‘Gentleman Jack’, as he would become known during his successful career and in the years that followed, Sears won the 1958 BTCC title driving an Austin 105 in Class C (then known as the British Saloon Car Championship) after a shootout with fellow class dominator Tommy Sopwith. Tied on the same number of points at the end of the season, the duo went head-to-head in Riley 1.5s, with Sears emerging on top.
Sears took his second title in 1963, this time battling for overall wins in the seven litre Ford Galaxie.
Sears also gained notoriety for topping 180mph on the M1 in a factory AC Cobra Coupe testing prior to the 1964 24 Hours of Le Mans. The run has sometimes mistaken, cause of the subsequent 70mph speed limit in the UK.
The Sears name lives on in the BTCC with the Jack Sears Trophy were its rewarded to the for top 'Rookie Driver' in the series in each year since 2015.
R.I.P. Jack Sears
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