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Peter Walker (racing driver)

Peter Douglas Conyers Walker was an English racing driver. He was born in Huby, Yorkshire and died in Newtown, Worcestershire. He proved a strong driver in most disciplines, but was most adept in sports cars, winning the 1951 24 Hours of Le Mans race, and the Goodwood Nine-Hours in 1955. He effectively retired after a crash in 1956 left him with serious injuries.

Early life and pre-war racing
Peter 'Skid' Walker was born in Yorkshire in October 1912. He really started his racing career in 1935, after linking up with Peter Whitehead. He enjoyed success in both circuit racing and hillclimbing with an ERA prior to World War II, with victories at Brooklands and Donington Park. Throughout this period, he could be found racing Whitehead's ERAs. His aggressive, sliding style made him a crowd favourite and gained him a little bit of notoriety. After the hostilities finished, he returned to the sport. ==Racing career==
Racing career
Although competitive before the war, Walker's aggressive style and experience helped him become even more successful. In fact, he was one of handful of driver who could get the ERA E-type to perform. In 1948, he was able to put together some impressive performances both in hillclimbing, but in Grand Prix Racing. One of those races was the inaugural British Grand Prix, at RAF Silverstone. However, the race did not go to plan. He entered the race driving an ERA E-type, but the manufacturer was unable to deliver the chassis in time, so Walker used his older B-type. During the race, he survived the massive attrition to finish in 11th place, 12 laps adrift of the winner, Luigi Villoresi. Sports Car Ace Walker performances of the hills brought him to the attention of Lofty England, the manager of Jaguar's sports car racing team, rewarded him with a drive in a Jaguar XK120 in this newly launched car's first race at Silverstone in 1949. Walker finished second, but won at same event 12 months later, in an alloy-bodied works-prepared XK120. Still nursing his burns from the British Grand Prix, Walker dismissed them as little more than "a bit of a nuisance", he arrived at Dundrod to race a C-Type in the RAC Tourist Trophy. Jaguar cleaned up, taking all three places in the podium. As for Walker, he finished in a dutiful second behind Moss. Walker did test and race again in 1957. In the spring, he tested for Rob Walker Racing Team, in their Connaught Type B at Goodwood, and subsequently drove the car in a one-off race, the Gran Premio di Siracusa the following season. He was classified in eighth place despite spinning and stalling the car late on. ==Away from the track==
Away from the track
After he retired from the sport, Walker took up rabbit and chinchilla farming with Lady Ripley for a while, and even designed a type of cattle grid, but both ventures came to nothing. Walker died on 1 March 1984, after suffering from dementia and pneumonia. He is remembered today by his peers like Moss, who describes him as one of life's "great guys". ==Racing record==
Racing record
Career highlights Complete Formula One World Championship results (key) :* Indicates shared drive with Tony Rolt. Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results Complete 12 Hours of Reims results ==References==
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