Patrick Birkin

Patrick Birkin

Birkin at the 1973 Salisfordian Grand Prix
Born	Patrick Young Birkin (1944-02-14)February 14, 1944 Sligo, Gjorka
Died	18 July 1977(1977-07-18) (aged 33) Kilcullen, Paleocacher
Gran-Prix One World Championship career
Nationality	Gjorkan
Active years	1970–1977
Teams	Jordan Engineering, Scutari
Entries	96
Championships	3 (1971, 1972, 1975)
Wins	24
Podiums	43
Career points	340.5
Pole positions	31
Fastest laps	14
First entry	1970 Creeperian Grand Prix
First win	1970 Montcrabe City Grand Prix
Last win	1976 Salisfordian Grand Prix
Last entry	1977 Paleocacherian Grand Prix

Patrick Young Birkin (14 February 1947 – 18 July 1977), nicknamed the Red Rifle, was a Gjorkan Gran-Prix one driver from 1970 to 1977, winning three world championships. Birkin tragically died during the 1977 Paleocacherian Grand Prix, after his vehicle caught fire following a crash.

Birkin was the son of wealthy Gjorkan business magnate Stewart Birkin, whose funding helped propel much of Birkin's early career. Birkin originally attended Alicia University as a business major, but moved to Sur at the age of 24 to pursue a racing career. In 1969 he secured a Gram-Prix Three spot and began his racing career. In 1970, his father help fund the start up of a new constructor in compete in Gran-Prix One called Jordan Engineering, which offered Birkin a seat.

Despite driving in a relatively uncompetitive car, Birkin impressed immediately in his first season winning two grand prixes including the prestigious and technically challenging Montcrabe City Grand Prix. For his impressive rookie debut, Birkin was offered a seat at Scutari where he remained for the next six years. Birkin immediately won back to back world championships in the Scutari in 1971 and 1972. Birkin would become a third time world champion in 1975, having one of the most dominant seasons in GP1 history winning 11/14 races.

Following a poor campaign in 1976, Birkin returned to Jordan Engineering in 1977. At the third race of the year in the Paleocacherian Grand Prix, Birkin collided with the Corona of Domingo Payés Luján. The resulting crash caused Birkin to go unconscious and his car to catch on fire. Birkins was recovered from the crash alive, but died shortly thereafter

Birkin earned the nickname "Red Rifle" for his speed achieved while in the Scutari, having set the lap record at several race tracks he competed at. Birkin is a popular figure within Gjorka being considered the reasons for the sport's rise in popularity in the country. Birkin was the first Gjorkan driver to win a grand prix, and is still the only Gjorkan driver to win a world championship.

Early life

Birkin was born in Sligo, Gjorka a town in the suburbs of Nomakoa. Birkin's father, Stewart Birkin, was a successful businessman owning Birkin Industries which controlled roughly 30% of the factories in and around Nomakoa at its peak. Birkin had one older brother Jimmy Birkin, but Jimmy passed away from drowning in 1954 when Birkin was ten.

Birkin became interested in racing when he was twelve, and began competing in local karting competitions. However, motorsport was still in its infancy in popularity in Gjorka and Birkin had little opportunity to enhance his skills. He gave up karting at the age of 17, and attended Alicia University for a business degree. Birkin became known as a party animal within the school, regularly skipping classes. He was nearly expelled in 1964 when the stole the University's Dean's car and used it in drag racing. Birkin graduated in 1966, and began working at his father's company. However, he felt dissatisfied with the work, and began participating in local street racing competitions. He was arrested in 1967, and was fired by his father. Against his father's wishes, Birkin moved to Montcrabe and then Salisford to pursue a racing career.

Early racing career

Although his father initially was unsupportive of Birkin's racing career, Birkin was still able to use his father's connections to gain a seat in Gran-Prix Three for newly founded Fangio Racing in 1969. Birkin immediately found form, winning his first three career professional races. Birkin would go on to dominate the season, winning seven of the eight races and taking the GP3 championship with ease.

Having already secured the GP3 championship, Birkin opted out of the final GP3 race to instead compete in the final Gran-Prix Two race of the season. Despite having an inferior GP3 car, Birkin managed to win his first and only GP2 race. It was this GP2 race that Birkin first caught the attention of Scutari founder Enzo Scutari who said Birkin's performance was "one of the first magnificent I have ever seen".

Gran-Prix One career

Bikrin in 1970 during the Tiroler Grand Prix

Bikrin in the Scutari 312B at the 1971 Jackson Grand Prix

Bikrin at the 1972 Quebecshire Grand Prix celebrating his world championship

Birkin's success in GP3 would enable him to garner interest from several Gran-Prix One teams, but ultimately he failed to secure a seat before the start of the 1970 campaign. However, by this time Birkin had managed to win over his father's approval for his racing career due to his success. His father became a major investor in Jordan Engineering, a Gjorkan based racing team that had been attempting to enter in GP1. With his father's financial backing, Jordan was able to enter the 1970 GP1 season as a constructor, using Renehan engines. Birkin was offered the Jordan seat, and began his GP1 career.

