Dear CKN Nation,
Woohoo, I’m back for another driver blog on CKN!
For those who don’t know me, let me introduce myself again, my name is Mac Clark, I am 14 years old and race ROK, Rotax and IAME Junior across North America and Europe. I race with Prime Powerteam based out of Hamilton, Ontario and drive a BirelART chassis. My life goal is to become a professional racing driver. If you read my last blog “Why I’m not racing at home this weekend” you may have been wondering, why am I always referred to as “Jimmy”? You may have overheard my dad or other people call me by my nickname, or you saw the back of my BELL helmet painted by LSD.
This whole thing started with my dad and slowly progressed into a large portion of people calling me Jimmy or Jim. Because my dad is British, he just decided to call me Jimmy solely for the reason that the definition of “Jim” in the UK is basically “some sort of random dude.” After I figured out why my dad calls me Jim, I basically just accepted it as my new name!
The really cool part about my name is that I share it with the two time Formula 1 World Champion and Indy 500 winner Jim Clark. Clark was an incredible driver. At the time of his death, Clark had achieved more Grand Prix races and more pole positions than any other Formula 1 driver. Unfortunately for the motorsport community, Clark lost his life on the track at the age of 32.
Since learning about Jimmy Clark, he has become an inspirational figure for my career. Sir Jackie Stewart said that his close friend and roommate, Jim Clark, was the finest driver he had ever raced against. Clark, the Scotsman that hailed from the same region my family do, was said to be a legend. His death, although it was tragic, helped evolve racing safety as we know it.
I hope maybe one day I can fly the “Jimmy Clark” flag in a high level of motorsports, just like Jim Clark before me. If you have any questions about what I do, or karting as a sport, I am totally open to talking about it! Feel free to reach out to me over social media. My Instagram is @_macclark and my facebook is Mac Clark!
This is Mackenzie Clark signing off from Italy at the Rok Cup International Final.
See you next time CKN Nation!
