Ronnie Bucknum

Although Bucknum had been competing in sports cars in America since 1957, his selection by Honda to spearhead their 1964 Grand Prix challenge was strange indeed. His lack of international racing pedigree had its attractions for the secretive Japanese, since Ronnie could test and race the car without raising undue attention or expectations, and the opposition would never really know just how well it was progressing in that first season. However, the novice did well just to survive a daunting debut at the Nürburgring which ended when the car suffered a steering failure.

Two more races were safely completed before the team signed the vastly more experienced Richie Ginther to head their 1965 challenge and embarked on a winter of testing at Suzuka, during which the unlucky Bucknum again suffered a steering failure, crashed and this time broke his leg. This set him back when the season began and he predictably played second fiddle to his team-mate, although he did score points with a fifth place in Mexico as Ginther swept aside the opposition to record Honda's first Grand Prix win.

If nothing else, everybody now knew who Ronnie Bucknum was and he was invited to join the Ford team for 1966, finishing third at Le Mans with Hutcherson. Honda still thought well of their man and once two of their 3-litre cars were available he returned for the end-of-season American races. Although this was his final bow in Grands Prix, in many ways Bucknum's career as a racing driver was really just beginning. After more sports cars in 1967, Ronnie went racing in Can-Am and USAC the following year, sensationally winning at Michigan in only his second oval race with an Eagle. Subsequently he raced sports and Trans-Am cars for Roger Penske and teamed up with Sam Posey in the NART Ferrari in long-distance events in the early seventies, by which time the Marine crew-cut had been replaced by collar-length hair and a beard! Bucknum, who was later to suffer from diabetes, died at the comparatively young age of 57 in April 1992.

His son Jeff has forged his own career in sports and GT cars, making his debut in the Indy Racing League in 2005.