Yorkshire motorsport legends:  Peter Procter

Last week I posted a story about Jim Clark opening the Shipley Bowl which was owned by Peter Procter. Since then I have received a few request for more information about Peter and his race and rally career.

I was fortunate to meet Peter briefly at the Autosport show. In his late eighties he was as sharp as a pin and nattily dressed in a striped blazer. Peter still lives in Skipton and can be seen cycling around the local area at the age of 93.

Peter started out on two wheels as a successful professional cyclist winning in the UK and Europe. He became disillusioned with UK cycling after the British Olympic Committee failed to select him to represent Great Britain at the Olympics. Peter dropped out of professional cycling to concentrate on his building company in Bradford and started out in motorsport in 1956.

Peter describes himself as a retired builder from Bradford, but he is so much more than that.  Peter was a driving force behind the introduction of flameproof overalls in motor sport.

At 36 Peter was one of the UK’s top racing drivers, a friend and competitor to the sports greats such as Jackie Stewart,  Graham Hill and  Jim Clark.

His racing pedigree included eight Monte Carlo rallies, four Le Mans 24-hour races, The RAC, Tulip and Coupe Des Alpes rallies, Formula Junior racing with Ken Tyrrell and many Formula Two races with Lotus.

But a crash at Goodwood in a Broadspeed Anglia left him with burns to 65 per cent of his skin surface and finished his racing career. Goodwood was a prestigious circuit in those days and also in the race were Jim Clark and Jack Brabham.

Peter described what happened

“I was on the first lap and there was a big bunch of us, as we went round a corner, I got hit hard from the back. The impact burst the petrol tank and the car flew into the air and somersaulted several times. Thankfully, I suffered no broken bones and managed to get myself out but it took 28 seconds.”

He put his racing career behind him and concentrated on his building company.  At the same time he underwent many years of surgery to re-build his face and body. He was treated by Sir Archibald McIndoe who pioneered experimental plastic surgery on airmen disfigured by burns in World War Two.

After the accident he was determined that other racing drivers shouldn’t suffer the same way and campaigned for improvements in safety, especially in relation to fire. Despite a great deal of surgery he was not a pretty sight and was incredibly brave to appear in motorsport publications in the hopes that other racing drivers could be spared similar injuries?

In this ad, he is describing new fireproof racing suits and equipment. He explains that racing regulations were, at that time, very lax indeed. Here is an edited version of the ad’s copy:

‘My name is Peter Procter. I’d like to tell you about a new flameproof material for racing drivers’. He then describes the product and ends ‘One final thing. You might find it distasteful that I should appear in this ad. My reason is this. Drivers don’t have to wear fireproof clothing in this country; you may race in a t-shirt if you want to. I think it should be mandatory to wear properly designed protective clothing.

Peter has returned to driving a few times, including racing his original Sunbeam Tiger at the Le Mans Historic in 2002, and is still involved in motorsport as a member of the British Racing Drivers Club.

In his nine year career he achieved phenomenal success, and like many driver of the day he drove in many different formulae including single seaters, saloon cars and rally cars. Who knows what success he might have continued to have if his career had not been cut short by this terrible accident.

Career Highlights: Peter Procter

1965
Ford Lotus Cortina- ETCC Zolder- 2^nd Place
Ford Lotus Cortina- ETCC Zandvoort- 3^rd Place

1964
Ford Lotus Cortina- Brands Hatch 6 Hours- 1^st Place
Lotus Elan- Brands Hatch Grand Prix Sports Car Support Race- 1^st in Class 5^th Overall 
Sunbeam Rapier- Monte Carlo Rally- 15^th Overall 3^rd in Class
Ford Mustang- Tour de France- 1^st in Touring Category
Lotus 32- F2 Berlin Grand Prix- 2^nd Place
Lotus 32- F2 Vienna Grand Prix – 2^nd Place

1963
Cooper MkIII FJ- Roskilde Ring – 3^rd Place
Cooper MkIII FJ- Monaco- 4^th Place
Morris Mini Cooper- ETCC Zolder- 2^nd Place

1962
Cooper MkIII FJ- Dunboyne Formula Junior- 1^st Place
Sunbeam Alpine- Le Mans 24 Hours- 15^th Overall 3^rd in Class
Sunbeam Alpine- Sebring 12 Hours- 15^th Overall 3^rd in Class
Sunbeam Rapier- Monte Carlo- 4^th Overall 2^nd in Class

1961
Sunbeam Alpine- Le Mans 24 Hours- 16^th Overall 2^nd in Class, 1^st Place Index of Thermal Efficiency
Sunbeam Alpine- Sebring 12 Hours- 17^th Overall 3^rd in Class
Sunbeam Rapier- Alpine Rally- 2^nd Place
Sunbeam Rapier- Acropolis Rally- 5^th Overall 2^nd in class
Sunbeam Rapier- Monte Carlo Rally- 12^th Overall 1^st in Class
Lotus 18 FJ- British Empire Trophy- 3^rd Place
Lotus 18 FJ- Rufforth- 1^st Place
Lotus 18 FJ- Charterhall- 1^st Place
Lotus 18 FJ- Linton on Ouse- 1^st Place
Lotus 18 FJ- Aintree- 1^st Place
Alexis FJ- Aintree- 1^st Place
Alexis FJ- Rufforth- 1^st Place

1960
Lotus 18 FJ- Mallory Park Formula Junior- 1^st Place
Lotus 18- Rufforth F.J. Race- 1^st Place
Sunbeam Rapier- Acropolis Rally- 3^rd Overall 1^st in Class
Sunbeam Rapier- Alpine Rally- 5^th Overall 1^st in Class

1959
Sunbeam Rapier- Tulip Rally- 13^th Overall 3^rd in Class
Cooper Mk X- Mallory Park 500 Race- 1^st Place

1958
Ford Zodiac- Tulip Rally- 17^th Overall 3^rd in Class
Cooper Mk X- Mallory Park 500 race-1^st Place
Cooper Mk X- Sherburn 500 race- 1^st Place    
Cooper Mk X- Barbon Hill Climb- F.T.D.

1957
Cooper Mk X- Mallory Park 500 Race- 1^st Place
Cooper Mk X- Oulton Park Gold Cup- 5^th Place
Cooper Mk X- Charterhall 500 race- 1^st Place

1956
Cooper Mk X- Mallory Park 500 Final- 1^st Place