The British rally champion, Roger Clark, has died of a stroke at the age of 58.

Clark, who has recently been dogged by ill health, transformed rallying in Britain in a similar manner to the way that Stirling Moss increased the profile of Grand Prix racing.

He won the RAC Rally in 1972 and 1976 in the days when night driving was an integral part of the event and also won the British Championship four times.

Clark, a pioneer of commercial sponsorship in the sport, set standards during the 1960s and 70s which were not superseded by a Briton until Colin McRae began to reach the heights on the world stage in the 1990s.

He retired in 1980 but continued to compete occasionally, including an appearance in the 1995 Rally of Wales.
 

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