MARCH 5, 2002

Jack Fairman

JACK FAIRMAN, one of the British Formula 1 drivers in the 1950s, has died at the age of 83. Fairman did not rise to prominence until after World War II by which time he was already in his late thirties and he was always a gentleman racer, spending most of his time running his family's precision took manufacturing business.

He competed in a variety of machinery in F1 in the 1950s and early 1960s. Fairman's major seasons were in 1956 when he drove factory Connaughts and finished in the top six on occasion, notably at the British GP where he was fourth. He drove for BRM in 1957 and in 1958 was one of the drivers who raced in Bernie Ecclestone's Connaught team.

He also raced for HWM, Ferguson and did the early testing work for Carlo Chiti's ATS team.

He continued to race in F1 on and off until 1963 when he appeared in one of Carel de Beaufort's Ecurie Maarsbergen Porsches in the non-Championship City of Imola Grand Prix.

In 1959 he enjoyed considerable success with the Aston Martin sportscar team alongside Stirling Moss, the two winning both at the Nurburgring and in the Goodwood Tourist Trophy in an Aston Martin DBR1.