Johnny Claes

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
"Ecurie Belge" redirects here. Not to be confused with
Ecurie Nationale Belge
.

Johnny Claes
Born(1916-08-11)11 August 1916
Ecurie Nationale Belge
Entries25 (23 starts)
Championships0
Wins0
Podiums0
Career points0
Pole positions0
Fastest laps0
First entry1950 British Grand Prix
Last entry1955 Dutch Grand Prix
Claes's Talbot Lago T26C, Ecurie Belge 1950

Octave John Claes (

racing driver who competed for Belgium. Before his fame as a racing driver, Claes was also a jazz
trumpeter and successful bandleader in Britain.

Early life and jazz career

Claes was born in

Max Jones on reeds, and another with Billy Mason on piano. In the 1930s he moved to the Netherlands, where he worked with Valaida Snow and Coleman Hawkins. He also worked with Jack Kluger's band in Belgium. Returning to England, he led his own group, the Claepigeons, making a recording in 1942. In the late 1940s he abandoned his jazz career and settled in Belgium as a professional racing driver.[1]

Racing career

Claes was one of several gentlemen drivers who took part in Grand Prix racing of post-World War II. His first contact with racing was at the 1947 French Grand Prix, where he served as interpreter for British drivers. He made his debut in 1948, in his own Talbot-Lago, raced under the Écurie Belge banner. Although Claes never scored any points in the World Drivers Championship, he was, like many of his contemporaries, very active in non-Championship Grand Prix races and sports car races. His first win was at the 1950 Grand Prix des Frontières, held at the Chimay race track.

In April 1951 Claes crashed into a crowd while practicing at

Liège–Rome–Liège Rally and took a class win at the 1954 24 Hours of Le Mans. Claes teamed with Pierre Stasse to finish 12th in the 1954 24 Hours of Le Mans. They drove a Porsche.[3] Together with compatriot Jacques Swaters, Claes finished third in the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans
.

Later in 1955 Claes' health problems worsened, as he had contracted tuberculosis. Claes sold his outfit to Swaters, who merged it with his own Écurie Francorchamps to form Écurie Nationale Belge. Claes entered occasional events until the end of the year, but finally succumbed to the disease in Brussels in 1956, aged 39.

Complete Formula One World Championship results

(key)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 WDC Pts.
1950
Écurie Belge
 Talbot-Lago T26C
L6
 GBR
11 		MON
7 		500 SUI
10 		BEL
8 		FRA
Ret 		ITA
Ret 		NC 0
1951
Écurie Belge
 Talbot-Lago T26C-DA
L6
 SUI
13 		500 BEL
7 		FRA
Ret 		GBR
13 		GER
11 		ITA
Ret 		ESP
Ret 		NC 0
1952 Équipe Gordini Gordini T16
L6
 SUI 500 BEL
8 		NC 0
Écurie Belge
 Simca-Gordini T15
L4
 FRA
Ret 		GBR
14
HW Motors HWM 52
L4
 GER
10 		NED
Vicomtesse de Walckiers Simca-Gordini T15
L4
 ITA
DNQ
1953
Écurie Belge
 Connaught Type A
L4
 ARG 500 NED
Ret 		FRA
12 		GBR GER
Ret 		SUI ITA
Ret 		NC 0
Officine Alfieri Maserati Maserati A6GCM
L6
 BEL
Ret
1955 Stirling Moss Ltd. Maserati 250F
L6
 ARG MON 500 BEL
DNS 		NC 0
Écurie Nationale Belge
500
L4
 NED
11 		GBR ITA

Non-championship Formula One results

(key)

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 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35
1950 Johnny Claes Talbot-Lago T26C
L6
 PAU RIC SRM PAR
DNA 		EMP BAR
8 		JER ALB
NC 		NED
Ret 		NAT
Ret 		NOT ULS PES STT INT
Ret 		GOO
Ret 		PEN
Ret
1951 Johnny Claes Talbot-Lago T26C-DA
L6
 SYR PAU RIC
4 		SRM
DNS 		BOR INT
8 		PAR ULS
9 		SCO NED
Ret 		ALB
5 		PES BAR
8 		GOO
1952 Johnny Claes Talbot-Lago T26C-DA
L6
 RIO SYR VAL
6 		RIC LAV PAU
Ret 		IBS ULS
DNA
Simca-Gordini T15
L4
 MAR
3
AST
 INT
8 		ELÄ NAP EIF
DNA 		PAR
Ret 		ALB FRO
Ret 		MAR
6 		SAB
3 		CAE DAI COM
Ret 		NAT BAU
8 		MOD
NC 		CAD SKA MAD AVU JOE NEW
Ret 		RIO
HWM 52
L4
 MNZ
NC 		LAC ESS
1953 Johny Claes Connaught Type A
L4
 SYR PAU
Ret 		LAV AST BOR
6 		INT
15 		ELÄ NAP ULS WIN FRO
NC 		COR EIF ALB
6 		PRI ESS MID ROU
Ret 		CRY AVU
6 		USF LAC BRI CHE SAB
Ret 		NEW CAD RED SKA LON MOD
NC 		MAD JOE CUR

References

  1. ISBN 978-1-56159-239-5
    .‎
  2. ^ "Racing Car Kills Fan". The New York Times. 21 April 1951. p. 12.
  3. ^ "Gonzalez Defeats Rolt-Hamilton In 24-Hour Le Mans Auto Race". The New York Times. 14 June 1954. p. 26.
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