Drivers

Innes Ireland

Ireland was one of the most colorful drivers of his generation, getting involved in all manner of spectacular scrapes and confrontations during an action-packed life behind the wheel. Innes's rumbustious character - and pechant for the odd social drink - might well have sat uneasily with the strict Methodist upbringing of BRM boss Sir Alfred Owen had the Scottish driver accepted an offer to partner Graham Hill in 1962. As it was, Innes stood by his word that he would join the independent UDT/Laystall organization and turned down the BRM offer. It cost this man of principle his best shot at the Championship. Innes, a former paratrooper, won the '61 US Grand Prix for Lotus only to be dismissed a few weeks later by Colin Chapman who saw Jim Clark as a brighter prospect. That was certainly correct, but it was a matter of enduring enmity between Jim and Innes and they never made their peace before Clark's death.