) was an English

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 racing driver.

He participated in 7 Formula One

Formula One

Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...

 World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on July 18, 1959. He achieved two podiums, and scored a total of 14 championship points. He also secured one pole position

Pole position

The term "pole position", as used in motorsports, comes from the horse racing term where the number one starter starts on the inside next to the inside pole. The term made its way, along with several other customs, to auto racing. In circuit motorsports, a driver has pole position when he or she...

. When not racing cars, Parkes worked as an automotive engineer.

Sports car career

Willy Mairesse

Willy Mairesse

Willy Mairesse was a Formula One and sports car driver from Belgium. He participated in 13 World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 19 June 1960. He achieved 1 podium, and scored a total of 7 championship points...

 and Parkes came in second in the 1000km Nürburgring

1000km Nürburgring

The ADAC 1000 km Nürburgring is an endurance race for sports cars held on the Nürburgring in Germany and organized by the ADAC since 1953.- History :...

 race in May 1962. Their Ferrari

Scuderia Ferrari

Scuderia Ferrari is the racing team division of the Ferrari automobile marque. The team currently only races in Formula One but has competed in numerous classes of motorsport since its formation in 1929, including sportscar racing....

 placed after the winning car of the same marque driven by Phil Hill

Phil Hill

Philip Toll Hill, Jr., was a United States automobile racer and the only American-born driver to win the Formula One World Drivers' Championship. Hill was described as a "thoughtful, gentle man" and once said, "I'm in the wrong business. I don't want to beat anybody, I don't want to be the big hero...

 and Olivier Gendebien

Olivier Gendebien

Olivier Gendebien was a war hero and race car driver. He has been cited as "one of the greatest sportscar racers of all time".-Background:...

. The race was 44 laps. Parkes finished a mere car length
behind Graham Hill

Graham Hill

Norman Graham Hill was a British racing driver and two-time Formula One World Champion. He is the only driver to win the Triple Crown of Motorsport — the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Indianapolis 500 and Formula One World Championship.Graham Hill and his son Damon are the only father and son pair both to...

 in the 28th Royal Automobile Club

Royal Automobile Club

The Royal Automobile Club is a private club and is not to be confused with RAC plc, a motorists' organisation, which it formerly owned.It has two club houses, one in London at 89-91 Pall Mall, and the other in the countryside at Woodcote Park, Surrey, next to the City of London Freemen's School...

 tourist trophy race in August 1963.Umberto Maglioli

Umberto Maglioli

Umberto Maglioli was a racing driver from Italy. He participated in 10 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 13 September 1953. He achieved 2 podiums, and scored a total of 3.33 championship points...

 and Parkes drove one of the Ferraris which claimed the top five
qualifying positions for the 1964 12 Hours of Sebring

12 Hours of Sebring

The 12 Hours of Sebring is an annual motorsport endurance race for sports cars held at Sebring International Raceway, a former Army Air Force base in Sebring, Florida...

. The Ferraris were stocked with new power plants. Parkes was clocked at 3:10.4. In the race Parkes established a speed record and completed the most miles ever for a winner.

Parkes and Maglioli,
working together for the first time, finished a considerable distance ahead of the Ferrari of Ludovico Scarfiotti

Ludovico Scarfiotti

Ludovico Scarfiotti was a Formula One and sports car driver from Italy. Just prior to entering Formula One, he won the 1963 24 Hours of Le Mans for Ferrari. He later participated in 12 World Championship Formula One grands prix, and many non-championship races. He won one World Championship...

 and Nino Vaccarella

Nino Vaccarella

Nino Vaccarella is an Italian former sports car racing and Formula One driver, born in Palermo, Sicily.-Synopsis:After winning the 1964 24 Hours of Le Mans, the former headmaster of a nearby school became the local hero of the Targa Florio race after winning in 1965, then repeating in 1971 and...

. Parkes teamed with Jean Guichet

Jean Guichet

Jean Guichet won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1964.A racing car originally owned by Guichet sold at auction recently for over 15 million dollars. He previously owned one of only thirty-six Ferrari 250GTO Ferrarissima cars ever produced, originally created by Enzo Ferrari in 1966...

 in
a Ferrari to capture the 1,000 kilometer Classic of Monza, Italy in April 1965. Tommy Spichiger, 30, of Switzerland, died instantly on the 34th lap of the race when his Ferrari 365 prototype

Prototype

A prototype is an early sample or model built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.The word prototype derives from the Greek πρωτότυπον , "primitive form", neutral of πρωτότυπος , "original, primitive", from πρῶτος , "first" and τύπος ,...