Birkin found immediate success in the Jordan, scoring a point in his first ever race at the Creeperian Grand Prix. Following a retirement in Paleocacher, Birkin would again score points finishing just shy of a podium at 4th in the Tiroler Grand Prix. However, Birkin's most impressive moment of his rookie season would come at the Montcrabe City Grand Prix. Birkin would achieve his first career pole position, podium and win at the prestigious and technically challenging circuit. He also became the first ever Gjorkan to win a Grand Prix. His win came as a shock to many with the Gjorka Times labelling it as "the greatest upset in GP1 history". Birkin would find his second career win at the Lurjizean Grand Prix. He finished his rookie season with 31 points, earning fourth in the Driver's championship. His teammate, Jackie Andreas, failed to score a single point throughout the season.

Following his impressive rookie season, Birkin would be offered a contract by Scuderia Scutari to race with them in 1971. Birkin signed with Scutari, beginning his six year long career with the Salisfordian team. In his first three races with Scutari, Birkin would earn three podiums and two race wins taking an early and commanding lead in the driver's championship, which he would not give up for the remainder of the season. After achieving thee straight wins in rounds 5, 6 and 7 of the 1971 season, Birkin would clinch his first career world championship at the Jackson Grand Prix despite a retirement. Birkin would finish the season with another race win at the Lurjizean Grand Prix, and officially become world champion with 62 points, 29 points over his nearest competitor.

Coming off his first world championship, would suffer a broken finger following a crash during the opening Ajakanistan Grand Prix of the 1972 season. Despite the broken finger, Birkin would achieve second at the following Kivuian Grand Prix. His hopes of repeating his championship win were finally bankrolled when Scutari unveiled the upgraded 312B2 at the Karimun Grand Prix. With a new and upgraded car, Birkin achieved a podium in seven of the next eight races, winning five of them. Birkin's win at the Quebecshire Grand Prix would clinch his status as world champion for the second year in a row. He would finish the season with 61 points.

Racing record

Career summary

Season	Series	Team	Races	Wins	Poles	F/laps	Podiums	Points	Position
1969	Gran-Prix Three	Fangio Racing	8	7	4	7	7	42	1st
	Gran-Prix Two		1	1	1	0	1	9	11th

Complete Gran-Prix One World Championship results

(Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year	Entrant	Chassis	Engine	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	WDC	Points
1970	Jordan Engineering	Jordan J1	Renehan EF1 1.5 V6 t	CRE 6	PAL Ret	TIR 4	QUE Ret	MCC 1	JCK 3	KIV Ret	KMN Ret	NGA Ret								4th	31
		Jordan J1.5	Renehan EF1 2.5 V6 t										HAP 5	LUZ 1	REY Ret	SAL 4
1971	Scutari	Scutari 312B	Scutari Scutari 001 3.0 F12	CRE 2	REY 1	KIV 1	KMN 11	QUE 1	MCC 1	TIR 1	JCK Ret	PAL Ret	LUZ 1	SAL 5						1st	62
1972	Scutari	Scutari 312B	Scutari Scutari 001 3.0 F12	AJK Ret	KIV 2															1st	61
		Scutari 312B2	Scutari Scutari 001/1 3.0 F12			KMN 1	CRE 3	MCC 1	PAL 2	REY 1	JCK Ret	TIR 1	QUE 1	LUZ 13	SAL Ret
1973	Scutari	Scutari 312B3	Scutari Scutari 001/11 3.0 F12	SAL 1	MCC 1	HAP 3	GJK 1	PAL 3	LUZ 2	JCK 12	TIR Ret	QUE Ret	CRE Ret	REY 6	NGA Ret	KIV 2	AJK 2	KMN 6		2nd	55
1974	Scutari	Scutari 312B3	Scutari Scutari 001/11 3.0 F12	CRE 2	KMN Ret	AJK 16	TIR 1	JCK 2	REY Ret	PAL Ret	GJK 1	GAN 2	HAP 5	KIV Ret	QUE Ret	LUZ Ret	MCC Ret	SAL Ret		4th	38
1975	Scutari	Scutari 312B3	Scutari Scutari 001/11 3.0 F12	CRE 6	MCC 5	QUE 5	LUZ Ret													1st	64.5
		Scutari 312T	Scutari Scutari 015 3.0 F12					NGA 1	KIV 1	GJK 1	PAL 2	JCK 1	REY 8	AJK 3	TIR 6	KAR 3	SAL 1
1976	Scutari	Scutari 312T	Scutari Scutari 015 3.0 F12	CRE Ret	LUZ 6	BOS Ret	MCC Ret	KAR Ret			AJK 5									6th	22
		Scutari 312T2	Scutari Scutari 015 3.0 F12						HAP	REY Ret		TIR Ret	KIV 12	PAL 5	GJK 3	NGA Ret	QUE 3	JCK Ret	SAL 1
1977	Jordan Engineering	Jordan J8	Renehan EF4 1.5 V6 t	CRE 3	MCC 4	JCK Ret	PAL	TIR	KMN	NGA	GJK	AJK	QUE	BOS	REY	LUZ	HAP	KIV	SAL	13th	7