Robert McGregor Innes Ireland (12 June 1930 – 22 October 1993) was a British racing driver and journalist, who competed in Formula One from to . Ireland won the 1961 United States Grand Prix with Lotus.
Born in Mytholmroyd and raised in Scotland, Ireland initially served in the British Army, reaching the rank of lieutenant in 1955. Ireland competed in Formula One for Lotus, BRP, Reg Parnell Racing and Bernard White Racing, winning the in with the former, as well as finishing fourth in the 1960 World Drivers' Championship and taking victories at eight non-championship races. He entered eight editions of the 24 Hours of Le Mans from to , and was a race-winner in the British Saloon Car Championship.
Upon retiring from motor racing, Ireland started a career as a journalist in the late-1980s for ESPN, later working with automobile magazines Road & Track and Autocar. He was the president of the British Racing Drivers' Club from 1992 until his death the following year.
Early life Ireland was born 12 June 1930 in Mytholmroyd, West Riding of Yorkshire, England, the son of a Scottish veterinary surgeon. His family returned to Kirkcudbright, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland during his youth, and he trained as an engineer with Rolls-Royce, first in Glasgow and later in London. Commissioned as a second lieutenant in the King's Own Scottish Borderers, he served with the Parachute Regiment in the Suez Canal Zone during 1953 and 1954. In 1955 he transferred to the Territorial Army and was promoted to lieutenant, Correcting and in 1958 he was placed on the Reserve of Officers.
Racing career Ireland began racing a Riley 9 in 1954. His first year of nationally competitive events was 1957, by which time he was running a small engineering firm in Surrey. Success in sports car racing saw him make his Formula One debut for Team Lotus in 1959. In 1960 he won three non-championship Formula One races and finished fourth in the World Drivers Championship. Badly injured in the 1961 Monaco Grand Prix, Ireland recovered to win the Solitude Grand Prix and Flugplatzrennen races, then finished the season with a victory in the United States Grand Prix at Watkins Glen. He was sacked at the end of the season as team boss Colin Chapman considered Jim Clark a better bet.
Ireland entered a Ferrari in the 24 Hours of Daytona, with motorcycle racer Mike Hailwood as his intended co-driver, but broke down with gearbox problems after hours, before Hailwood was scheduled to participate."Hailwood home". Motorcycle News, 16 February 1966, p.1. Accessed 20 April 2024
Ireland was encouraged by Bill France Sr., founder of NASCAR, to participate in the 1967 Daytona 500, one of the last races of his career, where the V8 engine of his year-old Dodge exploded opposite the stands.
Ireland worked as a journalist for ESPN for several F1 races in the late 1980s, as well as the American Road & Track magazine and Autocar magazine. He also operated fishing trawlers in the North Atlantic. Towards the end of his life, he was elected president of the British Racing Drivers' Club, a post he still held at the time of his death from cancer on 22 October 1993, in Reading, Berkshire.
Writing As a writer, Ireland produced an autobiography, All Arms and Elbows (1967; ). Another book, Marathon in the Dust (1970), is Ireland's account of the gruelling 1968 Daily Express London-Sydney Marathon, which he completed with two friends, fellow Formula One competitor Michael Taylor and British bobsledder Andy Hedges, in a Mercedes Benz 280 SE.
Personal life
On 30 October 1954, Ireland married Scarborough schoolteacher Norma Thomas. They had two daughters before divorcing in 1967. He then married Edna Humphries also in 1967. Ireland married his third wife Jean Mander (née Howarth), a former fashion model, on 11 June 1993 at Newbury register office. Jean had been engaged to Mike Hawthorn at the time of Hawthorn's death in 1959. Ireland also had a son who died in 1992.
Ireland was described as a larger-than-life character who, according to a rival team boss, "lived without sense, without an analyst, and provoked astonishment and affection from everyone."
