Peter Sutcliffe (racing driver)

Peter Harry Sutcliffe^[1] (born 1 December 1936),^[2] a British textile manufacturer from Huddersfield,^[3] was active in sports car racing until 1967. Between 1959 and 1967 he won the 1964 Prix de Paris at the Autodrome de Linas-Montlhéry, and the 1965 Pietermaritzburg 3 hours.^[4] He raced in Aston Martins, Jaguar D-Type and E types, Shelby Cobra Daytona, Ford GT40s and works Ferrari 330P4s.^[5]

Aston Martin DP214 replica

A Shelby Daytona Coupe in 2006

Similar to the factory 330P4, but with a detuned engine: customer Ferrari 412P (chassis 0844) at the 2007 Goodwood Festival of Speed

Racing career

After starting to race in the 1950s, his career was interrupted by national service.^[6] In 1960–61, before he returned in 1962, to race a Jaguar D-Type.^{[n 1]} From 1963 to 1967, he took part in events that counted towards the World Sportscar Championship, like the 1000km Nürburgring.

In 30 starts,^[5] between 1959 and 1967, he scored two overall wins, the 1964 Grand Prix de Paris at the Autodrome de Linas-Montlhéry with a Jaguar E-Type, and the 1965 Springbok Series Pietermaritzburg 3 hours^[4] with a privately entered Ford GT40.^{[n 2]}

He also took part in the last^{[n 3]} race event at Germany's Solitudering in July 1965, the XIII Grosser Preis der Solitude, where he drove the Formula 2 Brabham BT10 Cosworth of David Prophet Racing. However, he crashed in his only^[7] monoposto race.

Sutcliffe was called by the Scuderia Ferrari to share one of the four Ferrari 330P4 (Chassis #0860, #19) with factory driver Günter Klass in the 1967 24 Hours of Le Mans.^[8] After Lorenzo Bandini had been killed and Mike Parkes had been badly injured in F1 races, the Scuderia had planned that Leo Cella would drive the powerful 4-litre, but the Italian rally driver refused to drive the big sportscar after a long test run at Modena circuit. The fine race of Klass and Sutcliffe had an end after 296 laps on the 19th hour due to engine failure. A week later, Sutcliffe scored his only^[9] pole position, at the Trophée d'Auvergne at Louis Rosier Circuit Charade near Clermont-Ferrand, in 3:37,6" with a Ford GT40. He finished second in the race, behind Paul Hawkins, and ahead of Jo Schlesser, both also driving GT40s.^{[citation needed]}

Sutcliffe was hired again by Ferrari to drive one of the 330P4 12-cylinder prototypes at the 6 hours BOAC 500^[10][11][12] at Brands Hatch later in the year, finishing fifth, now paired with Ludovico Scarfiotti as Klass had been killed at Mugello the weekend before.

Races

• 1963: Sutcliffe crashed a Jaguar D-Type at the Snetterton Motor Racing Circuit^[13]
• 1964: 24 Hours of Le Mans Aston Martin DP214 with Mike Salmon^[14]
• 1965 24 Hours of Le Mans, Scuderia Filipinetti Shelby Cobra Daytona with Peter Harper, DNF
• 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans, Scuderia Filipinetti Ford GT40 Mk. I 4.7L V8, DNF
• 1966 Rothmans 12 Hour International Sports Car Race, Peter Sutcliffe Racing Ford GT40, with Frank Matich, 2nd behind Jackie Stewart and Andy Buchanan (Ferrari 250LM)

Notes

1. The epitome of a great British sports car, the Jaguar D Type. Here, Peter Sutcliffe is doing well over 100mph Tony Gardiner: Motor Racing at Goodwood in the Sixties, Veloce Publishing Ltd, 2002 ISBN 1-903706-49-1
2. Englishman Peter H. Sutcliffe (UK) of Huddersfield owned chassis 1009 and GT112 - Ronnie Spain GT 40: An Individual History and Race Record, MotorBooks/MBI Publishing Company, 2003 ISBN 0-7603-1740-2 Google Books
3. "In 1965 came the end for Solitude events. For the last time motorcycles, sportscars and Formula 2 cars appeared and the international motorsport said goodbye forever to the Stuttgart game preserve.". Archived from the original on 5 June 2009. Retrieved 15 February 2018.