Monday 18th October 1999

Racer John Cannon (66) was killed in an aircraft accident when an air supply fault led to a fatal crash-landing in a cornfield in New Mexico, US. Though Cannon was born in London, England he was a Canadian who put in the drive of his career on the 13th of October at the Laguna Seca round of the 1968 CanAm series. From 15th on he not only won the rain-race and put in the fastest lap but lapped the whole field which included Denny Hulme (2nd) and Bruce McLaren (5th). After winning the 1970 SCCA Formula A title in a McLaren M10B, Cannon got a chance to drive a BRM P153 in the 1971 US Grand Prix and a March 701 in the Questor Grand Prix in Ontario, Canada. However, he continued racing in F5000 with occasional drives in USAC and Can-Am, finishing second in the 1976 Rothmans F5000 series.