David Purley
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2008-07-10T19:52:10Z
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{{Former F1 driver|
Name = David Purley |
Nationality = {{flagicon|UK}} [[United Kingdom|British]] |
Years = {{F1|1973}}-{{F1|1974}}, {{F1|1977}} |
Team(s) = [[LEC Refrigeration Racing|LEC]], [[Token (Racing team)|Token]] |
Races = 11 (7 starts) |
Championships = 0 |
Wins = 0 |
Podiums = 0 |
Points = 0 |
Poles = 0 |
Fastest laps = 0 |
First race = [[1973 Monaco Grand Prix]] |
First win = |
Last win = |
Last race = [[1977 British Grand Prix]] |
}}
'''David Charles Purley''' [[George Medal|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.
==Career==
Purley's father was Charles Purley, the founder of LEC Refrigeration. The family name was originally Puxley{{Fact|date=January 2008}}, 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 (United Kingdom)|Parachute Regiment]] in [[Aden]]), and then racing in various series with an [[AC Cobra]] and a [[Chevron Cars Ltd|Chevron]], Purley raced in [[Formula 3]] with some success including three wins at [[Chimay]] during 1970-1972.
In 1973 Purley hired a [[March Engineering|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 (Racing team)|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.[[Image:March Engineering.jpg|thumb|left|260px|David Purley in a March 731 F1 car rented from the works.]]
He returned to F1 in 1977 with his own [[LEC Refrigeration Racing|LEC]] chassis designed by [[Pilbeam Racing Designs|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.<ref name="Purley">{{cite web| author=Anton Sukup| title=''David PURLEY'' Silverstone crash| year=1977| url=http://www.asag.sk/bio/purley.htm| accessdate=July 31| accessyear=2006}}</ref>. For many years, this was thought to be the highest G-forces ever survived by a human being.<ref>{{cite web| author=Anton Sukup| title=''David PURLEY'' Silverstone crash| year=1977| url=http://www.asag.sk/bio/purley.htm| accessmonthday=July 31 | accessyear=2006}}</ref> 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]]{{Fact|date=December 2007}}. 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]].
==Complete Formula One World Championship results==
([[:Template:F1 driver results legend 2|key]])
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:95%"
! Year
! Entrant
! Chassis
! Engine
! 1
! 2
! 3
! 4
! 5
! 6
! 7
! 8
! 9
! 10
! 11
! 12
! 13
! 14
! 15
! 16
! 17
! WDC
! Pts.
|-
| [[1973 Formula One season|1973]]
! [[LEC Refrigeration Racing|LEC Refrigeration]]
! [[March Engineering|March]] [[March 731|731]]
! [[Cosworth]] [[V8 (engine)|V8]]
| [[1973 Argentine Grand Prix|ARG]]<br /><small></small>
| [[1973 Brazilian Grand Prix|BRA]]<br /><small></small>
| [[1973 South African Grand Prix|RSA]]<br /><small></small>
| [[1973 Spanish Grand Prix|ESP]]<br /><small></small>
| [[1973 Belgian Grand Prix|BEL]]<br /><small></small>
|bgcolor="#EFCFFF"| [[1973 Monaco Grand Prix|MON]]<br /><small>Ret</small>
| [[1973 Swedish Grand Prix|SWE]]<br /><small></small>
| [[1973 French Grand Prix|FRA]]<br /><small></small>
|bgcolor="white"| [[1973 British Grand Prix|GBR]]<br /><small>DNS</small>
|bgcolor="#EFCFFF"| [[1973 Dutch Grand Prix|NED]]<br /><small>Ret</small>
|bgcolor="#CFCFFF"| [[1973 German Grand Prix|GER]]<br /><small>15</small>
| [[1973 Austrian Grand Prix|AUT]]<br /><small></small>
|bgcolor="#CFCFFF"| [[1973 Italian Grand Prix|ITA]]<br /><small>9</small>
| [[1973 Canadian Grand Prix|CAN]]<br /><small></small>
| [[1973 United States Grand Prix|USA]]<br /><small></small>
