What was Jim Clark's "secret"?

[Gary,U.S. Fan]

Given that Jim Clark always got the most speed out of whatever he was driving his approach has always been of interest. The more I learn about his style the less I understand how it all added up to such marvelous success.

"Thoroughbred & Classic Cars", Dec. 1999, Alan McCall, Clark's mechanic:

"Take brake pads. We used to replace them after four or five races on his car because it ws embarrassing. Graham (Hill) might go through two sets per meeting...(Clark) had the ability to carry extra speed around the corners so easily, without molesting the machinery."

"...Jimmy at the wheel of his big Galaxie was absolutely magic. It was all at more than 100mph, drifting into roundabouts - you really appreciated his car control. No sliding or clipping kerbs, just whoosh, whoosh, whoosh and you'd be through...I used to try (it) but it never worked out for me."

"I've driven with many racing drivers over the years but I've never had the same feeling as when I was with Jimmy."

"The big difference was his commitment before a corner...whoosh,whoosh...didn't clip kerbs, actually ran in the middle of the road...most drivers would say (his car) understeered like a pig! Not that it understeered for him...that's why I don't think he was a good guy to set a car up."

In Eric Dymock's "Jim Clark", Clark is discussed as a master of the four wheel drift. Could it be that by drifting the car at a greater angle than others would or could, the inherent understeer would be canceled? Were tires so hard then that they could withstand such abuse? All this discussion about understeer brings to mind the resultant scrubbing off of speed, in lieu
of brakes? Also mentioned was that Clark didn't use all of the available road. With all due respect to Alan McCall, I wish I knew what "whoosh" means.

Would someone such as Peter Mallet, or anyone, be able to explain Jim Clark's secret?

[This message has been edited by Gary,U.S. Fan (edited 01 January 2000).]

[This message has been edited by Gary,U.S. Fan (edited 01 January 2000).]