 went off the track and
burst into flames. Parkes and Guichet led from led most of the in their Ferrari prototype after taking the lead from John Surtees

John Surtees

John Surtees, OBE is a British former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and Formula One driver from England. He was 500cc motorcycle World Champion in 1956 and 1958–60, Formula One World Champion in 1964, and remains the only person to have won World Championships on both two and four wheels...

 and Ludovico Scarfiotti

Ludovico Scarfiotti

Ludovico Scarfiotti was a Formula One and sports car driver from Italy. Just prior to entering Formula One, he won the 1963 24 Hours of Le Mans for Ferrari. He later participated in 12 World Championship Formula One grands prix, and many non-championship races. He won one World Championship...

. Parkes and Guichot placed 2nd to Surtees and Scarfiotti in a 620-mile race at the Neurburgring in May 1965. The winning pair led the full 44 laps. It was a 4th consecutive victory for Ferrari. Dan Gurney eclipsed the time of Parkes in the sole factory Ferrari in the final
practice for the 1966 12 Hours of Sebring. The blue Ford was clocked at 2:54.6, 2 seconds faster than a lap run by Parkes the previous day. In a Ferrari P3 prototype, Parkes lap was so fast that none of the time-speed conversion charts would accept it. Parkes and Bob Bondurant started 2nd after Gurney and his co-driver, Jerry Grant

Jerry Grant

Jerry Grant , is a former driver in the USAC Championship Car series. He raced in the 1965-1977 seasons, with 54 career starts, including the Indianapolis 500 in 1965-1968, 1970 and 1972-1976...

. Surtees and Parkes were in a Ferrari prototype in their victory
in a 620-mile Monza sports car event in April 1966 Chris Amon

Chris Amon

Christopher Arthur Amon MBE is a former motor racing driver. He was active in Formula One - racing in the 1960s and 1970s - and is widely regarded to be one of the best F1 drivers never to win a championship Grand Prix...

 and Lorenzo Bandini

Lorenzo Bandini

Lorenzo Bandini was an Italian motor racing driver who raced in Formula One for the Scuderia Centro Sud and Ferrari teams.-Career:...

 were triumphant in a 100
lap, 1,000 kilometer Monza race in April 1967. The drove a 4,000 cubic centimter Ferrari for an average speed of 122.30 m.p.h. Parkes and
Scarfiotti placed 2nd with a 5:10:59.2. The winning time was 5 hours seven minutes, 43 seconds. The Ferraris were in front after the Chaparral of Phil Hill

Phil Hill

Philip Toll Hill, Jr., was a United States automobile racer and the only American-born driver to win the Formula One World Drivers' Championship. Hill was described as a "thoughtful, gentle man" and once said, "I'm in the wrong business. I don't want to beat anybody, I don't want to be the big hero...

 and Mike Spence

Mike Spence

Michael "Mike" Spence was a British racing driver from England. He participated in 37 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on September 8, 1963. He achieved 1 podium, and scored a total of 27 championship points...

 had to make pit stops following the 17th and 18th laps. Parkes competed in a 1,000 kilometer sports car race in Argentina

Argentina

Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...

 in January 1971. He was paired with Joakim Bonnier

Joakim Bonnier

Joakim "Jo" Bonnier was a Swedish sportscar racing and Formula One driver who raced for various teams.-Early life:...

 in a 5,000 c.c. Ferrari
entered and owned by the Swiss Filippinetti stable which maintained operations in Modena

Modena

Modena is a city and comune on the south side of the Po Valley, in the Province of Modena in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy....

.

Formula One competition

Parkes secured 2nd place in the 1966 French Grand Prix

1966 French Grand Prix

The 1966 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Reims-Gueux on July 3, 1966. It was the '60th Anniversary race' of Grand Prix racing, which had started with the GP of France in 1906. It was the third round of the 1966 World Championship...

 at Rheims
driving a Ferrari. Jack Brabham

Jack Brabham

Sir John Arthur "Jack" Brabham, AO, OBE is an Australian former racing driver who was Formula One champion in , and . He was a founder of the Brabham racing team and race car constructor that bore his name....

 won the race and his teammate, Denny Hulme

Denny Hulme

Denis Clive "Denny" Hulme, OBE was a New Zealand racing driver, the 1967 Formula One World Champion for the Brabham team....

, came in 3rd, in a Brabham Repco

Repco

Repco is an Australian automotive engineering company. Its name is an abbreviation of Replacement Parts Company and it is best known for spare parts and motor accessories....

