Johnny Claes

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"Ecurie Belge" redirects here. It is not to be confused with Ecurie Nationale Belge.

Johnny Claes
Born(1916-08-11)11 August 1916
Fulham, London, England
Died3 February 1956(1956-02-03) (aged 39)
Brussels, Belgium
Formula One World Championship career
NationalityBelgium Belgian
Active years1950 – 1953, 1955
TeamsÉcurie Belge, Gordini, HWM, Maserati, Ecurie Nationale Belge
Entries25 (23 starts)
Championships0
Wins0
Podiums0
Career points0
Pole positions0
Fastest laps0
First entry1950 British Grand Prix
Last entry1955 Dutch Grand Prix
Claes's Talbot Lago T26C, Ecurie Belge 1950

Octave John "Johnny" Claes (11 August 1916 – 3 February 1956) was an English-born racing driver who competed for Belgium. Before his fame as a racing driver, Claes was also a jazz trumpeter and successful bandleader in Britain.

Early life and jazz career[]

Claes was born in London to a Scottish mother and Belgian father. He was educated in England at Lord Williams's School. In England, he began playing trumpet in a jazz band that included Max Jones on reeds, and another with Billy Mason on piano. In the 1930s he moved to the Netherlands, where he worked with Valaida Snow and Coleman Hawkins. He also worked with Jack Kluger's band in Belgium. Returning to England, he led his own group, the Claepigeons, making a recording in 1942. In the late 1940s he abandoned his jazz career and settled in Belgium as a professional racing driver.[1]

Racing career[]

Claes was one of several gentlemen drivers who took part in Grand Prix racing of post-World War II. His first contact with racing was at the 1947 French Grand Prix, where he served as interpreter for British drivers. He made his debut in 1948, in his own Talbot-Lago, raced under the Ecurie Belge banner. Although Claes never scored any points in the World Drivers Championship, he was, like many of his contemporaries, very active in non-Championship Grand Prix races and sports car races. His first win was at the 1950 Grand Prix des Frontières, held at the Chimay race track.

In April 1951 Claes crashed into a crowd while practicing at Sanremo, Italy. He was uninjured but an observer was killed and three onlookers were seriously injured.[2] In 1952 he exchanged his outdated Talbot for a Gordini, and later for a Connaught, always with the Ecurie Belge colours, but he also raced occasionally for works teams, including Gordini and Maserati. He also won the 1953 Liège–Rome–Liège Rally and took a class win at the 1954 24 Hours of Le Mans. Claes teamed with to finish 12th in the 1954 24 Hours of Le Mans. They drove a Porsche.[3] Together with compatriot Jacques Swaters, Claes finished third in the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Later in 1955 Claes' health problems worsened, as he had contracted tuberculosis. Claes sold his outfit to Swaters, who merged it with his own Ecurie Francorchamps to form Ecurie Nationale Belge. Claes entered occasional events until the end of the year, but finally succumbed to the disease in Brussels in 1956, aged 39.

Complete Formula One World Championship results[]

(key)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 WDC Pts.
1950 Ecurie Belge Talbot-Lago T26C Talbot L6 GBR
11 		MON
7 		500 SUI
10 		BEL
8 		FRA
Ret 		ITA
Ret 		NC 0
1951 Ecurie Belge Talbot-Lago T26C-DA Talbot L6 SUI
13 		500 BEL
7 		FRA
Ret 		GBR
13 		GER
11 		ITA
Ret 		ESP
Ret 		NC 0
1952 Equipe Gordini Gordini Gordini L6 SUI 500 BEL
8 		NC 0
Ecurie Belge Simca-Gordini T15 Simca-Gordini L4 FRA
Ret 		GBR
14
HW Motors HWM Alta L4 GER
10 		NED
Vicomtesse de Walckiers Simca-Gordini T15 Simca-Gordini L4 ITA
DNQ
1953 Ecurie Belge Connaught Lea-Francis L4 ARG 500 NED
Ret 		FRA
12 		GBR GER
Ret 		SUI ITA
Ret 		NC 0
Officine Alfieri Maserati Maserati A6GCM Maserati L6 BEL
Ret
1955 Stirling Moss Ltd. Maserati 250F Maserati L6 ARG MON 500 BEL
DNS 		NC 0
Equipe Nationale Belge Ferrari 500 Ferrari L4 NED
11 		GBR ITA

Non-Championship Formula One results[]

(key)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
1950 Johnny Claes Talbot-Lago T26C Talbot L6 PAU RIC SRM PAR
DNA 		EMP BAR
8 		ALB
NC 		NED
Ret
Ret 		NOT ULS STT INT
Ret 		GOO
Ret 		PEN
Ret
1951 Johnny Claes Talbot-Lago T26C-DA Talbot L6 SYR PAU RIC
4 		SRM
DNS 		BOR
8
9 		SCO NED
Ret
5
8
1952 Johnny Claes Talbot-Lago T26C-DA Talbot L6
6 		PAU
Ret
DNA
Simca-Gordini T15 Simca-Gordini L4
3
8
DNA
Ret
Ret
6
3
Ret
8
NC
Ret
HWM Alta L4
NC
1953 Johny Claes Connaught Lea-Francis L4 PAU
Ret
6
15
NC
6
Ret
6
Ret
NC
1954 Johny Claes Ferrari 166 Ferrari V12
6 		PAU COR COR

References[]

  1. ^ Pernet, Robert (2001). "Johnny Claes". In Root, Deane L. (ed.). The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. Oxford University Press.‎
  2. ^ "Racing Car Kills Fan". The New York Times. 21 April 1951. p. 12.
  3. ^ "Gonzalez Defeats Rolt-Hamilton In 24-Hour Le Mans Auto Race". The New York Times. 14 June 1954. p. 26.
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