Motor Sport Special Edition – Jim Clark Special 2026

Summary

Dario Franchitti pays tribute to his fellow Scot Jim Clark in Motor Sport's Jim Clark Special 2026, a 125-page celebration of the Flying Scot's Formula 1 dominance, Indy 500 conquest and Lotus years, with a dedicated museum section tracing how a quiet farmer from Chirnside became motorsport's most naturally gifted driver.

The special edition is organised into six sections. Formula 1 (page 6) covers Clark's 25 Grand Prix victories from 1960 to 1968. Other single-seaters (page 52) tracks his Formula 2, Tasman Series and F5000 campaigns. Americana (page 70) documents his Indianapolis 500 win in 1965 and his USAC championship battles. Sports cars and saloons (page 94) covers his Lotus Cortina drives and his 1964 Le Mans attempt. Off the track (page 116) profiles the man away from racing. Jim Clark's Cortina comes home (page 125) closes with the story of his personal Lotus Cortina returning to the UK.

Dario Franchitti contributes a foreword discussing Clark's influence on Scottish motorsport. The museum section features archival photographs from Motor Sport's vault. The edition covers Clark's full career from Lotus 18 to Lotus 49.

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Content Guide

▸ Cover Story / Formula 1

p.6 · Formula 1
The opening section traces Clark's F1 career from his Lotus 18 debut in 1960 through his two World Championships (1963, 1965) and 25 Grand Prix wins. Each race win is documented with a full-page spread including circuit map, race summary and archival photograph. The section covers his relationship with Colin Chapman and the Lotus team's technical evolution from 18 to 49. New fans get a season-by-season career primer.

▸ Other Single-Seaters

p.52 · Other Single-Seaters
Clark's career outside F1 is covered, including his domination of the Tasman Series (winning the 1965, 1967 and 1968 championships), his Formula 2 outings at the Nurburgring and his F5000 appearances. The section highlights his versatility across different machinery.

▸ Americana

p.70 · Indy 500 and America
Clark's 1965 Indianapolis 500 victory in the Lotus 38 is documented in detail — the first rear-engined car to win the 500. The section also covers his USAC championship efforts and his relationship with American racing culture. It includes a lap-by-lap account of his 1965 win and his 1966 near-miss. Motorsport historians get a tactical breakdown of how Lotus revolutionised Indy car design.

p.94 · Sports Cars and Saloons
Clark's drives in the Lotus Cortina, his 1964 Le Mans 24 Hours with the Ford GT40 and his outings in the Lotus 30 sports car are documented. The section includes results tables and period photographs.

▸ Off the Track

p.116 · Off the Track
A biographical section covering Clark's life away from racing: his farming background in Chirnside, Berwickshire; his quiet personality; his friendships with fellow drivers. The piece draws on interviews with people who knew him personally.

▸ Legacy

p.125 · Jim Clark's Cortina Comes Home
The story of Clark's personal Lotus Cortina — chassis number BA44E-17480 — being located, restored and returned to the UK. The car's history is traced from Clark's ownership through its years in New Zealand to its repatriation. The piece includes current photographs of the restored car.

p.cover · Dario Franchitti Foreword
The three-time Indy 500 winner and fellow Scot writes about Clark's influence on Scottish motorsport. Franchitti recalls meeting Clark's contemporaries and what the Flying Scot means to drivers from Scotland.

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Editor's Take

This is Motor Sport's best-executed special edition in recent years. The six-section structure gives Clark's career appropriate weight across all disciplines — not just F1, where he is already celebrated, but the Tasman Series, Indy and sports cars where his versatility was extraordinary. The archival photography is consistently excellent, particularly the Indy 500 section where the Lotus 38 photographs are worth the cover price alone. The Franchitti foreword adds genuine emotional weight. The Cortina-homecoming closing piece is a warm, specific conclusion. The edition's only weakness is the sports cars and saloons section, which feels compressed — Clark's Le Mans and touring car efforts deserve the full-page treatment the F1 section enjoys. The lack of a full statistical appendix (complete race-by-race record) is a missed opportunity for a reference edition.

Strengths
• Six-section structure gives proper weight to Clark's full career
• Indy 500 archival photography is outstanding
• Franchitti foreword adds genuine emotional heft

Weaknesses
• Sports cars section feels compressed
• Missing full statistical appendix

Verdict: Essential — The definitive single-volume tribute to Jim Clark; every motorsport library needs this.