Peter Sutcliffe (racing driver)
Peter Harry Sutcliffe[1] (born 1 December 1936),[2] a British textile manufacturer from Huddersfield,[3] was active in sports car racing until 1967. Between 1959 and 1967 he won the 1964 Prix de Paris at the Autodrome de Linas-Montlhéry, and the 1965 Pietermaritzburg 3 hours.[4] He raced in Aston Martins, Jaguar D-Type and E types, Shelby Cobra Daytona, Ford GT40s and works Ferrari 330P4s.[5]
Racing career[edit]
After starting to race in the 1950s, his career was interrupted by national service.[6] In 1960–61, before he returned in 1962, to race a Jaguar D-Type.[n 1] From 1963 to 1967, he took part in events that counted towards the World Sportscar Championship, like the 1000km Nürburgring.
In 30 starts,[5] between 1959 and 1967, he scored two overall wins, the 1964 Grand Prix de Paris at the Autodrome de Linas-Montlhéry with a Jaguar E-Type, and the 1965 Springbok Series Pietermaritzburg 3 hours[4] with a privately entered Ford GT40.[n 2]
He also took part in the last[n 3] race event at Germany's Solitudering in July 1965, the XIII Grosser Preis der Solitude, where he drove the Formula 2 Brabham BT10 Cosworth of David Prophet Racing. However, he crashed in his only[7] monoposto race.
Sutcliffe was called by the Scuderia Ferrari to share one of the four Ferrari 330P4 (Chassis #0860, #19) with factory driver Günter Klass in the 1967 24 Hours of Le Mans.[8] After Lorenzo Bandini had been killed and Mike Parkes had been badly injured in F1 races, the Scuderia had planned that Leo Cella would drive the powerful 4-litre, but the Italian rally driver refused to drive the big sportscar after a long test run at Modena circuit. The fine race of Klass and Sutcliffe had an end after 296 laps on the 19th hour due to engine failure. A week later, Sutcliffe scored his only[9] pole position, at the Trophée d'Auvergne at Louis Rosier Circuit Charade near Clermont-Ferrand, in 3:37,6" with a Ford GT40. He finished second in the race, behind Paul Hawkins, and ahead of Jo Schlesser, both also driving GT40s.[citation needed]
Sutcliffe was hired again by Ferrari to drive one of the 330P4 12-cylinder prototypes at the 6 hours BOAC 500[10][11][12] at Brands Hatch later in the year, finishing fifth, now paired with Ludovico Scarfiotti as Klass had been killed at Mugello the weekend before.
Races[edit]
- 1963: Sutcliffe crashed a Jaguar D-Type at the Snetterton Motor Racing Circuit[13]
- 1964: 24 Hours of Le Mans Aston Martin DP214 with Mike Salmon[14]
- 1965 24 Hours of Le Mans, Scuderia Filipinetti Shelby Cobra Daytona with Peter Harper, DNF
- 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans, Scuderia Filipinetti Ford GT40 Mk. I 4.7L V8, DNF
- 1966 Rothmans 12 Hour International Sports Car Race, Peter Sutcliffe Racing Ford GT40, with Frank Matich, 2nd behind Jackie Stewart and Andy Buchanan (Ferrari 250LM)
Notes[edit]
- ^ The epitome of a great British sports car, the Jaguar D Type. Here, Peter Sutcliffe is doing well over 100mph Tony Gardiner: Motor Racing at Goodwood in the Sixties, Veloce Publishing Ltd, 2002 ISBN 1-903706-49-1
- ^ Englishman Peter H. Sutcliffe (UK) of Huddersfield owned chassis 1009 and GT112 - Ronnie Spain GT 40: An Individual History and Race Record, MotorBooks/MBI Publishing Company, 2003 ISBN 0-7603-1740-2 [1] Google Books
- ^ "In 1965 came the end for Solitude events. For the last time motorcycles, sportscars and Formula 2 cars appeared and the international motorsport said goodbye forever to the Stuttgart game preserve.". Archived from the original on 5 June 2009. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
References[edit]
- ^ "Peter Sutcliffe". Motor Sport magazine database. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
- ^ Peter Sutcliffe biodata
- ^ Jonathan Wood: Jaguar E-Type: The Complete Story, Crowood, 2001 ISBN 1-86126-147-0
- ^ a b IMCA
- ^ a b "Profile at racing database website". Retrieved 15 February 2018.
- ^ "8W - What? - Racing car transporters". forix.autosport.com. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
- ^ "Profile at racing database website". Retrieved 15 February 2018.
- ^ motorsportmemorial.org Günther Klass
- ^ racing-database.com Peter Sutcliffe
- ^ "Brands Hatch 6 Hours 1967 - Photo Gallery - Racing Sports Cars". www.racingsportscars.com. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
- ^ "10-minute film of the first BOAC 500 Sports Car race at Brands Hatch in April 1967". Retrieved 15 February 2018.
- ^ Original facsimile from AUTOSPORT 1967
- ^ "World Sports Racing Prototypes - British National Races 1963". Archived from the original on 24 September 2008. Retrieved 12 January 2009.
- ^ Jenkinson, Denis (July 1964). "The 24 Hours of Le Mans". Motor Sport magazine archive. p. 22. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
