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Full Name: | William Michael ‘Mike’ Wilds |
Nationality: | British |
Born: | 7 January 1946, London (GBR) |
First GP: | 1974 United States Grand Prix |
Last GP: | 1975 Brazilian Grand Prix |
Entries: | 8 | Grands Prix: | 3 | Non-starts: | 5 |
Wins: | 0 | Best Finish: | DNF | Best Grid: | 22nd |
Fastest Laps: | 0 | Points: | 0 | Retirements: | 3 |
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS |
1974 | Formula 1, Dempster Racing March 731, 1 entry, 1 DNQ |
Formula 1, Ensign Ford V8 N174, 4 entries, 3 DNQ, 0 points, Not Classified | |
1975 | Formula 1, Stanley BRM V12 P201, 2 races, 0 points, Not Classified |
1976 | Formula 1, Team P R Reilly Shadow Ford V8 DN3, 1 entry, 1 DNQ |
Mike Wilds was a regular on the Formula 3 and Formula 5000 scene, whose opportunity in F1 was all too brief to demonstrate his skills.
A former Firestone Tyres employee, Mike spent seven years in club racing before graduating to Formula 3 in 1972. Backed by Dempster Developments, he was soon winning races before opting to move into F5000 in 1974.
Mid-year. he was given the chance to try and qualify (sadly failing) a March 731 at Brands Hatch for the British GP, before he was picked up by Ensign for the closing rounds of the season, finally making the grid for the season-ending US GP only to lost precious laps having to pit to repair a fuel pump.
Invited to lead the BRM team in 1975, he last but two races before getting the chop, and he suffered more when he split with his long-time sponsor and having to rejoin F5000 once again, racing an ex-works Shadow in 1976.
Mike returned to the club racing scene once more in the late 1970s, although he would later suffering a leg-breaking crash in 1994 demonstrating Gilles Villeneuve’s Ferrari 312T at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Wilds now runs his own business teaching prospective racing drivers and helicopter pilots.
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