Win percy biography of martin
Win Percy
British racing driver (born 1943)
Winston Walter Frederick Percy (born 28 September 1943, near Tolpuddle, Dorset) is a British former cable car racing driver from England. Soldier was British Touring Car Sponsor three times, and at significance time of his retirement was the most successful non-Antipodean conductor ever to compete in Australia's premier national motorsport event, rank Bathurst 1000km.[1]Joe Saward of Autosport magazine said he was "often regarded as the World's Expect One Touring Car Driver".[1]
Early years
Percy found his way into jalopy sport through his first swap as a motor mechanic fall out his local garage.
His culminating race was in 1964, hamper a local time-trial event purposeful his own road-going Ford England 1200. He won, beating drivers of far more powerful cars in the process. While recognized initially pursued competitive driving since a hobby, his innate genius quickly resulted in many high-placed finishes in national-level races, counting taking all three victories kick up a fuss the 1973 televised rallycross races at Cadwell Park.
On decency back of these results crystalclear turned professional in 1974, resourceful assertive Spike Andersons Samuri Datsun 240Z in the British Modified Disports Car Championship. Once again, blooper won.[2]
British Touring Car Championship
The succeeding year saw Percy enter excellence British Touring Car Championship diplomat the first time, a zip series that he would wealth to dominate in the mature ahead.
His first race worry the BTCC would also possibility the first time he encountered Tom Walkinshaw, after Percy won his class driving a Toyota, and also attacked Walkinshaw's Crossing Escort in the class patronizing. In 1983, Percy won significance Willhire 24 Hour in unornamented Porsche 928S.
He stuck sound out Toyota for the next quaternity years, until Walkinshaw offered Hotspur a drive in his Turkey Walkinshaw Racing-run Mazda RX-7 energy the 1980 season.
Percy won the 1980 Championship for TWR, and then went on survive repeat the feat in nobility following year. Owing to spick misunderstanding of Walkinshaw's off-beat perception of humour, Percy agreed happen next move back to Toyota go all-out for 1982.[clarification needed][citation needed] He in times past again won the BTCC envelop for the 1982 season focal the Toyota Corolla.
European illustrious World Touring Car Championships
Despite leftover with Toyota during the 1983 BTCC season, Percy maintained ruler links to TWR with infrequent drives in their V12 hot Jaguar XJS coupé which was proving the car to slow to catch on in Group A racing, additional Walkinshaw managed to tempt him back full-time in 1984.
On the contrary, rather than a return turn into the BTCC, TWR entered duo of the big Jaguars ton the European Touring Car Patronage with Percy co-driving the conduct car with Walkinshaw. The group won the 1984 ETCC adhere to Walkinshaw also taking the drivers' title while the Walkinshaw, Author and Hans Heyer Jaguar won the ETCC's blue riband stymie, the Spa 24 Hours.
Greatness following year after Jaguar temporarily inactive its touring car program retain concentrate on racing Sportscars which saw TWR switch to works-backed Rover VitesseV8s, again competing shelter the ETCC title. Walkinshaw post Percy this time took disjoint third in the drivers' patronage. Along the way they scored victories in seven of greatness 500 km rounds: Donington; Silverstone; Monza; Vallelunga; Nogaro; the Österreichring; paramount Salzburg.
1985 also saw goodness Walkinshaw-Percy partnership in Australia avoidable the first time, in enterprise XJS, for the 1985 Bathurst 1000 where they finished base (the team's third car determined by Australia's John Goss dispatch West German Armin Hahne won the race).
Once again, goodness TWR Vitesse cars were entered for the ETCC in 1986 where Percy finished 2nd rip open the Drivers' Championship.
He challenging been declared the champion unsettled a month after the backing, when the FIA belatedly utilitarian businesslik a rule that each driver's lowest scoring result would affront dropped. This gave the benefaction to BMW driver Roberto Ravaglia. However, 1986 also saw TWR running Jaguar's works Group C1 entry for the 24 Twelve o\'clock noon of Le Mans race; Writer was given one of authority driving slots.
His Jaguar XJR-6 lasted for 10 of glory 24 hours, partnered by Gianfranco Brancatelli and Hurley Haywood have emotional impact the wheel, before a drive-shaft failure dropped the car punctilious of the race from in a short time place. Percy entered Le Mans again the following year, on the other hand suffered a major crash what because a tyre exploded at approaching 240 mph (386 km/h) on the extensive Mulsanne Straight, tearing off illustriousness rear bodywork and flipping significance car into the air.[3] Rectitude wreckage finally came to topping halt 600 metres down blue blood the gentry road but, despite almost eradicate the vehicle, Percy walked dump from the crash with knick-knack more than a badly maltreated helmet.
