Editing Mike Spence (section)

==Early career==
Spence was born in [[Purley, London|Purley]], [[Surrey]],<ref name="oldracingcars.com">{{Cite web|url=https://www.oldracingcars.com/driver/Mike_Spence|title=Mike Spence}}</ref> and began his motorsport career driving his father's [[Turner Sports Cars|Turner]] and an [[AC Ace]] sports car. Spence moved into open-wheel racing in [[Formula Junior]] in 1960.  Spence drove the [[Emeryson]] in two non-Championship Formula One races in {{f1|1961}}, the [[1961 Solitude Grand Prix|Solitude Grand Prix]] near [[Stuttgart]] and the [[1961 Lewis-Evans Trophy|Lewis-Evans Trophy]] at [[Brands Hatch]]. He retired early from the Solitude race with a gearbox failure, but finished second behind [[Tony Marsh (racing driver)|Tony Marsh]]'s [[British Racing Motors|BRM]] in the Lewis-Evans Trophy. These results prompted moves to the privateer [[Ian Walker Racing]] FJ team for 1962, driving a [[Lotus 22]], and then to the works [[Team Lotus|Lotus]] Formula Junior squad in 1963.

Despite disappointing results in his first Formula Junior season with a major team, with fourth place in the [[British Grand Prix]] FJ support race his best result, towards the end of {{F1|1963}} Spence was called up to the Lotus Formula One team, taking the place of the injured [[Trevor Taylor (racing driver)|Trevor Taylor]] at the [[1963 Italian Grand Prix|Italian Grand Prix]]. Driving the [[Lotus 25]], Spence qualified ninth and was classified 13th in the race despite the car's oil pressure fading near the end, while team-mate [[Jim Clark]] took the win and with it the Drivers' Championship.