Timothy Andrew “Timmy” Mayer was an American racing driver whose career ended during the first season of the Tasman Series. Born in Dalton, Pennsylvania, on 22 February 1938, he was the younger brother of Teddy Mayer, later a key figure in the development of McLaren.
Driver Bio
| Nationality | American |
| Birthplace | Dalton, Pennsylvania, USA |
| Born | 22 February 1938 |
| Died | 28 February 1964 |
| First Grand Prix | 1962 United States Grand Prix |
| Last Grand Prix | 1962 United States Grand Prix |
| Years Active | 1962 |
| Current/Last Team | Cooper |
Timmy’s racing career took him to Europe in the early 1960s, with Teddy and fellow American Peter Revson closely involved in that move. His only World Championship appearance came at the United States Grand Prix on 7 October 1962. Ignition trouble ended the race, leaving him without championship points.
For 1964 he joined Bruce McLaren in a Cooper T70 for the inaugural Tasman Series. The programme was an important early venture for the newly formed McLaren organisation, with Bruce and Timmy driving the cars and Teddy involved behind the scenes. It placed Mayer within a team whose subsequent history would become central to Formula One.
The final round was at Longford in Tasmania. During practice, Mayer lost control at more than 100mph and struck a tree. He died on 28 February 1964, six days after his 26th birthday. The accident ended a promising career and deeply affected the small group building the new racing operation.
A memorial stone at Longford’s Country Club Hotel later commemorated him, incorporating a helmet into the tribute. Bruce McLaren also reflected on Mayer’s death in his 1964 book, From the Cockpit, considering the value of achievement and fulfilment within a life cut short. His tribute became one of the best-known reflections associated with the team’s early years.
Mayer’s single Grand Prix start is therefore only one part of his place in racing history. His involvement belongs to the formative McLaren story and to the first Tasman campaign, a period when the foundations of a future championship-winning organisation were still being established.
Grand Prix Stats
| Race Entries | 1 |
| Race Starts | 1 |
| Did Not Start | 0 |
| Best Race Start | 11th |
| Best Race Finish | – |
| Retirements | 1 |
| First-Lap Retirements | 0 |
| Not Classified | 0 |
| Disqualified | 0 |
| Did Not Qualify | 0 |
Qualifying
| Qualifying Sessions | 1 |
| Reached Q3 | 0 |
| Q2 Eliminations | 0 |
| Q1 Eliminations | 0 |
| Did Not Qualify | 0 |
Stats by Season
| Year | Constructor | Entries | Starts | Wins | Podiums | Poles | Fastest Laps | Front Rows | DNF | Best Start | Best Result | Pts Finishes | Points | Championship |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | Cooper | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11th | n/a | 0 | 0 | NC |
Stats by Constructor
| Constructor | Years | Entries | Starts | Wins | Podiums | Poles | Fastest Laps | Front Rows | DNF | Best Start | Best Result | Pts Finishes | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cooper | 1962 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11th | n/a | 0 | 0 |
Teammates & Qualifying Head-to-Head
| Teammate | Years | Races | Qualifying H2H |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tony Maggs | 1962 | 1 | – |
| Bruce McLaren | 1962 | 1 | – |
