PMM charts Duckhams Oils’ enduring association with motorsport as it celebrates almost a century of breaking records and backing winners on the track.
This year’s motorsports season is well underway, and iconic engine oil Duckhams is already celebrating success thanks to the drivers of the #59 Duckhams-liveried McLaren 720S GT3 Evo, who have wrapped up the Silver-Am title in the 2024 British GT Championship. But Duckhams’s success with motorsports goes back much further than that.
90 years ago, W. G. Everitt broke the world record (H class) for the standing start kilometre and mile, driving a Duckhams-lubricated MG at Brooklands. Fourteen years later, Lieutenant-Colonel A. T. ‘Goldie’ Gardner set a new international car speed record in Belgium, using Duckhams oils. Cabling head office with the good news, Goldie advised: ‘Lubrication by Duckhams as ever perfect’. His success continued in the company’s 50th anniversary year, when, still running exclusively on Duckhams oils in his new MG Record Car, Gardener set new record speeds in international classes E to I.
Duckhams’ business association with motorsport began in earnest in the 1960s, and by 1971, Formula Atlantic had practically become the Duckhams formula, as almost every finisher used Duckhams Q20-50.
1974 was a standout season. Jacky Ickx won the Formula 1 Race of Champions. There was further Formula 1 success, with Ronnie Peterson winning the Monaco, French and Italian Grand Prix and James Hunt winning the International Trophy at Silverstone. At that time, virtually half the Formula 1 field was running on Duckhams oil. The majority of winners in Formula 5000, Formula Atlantic and Formula Ford were all lubricated by the iconic green oil Duckhams Q.
In the 1980s, Duckhams successfully ventured into rallying, with Ari Vatanen winning the 1981 Drivers’ World Championship. The following year, Hannu Mikkola and Arne Hertz drive their Audi Sport UK Quattro to individual victories in the British Rally Championship.
Famous names
Famous motor racing drivers Nigel Mansell, Ayrton Senna and David Coulthard all received backing from Duckhams in the early days of their careers. In the 1990s, Duckhamslubricated cars competed in the British Touring Cars Championships. Ian Simpson secured the HEAT British Cuspercup Superbikes title in 1994, and Karl Muggeridge rode his Duckhams-Seeley Honda in the 1998 British Supersport 600 Championships.
2021 saw Duckhams storm back to racing success, with Duckhams-sponsored Dan Cammish winning the Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain. Duckhams continued the winning formula in 2023 with victory in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB and the Thailand Bric Superbike Championship.
Our 125th anniversary year has already proved another triumphant season, with Adam Smalley emulating his Porsche Carerra Cup GB success in British GT. Adam secured the Silver-Am Championship with two rounds to spare. Duckhams has also backed young driver Daryl Deleon in his first British Touring Cars Championship and celebrated its historic association with Formula Ford by sponsoring the Heroes of FF1600 Sprint Cup, a new three-round racing championship for 1980s and 1990s Formula Ford.
Only time will tell if the next 125 years are as kind to Duckhams as the previous 125, but given their record so far, we wouldn’t bet against them!
