Ian Connell (racing driver)
| Ian Connell | |
|---|---|
| Born | Ian Ferguson Connell 15 October 1913 |
| Died | 1 March 2003 (aged 89) |
Ian Ferguson Connell (15 October 1913 – 1 March 2003) was a British Grand Prix racing driver, active either side of the Second World War.
Career
Connell was a member of the Cambridge University Motor Club,[2] and started racing in 1934. He was a regular racer at Brooklands, primarily in MGs, and ran the sales side of the Monaco Garage in Watford.[3]
Connell raced at the 24 Hours of Le Mans twice, finishing 8th as a team-mate to Rob Walker in a Delahaye 135S in the 1939 event, although Connell had to sit out the last 12 hours, having burnt his feet badly due to a broken exhaust.[4]
He drove in one Grande Epreuve before the war, the 1938 Donington Grand Prix, in his E.R.A. B-type, with Peter Monkhouse sharing the driving; the two came 8th and last,[5] massively outgunned by the leading German cars, Connell estimating his top speed at being 135mph while Tazio Nuvolari could touch 200.[6] (Connell had raced in the 1936 Donington Grand Prix, sharing his Alfa Romeo Monza with Kenneth Evans, the duo not finishing,[7] but that race did not have premier status.)
Connell served in the Second World War as an officer in the Desert Rats, heading up a vehicle workshop. He continued racing after the war and enjoyed a full season in 1947,[8] culminating in a 7th place finish at the 1947 French Grand Prix, sharing an E.R.A. Type B with owner Peter Whitehead.[9] He hung up his helmet in 1949, on getting married,[10] and became an accountant, retiring as chief accountant at Decca Radio and Television.[11]
Le Mans results
| Year | Team | Co-Drivers | Car | Class | Laps | Pos. | Class Pos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1935 |  J. F. Connell |
Nevil Lloyd |
Singer Nine | 1.1 | 17 | ret | ret |
| 1939 |  Comte Heyden |
Rob Walker |
Delahaye 135 | 5.0 | 224 | 8th | 5th |
Source:[12] | |||||||
External links
References
- ↑ "Drivers (C)". Golden Era.fi. Retrieved 13 May 2026.
- ↑ "Light Blues at Donington". Motor Sport: 24. August 1939.
- ↑ "The Monaco Garage". Motor Sport: 228. April 1936.
- ↑ Bingham, Philip. "Remembering the "gentleman" privateer whose F1 team was a giant-slayer". Porter Press. Retrieved 13 May 2026.
- ↑ Nye, Doug (1977). The British Grand Prix 1926–76. London: B. T. Batsford. pp. 29–31. ISBN 9780713432831.
- ↑ Kerton, Nigel (13 November 1998). "Champ Ian is still in the driving seat". Western Daily Press: 22–23.
- ↑ McComb, WIlson (September 1985). "The end of the Evanses". Thoroughbred & Classic Cars: 26–8.
- ↑ "Ian Connell". StatsF1. Retrieved 13 May 2026.
- ↑ Hodges, David (1967). The French Grand Prix. pp. 132–134.
- ↑ "The Brits on Tazio's tail". Derby Daily Telegraph: 21. 27 October 1998.
- ↑ "Drivers (C)". Golden Era.fi. Retrieved 13 May 2026.
- ↑ "Ian Connell". 24-lemans. Retrieved 13 May 2026.