Hap Sharp

James 'Hap' Sharp (1 January 1928 - 7 May 1993): American racing driver and sports car constructor from Tulsa, Oklahoma, who competed in Formula One in the early 1960s and co-founded the revolutionary Chaparral Cars racing team. His nickname 'Hap' came from 'Happy New Year' in reference to his New Year's Day birth date. Participated in six Formula One World Championship Grands Prix from 1961 to 1964, scoring no championship points but achieving his best result of seventh place at the 1963 Mexican Grand Prix, just outside the points-paying positions. Drove a Cooper T53-Climax at the 1961 and 1962 United States Grands Prix at Watkins Glen, competing as a privateer entrant against the works teams.

At the 1963 United States Grand Prix, drove Reg Parnell's Lotus 24-BRM, demonstrating his versatility across different Formula One machinery. Achieved his career-best Formula One result at the 1963 Mexican Grand Prix in Mexico City, finishing seventh in the Lotus-BRM and narrowly missing his first championship point. While his Formula One career was modest, Sharp achieved far greater significance as co-founder and driver of Chaparral Cars, one of the most innovative racing car manufacturers in motorsport history. In 1962, joined forces with fellow Texan Jim Hall to form Chaparral Cars, Inc.

based in Midland, Texas, beginning a partnership that would revolutionize sports car racing. Immediately began design and construction of the Chaparral 2, a mid-engined car featuring an aerospace-inspired semi-monocoque fiberglass chassis that incorporated cutting-edge technology. Chaparral cars pioneered numerous innovations including automatic transmissions, aerodynamic wings, ground effects, and active suspension systems that were years ahead of their competitors. Sharp served as both driver and co-owner of Chaparral throughout the 1960s, competing in Can-Am, USRRC, and various sports car championships while Hall focused primarily on design and engineering.

The Chaparral 2D, 2E, 2F, and 2J models dominated sports car racing during the late 1960s and early 1970s, with Sharp contributing both on-track success and business acumen. After Sharp's involvement with Chaparral ended, the team continued achieving success, most notably when Johnny Rutherford won both the 1980 Indianapolis 500 and CART championship driving a Chaparral-entered car. Following his racing career, Sharp remained involved in business ventures in Texas, maintaining connections to the motorsport community. Tragically, Sharp committed suicide on 7 May 1993 at age 65 after being diagnosed with terminal cancer, choosing to end his life rather than endure a prolonged illness.

His legacy rests not on his Formula One results but on Chaparral's revolutionary contributions to racing technology, with many innovations developed by Sharp and Hall later adopted throughout motorsport, including Formula One. The Chaparral cars remain among the most important and influential racing machines in American motorsport history.