Bruce Mclaren

Bruce McLaren , one of the most famous men in auto racing in the world who with his love and talent for speed led him to be part of one of the most renowned, important and prolific teams of all time, the team McLaren . Without a doubt, one of the most relevant figures in the automotive industry whose legacy remains intact today.

What did

Bruce McLaren was one of the most recognized race car drivers who managed to win several championships and Grand Prix as a driver. In addition to his great career as a speed car driver, he was the man who, in 1963, managed to found Bruce McLaren Motor Racing Ltd. , a car company that continues to this day.

Bruce McLaren Biography

Bruce McLaren was born in the city of Auckland is located in New Zealand a 30 August of the year 1937 . Since he was a child, he showed his great interest in cars and speed. He studied in the elementary school of his city and later, he entered the Seddon Technical Memorial College where he began to study engineering . At the time, he managed to acquire his first car and with it he decided to enter the world of competitions. His first races were carried out in his country, in mountain races which gave him great success and made him the recipient of the title ” Pilot to Europe”Awarded by the New Zeland International Grand Prix.

When he arrived in England , he participated in several races and began to compete in Formula 2 where he also achieved very good results. At just 22 years old , he began his career in Formula 1 and at that time, he signed a contract with the Cooper team with whom he managed to win the United States Grand Prix in 1959. In 1960, he also managed to win the Grand Prix. from Argentina and was titled as runner-up in the world . In 1962 he managed to obtain first place in the 24 hours of Le Mans and in 1967 the 12 hours of Sebringand finally in 1963 he managed to found Bruce McLaren Motor Racing.

Death

Bruce McLaren died as was 32 years old when the car he was driving a Can-Am has crashed in the popular straight Lavant before reaching the curve Woodcote within the Goodwood circuit in England a 2 June 1970 . The car in which he was traveling had a great loss in its downforce which caused the car in which the pilot was traveling to destabilize causing him to turn off the track and subsequently crashing into a bunker which was being used as a station to place a flag.

McLaren founding racing racing career

In the year 1959 , when he was 22, he joined the Australian Jack Brabham as a substitute rider for Team Cooper F1, at which time managed to win his first Grand Prix of F1 in the United States . In 1960 he became Cooper’s main driver, managing to win Formula 1 again in Argentina and Monte Carlo . In 1964 he won two more races in England and in 1969 he managed to win his second championship.

Bruce McLaren inventions

His parents, Les and Ruth McLaren , had a service station and workshop on Remuera Rd, where he spent all his free hours and where he developed his passion during his formative years. With his restless ambition, he managed to establish his own team , Bruce McLaren Motor Racing Ltd . He was a man who not only raced and led the team, but designed the sports cars .

In the early days of McLaren sports cars, it was testing and noticed that the door of access to the tank of fuel moved up and down while driving. The prevailing aerodynamic thinking was that it should get more pressed into place as the car’s speed increased. Instead, it bounced harder as speed increased.

Instantly he had an idea. When stopping in the pits, he took a pair of scissors and began to cut the bodywork behind the radiator . As he got back in the car, he immediately started setting faster lap times . The only response was that there must be a source of air of increased pressure below than above. From this fact were born the ” nostrils ” which have been a key feature of McLaren’s design , even on the McLaren F1 road car.

In 1966 he introduced his first Formula 1 single-seater car, the Ford Indy M2A . Then, in 1967, he created the M6A , one of McLaren’s greatest achievements. Later he also invented the Can6 Am M6A Group 7 .

Wife

Contracted marriage with Patty McLaren-Brickett.

Children

Together with his wife he had a daughter whom he named Amanda McLaren .

Importance

Bruce McLaren was a pilot of great importance not only in the automotive world for having been an excellent pilot but also for his great contributions to the construction of racing cars more fast and safe . Their manufacturing techniques are kept up to date and it is also an important part of their legacy.

Phrases

Some recognized phrases that were mentioned by Bruce McLaren were the following:

• Our cars could accelerate, brake and turn better than others, including Ferraris.
• There is no average reason for a driver to be a good driver, just as there is no average reason for a person to get involved in racing.
• Life is measured in achievements and not just in years.
• If you start spending time on glamor, you’re not going to be a car builder or a driver for long.
• I have been more afraid on a plane during a storm than in a racing car.

Acknowledgments to Bruce McLaren

He was inducted into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame because of his legacy and career. In his honor, various awards have been established in his name which are awarded to renowned racing drivers. In addition, his name lives on among lovers of speed on the slopes. Other of his recognitions were the following:

• Incorporation into the International Motor Racing Hall of Fame .
• Induction into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame .
• He was inducted into the New Zealand Sports Wall of Fame .
• A museum was created in his honor.

Presence in popular culture

In popular culture it is possible to find his story in various films and documentaries. One of these films is known as McLaren: The Race of a Champion , an action drama film that tells the story of the founder of the McLaren Motor Racing team. A documentary about his life was also made in which all the challenges and adversities that he had to face in order to have his own team are narrated .

Curiosities

Some curiosities that revolved around Bruce McLaren were the following:

• When he was only thirteen years old, his father bought an Austin Ulster which was almost destroyed , but the young man saw its potential. He begged his father to keep the car and let him turn it into a racing car and won his first race with it .
• Bruce McLaren was a New Zealander , and New Zealanders like kiwis . But it wasn’t the fruit, it was the bird. The original McLaren logo had a kiwi in the center.
• Bruce McLaren won the United States Grand Prix in December 1959. This was the first American event to be counted for the world racing championship.
• Tooned is a comedy of cartoons produced by McLaren that also promotes its drivers and vehicles.