User:Ianotriathlete/sandbox
Francis Tucker
[edit]Francis Tucker | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 30, 1923 |
| Died | April 4, 2008 (aged 84) |
Francis Bagnal Kidder Tucker (Born April 30 1923 - Died April 4 2008) is a South African former Rally driver, the 1966 South African Rally Drivers Champion.
Career
[edit]His contributions span over a lifetime of motorsport. Not only was he a highly competitive participant in the sport, including various forays on the world famous Roof of Africa in a near-standard car, but he also achieved monumental success in the early days of rallying, in which he last won the SA Rally Drivers Championship in 1966.
He can undoubtedly be acknowledged as the “Father of the AA Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit”, having been involved with Alex Blignaut from the circuit’s very first layout by ploughing the shape of the track with a tractor, to the hosting of many world famous World Championship events, including the 9 hour and of course F1 Grand Prix racing. He also served as Steward for all the Grand Prix events at Kyalami until SAMRAC sold the circuit. He was Chairman of the Sports Car Club for 17 years, and his running of the club and after-parties bears witness to his initiative, foresight and utter dedication to the sport. He was also at the forefront of the organisation of the Castrol International Rally, an event which brought South Africa to the brink of a World Championship event.[1]