John Trevor Blokdyk (30 November 1935 – 19 March 1995) was a South African motorcycle speedway rider and Formula One driver who participated in two World Championship Grands Prix, although qualifying for only one. He earned six caps for the South Africa national speedway team.
Career Blokdyk rode in speedway in Britain in the late 1950s and early 1960s for Poole Pirates and Ipswich Witches.Jones, Alan (2004) Speedway in Leicester: The Hunters Era, Automedia, p. 145 In 1962, he signed for Leicester Hunters but after one match for the team announced that he was quitting speedway to concentrate on motor racing.
Blokdyk competed in Formula One for the first time in the non-Championship Rand Grand Prix at Kyalami in 1961, in a Cooper, but spun out early on. He was more successful at his next race, the Natal Grand Prix at Westmead, where he finished eighth.
Coventry Bees attempted to sign Blokdyk from Ipswich Witches in June 1962 but failed to contact him to seal the transfer.
In late 1962, Blokdyk went to Europe to pursue a career in Formula Junior and was soon a front-runner, until he ran short of finances and returned to South Africa. In 1963, he started his only World Championship race at East London, driving a three-year-old Cooper-Maserati prepared by Scuderia Lupini, and coming in 12th. He also finished third in the Mozambique Grand Prix in 1963 and 1964.
Blokdyk continued in the South African Formula One Championship in 1964 and then moved back to Europe and drove in Formula 3, scoring some good results, including a win at Magny-Cours and Nogaro. He returned to South Africa for the 1964 Rand Grand Prix, where he retired his Cooper-Alfa Romeo with engine problems, and he failed to qualify for the 1965 South African Grand Prix.
Later in 1965, Blokdyk continued in European Formula 3, and suffered serious pelvic and leg injuries in a crash at Albi which ended his season. On his return in 1966, he finished sixth at Rouen-Les-Essarts, and continued to race in Europe in F3 until 1969, before returning permanently to compete in South Africa. On his retirement he became a farmer, but died following a heart attack aged 59.
Complete Formula One World Championship results (key) Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 WDC Points 1963 Scuderia Lupini Cooper T51 Maserati Straight-4 MON BEL NED FRA GBR GER ITA USA MEX RSA NC 0 1965 Trevor Blokdyk Cooper T59 Ford Straight-4 RSA MON BEL FRA GBR NED GER ITA USA MEX NC 0Source:
Complete Formula One non-championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) YearEntrantChassisEngine123456789101112131415161718192021Trevor BlokdykCooper T52FordLOMGLVPAUBRXVIEAINSYRNAPLONSILSOLKANDANMODFLGOULLEWVALRANNATRSAHoffman Racing TeamCooper T59Alfa RomeoCAPBRXLOMLAVGLVPAUAININTNAPMALCLPRMSSOLKANMEDDANOULMEXRANNATScuderia LupiniCooper T51MaseratiLOMGLVPAUIMOSYRAININTROMSOLKANMEDAUTOULRANHoffman RacingCooper T59Alfa RomeoDMTNWTSYRAININTSOLMEDRANHoffman RacingCooper T59FordCAPROCSYRSMTINTMEDRAN
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