Chuck Daigh

Having started racing in the mid-fifties, Daigh campaigned a modified Mercury-Kurtis special until 1958, when he became involved with Lance Reventlow's plans to build the powerful Chevrolet-engined Scarab sports car. This proved to be very successful, with Daigh winning the Governor's Cup (beating Hansgen's Lister) and the Nassau Trophy, and defeating Phil Hill's Ferrari at Riverside.

Ambitiously, a front-engined F1 car was then commissioned by Reventlow, but by the time it appeared in 1960 it had been rendered almost obsolete by the rear-engined Cooper and Lotus cars. Chuck struggled manfully against the odds but the car was withdrawn after just three races, reappearing only on home soil at season's end. Daigh meanwhile had the chance to try a proper F1 car at the British GP when he drove a third works Cooper. Amazingly the Scarab raced again, being wheeled out for the Inter-Continental Formula in 1961. Chuck finished seventh in the International Trophy race, but after he crashed in practice for the British Empire Trophy - suffering a cracked pelvis - the car was seen no more.

Fortunately Daigh was seen again, racing one of Jim Hall's early Chaparrals at Sebring in 1962, and tasted victory at Mosport in 1963 when he won the Player's 200 sports car race in a Lotus 19.