Ron Flockhart

Ronald "Ron" Flockhart (16 June 1923 - 12 April 1962): Scottish racing driver who won the 24 Hours of Le Mans twice for Ecurie Ecosse and competed in 13 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, before being killed in a plane crash in Australia while attempting to set an air speed record. Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, Flockhart was an engineering graduate of Edinburgh University who served as a Captain with the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers during World War II. His technical training and military service instilled discipline and mechanical understanding that served him well in motorsport. Flockhart began racing in the early 1950s and joined the legendary Scottish team Ecurie Ecosse, achieving his greatest successes in sports car endurance racing.

In 1956, he won the 24 Hours of Le Mans co-driving an ex-works Jaguar D-Type with Ninian Sanderson, giving Ecurie Ecosse its first Le Mans victory. He repeated this triumph in 1957, winning again for Ecurie Ecosse with co-driver Ivor Bueb and setting a distance record of 2,732.8 miles (4,398.0 km) that stood for years. These back-to-back Le Mans victories established Flockhart among Britain's elite endurance racers.

His Formula One career ran concurrently with his sports car success but proved less distinguished. Flockhart competed in 13 World Championship races between 1954 and 1960, primarily for BRM and Connaught. His best Formula One result was third place at the 1956 Italian Grand Prix driving a Connaught Type B, demonstrating that he possessed genuine speed when provided with competitive machinery. Other notable F1 finishes included sixth at the 1959 French Grand Prix and seventh at the 1959 Portuguese Grand Prix, both for BRM.

However, Flockhart's final passion was aviation. He became an accomplished pilot and sought to set air speed records. He traveled to Australia in early 1962 to attempt the Sydney-to-London air speed record, acquiring an ex-Royal Australian Air Force P-51 Mustang fighter aircraft for the attempt. On 12 April 1962, while conducting a test flight in preparation for the record attempt, Flockhart crashed in poor weather conditions near Kallista, Victoria, Australia.

He was killed instantly at age 38. The circumstances of his death reflect the dangerous era when many racing drivers also piloted their own aircraft, often with tragic consequences. Flockhart is remembered primarily for his Le Mans victories with Ecurie Ecosse, which remain highlights of Scottish motorsport history. His Formula One career, while respectable, was overshadowed by his endurance racing achievements and his untimely death pursuing aviation records.

Known for: Winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1956 and 1957 for Ecurie Ecosse, setting a Le Mans distance record in 1957, finishing third at the 1956 Italian Grand Prix, and being killed in a plane crash in Australia while attempting an air speed record attempt in 1962.