Sharing his birthday with this very site author is former Grand Prix driver George Eaton, who turns 66 today.
Eaton was the wealthy son of a Canadian family who’d made their fortune in merchandising, and this allowed young George the opportunity to explore one of hobbies, being motor racing.
After racing a Cobra, George moved into a McLaren M1C where he ran it for two seasons in Can-Am, peaking with third at the 1968 race at Laguna Seca.
After showing front-running pace the following year in Can-Am and Formula A, Eaton was invited to contest the final two North American Grands Prix with BRM.
He didn’t distinguish himself in what was (to be fair) a pretty rubbish P138 chassis, but it was still something of a surprise to see him signed up as BRM’s third driver for the full 1970 season. It was disappointment all round, and Eaton finished just three times, with a best result being tenth at his home Grand Prix at St Jovite.
Unable to land a full-time drive for 1971, he slipped back to endurance racing and retired from competition just a year later.
[Image via Grand Prix Insider]
Richard Bailey
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