Chris Irwin (born 27 June 1942 in
Wandsworth
Wandsworth Town () is a district of south London, within the London Borough of Wandsworth southwest of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan
The London Plan is the statutory spatial development strategy for the Gre ...
, London) is a British former
racing driver
Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition.
Auto racing has existed since the invention of the automobile. Races of various sorts were organise ...
. He participated in 10
Formula One
Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...
World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 16 July 1966. He scored two championship points.
Irwin's career was ended prematurely by an accident he sustained when driving a
Ford
Ford commonly refers to:
* Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford
* Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river
Ford may also refer to:
Ford Motor Company
* Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company
* Ford F ...
P68 sports prototype
A sports prototype, sometimes referred to as simply a prototype, is a type of race car that is used in the highest-level categories of sports car racing. These purpose-built racing cars, unlike street-legal and production-based racing cars, are n ...
during practice for the 1968
1000km Nürburgring
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...
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.
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 he had become re-acquainted with a racing rival from the 1960s after a chance meeting in London, and that he sometimes still suffers flashbacks to his accident. Irwin was reported, however, to be in generally good condition.
In a rare appearance at a race meeting, Irwin attended the
Thruxton Circuit
The Thruxton Circuit is a motor-racing circuit located near the village of Thruxton in Hampshire, England, United Kingdom, about 30 miles north of Southampton.
It has hosted motorsport events including the British Touring Car Championship, B ...
's 40th anniversary celebrations in April 2008. A three-quarter page interview and a current photograph of him posing with old 1960s rivals and a Formula 2 car appeared in the June 2008 issue of
''Motor Sport'' magazine. He is currently living in rural
Rutland
Rutland () is a ceremonial county and unitary authority in the East Midlands, England. The county is bounded to the west and north by Leicestershire, to the northeast by Lincolnshire and the southeast by Northamptonshire.
Its greatest len ...
in the UK.
Racing record
Complete British Saloon Car Championship results
(
key
Key or The Key may refer to:
Common meanings
* Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm
* Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock
* Key (map ...
) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap.)
Complete Formula One World Championship results
(
key
Key or The Key may refer to:
Common meanings
* Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm
* Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock
* Key (map ...
)
Non-Championship Formula One results
(
key
Key or The Key may refer to:
Common meanings
* Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm
* Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock
* Key (map ...
) (Races in bold indicate pole position)
(Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Complete Tasman Series results
Complete European Formula Two Championship results
References
Sources
Profile at www.grandprix.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Irwin, Chris
1942 births
24 Hours of Le Mans drivers
British Formula Three Championship drivers
English racing drivers
English Formula One drivers
European Formula Two Championship drivers
People with traumatic brain injuries
Living people
Tasman Series drivers
Brabham Formula One drivers
Reg Parnell Racing Formula One drivers
World Sportscar Championship drivers