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David Purley

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David Purley
Born(1945-01-26)26 January 1945
Bognor Regis, Sussex, United Kingdom
Died2 July 1985(1985-07-02) (aged 40)
English Channel, close to Bognor Regis, United Kingdom
Formula One World Championship career
NationalityUnited Kingdom British
Active years1973–1974, 1977
TeamsLEC, Token
Non-works March
Entries11 (7 starts)
Championships0
Wins0
Podiums0
Career points0
Pole positions0
Fastest laps0
First entry1973 Monaco Grand Prix
Last entry1977 British Grand Prix

David Charles Purley, GM (26 January 1945 – 2 July 1985) was a British racing driver born in Bognor Regis, West Sussex, who participated in 11 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting at Monaco in 1973.

Purley is best known for his actions at the 1973 Dutch Grand Prix,[1] where he abandoned his own race and attempted to save the life of fellow driver Roger Williamson, whose car was upside down and on fire following a serious accident. Purley was awarded the George Medal for his courage in trying to save Williamson, who suffocated in the blaze.

During pre-qualifying for the 1977 British Grand Prix Purley sustained multiple bone fractures after his car's throttle stuck open and he crashed into a wall. His deceleration from 108 mph (173 km/h) to 0 in a distance of 26 in (66 cm) is one of the highest G-loads survived in a crash. He scored no championship points during his Formula One career. He died in a plane crash, having retired from motorsport and taken up aerobatics, in 1985.

Early life

Purley's father was Charles Purley, the founder of LEC Refrigeration. Birth and death records show that his father's name was originally Puxley but he preferred the name Purley.[2] His mother was Welsh, having been born in the small village of Cwmfelinfach. David went to school at Seaford College and then Dartington Hall School in Devon.

Career

Purley joined the British Army and was an Officer Cadet at Sandhurst on Intake 38. Commissioned into the Parachute Regiment, he lost the first of his nine lives when his parachute failed to open on a training jump. Miraculously, he landed on his Platoon Sergeant’s ‘chute and both survived the heavy landing. Having seen action with his Battalion in Aden, he left the Army to pursue a career in motor racing.

He later raced in various series with an AC Cobra and a Chevron, before racing in Formula Three, winning three times at Chimay between 1970 and 1972.

In 1972 Purley was one of two drivers to attempt to race the Connew Grand Prix car in its original Formula One configuration. He was entered at the end of season World Championship Victory Race at Brands Hatch but did not start. Purley had asked for an electrical "kill" switch to be fitted to the steering wheel, but this malfunctioned on the warm up lap, the engine stopped, and the car was retired.[3]

In 1973 Purley hired a March and with backing from his family's refrigeration company he made an attempt at Formula One.

External videos
video icon Footage of Purley attempting to save Roger Williamson trapped in his overturned and burning car on YouTube

At the 1973 Dutch Grand Prix, upon witnessing a crash which left fellow British driver Roger Williamson trapped in his overturned and burning car, Purley abandoned his own race and attempted to save Williamson, who was participating in only his second Formula One race. Purley later recalled that upon arriving at the scene, he heard Williamson crying for help as the fire began to take hold. Purley's efforts to right the car and extinguish the flames were in vain as he received no help from nearby track marshals or emergency workers, in spite of attempts to encourage them, and other passing drivers, to come to his aid; Williamson died from asphyxiation. The marshals were not wearing fire resistant clothing and the passing drivers assumed that Purley was attempting to extinguish his own car, having escaped a fiery crash unharmed.

A sequence of pictures taken by photographer Cor Mooij of the accident won the Photo Sequences category of that year's World Press Photo.[4] Later, Purley was awarded the George Medal for his rescue attempt. The story, and film footage of the rescue attempt, feature in a 2010 BBC documentary entitled Grand Prix: The Killer Years.

Apart from a one-off participation with Token at his home Grand Prix in 1974, Purley stayed out of Formula One for a few years, preferring to compete in Formula Two driving Chevrons and Marches for Hong Kong-based millionaire Bob Harper, and Formula 5000 where he won the British Championship in 1976 in a Chevron powered by the Cosworth GA 3.4-litre V6 engine. In 1974 Purley won the Brighton Speed Trials driving a Trojan-Chevrolet T101, winning again the following year in a Chevron-GA B30.

He returned to Formula One in 1977 with his own LEC chassis designed by Mike Pilbeam and run by Mike Earle.[5] It was this car in which he suffered serious injuries in an accident during practice for that year's British Grand Prix. He survived an estimated 179.8 g when he decelerated from 108 mph (173 km/h) to 0[5] in a distance of 26 inches (66 cm)[6] after his throttle became stuck wide open and he hit a wall. This was the highest measured g-force ever survived by a human being (until in 2003, Kenny Bräck's crash violence recording system measured 214 g).[5][7] Purley suffered multiple fractures to his legs, pelvis and ribs.[5]

Purley recovered to race again although he confined his activities to the minor Aurora AFX series of Formula One races in Britain.

Following his decision to quit motorsport, Purley moved into competition aerobatics.

