Nationality New Zealander Wins 0 Active years 1971 – 1974 Name Howden Ganley | Entries 41 (35 starts) Role Racing driver Championships 0 | |
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Born 24 December 1941 (age 82) ( 1941-12-24 ) Similar People Mike Hailwood, Ian Ashley, Jacques Laffite, Frank Williams, Patrick Head | ||
Racer howden ganley with robin miller at pri 2014
James Howden Ganley (born 24 December 1941 in Hamilton) is a former racing driver from New Zealand. From 1971 to 1974 he participated in 41 World Championship Formula One Grands Prix. He placed 4th twice and scored points 5 times for a total of 10 championship points (only the top 6 places scored points). He also participated in numerous non-Championship Formula One races.
Contents
- Racer howden ganley with robin miller at pri 2014
- Howden ganley festival historic saloons handicap race 3 sat 1st
- Personal and early life
- Early career
- Formula 5000
- Formula One
- Ganley F1 Car
- Sportscars
- Tiga Race Cars
- Complete Formula One World Championship results
- References
Howden ganley festival historic saloons handicap race 3 sat 1st
Personal and early life
When he was thirteen years old, he attended the 1955 New Zealand Grand Prix at Ardmore which inspired him and provided him with an impetus to follow a career in racing. Immediately after leaving school, Ganley became a reporter for the Waikato Times and wrote a column for Sports Car Illustrated. He moved to the United Kingdom in 1961 and pursued a career as a mechanic.
Early career
Between 1960 and 1962, Ganley competed in many events throughout New Zealand driving a Lotus Eleven. Throughout this period, he was earning a living by working as a foreman for a concreting company.
In 1970, Ganley finished second to Peter Gethin in the European Formula 5000 championship. This caught the attention of the BRM Formula One team, who signed him to a contract for 1971.
Formula 5000
In 1970, Ganley finished the European Formula 5000 Championship in 2nd place with help from his friend and mechanic Barry Ultahan.
Formula One
In 1971, Ganley started off the season promisingly with fifth place at the non-championship Race of Champions. At the end of 1971, having scored two points finishes during the year, Ganley was awarded the Wolfgang von Trips Memorial Trophy for the best performance by a newcomer to Grand Prix racing. In 1972 Ganley raced for the Marlboro BRM team and finished 13th in the Championship with 4 points. His highest finish for the season was 4th at the Nürburgring. For the 1973 season Ganley signed up to drive an Iso-Marlboro car for Frank Williams Racing. At the 1973 Canadian Grand Prix he was almost declared the winner because of a timing mix up with the pace car; when the results were corrected, Ganley was classified sixth.
A suspension failure in practice for the 1974 German Grand Prix left Ganley with serious foot and ankle injuries that ended his Grand Prix career.
Ganley F1 Car
In 1975 a Ganley F1 project was initiated. The Ganley-Cosworth 001 car was hand-built by Howden Ganley on his premises at Windsor. It was almost readied, and Ganley had two DFV engines at hand, but it never ran in anger. Ganley eventually used the equipment to start Tiga Race Cars with fellow driver Tim Schenken the following year.
Sportscars
Ganley and François Cevert drove a Matra-Simca MS670 to second place in the 1972 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Tiga Race Cars
In 1976 Ganley and former Formula One driver Australian Tim Schenken founded Tiga Race Cars as a British-based race car constructor and race team. The team had plans to compete in Formula One in 1978, but the project did not proceed due to sponsorship withdrawal.
Complete Formula One World Championship results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)