William Ronald Flockhart (16 June 1923 – 12 April 1962) was a British racing driver. He participated in 14 World Championship Formula One Grands Prix, achieving one podium finish and won the 24 Hours of Le Mans sportscar race twice.

Racing career Flockhart started competing in 1951 in a JP Formula 3 car. He purchased the famous ERA R4D from Raymond Mays and in 1953 had a very successful season, beating one of the works BRMs at Goodwood. He achieved podium finishes at Goodwood, Charterhall, Snetterton and Crystal Palace, as well as several hill climb successes.

Flockhart's best World Championship result was third place at the 1956 Italian Grand Prix in a Connaught Type B. In 1959, driving a BRM P25, he won the Lady Wigram Trophy, and qualified on pole, set fastest lap and won the non-championship Silver City Trophy.

In 1956, driving for the Scottish team Ecurie Ecosse, Flockhart won the 1956 24 Hours of Le Mans, sharing an ex-works Jaguar D-type with Ninian Sanderson. The following year he won again for the same team, this time sharing with Ivor Bueb, setting a distance record of .The Times-Picayune, New Orleans, 12 June 1961, p. 34.

Record flight attempts and death In the early 1960s, the United Dominions Trust made plans to break the record for the time taken to fly from Sydney to London in order to gain publicity for its UDT Laystall racing team. A Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation-built Mustang World War Two fighter was purchased in Australia and Flockhart was engaged to make the attempt. Flockhart departed Sydney in the Mustang, registered G-ARKD, on 28 February 1961 and after several delays due to bad weather finally ended the attempt at Athens due to engine problems. Flockhart subsequently entered the London-Cardiff Air Race to be held in June that year but withdrew because G-ARKD was still in Athens. G-ARKD was abandoned and another CAC Mustang, registered VH-UWB, was bought in Australia for Flockhart to make a second attempt at the Sydney-London record. On 12 April 1962, while on a test flight in preparation for the record attempt, Flockhart crashed VH-UWB in poor weather near Kallista, Victoria, and was killed.Anderson, Peter N. Mustangs of the RAAF and RNZAF. A. H. & A. W. Reed Pty. Ltd. Terry Hills, Sydney, NSW 1975.

Racing record

Complete Formula One World Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 WDC Pts Prince Bira Maserati 250F Maserati 250F1 2.5 L6 ARG 500 BEL FRA GBR GER SUI ITA ESP NC 0 Owen Racing Organisation BRM P25 BRM P25 2.5 L4 ARG MON 500 BEL FRA GBR GER 14th 4 Connaught Engineering Connaught B Alta GP 2.5 L4 ITA Owen Racing Organisation BRM P25 BRM P25 2.5 L4 ARG MON 500 FRA GBR GER PES ITA NC 0 R.R.C. Walker Racing Team Cooper T43 Climax FPF 2.0 L4 ARG MON NED 500 BEL FRA GBR GER POR ITA NC 0 Owen Racing Organisation BRM P25 BRM P25 2.5 L4 MOR Owen Racing Organisation BRM P25 BRM P25 2.5 L4 MON 500 NED FRA GBR GER POR ITA USA NC 0 Team Lotus Lotus 18 Climax FPF 2.5 L4 ARG MON 500 NED BEL FRA GBR POR ITA 25th 1 Cooper Car Company Cooper T51 USA * Shared drive with Prince Bira

Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps Lotus Engineering Colin Chapman Lotus Mark IXS1.199DNF(Reversed on track) Ecurie Ecosse Ninian Sanderson Jaguar D-TypeS5.0300 1st 1st Ecurie Ecosse Ivor Bueb Jaguar D-TypeS5.0327 1st 1st Ecurie Ecosse John ‘Jock’ Lawrence TojeiroS3.0137DNF(Overheating) Ecurie Ecosse Bruce Halford Jaguar D-TypeS3.0168DNF(Crankshaft) Border Reivers Jim Clark Aston Martin DBR1/300S3.0132DNF(Clutch)

Complete 12 Hours of Sebring results Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps 1958 Ecurie Ecosse Masten Gregory Jaguar D-TypeS3.055DNF(Engine)

References

External links Ron Flockhart profile at The 500 Owners Association