11/8/1916, Octave John Claes is born in London, UK.
A talented jazz musician, Johnny Claes and the Clay Pigeons were en vogue in the late 40s, the British born heir of a wealthy family got the racing virus while visiting the French GP and acting as a translator for British teams and drivers. He decided he should have a go himself and bought a Talbot Lago, scoring 7th places in the 1950 Monaco and 1951 Belgian Grands Prix, which would remain his best results over the coming years. He died at just 39 years of age from Tuberculosis.
Born: 11th of August 1916 in London, UK.
Died: 3rd of February 1956 in Brussels, Belgium, aged 39.
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