Racing record
Complete Formula One World Championship results (key) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 WDC Pts. Team Lotus Lotus 16 Climax FPF 2.5 L4 MON 500 NED FRA GBR GER POR ITA USA 14th 5 Team Lotus Lotus 18 Climax FPF 2.5 L4 ARG MON 500 NED BEL FRA GBR POR ITA USA 4th 18 Team Lotus Lotus 21 Climax FPF 1.5 L4 MON NED BEL FRA GBR GER USA 6th 12 Lotus 18/21 ITA UDT-Laystall Racing Team Lotus 24 Climax FWMV 1.5 V8 NED MON BEL FRA GBR GER ITA USA RSA 16th 2 British Racing Partnership Lotus 24 BRM P56 1.5 V8 MON GER 9th 6 BRP Mk1 BEL NED FRA GBR ITA USA MEX RSA British Racing Partnership Lotus 24 BRM P56 1.5 V8 MON NED 14th 4 BRP Mk1 BEL FRA BRP Mk2 GBR GER AUT ITA USA MEX Reg Parnell Racing Lotus 25 BRM P56 1.5 V8 RSA MON BEL FRA GBR NED GER NC 0 Lotus 33 ITA USA MEX Bernard White Racing BRM P261 BRM P60 1.9 V8 MON BEL FRA GBR NED GER ITA USA MEX NC 0
Non-championship Formula One results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 1957 Equipe Endeavour Cooper T43 F2 Climax FPF 1.5 L4 BUE SYR GLV NAP RMS CAE INT MOD MOR 1959 Team Lotus Lotus 16 F2 Climax FPF 1.5 L4 GLV AIN INT OUL Lotus 16 Climax FPF 2.5 L4 SIL 1960 Team Lotus Lotus 18 Climax FPF 2.5 L4 BUE GLV INT SIL LOM OUL 1961 Team Lotus Lotus 18 Climax FPF 1.5 L4 LOM GLV PAU BRX VIE AIN SYR NAP LON SIL KAN MOD Lotus 21 SOL DAN FLG OUL LEW VAL RAN NAT RSA 1962 UDT-Laystall Racing Team Lotus 18/21 Climax FPF 1.5 L4 CAP BRX LOM LAV GLV PAU AIN Ferrari 156 Ferrari 178 1.5 V6 INT Lotus 24 BRM P56 1.5 V8 NAP MAL CLP Climax FWMV 1.5 V8 RMS SOLDNA KAN MED DAN OUL MEX RAN NAT 1963 British Racing Partnership Lotus 24 BRM P56 1.5 V8 LOM GLV PAU IMO SYR AIN INT ROM KAN MED AUT OUL RAN BRP Mk1 SOL 1964 British Racing Partnership BRP Mk1 BRM P56 1.5 V8 DMT NWT SYR BRP Mk2 AIN INT SOL MED RAN 1965 Reg Parnell Racing Lotus 25 BRM P56 1.5 V8 ROC SYR SMT INT MED Lotus 25/33 BRM P60 2.0 V8 RAN 1966 Reg Parnell Racing Lotus 25/33 BRM P60 2.0 V8 RSA SYR INT Bernard White Racing BRM P261 BRM P60 1.9 V8 OUL The Parnell Lotus driven by Ireland in 1965 and 1966 was a written-off 25 rebuilt around a 33 monocoque.
Complete British Saloon Car Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap.) Year Team Car Class 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Pts Class 1962 Ford Motor Company Ford Zodiac Mk 3 SNE GOO AIN SILovr:?cls:1 CRY AIN BRH OUL 17th 9 2nd 1964 McKechnie Racing Ford Cortina Lotus SNE GOO OUL AIN SILovr:7cls:4 CRY BRH OUL 27th 2 11th
24 Hours of Le Mans results Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps Team Lotus Mike Taylor Lotus 11 S 1.1 162 DNF DNF Ecurie Ecosse Masten Gregory Jaguar D-Type S 3.0 70 DNF DNF Team Lotus John Whitmore Lotus Elite Mk. 14 S 2.0 0 DNS DNS UDT Laystall Racing Team Masten Gregory Ferrari 250 GTO GT 3.0 165 DNF DNF David Brown Racing Dept. Bruce McLaren Aston Martin DP214 GT +3.0 59 DNF DNF Maranello Concessionaires Tony Maggs Ferrari 250 GTO GT 3.0 328 6th 2nd Ford Advanced Vehicles John Whitmore Ford GT40 GT 5.0 72 DNF DNF F.R. English Ltd. \ Comstock Racing Jochen Rindt Ford GT40 Mk I S 5.0 8 DNF DNF
NASCAR: Grand National
Daytona 500 Year Team Manufacturer Start Finish 1967 Ray Fox '66 Dodge Charger 20 27
See also Formula One drivers from the United Kingdom
References
Bibliography
External links
Information about Innes Ireland