Ronnie Bucknum
Ronald " Ronnie " Bucknum ( born April 5, 1936 in Alhambra, California, † April 14, 1992 in San Luis Obispo, California ) was an American race car driver.
Although Bucknum drove in the U.S. since 1957, sports car racing, his obligation as a works driver for the Honda Formula 1 team in 1964 for the professional world was a big surprise. Honda sought aware of a largely unknown, but quite talented pilots to prepare in peace to the challenge of the highest single-seater class can.
Bucknum won with the little Honda S600 sports car (No. 15) on May 3, 1964 with a kick-off race for 2nd Grand Prix at Suzuka in the class up to 600 cc and thus came as a driver in the Honda Formula 1 racing team. He debuted in 1964 with the Honda RA271 at the Grand Prix of Germany at the Nürburgring. His debut race he could just stop bit, as the following two at Monza and Watkins Glen. For the 1965 season, Honda undertook with Richie Ginther a compatriot of Bucknum. Ginther, who in after his years at Ferrari, the last three seasons BRM drove, became the new number 1 driver.
Bucknum had in the winter of 1964 /65 Suzuka a serious accident during testing, thereby broke his leg and was afflicted with the entire season on the aftermath. Only countable success, and the only points in his Formula 1 career, was fifth place in the Grand Prix of Mexico. Their placement was whether the first Honda victory of Richie Ginther but under very.
Bucknum had meanwhile in motorsport, however, been able to establish so well that he was inducted in 1966 in the team from Ford that their storm began with the GT 40 from the mid-1960s at Le Mans. Already in 1965 Bucknam at the Sarthe had been the first time at the start. With partner Herbert Müller he drove even then a Ford GT40 for the Swiss Scuderia Filipinettti, but fell early on by engine failure. In 1966 he was in Le Mans together with Dick Hutcherson third in the overall standings. Towards the end of the year put him Honda again into the cockpit of a Formula 1 racing car. Bucknam drove the new 3-liter Honda, the RA273, at the races at Watkins Glen / USA and Mexico City. After a failure in the U.S., the Formula 1 career of the American ended with an eighth place in Mexico.
Bucknum drove continue to sports car racing. In Le Mans, known for his endurance and his fighting spirit Californians 1970 team finished fourth on a Ferrari 512S of the North American Racing. He drove CanAm and TransAm race in his home country. Also the way to the USAC series he found and celebrated in 1968 for Eagle a sensational victory in the race at Michigan International Speedway.
Buchnum the hair was always short in the 1960s turned into the 1970s for racing hippie with long hair and beard. Made a serious diabetes disease him in the early 1980 year to create (he had long given up his racing career ). On the effects of his illness, he died at the age of only 57 years in April 1992.
His son Jeff drove the mid-2000s in the Indy Racing League.