Denis Jenkinson

Denis Jenkinson
Jenkinson in 1967
Born	Denis Sargent Jenkinson (1920-12-11)11 December 1920
Died	29 November 1996(1996-11-29) (aged 75)
Nationality	English
Occupation	Motor sport journalist and competitor Author
Years active	1946–1996
Known for	Continental Correspondent for Motor Sport magazine, World Sidecar Champion 1949 1955 Mille Miglia winner
Notable work	With Moss in the Mille Miglia

Denis Sargent Jenkinson (11 December 1920 – 29 November 1996), "Jenks" or "DSJ" as he was known in the pages of Motor Sport, was a journalist deeply involved in motorsports. As Continental Correspondent of the UK-based Motor Sport magazine, he covered Formula One and other races all over Europe.

Jenkinson became a motor sport enthusiast in the mid-1930s:

"In 1936 I saw a racing car "in the flesh" or should I say "in the metal," for the first time, that was an E.R.A. at the schoolboys' Exhibition. Later in the year, whilst staying at Brighton, I found that the Lewes Speed Trials were quite near, so off I went to find the venue. It was there that I first saw racing-cars in action, what a thrill!"

Jenkinson was studying engineering at the Regent Street Polytechnic when the Second World War broke out. As a conscientious objector, he served in a civilian capacity at the Royal Aircraft Establishment in Farnborough. This brought him into contact with Bill Boddy, editor of Motor Sport, and other enthusiasts. In 1943 Motor Sport reported: "D.S. Jenkinson has constructed himself a very nice motor-bicycle of Norton parts, with taper forks, much of the work being accomplished by torch-light in a small shed."

After the war Jenkinson started competing on two and four wheels, but he lacked the funds to race regularly. He found that acting as sidecar passenger to top riders enabled him to both enjoy top-level European competition himself while being paid and to scratch a living writing about it - he was passenger to Eric Oliver (with whom he became World Champion in 1949) and Marcel Masuy.