| David Purley | |
|---|---|
| Nationality |
|
| Formula One World Championship career | |
| Active years | 1973-1974, 1977 |
| Teams | LEC, Token |
| Races | 11 (7 starts) |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podium finishes | 0 |
| Career points | 0 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| First race | 1973 Monaco Grand Prix |
| Last race | 1977 British Grand Prix |
David Charles Purley GM (January 26, 1945 - July 2, 1985) was a British racing driver born in Bognor Regis, West Sussex. The FIA Super Licence is a qualification allowing the Licence holder to take part in Formula One Grands Prix as a driver The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The 1973 Formula One season included the 24th FIA Formula One World Championship season which commenced on January 28, 1973, and ended on The 1974 Formula One season included the 25th FIA Formula One World Championship season which commenced on January 13, 1974, and ended on The 1977 Formula One season included the 28th FIA Formula One World Championship season which commenced on January 9, 1977, and ended on LEC was a Formula One team and constructor from the United Kingdom. Token was a Formula One constructor from the United Kingdom. They participated in 4 grands prix entering a total of 4 cars The Formula One World Drivers' Championship (WDC is awarded by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile ( FIA) to the most successful Formula One The term " pole position " comes from the Horse racing term where the number one starter starts on the inside next to the inside pole In motorsport, the fastest lap is the quickest lap run during a race The 1973 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Monaco on June 3, 1973. The 1977 British Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Silverstone on July 16, 1977. The George Medal ( GM) is the second level Civil decoration of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth. Events 1340 - King Edward III of England is declared King of France. Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar Events 310 - Pope Miltiades is elected 626 - In fear of assassination Li Shimin ambushes and kills his rival Year 1985 ( MCMLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar) Auto racing (also known as automobile racing, motor racing or car racing) is a Motorsport involving Racing Cars It Bognor Regis is a Seaside resort town and Civil parish in the Arun District of West Sussex, England. Settlements Most settlements in West Sussex are either along the south coast or are situated in the M23 corridor He participated in 11 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on June 3, 1973. Events 350 - Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, proclaims himself Roman Emperor, entering Year 1973 ( MCMLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. He scored no championship points.
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Purley's father was Charles Purley, the founder of LEC Refrigeration. The family name was originally Puxley, but his father changed it. 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.
After spending time in the British Army (he served with the Parachute Regiment in Aden), and then racing in various series with an AC Cobra and a Chevron, Purley raced in Formula 3 with some success including three wins at Chimay during 1970-1972. The Parachute Regiment is the Airborne Infantry element of the British Army. Aden (ˈeɪdən Arabic: عدن) is a city in Yemen, 170 kilometers east of Bab-el-Mandeb. Shelby Cobra redirects here See also the Shelby Mustang Cobra The AC Cobra was a British built and designed sports car that was This article is about the manufacturer of racing cars for the Chevron promotional cartoon see Chevron Cars. Formula Three, also called Formula 3 or F3, is a class of open-wheel formula racing. Chimay (Chimai is a Walloon Municipality located in the Belgian province of Hainaut.
In 1973 Purley hired a March and with backing from his family's refrigeration company, LEC Refrigeration, made a largely unsuccessful attempt at Formula One. March Engineering was a Formula One constructor and manufacturer of customer racing cars from Britain. Apart from a one-off participation with Token at his home grand prix in 1974, Purley stayed out of F1 for a few years, preferring to try his hand at Formula 2, driving Chevrons and Marches for eccentric 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. Token was a Formula One constructor from the United Kingdom. They participated in 4 grands prix entering a total of 4 cars Formula Two, abbreviated to F2, was a type of Formula racing. Formula 5000 (or F5000) was an auto-racing formula that ran different series in various regions around the world from 1968 to 1982 Cosworth is an Automotive engineering company founded in London in 1958 specialising in engines for automobile racing (motorsport 4 litre V6 engine.
He returned to F1 in 1977 with his own LEC chassis designed by Mike Pilbeam and run by Mike Earle. LEC was a Formula One team and constructor from the United Kingdom. Pilbeam Racing Designs is a British company which designs and constructs racing cars, based in the Lincolnshire town of Bourne. It was this car in which he suffered serious injuries in pre-qualifying for the British Grand Prix. He survived an estimated 179. 8 G's in 1977 when he decelerated from 173 km/h (108 mph) to 0 in a distance of 66 cm (26 inches) after his throttle got stuck wide open and he hit a wall. [1]. For many years, this was thought to be the highest G-forces ever survived by a human being. [2] He suffered multiple fractures to his legs, pelvis and ribs. Purley recovered to race again although confined his activities to the minor Aurora AFX series of F1 races in Britain. The remains of Purley's crashed LEC and its replacement can currently be seen at the museum at Donington Park. Donington Park is a site near Castle Donington in North West Leicestershire, England, owned by Donington Ventures Leisure Ltd
Purley will always be remembered for his actions during the 1973 Dutch Grand Prix, where he abandoned his race in an attempt to save the life of his friend Roger Williamson, whose car was upside down on fire following a horrific accident. The 1973 Dutch Grand Prix was a Formula One held at Zandvoort on July 29, 1973. Roger Williamson ( 2 February 1948, Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire &ndash 29 July 1973, Zandvoort Circuit Sadly his valiant efforts were to no avail, as Williamson perished in the fire. A picture taken by photographer Cor Mooij of Purley's anguished face after it was clear his attempts had failed won the Sports category of that year's World Press Photo. World Press Photo is an independent non-profit organization based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. That same year David Purley was awarded the George Medal for his rescue attempt. The George Medal ( GM) is the second level Civil decoration of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth.
Following his decision to quit motorsport, David Purley moved into competition aerobatics. Aerobatics is the demonstration of flying maneuvers for Training, Recreation or Entertainment. He died on July 2, 1985 when his Pitts Special aerobatic biplane crashed into the sea off Bognor Regis. Events 310 - Pope Miltiades is elected 626 - In fear of assassination Li Shimin ambushes and kills his rival Year 1985 ( MCMLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar) WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Bognor Regis is a Seaside resort town and Civil parish in the Arun District of West Sussex, England.
(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 | March 731 | Cosworth V8 | ARG |
BRA |
RSA |
ESP |
BEL |
MON Ret |
SWE |
FRA |
GBR DNS |
NED Ret |
GER 15 |
AUT |
ITA 9 |
CAN |
USA |
- | 0 | ||
| 1974 | Token Racing | Token RJ02 | Cosworth V8 | ARG |
BRA |
RSA |
ESP |
BEL |
MON |
SWE |
NED |
FRA |
GBR DNQ |
GER |
AUT |
ITA |
CAN |
USA |
- | 0 | ||
| 1977 | LEC Refrigeration | LEC CRP1 | Cosworth V8 | ARG |
BRA |
RSA |
USW |
ESP DNQ |
MON |
BEL 13 |
SWE 14 |
FRA Ret |
GBR DNPQ |
GER |
AUT |
NED |
ITA |
USA |
CAN |
JPN |
- | 0 |
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Teddy Pilette |
British Formula 5000 Champion 1976 |
Succeeded by None |