Today is the thirtieth anniversary of the death of Tom Pryce – a talented, popular driver and still the only Welshman to win a Grand Prix.
Tom was killed in a freak racing accident just as his career was gathering momentum.
And now dedicated supporters and friends including Prodrive boss David Richards are backing the building of a statue of the racer in his home town of Ruthin.
What is it about Pryce that inspires such a loyal following, even 30 years after his death? Trackside’s Keith Collantine finds out.
James Hunt was Britain’s F1 star of the late seventies – but there were other British racers just as talented who didn’t get the breaks.
Tom Pryce, an affable, approachable Welshman, was one of them. His determination and underdog status are just two reasons why he was so popular.
He rose through the ranks of racing and entered Formula One with the tiny Token team in 1974. The newcomer was refused entry to that year’s Monaco Grand Prix, so Pryce drove in the Formula Three support race instead and decimated the opposition on the demanding street track.
The Monaco win raised his profile and he joined the Shadow F1 team. Although they weren’t at the cutting edge of Grand Prix racing, Pryce rose above the car’s shortcomings to produce some stand-out performances.
He put the Shadow on pole position for the 1974 British Grand Prix, and got on the podium in Austria, 1975 and Brazil, 1976.
His finest hour came at the non-championship Grand Prix at Brands Hatch in 1975. He did ‘the triple’ – winning from pole position and setting the fastest lap – beating the likes of Emerson Fittipaldi, James Hunt and Niki Lauda.
Pryce stayed loyal to Shadow even though their cars remained inferior. Nonetheless by the beginning of 1977 his potential was clear to see.
He chased Hunt for the lead of the Brazilian Grand Prix, but Pryce’s engine failed with six laps to go.
Hopes were high ahead of the third round, at the Kyalami circuit in South Africa.
During practice the track was wet, neutralising the advantage that faster cars had over Pryce’s. He set the fastest time, nearly a second quicker than that year’s champion Niki Lauda.
But just as it seemed Pryce was on the cusp of greater things, a terrible crash claimed his life.
On lap 21 of the race his team mate Renzo Zorzi pulled his Shadow to a halt, with wisps of smoke coming from the engine.
Two marshalls ran across the circuit to the car, crossing the track at a blind brow. The first just made it across safely but the second, Frikkie Jansen van Vuuren, was struck by Pryce’s car. Pryce and van Vuuren were killed instantly.
Sadly, Pryce is all too often remembered for the lurid details of his death, rather than the latent talent he displayed at the wheel.
No-one who witnessed his extravagant sideways style ever forgot it. Not least those spectators who saw his one-off appearance in the British rally in 1975. Despite crashing his Lancia Stratos heavily, he dragged the car through the rest of the event, purely to entertain the watching fans.
Pryce’s co-driver at that rally was Prodrive boss David Richards, who has thrown his support behind a campaign to build a statue of the driver in Pryce’s native Ruthin.
The Town Council is looking into the project and a group of supporters have started a fund for the memorial. If you want to contribute, visit the website Five Black Stripes below.
Trackside wants to hear from anyone who is racing this year. Whether you’re racing lawnmowers or supercars, let us know now.
External links
Five Black Stripes – Tom Pryce memorial
A big THANK YOU to ANDREW HARRIS for photographs used ................