|
|
! -
! 0
|-
| [[1974 Formula One season|1974]]
! [[Token (Racing team)|Token Racing]]
! [[Token (Racing team)|Token]] [[Token RJ02|RJ02]]
! [[Cosworth]] [[V8 (engine)|V8]]
| [[1974 Argentine Grand Prix|ARG]]<br /><small></small>
| [[1974 Brazilian Grand Prix|BRA]]<br /><small></small>
| [[1974 South African Grand Prix|RSA]]<br /><small></small>
| [[1974 Spanish Grand Prix|ESP]]<br /><small></small>
| [[1974 Belgian Grand Prix|BEL]]<br /><small></small>
| [[1974 Monaco Grand Prix|MON]]<br /><small></small>
| [[1974 Swedish Grand Prix|SWE]]<br /><small></small>
| [[1974 Dutch Grand Prix|NED]]<br /><small></small>
| [[1974 French Grand Prix|FRA]]<br /><small></small>
|bgcolor="#FFCFCF"| [[1974 British Grand Prix|GBR]]<br /><small>DNQ</small>
| [[1974 German Grand Prix|GER]]<br /><small></small>
| [[1974 Austrian Grand Prix|AUT]]<br /><small></small>
| [[1974 Italian Grand Prix|ITA]]<br /><small></small>
| [[1974 Canadian Grand Prix|CAN]]<br /><small></small>
| [[1974 United States Grand Prix|USA]]<br /><small></small>
|
|
! -
! 0
|-
| [[1977 Formula One season|1977]]
! [[LEC Refrigeration Racing|LEC Refrigeration]]
! [[LEC Refrigeration Racing|LEC]] [[LEC CRP1|CRP1]]
! [[Cosworth]] [[V8 (engine)|V8]]
| [[1977 Argentine Grand Prix|ARG]]<br /><small></small>
| [[1977 Brazilian Grand Prix|BRA]]<br /><small></small>
| [[1977 South African Grand Prix|RSA]]<br /><small></small>
| [[1977 United States Grand Prix West|USW]]<br /><small></small>
|bgcolor="#FFCFCF"| [[1977 Spanish Grand Prix|ESP]]<br /><small>DNQ</small>
| [[1977 Monaco Grand Prix|MON]]<br /><small></small>
|bgcolor="#CFCFFF"| [[1977 Belgian Grand Prix|BEL]]<br /><small>13</small>
|bgcolor="#CFCFFF"| [[1977 Swedish Grand Prix|SWE]]<br /><small>14</small>
|bgcolor="#EFCFFF"| [[1977 French Grand Prix|FRA]]<br /><small>Ret</small>
|bgcolor="#FFCFCF"| [[1977 British Grand Prix|GBR]]<br /><small>DNPQ</small>
| [[1977 German Grand Prix|GER]]<br /><small></small>
| [[1977 Austrian Grand Prix|AUT]]<br /><small></small>
| [[1977 Dutch Grand Prix|NED]]<br /><small></small>
| [[1977 Italian Grand Prix|ITA]]<br /><small></small>
| [[1977 United States Grand Prix|USA]]<br /><small></small>
| [[1977 Canadian Grand Prix|CAN]]<br /><small></small>
| [[1977 Japanese Grand Prix|JPN]]<br /><small></small>
! -
! 0
|}
==References==
{{reflist}}
==Books==
*{{cite book| last = Tremayne
| first = David
| authorlink =
| coauthors =
| title = Racers Apart: Memories of motorsport heroes
| publisher = Motor Racing Publications Ltd
| date = 1991
| location = UK
| pages = 293
| isbn = 0947981586 }}
==External links==
*[http://www.asag.sk/bio/purley.htm A David Purley memorial page]
*[http://www.planet-cutie.co.uk/zandvoort/ Pictorial record of David Purley's attempted rescue of Roger Williamson]
*[http://www.classicf1videos.com/david-purley-videos/ David Purley Videos]
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{{succession box|title=[[Formula 5000|British Formula 5000 Champion]] |before=[[Teddy Pilette]]|after=None|years=1976}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Purley, David}}
[[Category:George Medal recipients]]
[[Category:English racecar drivers]]
[[Category:English Formula One drivers]]
[[Category:European Formula Two Championship drivers]]
[[Category:British Parachute Regiment soldiers]]
[[Category:British military personnel of the Aden Emergency]]
[[Category:People from Bognor Regis]]
[[Category:1945 births]]
[[Category:1985 deaths]]
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