100th Countdown - A British 500 - Bump Day

To celebrate the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 this year, we will profile all the British, and British born drivers who have taken on the speedway since 1911, looking at their time at IMS, results and in some cases interviews with some of the drivers. But, with every success at Indianapolis, there are a number of drivers who came to the Speedway, but never had the opportunity to conquer, these are those drivers.

Jack Scales (T.Scales)

The first in our Bump Day feature is from 1920, Jack Scales was part of team along with Jean Porporato running a pair of Gregoires. These were not well prepared cars, and during practice Scales car broke, with parts not readily available, they did not get to the track in time to qualify, Porporato did, ruled off on lap 23 when his car fell apart, finishing in 22nd from a starting field of 23.

​In 1926, we saw the only attempt to qualify of T.W. Pickard, he failed. Born in Keighley, West Yorkshire, later moved to the USA, holding dual nationality during his attempt to qualify. He moved out to California where he died in 1983.

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Jones in 1932

This leads us onto 1932 and Milton Jones, born in Conway, Wales in 1894. He attempted to make the race but was killed in practice as the report for the Indianapolis News recorded. Note, this was not the same driver named MC Jones, who in 1925 qualified by failed to make the start of the race when his transmission failed.

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Robert Arbuthnot attempted to qualify in 1946, but in his Lagonda, could not find the speed to make the race in his only attempt. He would later die in a road accident near Watford in August of the same year.

Robert Arbuthnot (hemmings.com)

Leslie Brooke purchased an ERA in 1947, took it to Indianapolis but was way off the pace, the car did result in some success, winning the British Empire Trophy.

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Jack Fairman (TBC)

Jack Fairman competed in 12 Formula One races in 1953-1961, mainly British and Italian races with one excursion to Morocco. But as for Indy, failed to qualify in 1962 in three different cars, Kimberley Special, Concannon Choice Car and Connaught. A Wetherspoons pub in Horley, Surrey has been name after him.

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Mike Spence (indymotorspeedway.com)

Mike Spence was a returning driver to Lotus in 1968 after the untimely death of Jim Clark at Hockenheim. Clark had tested the Lotus 56 Turbine car, which would later claim the life of Spence at Indianapolis following a crash exiting turn one. Spence's time would stand as the fastest for the next five days.

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Former Formula One racer Rupert Keegan attempted to qualify in 1986, but never made the speed necessary to make the race. He returned to drive in sports cars a number of years later.

Justin Bell, attempted in 1996, but in a four year old Lola could not achieve a speed to get him into the 33 for the race. A career in sports cars yielded class wins at Le Mans and is now well know for his television work on various networks covering all aspects of motor racing.

The most recent British driver to attempt and not make the race was Johnny Herbert, three times a victor in Formula One, upon retirement Herbert returned to sports cars and in 2002 attempted to qualify in a Duesenburg Brothers Car but failed to make his mark and withdrew his entry leaving to race in Sears Point, now known as Sonoma. Having failed to win the WDC, Herbert moved into TV with Sky Sports F1.

Johnny Herbert Testing at IMS (Indycar Media)

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​- Part One 
Hughie Hughes, Graham Hill & Mark Taylor
- Part Two
Ernest Eldridge, Jim Crawford & James Jakes
- Part Three 
John Duff, Justin Wilson & Mike Conway
- Part Four 
Alfred Moss, Jeff Ward & Katherine Legge
​- Part Five
Johnny Jenkins, Nigel Mansell & Alex Lloyd