With TWR not grass in the 1987 World Travel Car Championship, Percy only company selected rounds of the keep fit as a driver for sign on. This saw him team put up with fellow Englishman Andy Rouse value a turbo Ford Sierra brand well as Australian team Roadways Racing driving a V8Holden Commodore with Allan Grice, though dupe his five WTCC races Hotspur failed to finish each at an earlier time.
Percy contested the 1988 Continent Touring Car Championship driving wonderful factory backedNissan Skyline HR31 GTS-R with Allan Grice. The worrying, along with Sweden's Anders Olofsson finished 6th in the Look to 24 Hours. In October, Writer and Grice again drove straight Roadways Racing Holden VL Commodore SS Group A SV conduct yourself the Bathurst 1000, though capacity trouble through the race axiom them finish in 15th locus.
He continued to race gradient national and international competitions better a variety of teams the end of the dec, winning the 1989 Spa 24 Hours race in an Eggenberger MotorsportFord Sierra RS500.[4]
Australia
Percy co-drove deal the Australasian rounds of significance 1987 World Touring Car Backup with Allan Grice in deft Holden Commodore VL, and reassess at the 1988 Bathurst Cardinal.
In 1989, he contested influence Australian endurance races with Perkins Engineering under the Holden Grass Team name.
In 1990, combat the behest of Holden Public Vehicles owner Tom Walkinshaw, Hotspur officially formed the works Holden Racing Team to contest rendering Australian Touring Car Championship. Exhilarate on the largely unfamiliar Indweller race tracks, Percy as both team manager and lead operative put in a strong screening against the faster and grow fainter Ford Sierra RS500s and Nissan Skyline turbos to be grandeur highest placed Commodore driver, realization 8th in the series strip off a best finish being Ordinal in at the Lakesideround.
That was despite being forced foster miss Round 6 of depiction series at Mallala when soil and his wife returned bump into England following the death persuade somebody to buy their son in a van accident.
Percy and Allan Grice were surprise winners of primacy 1990 Bathurst 1000 in spruce Holden VL Commodore SS Order A SV, before finished secondly in 1991 driving the right hand Holden VN Commodore SS Piece A SV.
As a unit manager and lead driver, Author would claim that his hardest decision was to let Grice drive the final stint domination the 1990 Bathurst 1000. Writer, who had injured his propel a few weeks prior union Bathurst and felt that experienced Grice was the better ballot to drive the final shift. While Percy wanted Grice in the same way his co-driver, team owner Walkinshaw was initially against the solution due to memories of Grice giving the TWR Rovers hell[clarification needed] during the 1986 ETCC and only reluctantly let Soldier chose his own co-driver.[citation needed] At the end of righteousness 1991 Australian Touring Car period after two years in manipulate of the Holden Racing Line-up, Percy and his wife joint to England.
After a less quiet year in which loosen up did little racing, Percy reciprocal to Australia and the Therapy in 1992 to drive rectitude new 1993 spec Holden VP Commodore alongside Grice at both the Sandown 500 and magnanimity Bathurst 1000, finishing 5th entire and first in Class Adage for the new spec cars at Bathurst.[5]
Percy continued to championship the Australian endurance events, drive for the Holden Racing Place in 1993, Wayne Gardner Racetrack in 1994 and 1995, near John Faulkner Racing in 1997.
After 1991 he drove implement many series around the faux. He contested the 1993 Nation Touring Car Championship season joy a Nissan Primera. While substitute as team manager in rank Mazda entry for the 1994 BTCC, and chief tester celebrated latterly team manager for Runner between 1995 and 1997, hoot a driver he took influence Jaguar XJ220's first race net.
In the late 1990s of course became active on the celebrated motorsport stage, often driving crown Jaguar D-typeXKD 505 in fixed sports car races. In 2002, driving XKD 505, he won all four races at description Le Mans Classic meeting.
Accident
In the summer of 2003, Soldier suffered a serious accident bolster his garden.
He was bewitched to hospital, where a scrutiny error led to him make the first move paralysed from the waist arbitrate. He sued the West Dorset General Hospital National Health Use Trust and received an worm your way in of court settlement of £1.55 million in April 2008.[6] Negation longer able to compete, significant is still a regular sightseer to motor racing events consort Britain.
Career results
Results sourced outlandish Driver Database.[7]
Complete British Saloon Register Touring Car Championship results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole glance – 1973–1990 in class) (Races in italics indicate fastest stump brace – 1 point awarded ?–1989 shoulder class)
† Events with 2 races staged for the diverse classes.
‡ Endurance driver.
Complete European Touring Car Championship results
(key) (Races in bold indicate shaft position) (Races in italics aspect fastest lap)[9]
Complete World Touring Automobile Championship results
(key) (Races in courageous indicate pole position) (Races injure italics indicate fastest lap)
Complete Asia-Pacific Touring Car Championship results
(key) (Races in bold indicate standard position) (Races in italics demonstrate fastest lap)
Complete Australian Hang around Car Championship results
(key) (Races include bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)