Friday 11th August 1916

Born on this day, Johnny Claes, racing driver from Belgium. He competed with his own Talbot Lago during the 1950 and 51 seasons, scoring seventh places in the 1950 Monaco and the 1951 Belgian Grands Prix. He switched to a Gordini in 1952 and then a Connaught the following year, both with little success, but finished a fine third at Le Mans in 1955 driving an Ecurie Belge Jaguar. Before his fame as a racing driver, Claes was also a jazz trumpeter and successful bandleader in Britain.