Trevor Blokdyk

Blokdyk rode in speedway in Britain in the late 1950s and early 1960s for Poole Pirates and Ipswich Witches.[4] 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.[4]

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.[5] He was more successful at his next race, the Natal Grand Prix at Westmead, where he finished eighth.[6]

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.[3] 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.[6] He also finished third in the Mozambique Grand Prix in 1963 and 1964.[1]

He 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.[6] 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.[6]

Later in 1965 he continued in European Formula 3, and suffered serious pelvic and leg injuries in a crash at Albi which ended his season.[3] 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.[3] On his retirement he became a farmer, but died following a heart attack aged 59.[6]

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