Ian Ashley

Ian Hugh Gordon Ashley ( born October 26, 1947 in Wuppertal, Germany ) is a retired British racing driver.

Ashley began his racing career in the Jim Russell Racing School in 1966. Starting in 1972, he raced in the Formula 5000th There he could win the European Championship in 1973.

Ashley started for the first time in the 1974 season in Formula 1 for the team token at the Grand Prix of Germany.

A total of eleven times Ashley was reported for a Grand Prix but failed to qualify only four times to start: twice in the 1974 season, once in 1976 for BRM and finally, once in 1977 for Hesketh. His best finish was achieved in his first race with the fourteenth place Ashley. 1975 Ashley was reported by the under-funded team of Frank Williams Racing Cars for the Grand Prix of Germany. Ashley qualified for the 20th starting position, but could not participate due to an injury in the race.

After years of absence, he rose in the 1985 CART Championship and drove the season opening race in Miami. In 1986, he was reported for the 500-mile race at Indianapolis, could not participate in the race but if technical problems. After the end of his racing career in the late 1980s, he trained as a pilot. In 1993, he was a complete surprise a second comeback when he got with Vauxhall in the British Touring Car Championship. He even drove sidecar races and the end of his racing career in the TVR Tuscan Challenge.