Watch footage from Jim Clark’s 1965 Indy 500 win, the first time the great race was broadcast live on television

ON his third attempt Jim Clark won the annual American classic race on the rectangular Indianapolis track. In 1963 he finished a close second in a rear-engined Lotus with aluminium push-rod Ford V8 engine, in 1964 tyre trouble put him out after challenging for the lead in a Lotus with aluminium 4-camshaft Ford V8 racing engine, and this year in a Lotus 38 with the latest 4-camshaft Ford V8 engine and running on Firestone tyres everything went according to plan and he won the race at record speed, having led for 190 of the 200 laps. Qualifying trials had been held at record speeds with A. J. Foyt taking pole position at 161.233 m.p.h. for the four laps with a Lotus-Ford V8, Clark second at 160.729 m.p.h., and Dan Gurney third at 158.898 m.p.h, in a similar car. Another Lotus-Ford V8 was in the middle of the second row of the start, driven by Parnelli-Jones, so it was not surprising that Lotus cars dominated the race.

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This week Motor Sport online is paying tribute to Jim Clark, to mark 50 years since his untimely death at Hockenheim. You can ensure you don’t miss a thing by subscribing to the newsletter below. And don’t forget, the Jim Clark Museum is holding a weekend of events to commemorate the 50th anniversary.     

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