A quiet, reserved man, who was formerly at March, he worked on the Iso-Williams project and in Formula 1 until the late 1970's, as well as designing the Boxer Formula 2 car, but thereafter concentrated on his business. His spell with Williams came to an unhappy end due to a disagreement with Frank Williams as, in John's own words - there had never been any money for development (nor quite often for wages) and I therefore felt a bit of a spare part and was keen to return to designing things which would actually get made - not, as is sometimes reported, due to the involvement of Dallara in the car's development. Clarke, away from racing, ran his own firm, JCM Engineering initially in Surrey and then in Hampshire, where he lives. Clarke also was heavily involved for some years with the March car designs, including the 693, 701, the 712 and the 6-wheeler, amongst others.

Biography last updated 21 Mar 2026