SIR Jackie Stewart has hailed the success of a fundraising drive to redevelop a museum dedicated to fellow Scottish racing driver Jim Clark.
Campaigners - including Sir Jackie - are celebrating after funding bids to the National Lottery for £635,000 and a further £300,000 of public donations have both been successful.
It means the the £1.6m project, which is also being delivered with over £600,000 of Scottish Borders Council funding, will see the existing small exhibition space in Duns, Berwickshire, redeveloped to create a modern museum to celebrate the life and achievements of Clark, a double Formula One world champion.
Sir Jackie, honorary president of The Jim Clark Trust, said: “I am thrilled that the dream has come true that sufficient funding is going to permit a great Scottish hero to be honoured by what will be an excellent testimony to his success as one of the world’s greatest racing drivers of all time.
“I am so proud to have been a friend of Jim. I learned so much from him and I miss him dearly. This initiative will recognise one of Scotland’s greatest sporting heroes in the very grounds that he so much loved.
“I would like to thank the Heritage Lottery Fund, Scottish Borders Council and The Jim Clark Trust and all who have financially supported this endeavour to honour a great Scottish sportsman.”
Jim Clark won the Formula One championship in 1963, becoming the then youngest ever World Champion. He followed it up with victory again in 1965 and in the same year also won the prestigious Indianapolis 500 in America.
He remains the only driver to have won both the Formula One and Indy 500 titles in the same year.
Clark tragically died at Hockenheim in Germany at the age of just 32.
He is still considered one of the greatest ever racing drivers and remains to this day one of Scotland’s most admired sporting heroes.
The new museum will provide expanded exhibition space showcasing memorabilia and the trophy collection, two of Jim Clark’s race cars, new image galleries, film footage, interactive displays, technology and an education zone.
Doug Niven, trustee and cousin of Jim Clark, stated: “On behalf of the Trust I would like to thank Heritage Lottery Fund and Scottish Borders Council and the thousands of individuals across the world that have supported our £300,000 charity fundraising campaign, without whom this project would not be possible."
Supporters of the project include motor sport luminaries such as Dario Franchitti, Allan McNish, David Coulthard, Clive Chapman and Lord March, all Patrons of The Jim Clark Trust.
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