Quick Facts
Biography
Ronnie Bucknum (April 5, 1936 – April 23, 1992) was an American racecar driver, born in Alhambra, California.
Bucknum participated in 11 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on August 2, 1964. He scored a total of two championship points. At the 1964 German Grand Prix, he became the first person to drive a Honda-engined car in Formula One.
After Formula One, Bucknum drove in the USAC Championship Car series, racing in the 1967–1970 seasons with 23 starts, including the Indianapolis 500 in 1968–1970. He finished in the top ten 10 times, with his one victory coming at Michigan International Speedway in 1968.
He was the father of Jeff Bucknum, an Indy Racing League and American Le Mans Series driver. Ronnie Bucknum died in San Luis Obispo, California following complications from diabetes.
Complete Formula One World Championship results
(key)
| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | WDC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | Honda R & D Co. | Honda RA271 | Honda V12 | MON | NED | BEL | FRA | GBR | GER 13 | AUT | ITA Ret | USA Ret | MEX | NC | 0 |
| 1965 | Honda R & D Co. | Honda RA272 | Honda V12 | RSA | MON Ret | BEL Ret | FRA Ret | GBR | NED | GER | ITA Ret | USA 13 | MEX 5 | 14th | 2 |
| 1966 | Honda R & D Co. | Honda RA273 | Honda V12 | MON | BEL | FRA | GBR | NED | GER | ITA | USA Ret | MEX 8 | NC | 0 |
Official Results Le Mans 24 Hours 1966
| Pos | Class | No | Team | Drivers | Chassis | Engine | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | P +5.0 | 2 |  Shelby-American Inc. |  Bruce McLaren Chris Amon | Ford GT40 Mk.II | Ford 7.0L V8 | 360 |
| 2 | P +5.0 | 1 | Shelby-American Inc. |  Ken Miles Denis Hulme | Ford GT40 Mk.II | Ford 7.0L V8 | 360 |
| 3 | P +5.0 | 5 | Holman & Moody / Essex Wire Corp. | Ronnie Bucknum Dick Hutcherson | Ford GT40 Mk.II | Ford 7.0L V8 | 348 |
Indianapolis 500 results
| Year | Chassis | Engine | Start | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | Lola | Chevrolet | Failed to Qualify | |
| 1967 | Gerhardt | Ford | Failed to Qualify | |
| 1968 | Eagle | Ford | 19th | 21st |
| 1969 | Eagle | Offy | 16th | 30th |
| 1970 | Cecil | Ford | 27th | 15th |
| 1971 | Vollstedt | Ford | Failed to Qualify |