A Tribute to the Late Bruce McLaren
Bruce McLaren was born in 1937 in Auckland, New Zealand. As a young schoolboy he suffered Perthes disease in one hip joint and spent two subsequent years strapped to a metal frame at the Wilson Home for Crippled Children in Takapuna, Auckland.
Like he was to do again many times in later years, Bruce’s determination overcame this adversity and set a tone of conquering huge challenges.
Bruce was selected as New Zealand’s first ‘Driver to Europe’ in 1958. Under the watchful eye of family friend, and later three time World Champion Formula One driver Sir Jack Brabham, Bruce initially joined the ‘works’ Cooper Formula Two Team in 1958 before his results earned him a promotion to the Cooper works F1 racing team for 1959 and beyond.
At the age of 22 and 80 days, he won the 1959 United States F1 GP to become the youngest ever F1GP winner – a record held in his name for over 40 years.
He followed that up in 1960 winning the Argentine F1GP and was second overall in the 1960 world F1 Championship.
He won the prestigious Monaco F1GP in 1962 driving a Cooper and finished third in the championship but his mind was already on Bruce McLaren Motor Racing Ltd, a Team he set up in 1963 and which remains to this day as the basis of the highly successful Vodafone Team McLaren F1 Team.
Bruce continued to race and win in Coopers, including the New Zealand GP in 1964 and the Tasman Championship (the very Cooper car that Bruce used in 1964 to win the NZIGP and the Tasman Cup will be racing at the Festival, driven by new owner Adam Berryman). Bruce left the Cooper team at the end of 1965, and announced his own McLaren GP racing team.
It wasn’t until 1968 that Bruce took his fourth career win - racing his own McLaren F1 car - at Belgium’s Spa circuit in 1968, achieving the team's first Grand Prix win.
Team mate and fellow New Zealander Denny Hulme, the 1967 F1 Champion, won twice in the McLaren-Ford in 1968. The 1969 championship was also a success, with Bruce’s McLaren team finishing third in the F1 standings.
It was in powerful sports car racing where Bruce’s design flair and ingenuity were graphically demonstrated.
Canadian –American (Can-Am) Challenge Cup racing was becoming very popular with fans in Canada and the United States and in the six-race 1966 series the new McLaren Can-Am cars finished second three times, and third three times for an overall third place in the series.
In the following five years from 1967 until 1971, the McLaren team won five consecutive Can-Am championships. In 1967 they won five of six races and in 1968, four of six. In 1969 McLaren cars proved unbeatable, winning 11 of 11 races. In two races, they finished 1-2-3. (McLaren, Hulme and Mark Donohue).
Bruce McLaren tragically died at the young age of 32 when his new McLaren M8D Can-Am car crashed on the Lavant Straight just before Woodcote corner at Goodwood Circuit in England on 2 June 1970.
Bruce’s legacy is as a world class driver, engineer and designer, and it is in his memory that the NZ Festival of Motor Racing celebrating Bruce McLaren remembers his remarkable and significant international achievements.
Some Bruce McLaren’s achievements
1958 Bruce was selected as New Zealand’s first ‘Driver to Europe’
1959 Winner US GP, Sebring, Florida - youngest driver to win a F1 GP (a record held in his name for over 40 years)
1960 Winner Argentine GP
1962 Winner Monaco GP
1966 Winner Le Mans 24 Hour race partnered by New Zealander Chris Amon
1968 Winner Belgium GP in a McLaren F1 car, designed and built by Bruce
1967-1971 McLaren cars won five consecutive Can-Am Championships for Sports Racing Cars.
The NZ Festival of Motor Racing celebrating Bruce McLaren will feature a number of the cars that Bruce owned, drove and designed. In a unique global gathering of the marque, there will be a display of many cars that were associated with Bruce as well as some of his most iconic designs.
NEW BOOK
Ensure you get your copy of Bruce McLaren: A Celebration of a Kiwi Icon from the Bruce McLaren Trust located in the ‘Bruce McLaren Display marquee’ at the Festival. Cost is only NZD$35. Check times at the Festival when book signings will be held.
>> More info
For those not able to attend the Festival, copies of the book may be obtained by emailing Jan McLaren brucemclarentrust@clear.net.nz. Cost will be NZD$35 plus postage and packing.