. Parkes won an international Formula One race at Silverstone

Silverstone Circuit

Silverstone Circuit is an English motor racing circuit next to the Northamptonshire villages of Silverstone and Whittlebury. The circuit straddles the Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire border, with the current main circuit entry on the Buckinghamshire side...

by one third of a lap over Brabham in April 1967. This event was the last prior to the
1967 European rounds of the Formula One World Championship, which began
at the 1967 Monaco Grand Prix

1967 Monaco Grand Prix

The 1967 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Monaco on May 7, 1967.- Race report :The opening few laps were eventful - Jack Brabham spun in front of Bruce McLaren and Jo Siffert who collided taking avoiding action, whilst Jim Clark had to take to the escape road.Jackie Stewart swept...

 on May 7. The 52 lap race was the first Formula One contest for Parkes in his native country. He completed the 152.36 mile competition in 1:19:39.25 with an average speed of 114.65 m.p.h. Ferrari Auto Works chose to enter two cars in the 1967 Syracuse Grand Prix

1967 Syracuse Grand Prix

The 16th Syracuse Grand Prix was a motor race, run to Formula One rules, held on 21 May 1967 at Syracuse Circuit, Sicily. The race was run over 56 laps of the circuit, and finished in an extremely unusual dead heat between British driver Mike Parkes and his team-mate Ludovico Scarfiotti in their...

. This was a Formula One race that did not count toward the Formula One World Championship. Parkes and Scarfiotti were assigned 1966 model single seaters.

Parkes' Formula One career ended after he broke both legs in a crash at the 1967 Belgian Grand Prix

1967 Belgian Grand Prix

The 1967 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Spa-Francorchamps on June 18, 1967.- Race report :Jim Clark led off the grid from pole position and maintained that position for the first 11 laps and was 20 seconds ahead of Jackie Stewart and Dan Gurney when he had to come into the...

, but he raced into the 1970s in sports cars. He was killed in a road accident in 1977.

Complete Formula One World Championship results

(Races in bold indicate pole position)

