Syd van der Vyver

Syd van der Vyver ( * 1920, † August 20, 1989, Pennington ) was a South African motorcycle and automobile racing driver. It was 1960, the first winner of the newly advertised South African Formula 1 Championship. Van der Vyver signed up to a round of the Formula 1 World Championship, but appeared not to due to technical defects.

Life

Speedway

Van der Vyver took as a mechanic in the Royal Navy in the Second World War. After the war, his commitment to motor racing began. Until the early 1950s, he played in dirt track races and earned it a reputation as a hard driver. In his races he wore multiple leather combinations that were painted with a skeleton.

Smaller car racing classes

1955 van der Vyver switched to car racing. In the first place, the youngster competed in the 500cc class, a series that small race car with 0.5 liter engine started and is considered a forerunner of the Formula Junior and Formula 3. Van der Vyver first drove cars that had been constructed in South Africa ( called "Specials "); He then received an older, used car purchased from Cooper and BRM, the motorcycle engines with either Norton or JAP were fitted. In addition, the van drove Vyver numerous mountain race.

Formula 1

As of 1960, van committed the Vyver in the newly formed South African Formula 1 Championship, a series that replaced the aggregate as Formule Libre South African drivers' championship (South African Drivers Championship ). Van der Vyver continued this year an older Cooper T43 one, which he had taken over from Doug Serrurier and was powered by a 1.5 -liter Alfa Romeo engine. The power transmission is made via a sequential gearbox, which was in 1958 made ​​by the company Jackson Cars in Durban especially for van der Vyver. Van der Vyvers mechanic at the time was Peter de Klerk, who with a self-constructed " Special" for its part, took part a few years later as a driver in the championship. Van der Vyver won in the first season of this series the championship. In 1961 he repeated his success in a Lotus 18, which was also driven by an Alfa Romeo engine.

For the South African Formula 1 championship of the year 1962 reported the van Vyver a Lotus 21 with this still from a Alfa Romeo motor driven car could align the van Vyver nothing against its competitors Ernest Pieterse, the protocols previously described by Jim Clark Lotus 21 driven began with Climax engine. Pieterse won the championship of the year 1962.

In the fall of 1962, van took over the Vyver Lotus 24 - Climax, the Jack Brabham had been used in the first round of the Formula 1 World Championship in 1962 for his own team. Van der Vyver the car reported for the first time to the edge of the Grand Prix, which took place on 15 December 1962. He qualified fastest in the native drivers, but different in race from as a result of a defective clutch. In the one week later discharged Natal Grand Prix van was the Vyver long in third place, but came off as a result of a driving error from the track and heavily damaged the car.

For the Grand Prix of South Africa, a scoring of the Formula 1 World Championship race, which was carried out in the last week of December 1962, another message before the van was Vyvers. However, not succeeded in restoring his Lotus within the few days remaining. Van der Vyver therefore not stepped up to the Grand Prix of South Africa. Another message van der Vyvers to a Formula 1 World Championship race did not exist.

Syd van der Vyver repaired the Lotus 24 in the first months of 1963 and took place in the aftermath of a number of other South African race. In 1963, the car was destroyed by fire. Then van finished the Vyver his racing career. He founded a racing school in Durban. Later he worked on the restoration of classic cars.

Race Results Formula 1 World Championship

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