Tribute to Bruce McLaren

McLaren Racing will turn 50 this year, and while most of you know this name to be synonymous with winning F1 cars and incredibly fast street cars, very few will know who it's founder really was.

In paying tribute to their founder, the company has released a short video about the inspiring figure that was Bruce McLaren. To watch it, click here (it may not be seen in some regions).

Unfortunately, Bruce McLaren, a New Zealand native, would never see the huge success his company would achieve, for he died at the age of 32 in a racing accident. However, he left enough inspiration to propel those who knew him to achieve great success, and in the name of...McLaren.

Bruce Leslie McLaren, (30 Aug 1937-2 June 1970):

Born in Auckland, he drove in 104 F1 races and won 4 with a total of 27 podium finishes. Although he didn't win any F1 championships, he did win the 24 hours of Le Mans in 1966 with Amon, and the 12 hours of Sebring in 1967 with Andretti. He was also the 1967 and 1969 Can-Am champion.

Besides being a inspiring race car driver, he was an even better engineer. His abilities as an analyst, engineer and manager contributed much to the success of that cars that bore his name. One of his first innovations was the "nostrill" that have been a key to McLaren design feature, and is still used on the McLaren F1 road car of today.

Bruce got into motor racing when his father, a mechanic, restored an aging Austin 7 Ulster, which Bruce drove in his first competition, a hill climb. 

The year was 1952 and he was just 14. As a child he suffered from Perthes Disease and at a point had both legs in plaster casts for months followed by traction. Eventually he did walk but with a limp.

Bruce McLaren died on June 2, 1970, when his Can-Am car crashed on the Lavant Straight just before Woodcote corner at Goodwood Circuit in England. He was testing his new M8D when he lost downforce, when the rear body work came loose. He spun off the track and hit a bunker and died  instantly.

Legacy:
- Inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame in 1990,
- Inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1991,
- Inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1995,
- The Bruce McLaren Trust perpetuates his memory and runs a small museum from the flat where Bruce grew up.

For more on McLaren: the Bruce McLaren movie, and the McLaren Group.


Source: Jalopnik, Wikipedia, Jascoautomotive.com.