Jim Clark

Lore & Background

Jim Clark's rise to fame began in the late 1950s, driving for the Lotus team under Colin Chapman. His partnership with Chapman produced some of the most iconic cars and victories in F1 history. Clark's 1965 season was legendary: he won the F1 World Championship and the Indianapolis 500 in the same year, a feat few have matched. His tragic death during a Formula Two race at Hockenheim in 1968 shocked the world, but his legacy as a master of precision and speed endures. Clark's number 6 Lotus 49 remains a symbol of his brilliance.

Reader's Guide

Bass Drum of Death's discography includes five studio albums: GB City (2011), Bass Drum of Death (2013), Rip This (2014), Just Business (2018), and Say I Won't (2023). A sixth album, SIX, is scheduled for 2025. Their EPs include Stain Stick Skin (2008), High School Roaches (2010), Too Cold to Hold / Wait (2020), you were right (2021), and Say Your Prayers (2022). The band is currently signed to Fat Possum Records. For fans exploring their catalog, GB City marks their debut full-length, while Rip This introduced drummer Len Clark as a collaborative member. The 2020 single "Too Cold to Hold" / "Wait" features John Barrett collaborating with his younger brother Jim Barrett, written in Brooklyn and recorded in Oxford, Mississippi during the COVID-19 lockdown. Their live album "Live... and Let Die" was released on June 8, 2024, recorded in Chicago in April 2023.

Did You Know?

• Jim Clark won the Indianapolis 500 in 1965, becoming the first driver to win both the F1 World Championship and the Indy 500 in the same year, a feat later matched by Graham Hill in 1966.
• Clark's 1963 F1 season saw him win 7 out of 10 races, a record for the highest win percentage in a single season at the time.
• He was known for his reluctance to discuss his achievements, often deflecting praise to his team and cars.
• Clark's Lotus 49 was the first F1 car to use the Cosworth DFV engine, a power unit that would dominate the sport for over a decade.