David Purley

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David Purley
Nationality  British
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. He participated in 11 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on June 3, 1973. He scored no championship points.

Contents 1 Career 2 Complete Formula One World Championship results 3 References 4 Books 5 External links

[edit] Career

Purley's father was Charles Purley, the founder of LEC Refrigeration. The family name was originally Puxley^{[citation needed]}, 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.

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. 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 3.4 litre V6 engine.

He returned to F1 in 1977 with his own LEC chassis designed by Mike Pilbeam and run by Mike Earle. 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.

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. 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^{[citation needed]}. That same year David Purley was awarded the George Medal for his rescue attempt.

Following his decision to quit motorsport, David Purley moved into competition aerobatics. He died on July 2, 1985 when his Pitts Special aerobatic biplane crashed into the sea off Bognor Regis.

[edit] 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	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

[edit] References

[edit] Books

• Tremayne, David (1991). Racers Apart: Memories of motorsport heroes. UK: Motor Racing Publications Ltd, 293. ISBN 0947981586. 

[edit] External links

• A David Purley memorial page
• Pictorial record of David Purley's attempted rescue of Roger Williamson
• David Purley Videos

Sporting positions
Preceded by Teddy Pilette	British Formula 5000 Champion 1976	Succeeded by None