imported>Grunty89 at 23:59, 16 June 2024

2024-06-16T23:59:08Z

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{{Short description|New Zealand racing driver (1941{{ndash}}2017)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2017}}
{{Infobox F1 driver
| image = John_Nicholson_(racing_driver).jpg
| name = John Nicholson
| nationality = {{flagicon|NZL}} New Zealander
| birth_date = {{birth date|1941|10|6|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Auckland]], New Zealand
| death_date = {{death date and age|2017|9|19|1941|10|6|df=y}}
| death_place = [[Clarks Beach]], Auckland, New Zealand
| Years = {{F1|1974}}–{{F1|1975}}
| Team(s) = [[Lyncar]]
| Races = 2 (1 start)
| Championships = 0
| Wins = 0
| Podiums = 0
| Points = 0
| Poles = 0
| Fastest laps = 0
| First race = [[1974 British Grand Prix]]
| First win =
| Last win =
| Last race = [[1975 British Grand Prix]]
}}
'''John Barry Nicholson'''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Motorsport Memorial - John Nicholson |url=http://www.motorsportmemorial.org/LWFWIW/focusLWFWIW.php?db2=LWF&db=ms&n=2172|access-date=16 June 2024 |website=Motorsport Memorial}}</ref> (6 October 1941 – 19 September 2017<ref name="WATN">{{cite web |url=http://www.oldracingcars.com/driver/John_Nicholson |title= The World Championship drivers – Where are they now? |accessdate=29 July 2007 |last=Jenkins |first=Richard |publisher=OldRacingCars.com}}</ref>) was a [[racing driver]] from [[Auckland]], New Zealand. He participated in two [[Formula One]] World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 20 July 1974. He scored no championship points.

Nicholson was the 1973 and 1974 British [[Formula Atlantic]] champion, using a [[Lyncar]] chassis<ref name="ReferenceA">{{cite web|last=|first=|title=CONSTRUCTORS: LYNCAR|website=grandprix.com|date=|url=http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/con-lynca.html|accessdate=6 May 2015}}</ref> and in his 'day job' was an engine-builder for [[McLaren (racing)|McLaren]]. Nicholson also worked for [[Cosworth]], [[Team Lotus|Lotus]] and [[Embassy Hill]], and he prepared a [[Saab H engine|Saab engine]] for use in a [[Reynard Motorsport|Reynard]] [[Formula Three]] car.<ref>{{cite journal | journal = Echappement | date = April 1985 | number = 198 | title = Brefs |trans-title= In brief | page = 23 | publisher = Michael Hommell | location = Paris, France | language = French }}</ref>

Following his Formula Atlantic success, Nicholson commissioned Martin Slater of Lyncar to build him a Formula One car,<ref name="ReferenceA"/> despite, by this time, having established his own engine building business, which meant he was unable to commit to a full grand prix season.<ref name="Small">{{cite book|last=Small|first=Steve|date=1994|title=The Guinness Complete Grand Prix Who's Who|publisher=Guinness|page= 269|ISBN= 0851127029}}</ref> His race entries, therefore, were mainly in non-championship races. He entered the British Grand Prix in [[1974 British Grand Prix|1974]] and [[1975 British Grand Prix|1975]] and qualified for the latter race.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> He was classified 17th, five laps behind, despite crashing in the heavy storm towards the end of the race.<ref name="Small"/> Nicholson subsequently planned a further and stronger attempt at Formula One with a privateer [[McLaren]] [[McLaren M23|M23]] but the purchase of the chassis fell through.<ref name="Small"/> He did continue in both [[Formula Two]] and [[Formula 5000]] in 1976<ref name="Small"/> before racing in his native New Zealand in January 1977.<ref name="Small"/>

After retiring from racing, Nicholson turned his sporting attention to powerboat racing as well as continuing with his business interests.<ref name="Small"/>

He died in 2017 at the age of 75.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/obituary-john-nicholson-1941-2017-955653/|title= Obituary: John Nicholson, 1941–2017|last=Cooper|first=Adam|date=20 September 2017|website=motorsport.com|accessdate=27 September 2017}}</ref>
{{-}}

==Complete Formula One World Championship results==
([[:Template:F1 driver results legend 2|key]])
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%"
! Year
! Entrant
! Chassis
! Engine
! 1
! 2
! 3
! 4
! 5
! 6
! 7
! 8
! 9
! 10
! 11
! 12
! 13
! 14
! 15
! WDC
! Points
|-
| [[1974 Formula One season|1974]]
! Pinch (Plant) Ltd.
! [[Lyncar]] [[Lyncar 006|006]]
! [[Cosworth]] [[V8 engine|V8]]
| [[1974 Argentine Grand Prix|ARG]]
| [[1974 Brazilian Grand Prix|BRA]]
| [[1974 South African Grand Prix|RSA]]
| [[1974 Spanish Grand Prix|ESP]]
| [[1974 Belgian Grand Prix|BEL]]
| [[1974 Monaco Grand Prix|MON]]
| [[1974 Swedish Grand Prix|SWE]]
| [[1974 Dutch Grand Prix|NED]]
| [[1974 French Grand Prix|FRA]]
|style="background:#FFCFCF;"| [[1974 British Grand Prix|GBR]]<br />{{small|DNQ}}
| [[1974 German Grand Prix|GER]]
| [[1974 Austrian Grand Prix|AUT]]
| [[1974 Italian Grand Prix|ITA]]
| [[1974 Canadian Grand Prix|CAN]]
| [[1974 United States Grand Prix|USA]]
! NC
! 0
|-
| [[1975 Formula One season|1975]]
! Pinch (Plant) Ltd.
! [[Lyncar]] [[Lyncar 006|006]]
! [[Cosworth]] [[V8 engine|V8]]
| [[1975 Argentine Grand Prix|ARG]]
| [[1975 Brazilian Grand Prix|BRA]]
| [[1975 South African Grand Prix|RSA]]
| [[1975 Spanish Grand Prix|ESP]]
| [[1975 Monaco Grand Prix|MON]]
| [[1975 Belgian Grand Prix|BEL]]
| [[1975 Swedish Grand Prix|SWE]]
| [[1975 Dutch Grand Prix|NED]]
| [[1975 French Grand Prix|FRA]]
|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| [[1975 British Grand Prix|GBR]]<br />{{small|17}}
| [[1975 German Grand Prix|GER]]
| [[1975 Austrian Grand Prix|AUT]]
| [[1975 Italian Grand Prix|ITA]]
| [[1975 United States Grand Prix|USA]]
|
! NC
! 0
|-
!colspan="21"|{{center|{{small|Source:<ref name=Small/>}}}}
|}

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

{{Formula One drivers from New Zealand}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nicholson, John}}
[[Category:New Zealand Formula One drivers]]
[[Category:Lyncar Formula One drivers]]
[[Category:New Zealand racing drivers]]
[[Category:Atlantic Championship drivers]]
[[Category:1941 births]]
[[Category:2017 deaths]]
[[Category:Tasman Series drivers]]
[[Category:Racing drivers from Auckland]]
[[Category:World Sportscar Championship drivers]]

John Nicholson (racing driver) - Revision history

imported>Grunty89 at 23:59, 16 June 2024