Chris Irwin

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Chris Irwin bigraphy, stories - British racing driver

Chris Irwin : biography

27 June 1942 –

Chris Irwin (born 27 June 1942 in Wandsworth, London) is a British former racing driver. He participated in 10 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 16 July 1966. He scored two championship points.

Chris Irwin’s career was ended prematurely by an accident he sustained when driving a Ford P68 sports prototype during practice for the 1968 1000km Nürburgring endurance race. He lost control of the notoriously twitchy car at the Flugplatz, the P68 flipping end over end after landing on its tail following a jump. He suffered severe head injuries but eventually recovered. However, it prevented him from racing again.

Chris Irwin is still alive and reasonably well, but his whereabouts are largely unknown as he stays out of the public eye and away from motor racing events. In 2006 it was reported that Chris had become re-acquainted with a racing rival from the 60’s after a chance meeting in London, and that he sometimes still suffers flashbacks to his accident. Chris was reported, however, to be in generally good condition.

In a rare appearance at a race meeting, Irwin attended the Thruxton circuit’s 40th anniversary celebrations in April 2008. A three-quarter page interview and a current photograph of him posing with old 60’s rivals and a Formula 2 car appeared in the June 2008 issue of Motor Sport magazine. He is currently living in rural Rutland in the UK.

Sources

Category:English racing drivers Category:English Formula One drivers Category:European Formula Two Championship drivers Category:British Formula Three Championship drivers Category:People with brain injuries Category:1942 births Category:Living people Category:24 Hours of Le Mans drivers Category:Tasman Series drivers Category:Brabham Formula One drivers Category:Reg Parnell Racing Formula One drivers Category:World Sportscar Championship drivers

Complete Formula One World Championship results

(key)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 WDC Points
1966 Brabham Racing Organisation Brabham BT11 ClimaxStraight-4 MON BEL FRA GBR7 NED GER ITA USA MEX NC 0
1967 Reg Parnell Motor Racing Lotus 25 BRM V8 RSA MON NED7 16th 2
BRM P261 BELRet GBR7
BRM P83 BRM H16 FRA5 GER9 CANRet ITARet USARet MEXRet