Ian Ashley


Ian Hugh Gordon Ashley is a British-German racing driver who raced in Formula One for the Token, Williams, BRM and Hesketh teams.

Driving career

Ashley began racing in 1966, when he took a course at the Jim Russell Racing School. He was fast but rather erratic, and soon earned the nickname "Crashley". He reached Formula 5000 in 1972 and was a front-runner in 1973. He made his debut in Formula One in 1974, and briefly drove for the Williams team the following year. His luck got worse over the mid-1970s in Formula One. He was to become a victim of two nasty accidents on circuits that were no longer used by Formula One soon after his two accidents. During 1975, at the German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring where during practice, he crashed severely at the tricky Pflanzgarten section and broke both his ankles, and during practice for the Canadian Grand Prix at Mosport Park in 1977, he went over a bump, flipped his Hesketh, vaulted the barrier and crashed into a television tower. He never raced in Formula One again.
In 1985, Ashley made his CART Championship Car debut at the Miami Grand Prix. He was entered in the 1986 Indianapolis 500 but the car did not appear on track. However, he did make three CART starts in 1986 and finished ninth at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, enough for 28th in the championship. He failed to finish in his other two 1986 starts. He also made a single Indy Lights start at Pocono Raceway and finished sixth. He made one more CART appearance in 1987, again in Miami but was knocked out by drivetrain trouble.
After Formula One, Ashley built a career as a pilot for executive jets in the United States. However, in 1993, he made a return to racing, driving a Vauxhall in the British Touring Car Championship. Following this he briefly raced motorcycle sidecar combinations, before a stint in the TVR Tuscan Challenge one-make series.
In November 2009, Ashley competed in Formula Ford for the first time in over 40 years driving an Elden MK8 in the Walter Hayes Trophy at Silverstone.
Image:Ian ashley donington.JPG|thumb|left|250px|Ashley racing an LDS-Alfa Romeo

Racing record

Complete Formula One results

YearEntrantChassisEngine1234567891011121314151617WDCPts.
1974Token RacingToken RJ02Cosworth V8ARGBRARSAESPBELMONSWENEDFRAGBRGER
14
AUT
NC
ITANC0
1974Chequered FlagBrabham BT42Cosworth V8CAN
DNQ
USA
DNQ
NC0
1975Frank Williams Racing CarsWilliams FW03Cosworth V8ARGBRARSAESPMONBELSWENEDFRAGBRGER
DNS
AUTITAUSANC0
1976Stanley BRMBRM P201BBRM V12BRA
Ret
RSAUSWESPBELMONSWEFRAGBRGERAUTNEDITACANUSAJPNNC0
1977Hesketh RacingHesketh 308ECosworth V8ARGBRARSAUSWESPMONBELSWEFRAGBRGERAUT
DNQ
NED
DNQ
ITA
DNQ
USA
17
CAN
DNS
JPNNC0

Indy Car World Series

YearTeam1234567891011121314151617RankPointsRef
1985Tom Hess RacingLBHINDYMILPORMEACLEMCHROAPOCMOHSANMCHLAGPHXMIA
18
48th0
1986PHXLBHINDYMILPORMEACLETOR
15
MCHPOCMOH
9
SANMCHROA
23
LAGPHXMIA28th4
1987Dick Simon RacingLBHPHXINDYMILPORMEACLETORMCHPOCROAMOHNAZLAGMIA
20
43rd0

Complete British Touring Car Championship results

YearTeamCar1234567891011121314151617PosPts
1993Tamchester Team MaxtedVauxhall CavalierSIL
Ret
DON
12
SNE
12
DON
Ret
OUL
9
BRH
1
17
BRH
2
13
PEM
13
SIL
17
KNO
1
KNO
2
23rd2
1993Colin Davids RacingVauxhall CavalierOUL
17
BRH
21
THR
Ret
DON
1
15
DON
2
9
SIL
19
23rd2