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James "Hap" Sharp (January 1, 1928 – May 7, 1993) was an American
The Official Chaparral website
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Chaparral Cars website
Chaparral Racing Cars on Pinterest
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sharp, Hap American Formula One drivers 1928 births 1993 deaths Sportspeople from Tulsa, Oklahoma Racing drivers from Oklahoma Reg Parnell Racing Formula One drivers Rob Walker Racing Team Formula One drivers World Sportscar Championship drivers 12 Hours of Sebring drivers
James "Hap" Sharp (January 1, 1928 – May 7, 1993) was an American race car
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 ...
driver who drove in six 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, ...
Grands Prix. He was most famous however, for being a co-owner and driver of the revolutionary Chaparral
Chaparral ( ) is a shrubland plant community and geographical feature found primarily in the U.S. state of California, in southern Oregon, and in the northern portion of the Baja California Peninsula in Mexico. It is shaped by a Mediterranea ...
sports racing cars
Sports car racing is a form of motorsport road racing which utilises sports cars that have two seats and enclosed wheels. They may be purpose-built prototypes or grand tourers based on road-going models. Broadly speaking, sports car racing is o ...
built by Jim Hall and Sharp in Midland, Texas. In 1962 Jim Hall and Hap Sharp formed Chaparral Cars, Inc. and immediately began the design and construction of Chaparral 2, a mid-engined
In automotive engineering, a mid-engine layout describes the placement of an automobile engine in front of the rear-wheel axles, but behind the front axle.
History
The mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive format can be considered the original layout of ...
car with an aerospace inspired semi-monocoque
The term semi-monocoque or semimonocoque refers to a stressed shell structure that is similar to a true monocoque, but which derives at least some of its strength from conventional reinforcement. Semi-monocoque construction is used for, among ot ...
fiberglass chassis.
Racing career
Sharp's record while driving for Chaparral:/ref>
1962
*Road America 500, Hall and Sharp 1st - Chaparral 11964
*USRRC Kent, Sharp 2nd - Chaparral 2 *USRRC Greenwood, Sharp fastest lap - Chaparral 2 *USRRC Mid-Ohio, Sharp 1st - Chaparral 2 *Nassau Speed Week, Sharp/Penske 1st - Chaparral 21965
*Sebring, Hall/Sharp fastest lap and 1st - Chaparral 2 *USRRC Riverside, Sharp fastest lap and 2nd - Chaparral 2 *Bridgehampton, Sharp 2nd - Chaparral 2 *USRRC Watkins Glen, Sharp 2nd - Chaparral 2 *FIA Mr. Tremblant, Canada, Sharp 3rd - Chaparral 2 *USRRC Kent, Sharp fastest lap and 2nd - Chaparral 2 *USRRC Continental Divide, CO, Sharp 1st - Chaparral 2 *USRRC Mid-Ohio, Sharp 1st - Chaparral 2 *Road America 500 Hall/Sharp/Hissom 1st, Hall/Sharp/Jennigs 2nd - Chaparral 2 *Bridgehampton, Sharp fastest lap and 1st - Chaparral 2 *Kent WA, Sharp 2nd - Chaparral 2C *Laguna Seca, Sharp fastest lap and 2nd - Chaparral 2 *Riverside, Sharp 1st - Chaparral 2 *Las Vegas, Sharp 1st - Chaparral 2 *Nassau, Sharp 1st - Chaparral 2 (fitted with two position flipper type spoiler per the Chaparral 2C) Sharp retired from driving after the 1965 season, with two exceptions. Sharp drove a Chaparral 2E in the 1966 Nassau Trophy race, and substituted for Mike Spence (F1 commitment) driving the Chaparral 2F in the 1967 Targa Florio.Personal life
His nickname "Hap" came from "Happy New Year", in connection with his date of birth. He committed suicide in 1993 after being diagnosed withcancer
Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...
.
Complete Formula One World Championship results
( key)References
External links
Chaparral Cars website
Chaparral Racing Cars on Pinterest
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sharp, Hap American Formula One drivers 1928 births 1993 deaths Sportspeople from Tulsa, Oklahoma Racing drivers from Oklahoma Reg Parnell Racing Formula One drivers Rob Walker Racing Team Formula One drivers World Sportscar Championship drivers 12 Hours of Sebring drivers