Ian Scott-Watson Obituary, Death – The news of Ian Scott-Watson’s passing has left everyone at JCT in a state of deep mourning. It is common knowledge that Ian was the person who was instrumental in providing guidance and getting Jim Clark’s career off the ground. A SCOTTISH farmer who was essential in beginning the career of a young Borders farmer, Jim Clark, on a road which resulted in him being one of Britain’s finest ever Grand Prix drivers has been honored.
Jim Clark was a Borders farmer who went on to become one of the best in the history of the sport. Some might say that 62 years later, it is late acknowledgement for Ian Scott Watson (88), but the Jim Clark Memorial Award recognition comes on the 50th anniversary of Jim Clark’s untimely death, which occurred in a race he shouldn’t even have been in, at Hockenheim, in 1968. The award comes from the Association of Scottish Motoring Writers and comes on the occasion of the Jim Clark Memorial Award.
Jaguar, the manufacturer of the D-Type automobile in which he enjoyed an abundance of early success, graciously provided sponsorship for the event. At a ceremony that took place not too long ago in Mar Hall, Erskine, Jim Clark was honored with the Association’s annual Jim Clark Memorial Award. This award recognizes and honors Scots who have made outstanding contributions to the field of driving and serves as a prize for those who have done so. Clark’s early victories were in a D-type.
Mr. Scott Watson was a significant factor in Jim Clark’s ascent to the pinnacle of motorsports, helping him win two world championships and an unprecedented number of Grand Prix races. It was on June 26, 1956, in Crimond, Aberdeenshire, where Mr. Scott Watson first pushed his friend to take part in a race put on by the Aberdeen and District Motor Club. Mr. Watson was sure of his friend’s abilities and thought he would do well in the competition. It took them five hours to drive the 250 miles from the Borders to an abandoned airstrip that was windswept and located eight miles from Fraserburgh. Keep in mind that there was no Forth Bridge or highways back then.