Death

Purley died on 2 July 1985 when his Pitts Special aerobatic biplane crashed into the English Channel off Bognor Regis.[8] He is buried in the churchyard of St. Nicholas Church, West Itchenor, near Chichester.[9]

Legacy

The remains of Purley's crashed LEC CRP1 and its replacement were displayed at the Donington Grand Prix Exhibition until 2011. The second car has since been restored and now competes in historic Formula One racing, alongside a replica car built more recently.[10]

Memorial to racing driver David Purley GM 1945-1985

A David Purley memorial, in the form of a sculpture by the British artist Gordon Young, was erected in 2017 close to the site of the former LEC factory in Bognor Regis. It is inscribed with the words that appear on the headstone of his grave at Itchenor: "Gone now your eager smile, high held head and soldier's stride, etched were skies by your elegant style, and this earth enriched by your pride".

Racing record

Complete European Formula Two Championship results

(key)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Pos. Pts
1972 LEC Refrigeration Racing March 722 Ford MAL
8 		THR
Ret 		HOC
DNS 		PAU
3 		PAL
Ret 		HOC
Ret 		ROU
NC 		ÖST
12 		IMO
Ret 		MAN
DNQ 		PER SAL ALB
DNQ 		HOC 19th 4
1974 Team Harper March 742 BMW BAR HOC
NC 		PAU
7 		5th 13
Chevron B27 Ford SAL
2 		MUG
Ret
BMW HOC
14 		KAR
Ret 		PER
2 		HOC
11 		VAL
10
1975 Masami Kuwashima Racing March 752 BMW EST THR HOC NÜR PAU HOC
Ret 		SAL ROU MUG PER SIL ZOL NOG VAL NC 0
Source:[11]

Complete Formula One World Championship results

(key)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 WDC Pts
1973 LEC Refrigeration Racing March 731 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 ARG BRA RSA ESP BEL MON
Ret 		SWE FRA GBR
DNS 		NED
Ret 		GER
15 		AUT ITA
9 		CAN USA NC 0
1974 Token Racing Token RJ02 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 ARG BRA RSA ESP BEL MON SWE NED FRA GBR
DNQ 		GER AUT ITA CAN USA NC 0
1977 LEC Refrigeration Racing LEC CRP1 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 ARG BRA RSA USW ESP
DNQ 		MON BEL
13 		SWE
14 		FRA
Ret 		GBR
DNPQ 		GER AUT NED ITA USA CAN JPN NC 0
Source:[12]

Complete Formula One Non-Championship results

(key)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6
1972 LEC Refrigeration Racing Connew PC1 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 ROC BRA INT OUL REP VIC
DNS
1975 LEC Refrigeration Racing Chevron B30 (F5000) Ford GAA 3.4 V6 ROC
11 		INT SUI
1977 LEC Refrigeration Racing LEC CRP1 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 ROC
6
Source:[11]

Complete European F5000 Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap.)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Pos. Pts
1975 LEC Refrigeration Racing Chevron B30 Ford GAA 3.4 V6 BRH
2 		OUL
3 		BRH
1 		SIL
DNS 		ZOL
NC 		ZAN
Ret 		THR
Ret 		SNE
Ret 		MAL
Ret 		THR
5 		BRH
Ret 		OUL
1 		SIL
2 		SNE
NC 		MAL
5 		BRH
Ret 		5th 98
Source:[13]

Complete Shellsport International Series results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap.)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Pos. Pts
1976 LEC Refrigeration Racing Chevron B30 Ford GAA 3.4 V6 MAL
1 		SNE
4 		OUL
4 		BRH
2 		THR
1 		BRH
1 		MAL
1 		SNE
6 		BRH
1 		THR
Ret 		OUL
5 		BRH
8 		BRH
1 		1st 188
Source:[13]

Complete British Formula One Championship results

(key)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Pos. Pts
1979 LEC Refrigeration Racing LEC CRP1 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 ZOL OUL BRH MAL SNE THR ZAN DON OUL NOG MAL BRH
Ret 		THR
10 		17th 4
Shadow DN9 SNE
4 		SIL
9
Source:[11]

References

  1. ^ David Tremayne, Racers Apart: Memories of Motorsport Heroes, MRP, 1991, p.293
  2. ^ see 'Discussion' for BMD information.
  3. ^ Lawrence, Mike (August 1986). "The story of the Connew GP car". Motor Sport magazine archive. p. 26. Retrieved 22 May 2015.
  4. ^ 1974 World Press Photo, Photo Sequences, 1st Prize
  5. ^ a b c d "Drivers: David Purley". grandprix.com. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
  6. ^ Widdows, Rob (September 2007). "The fighter". Motor Sport magazine archive. p. 90. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
  7. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 18 July 2013. Retrieved 23 July 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. ^ "Air Accidents Investigation Branch report". Gov.UK. UK Government Digital Service. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
  9. ^ "David Purley Grave". findagrave.com. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  10. ^ Brown, Allen. "Lec CRP1 car-by-car histories". oldracingcars.com. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  11. ^ a b c "David Purley – Biography". Motor Sport. 12 June 2017. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
  12. ^ "David Purley – Involvement". StatsF1. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
  13. ^ a b "British and European Formula 5000 1969-1977". OldRacingCars. Retrieved 11 December 2019.

Books

  • Tremayne, David (1991). Racers Apart: Memories of motorsport heroes. UK: Motor Racing Publications Ltd. p. 293. ISBN 0-947981-58-6.
Sporting positions
Preceded by British Formula 5000 Champion
1976 		Succeeded by
None
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