Year	Entrant	Chassis	Engine	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	WDC	Points
1959 1959 Formula One season The 1959 Formula One season included the 10th FIA Formula One World Championship season, which commenced on May 10, 1959, and ended on December 12 after nine races...	David Fry Fry (racing team) Fry was a Formula Two constructor from the United Kingdom. The team was founded by David Fry and Alec Issigonis, whose previous employer John Parkes at Alvis brought his son Mike Parkes as a development driver...	Fry Fry (racing team) Fry was a Formula Two constructor from the United Kingdom. The team was founded by David Fry and Alec Issigonis, whose previous employer John Parkes at Alvis brought his son Mike Parkes as a development driver...  (F2)	Climax Coventry Climax Coventry Climax was a British forklift truck, fire pump, and speciality engine manufacturer.-History:The company was started in 1903 as Lee Stroyer, but two years later, following the departure of Stroyer, it was relocated to Paynes Lane, Coventry, and renamed to Coventry-Simplex by H...  Straight-4 Straight-4 The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is an internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft....	MON 1959 Monaco Grand Prix The 1959 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at the Circuit de Monaco on May 10, 1959. It was the opening round of the 1959 Formula One season. It was the 17th Monaco Grand Prix...	500 1959 Indianapolis 500 The 1959 Indianapolis 500 was an automobile race held at Indianapolis on Saturday, May 30, 1959. The event was part of the 1959 World Drivers' Championship.- Classification :- Notes :*Fastest Lead Lap: Johnny Thomson - 1:01.89...	NED 1959 Dutch Grand Prix The 1959 Dutch Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Zandvoort on May 31, 1959. It was the ninth Dutch Grand Prix. The race was held over 75 laps of the four kilometre circuit for a race distance of 314 kilometres....	FRA 1959 French Grand Prix The 1959 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Reims on July 5, 1959. It was the fourth round of the 1959 Formula One season. It was the 37th French Grand Prix and the twelfth to be held at the Reims-Gueux highway circuit and the fourth to be held on the longer and faster 8.348 km...	GBR 1959 British Grand Prix The 1959 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at the Aintree Circuit on 18 July 1959. It was the fifth round of the 1959 Formula One season. It was the 14th British Grand Prix and the third to be held at the Aintree Motor Racing Circuit, a circuit mapped out in the grounds of the... DNQ	GER 1959 German Grand Prix The 1959 German Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at the Automobil-Verkehrs- und Übungs-Straße in West Berlin on August 2, 1959. It was the 21st German Grand Prix and was only the second time the race was not held at the Nürburgring. AVUS had previously held the original German Grand...	POR 1959 Portuguese Grand Prix The 1959 Portuguese Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Monsanto on August 23, 1959. It was the eighth Portuguese Grand Prix and the second to be held for the Formula One World Drivers' Championship. It was the third time the race was held at Monsanto and the first for Formula One...	ITA 1959 Italian Grand Prix The 1959 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Monza on September 13, 1959.- Race report :This race was won on the weight of the cars, with Stirling Moss and Rob Walker gambling on running the whole race without a tyre change in the little lightweight Cooper - although they...	USA 1959 United States Grand Prix The 1959 United States Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on December 12, 1959 at Sebring International Raceway.__FORCETOC__-Summary:Russian-born Alec Ulmann's dream of an American Grand Prix was realized in December, 1959 when 19 entries, including six American drivers, arrived in Florida for...			NC	0
1966 1966 Formula One season The 1966 Formula One season was the 17th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1966 World Championship of Drivers and the 1966 International Cup for F1 Manufacturers which were contested concurrently over a nine race series that commenced on May 22 and ended on October 23...	Scuderia Ferrari Scuderia Ferrari Scuderia Ferrari is the racing team division of the Ferrari automobile marque. The team currently only races in Formula One but has competed in numerous classes of motorsport since its formation in 1929, including sportscar racing....	Ferrari Scuderia Ferrari Scuderia Ferrari is the racing team division of the Ferrari automobile marque. The team currently only races in Formula One but has competed in numerous classes of motorsport since its formation in 1929, including sportscar racing....  312/66 Ferrari 312 The Ferrari 312 was a racing car used in Formula One from 1966 to 1969, designed by Mauro Forghieri.For the 1966 Formula One season, there was a change in the technical regulations, now allowing 3000 cm³ engines...	Ferrari Scuderia Ferrari Scuderia Ferrari is the racing team division of the Ferrari automobile marque. The team currently only races in Formula One but has competed in numerous classes of motorsport since its formation in 1929, including sportscar racing....  V12 V12 engine A V12 engine is a V engine with 12 cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of six cylinders, usually but not always at a 60° angle to each other, with all 12 pistons driving a common crankshaft....	MON 1966 Monaco Grand Prix The 1966 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at the Circuit de Monaco on May 22, 1966. It was the opening round of the 1966 Formula One season, the first of a new era for Formula One, the 'return to power' as engine regulations were altered from 1.5 litres of maximum engine...	BEL 1966 Belgian Grand Prix The 1966 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Spa-Francorchamps on 12 June 1966. It was the second round of the 1966 Formula One season. The race was the 26th Belgian Grand Prix which to this point had only been held at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit...	FRA 1966 French Grand Prix The 1966 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Reims-Gueux on July 3, 1966. It was the '60th Anniversary race' of Grand Prix racing, which had started with the GP of France in 1906. It was the third round of the 1966 World Championship... 2	GBR 1966 British Grand Prix The 1966 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Brands Hatch on July 16, 1966. It was the fourth round of the 1966 World Championship. It was the 21st British Grand Prix and the second to be held at Brands Hatch...	