16 replies to this topic

[David Beard]

I see that David Piper is 72 today...has anyone matched his continuous motor racing career?

[Keir]

David, who lost his leg during the filming of the classic movie "Le Mans", keeps on keepin' on as they say!! Good for him!!

[Paul Parker]

Reference the longevity of David Piper's career and if there is anybody who has had a longer continuous racing span.

Although not in the same category nevertheless I draw your attention to Tom Delaney who still races the same Lea Francis Hyper that he bought c1930 and has raced ever since, post war in VSCC (Vintage Sports Car Club) events. Tom is now I believe 92 or damn nearly.

Howzat!

[David McKinney]

Wasn't there a break in Delaney's career? From 1931/32 until the 1990s?

[Paul Parker]

Gawd knows!

[Mark Ballard]

David, yes there was.
Tom hasn't owned the car continously all that time either (he bought it back 20/25 years ago). As far as I know he was sold the car that he is currently racing in 1930 as a new car by the factory (his father was on the Lea Francis board) with but with a different body (this body is on one of the other cars he owns). When he bought it back and was being rebuilt it became apparent that the chassis it was infact the 1928 TT winner. However I think he is the oldest person with a race licence.

[Paul Parker]

Doh!

[lynmeredith]

Originally posted by bertocchi
From personal experience.
A Gentleman's Gentleman and generous to boot.

Yes indeed. I have warm memories of David from the 60s. Excellent chap.

LDM

[Ray Bell]

Nice to see you're back online, Lyn...

We have Geoff Russell here in Australia, who has had a current licence since about 1946... though to be honest I don't know if he still has, but until a year or two ago at least he did...

He built his Russell Morris in 1946, using the checkered pattern of the vinyl tiles on his parents' kitchen floor to keep the steel square as he welded up the frame. Unfortunately for his, said parents arrived home just before he finished the job and cleaned up so they might not notice the various burn marks in the floor!

Though he sold a half share of it to someone else for a decade or so, he's owned it ever since and has campaigned it most of that time...

But he's also raced for the Ford Motor Company in Cortinas, had his own Torana and a few other cars.

We had Ron Reid here too, raced more or less continuously from 46/47 until his death just three years ago...

[David Shaw]

Not to mention Murray Carter who was apparently racing Speedway Bikes in the late forties.

[Hieronymus]

I saw David Piper in Cape Town last weekend (1 Feb. 2003). He still looks as fit as a fiddle.

Later that day, when I arrived home, I read a most interesting article in a the local newspaper. It generally covered an overview of David's achievements over the years, his successes in the 9 Hour races at Kyalami and naturally his accident during the filming of the Le Mans movie.

What interested me most, though, was the fact that they refer to him as Sir David Piper in this article (on more than one occasion). There is also a photo with this article and it also says something like "Sir David Piper standing next to one of his Ferrari's.

If this is correct, when did David got this title/distinction? If I read this article earlier on that particular morning, I probably could have asked him myself...

[Doug Nye]

He didn't.... He isn't...

DCN

[Barry Lake]

Originally posted by David Shaw
Not to mention Murray Carter who was apparently racing Speedway Bikes in the late forties.

Not speedway bikes - road racing (and airstrip circuits, of course).

[ry6]

Has anyone read the story "The Pipes of Pan" (David Piper - Forever Young) by Graham Gauld in Classic Car Africa?

[quintin cloud]

Which issue

[Hieronymus]

Thanks Doug

Got the newspaper in front of me now. The article reads, if I translate it roughly into English, "Sir David (72) still a force on racing circuit". The journalist twice refers to David as, "Sir David Piper".

I guess this is big journalistic faux pas and I am now tempted to sent an email to this particular journalist, to ask him where he got his information from. Surely an article written by someone that has little knowledge of motorsport, unless he knows something we do not know...I doubt, though, if I'll get a reply.

[Hieronymus]

Originally posted by quintin cloud
Which issue

April 2000 (Vol.5 No. 3)

A most interesting article of about 5 pages.