Richard Attwood

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Richard Attwood bigraphy, stories - British racing driver

Richard Attwood : biography

04 April 1940 –

Richard James David Attwood (born 4 April 1940, Wolverhampton, Staffordshire) is a British motor racing driver. During his career he raced for the BRM, Lotus and Cooper Formula One teams. In his Formula One career he achieved one podium and scored a total of 11 championship points. He was also a successful sports car racing driver and won the 1970 24 Hours of Le Mans race, driving a Porsche 917.

Complete Formula One World Championship results

(key) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 WDC Points
1964 Owen Racing Organisation BRM P67 BRM V8 MON NED BEL FRA GBRDNS GER AUT ITA USA MEX NC 0
1965 Reg Parnell Racing Lotus 25 BRM V8 RSA MONRet BEL14 FRA GBR13 NED12 GERRet ITA6 USA10 MEX6 16th 2
1967 Cooper Car Company Cooper T81B Maserati V12 RSA MON NED BEL FRA GBR GER CAN10 ITA USA MEX NC 0
1968 Owen Racing Organisation BRM P126 BRM V12 RSA ESP MON2 BELRet NED7 FRA7 GBRRet GER14 ITA CAN USA MEX 13th 6
1969 Gold Leaf Team Lotus Lotus 49B Cosworth V8 RSA ESP MON4 NED FRA GBR 13th 3
Frank Williams Racing Cars Brabham BT30 (F2) Cosworth Straight-4 GER6 * ITA CAN USA MEX

* Formula 2 entry, 2nd in class.

Sports car racing

In 1964, as Attwood was taking his first steps in Formula One, he was also approached by the Ford GT prototype project team, later to evolve into the Ford GT40, and became one of the first drivers to take the iconic car onto a race track. He shared a GT40 with Jo Schlesser in the 1964 24 Hours of Le Mans, but was forced to retire due to the car catching fire. His first major international sports car victory came at the 1964 Rand 9 Hours race in South Africa, driving David Piper’s Ferrari P2.

spyder version of the Ford GT, at the Nürburgring in 1965.]]

It was with David Piper that Dickie Attwood developed perhaps his longest lasting professional relationship. He drove Piper’s green Ferraris – including the 250LM and 330P3/4 – on many occasions over the following five years, collecting a few point finishes in World Sportscar Championship events, and paired up with Piper for the Maranello Concessionaires team. Highlights during this time included a third place in the Spa 1000 km and second in the 500km Zeltweg in 1967. Attwood did not restrict himself to Ferrari and Ford though, putting in drives in machinery as diverse as the Porsche 906 and Alfa Romeo T33. He was also one of the few drivers to race the infamous Ford P68, GT successor to the GT40, failing to finish due to mechanical maladies during the 1968 1000km Nürburgring.

Having driven privateer Porsches, for the 1969 World Sportscar Championship season Dickie Attwood was signed to the Porsche works team. Commonly paired with fellow Brit Vic Elford, the season’s highlights were a pair of second places, driving the Porsche 908, in the BOAC 500 (the drivers’ home race at Brands Hatch) and the Watkins Glen 6h race. Later in the season Attwood was again involved in the development of an iconic sports racing car: the Porsche 917. The Elford/Attwood pairing took their 917LH up to 327 laps in the 1969 24 Hours of Le Mans, but the car suffered a gearbox failure with only two hours to go, after leading for a substantial portion of the race.