race to make way for slower but better known competitors. The car was returned to BRM who reimbursed the £7000 selling price and Lewis had to compete for the rest of the season in his tired old 1960 Cooper.

At the end of the 1962 season Lewis retired from the sport to farm near Llandovery, he was still only 25 years old.

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