PeterWalker

Peter Walker: The 'Skid' Who Conquered Le Mans

Early Career and the Pre-War Years

Peter Douglas Conyers Walker, affectionately known as 'Skid' for his distinctive driving style, was born in Yorkshire in October 1912. His racing journey commenced in 1935, forging a partnership with Peter Whitehead. Prior to World War II, Walker demonstrated considerable talent in both circuit racing and hillclimbing, piloting an ERA. This period saw him secure victories at prestigious venues like Brooklands and Donington Park, often behind the wheel of Whitehead's ERAs. His aggressive, sliding technique quickly garnered him a reputation, making him a crowd favourite and earning him a degree of notoriety. Following the cessation of hostilities, Walker promptly resumed his racing career, his aggressive approach and accumulated experience proving even more potent. He was among a select group of drivers capable of extracting performance from the challenging ERA E-type. By 1948, Walker was delivering impressive results in both hillclimbing and Grand Prix racing. Notably, he participated in the inaugural British Grand Prix at RAF Silverstone. Despite entering with an ERA E-type, a delay in chassis delivery necessitated him racing an older B-type. He navigated the race's significant attrition to finish 11th, albeit 12 laps behind winner Luigi Villoresi.

Forays into Formula One

Walker's presence marked the very first race of the inaugural World Championship of Drivers, the RAC British Grand Prix at Silverstone in 1950. He was an early entrant, campaigning his own ERA E-type. After a promising tenth-place qualification, he shared driving duties with Tony Rolt. Walker pitted after just two laps to hand the car over, but the ERA's qualifying pace was not matched by its durability; Rolt retired the car on the fifth lap due to gearbox problems. This single outing concluded Walker's Formula One season for that year. He returned to the British Grand Prix in 1951, competing a month after his Le Mans victory. Driving a supercharged 1.5-litre V16 BRM Type 15, he finished seventh, with teammate Reg Parnell placing fifth. The race proved to be an ordeal, as both drivers endured severe burns to their legs from the engine and exhaust heat, making even walking painful. Gregor Grant lauded their "heroism in sticking to their task," which he believed would enable BRM designers to refine the cars. Despite this display of resilience, Walker did not race the BRM again. After a four-year hiatus, Walker made a brief return to Formula One in 1956 for two races. His first appearance was aboard Stirling Moss's Maserati 250F at the Grote Prijs van Nederland, where mechanical issues forced his retirement. For his final Grand Prix outing at the RAC British Grand Prix at Aintree, he shared a works Connaught Type B with Tony Rolt. The car's throttle failed after just 19 of the 90 laps, bringing an end to his Grand Prix career.

Sports Car Acumen and Le Mans Glory

It was in sports car racing that Peter Walker truly distinguished himself. His strong performances in hillclimbing caught the attention of Lofty England, Jaguar's sports car racing team manager. This led to Walker being offered a drive in a Jaguar XK120 for its debut race at Silverstone in 1949, where he secured a second-place finish. A year later, he triumphed at the same event in an alloy-bodied, works-prepared XK120. Following the XK120's success, Jaguar developed an endurance racing variant, the XK120C, or C-Type, and sought a capable driver. Walker was approached, marking Jaguar's ambitious entry into outright victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. In their maiden attempt, just six weeks after the C-Type's completion, Walker achieved his most celebrated victory. Partnering with Peter Whitehead, they won the 1951 Le Mans race. Initially, three Jaguars filled the top three positions after four hours, but after 50 laps, only Walker's car remained in contention. This triumph provided immense publicity and acclaim for the Coventry marque. Later that year, still recovering from the burns sustained at the British Grand Prix, which he famously dismissed as "a bit of a nuisance," Walker competed in the RAC Tourist Trophy at Dundrod in a C-Type. Jaguar dominated, securing all three podium spots, with Walker finishing a dutiful second behind Stirling Moss. In the 1953 Le Mans race, Walker again shared a works C-Type with Stirling Moss. The pair led in the early stages until engine problems intervened. After two pit stops to address a blocked fuel filter, they finished second, four laps behind their victorious teammates Rolt and Duncan Hamilton. This would be Walker's closest attempt at a second Le Mans victory. Later that season, paired with Moss for the Goodwood Nine-Hour, they led comfortably for eight hours before the car retired. At the RAC Tourist Trophy, Walker set a new lap record but again encountered mechanical issues, with Moss managing to bring the car home in third. The 1954 season, despite Walker remaining with Jaguar and teaming with Moss for Le Mans in a D-Type, proved less successful, with their retirement in the 12th hour due to brake problems. At the season's end, Lofty England requested Walker's availability for 1955 pre-season testing. Walker, however, did not respond, opting instead to join Aston Martin. This move proved ill-timed, as Jaguar was on the cusp of its remarkable Le Mans hat-trick. Nevertheless, Walker found some consolation in a significant victory at the Goodwood Nine-Hour, sharing an Aston Martin DB3S with Dennis Poore.

Career-Ending Accident and Post-Racing Life

Peter Walker's active racing career largely concluded after a severe crash at Le Mans in 1956. While running strongly in an Aston Martin DB3S during the 16th hour of the race, he made a critical error. His car skidded on the wet track near the Dunlop Bridge, struck the wall, and ultimately slid upside down. This incident resulted in serious injuries and effectively brought an end to his competitive career. Despite the severity of the accident, Walker did test and race again briefly in 1957. In the spring, he tested a Connaught Type B for Rob Walker Racing Team at Goodwood. He subsequently drove the car in a one-off event, the Gran Premio di Siracusa, where he was classified eighth despite spinning and stalling late in the race. Away from the high-speed circuits, Walker pursued unconventional ventures. He briefly engaged in rabbit and chinchilla farming with Lady Ripley, and even designed a type of cattle grid, though neither enterprise ultimately succeeded. Peter Walker passed away on March 1, 1984, after suffering from dementia and pneumonia. He is fondly remembered by his peers, with Stirling Moss notably describing him as one of life's "great guys." His legacy endures as a versatile and aggressive driver whose singular Le Mans triumph secured his place in motorsport history.