Mike Spence

MIKE SPENCE d1968. British race-car from England. He participated in 37 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix for Lotus and BRM, debuting on 8th September 1963. He achieved one podium and scored a total of 27 championship points. He also participated in numerous non-Championship Formula One races as well as in sports cars. Following Jim Clark's death at Hockenheim in early April 1968, Colin Chapman invited him back to Lotus as part of their Indianapolis 500 team. During practice at the IMS on Tuesday 7th May (driving the No60 Lotus 56 turbocar) he ran a lap of 169.555 mph (272.9 km/h), the fastest of the month and second-fastest in track history. Later that afternoon (whilst on a test run in the turbocar No30) he did a lap of 163 mph (262 km/h), but early in the second lap, he misjudged his entry to turn one and collided heavily with the concrete wall. Mike Spence died in the hospital later that evening aged just 31 from head injuries sustained in the accident