NED 1966 Dutch Grand Prix The 1966 Dutch Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Zandvoort on July 24, 1966. It was the fifth round of the 1966 World Championship. The race was the 16th Dutch Grand Prix since it was first held in 1948... Ret	GER 1966 German Grand Prix The 1966 German Grand Prix was a mixed Formula One and Formula Two motor race held at the Nürburgring Nordschleife on August 7, 1966. It was the sixth round of the 1966 World Championship. It was the 28th German Grand Prix and the 22nd to be held at the Nordschleife... Ret	ITA 1966 Italian Grand Prix The 1966 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Monza on September 4, 1966. It was the seventh round of the 1966 World Championship. The race was the 36th Italian Grand Prix and the 32nd to be held at Monza... 2	USA 1966 United States Grand Prix The 1966 United States Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on October 2, 1966 at the Watkins Glen Grand Prix Race Course in Watkins Glen, New York.__FORCETOC__-Summary:...	MEX 1966 Mexican Grand Prix The 1966 Mexican Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on October 23, 1966. It was the ninth and final round of the 1966 World Championship. The race was the fifth Mexican Grand Prix...			8th	12
1967 1967 Formula One season The 1967 Formula One season was the 18th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1967 World Championship of Drivers and the 1967 International Cup for F1 Manufacturers, contested concurrently over an eleven race series which commenced on January 2, 1967, and ended on October 22...	Scuderia Ferrari Scuderia Ferrari Scuderia Ferrari is the racing team division of the Ferrari automobile marque. The team currently only races in Formula One but has competed in numerous classes of motorsport since its formation in 1929, including sportscar racing....	Ferrari Scuderia Ferrari Scuderia Ferrari is the racing team division of the Ferrari automobile marque. The team currently only races in Formula One but has competed in numerous classes of motorsport since its formation in 1929, including sportscar racing....  312/66 Ferrari 312 The Ferrari 312 was a racing car used in Formula One from 1966 to 1969, designed by Mauro Forghieri.For the 1966 Formula One season, there was a change in the technical regulations, now allowing 3000 cm³ engines...	Ferrari Scuderia Ferrari Scuderia Ferrari is the racing team division of the Ferrari automobile marque. The team currently only races in Formula One but has competed in numerous classes of motorsport since its formation in 1929, including sportscar racing....  V12 V12 engine A V12 engine is a V engine with 12 cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of six cylinders, usually but not always at a 60° angle to each other, with all 12 pistons driving a common crankshaft....	RSA 1967 South African Grand Prix The 1967 South African Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Kyalami on January 2, 1967.- Race report :For the first time, the Kyalami circuit near Johannesburg was being used. There were some changes in the driver line-ups: John Surtees was driving for Honda, Mike Spence signed for BRM whilst...	MON 1967 Monaco Grand Prix The 1967 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Monaco on May 7, 1967.- Race report :The opening few laps were eventful - Jack Brabham spun in front of Bruce McLaren and Jo Siffert who collided taking avoiding action, whilst Jim Clark had to take to the escape road.Jackie Stewart swept...	NED 1967 Dutch Grand Prix The 1967 Dutch Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Zandvoort on June 4, 1967.The race saw the debut of the Ford Cosworth DFV engine, in Jim Clark and Graham Hill's Lotuses.- Classification :-Notes:*Pole position: Graham Hill - 1:24.6... 5	BEL 1967 Belgian Grand Prix The 1967 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Spa-Francorchamps on June 18, 1967.- Race report :Jim Clark led off the grid from pole position and maintained that position for the first 11 laps and was 20 seconds ahead of Jackie Stewart and Dan Gurney when he had to come into the... Ret	FRA 1967 French Grand Prix The 1967 French Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at the Bugatti Circuit, Le Mans on July 2, 1967.- Race report :The new Bugatti circuit used the main pit straight at Le Mans, but then used an infield section comprising several second and third gear corners, which was universally unpopular...	GBR 1967 British Grand Prix The 1967 British Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Silverstone on July 15, 1967.- Classification :-Standings after the race:Drivers' Championship standingsConstructors' Championship standings...	GER 1967 German Grand Prix The 1967 German Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at the Nürburgring on August 6, 1967.- Classification :Note: The race was run with both Formula One and Formula Two cars running together...	CAN 1967 Canadian Grand Prix The 1967 Canadian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Mosport Park on August 27, 1967. The race was won by Jack Brabham driving for his own Brabham team....	ITA 1967 Italian Grand Prix The 1967 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza on September 10, 1967. It was won by British driver John Surtees driving a Honda RA300. Jim Clark led the race until a little after the half way point when he picked up a puncture and lost an entire lap. He...	USA 1967 United States Grand Prix The 1967 United States Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on October 1, 1967 at the Watkins Glen Grand Prix Race Course in Watkins Glen, New York.__FORCETOC__-Summary:...	MEX 1967 Mexican Grand Prix The 1967 Mexican Grand Prix was a Formula One held at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on October 22, 1967.- Classification :- Notes :* Pole position: Jim Clark - 1:47.56* Fastest Lap: Jim Clark - 1:48.13...	16th	2

Automotive Engineering

Parkes worked for the Rootes Group from 1950 to 1962, initially as an apprentice. One of his roles at Rootes was as project engineer in the development of the Hillman Imp

Hillman Imp

The Hillman Imp is a compact, rear-engined saloon car that was manufactured under the Hillman marque by the Rootes Group from 1963 to 1976...

.

In 1963 Parkes joined Ferrari as development engineer for their road cars, notably the 330 GTC, and also as a GT sports car driver. Following his absence from work after his serious F1 accident, he returned to Ferrari in 1969 to find that the company partly under the control of Fiat and at that point decided to work for Scuderia Filipinetti as engineer as well as driver.

In 1974 Parkes took a job as principal development engineer for the Lancia Stratos

Lancia Stratos

The Lancia Stratos HF, widely and more simply known as Lancia Stratos, is a car made by Italian car manufacturer Lancia. The HF stands for High Fidelity...

.

External links

• www.mikeparkes.eu Fuller biography and over 150 photos