“A wonderful chap by the name of Johnny Dumfries”

John Colum Crichton-Stuart (1958-2021), 7th Marquess of Bute, was a Scottish racing driver, best known for winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1988 alongside Dutchman Jan Lammers and Englishman Andy Wallace (picture-above) and for being Senna’s team mate in 1986 at Lotus in F1. As a racing driver he was known as Johnny Dumfries, or, after he succeeded his father as marquess in 1993, John Bute. He sadly passed away of illness at the age of 63…

American race driver Price Cobb, a winner at Le Mans in 1990, remembers for us the likeable Scot: “In 1987, I got to meet a wonderful chap by the name of Johnny Dumfries. Looking back there is no question I was blessed to share a car with him, particularly as I got to know him over two brief race weekends.”

“Our first event together had me starting the car and getting towards the front of a very wet race in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. In his first ever stint, he was nothing short of stunning, outclassing every other driver on the track.”

“Often I get back in to close the race out but Johnny was happy to continue and under the circumstances I was more than happy to let him bring it home. Thanks to Johnny, the race was won. To this day we all talk about Johnny in the wet, where he had no equal.” (picture-below).

“Next race was San Antonio TX, where a slower car put Johnny into the wall ending our race. On his return to the pits, I was seen chasing after him at top speed with many thinking I was going to give him a bollocking, only for them to learn that Johnny was my friend and were just in a hurry to get him to the airport to catch a flight back to the UK.”

“Johnny was instantly one of us, he was given the nickname of Homefries. To us, this was a term of endearment as they are great! Johnny Dumfries was that and more to all of us, quite simply great!”