Peter Procter
Encyclopedia
Peter Roderick Procter is an English
former cycling
champion, rally driver and racing driver. Shortly after his birth he moved to Harrogate, and then to Alne Hall in the village of Alne, near York. Following the premature death of his parents, he moved back to Bradford, where he took up cycling. Procter competed in all types of cycle racing at home and on the Continent, but excelled in hill climbs, winning the British championship in 1951.
After becoming disillusioned with the UK cycling, and after the British Olympic Committee failed to select both him and other top cyclists of the time to represent Great Britain in the Olympics, Procter dropped out of professional cycling to concentrate on his building company in Bradford. He was soon involved in rallying. He competed in events including the RAC Rally, Tulip Rally
, Coupe des Alpes (Alpine Rally), Tour de France Automobile
and Monte Carlo Rally
. Peter also competed in the Le Mans 24 Heures
race several times, and raced in many Grand Prix, his highest position second in the Berlin Grand Prix.
Procter's racing career ended in 1966 when he was hit from behind in a saloon car race at Goodwood. After several somersaults, the car burst into flames and Procter was left with 3rd degree burns to 65 per cent of his skin. After many months of treatment and operations, he left hospital and returned home to Yorkshire, where he lives with his wife and family.
Procter has returned to driving a few times, including racing his original Sunbeam Tiger
at the Le Mans Historic in 2002, and is still involved in motorsport, a member of the British Racing Drivers Club at Silverstone.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
former cycling
Cycling
Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...
champion, rally driver and racing driver. Shortly after his birth he moved to Harrogate, and then to Alne Hall in the village of Alne, near York. Following the premature death of his parents, he moved back to Bradford, where he took up cycling. Procter competed in all types of cycle racing at home and on the Continent, but excelled in hill climbs, winning the British championship in 1951.
After becoming disillusioned with the UK cycling, and after the British Olympic Committee failed to select both him and other top cyclists of the time to represent Great Britain in the Olympics, Procter dropped out of professional cycling to concentrate on his building company in Bradford. He was soon involved in rallying. He competed in events including the RAC Rally, Tulip Rally
Tulip Rally
The Tulip Rally , first held in 1949, is the oldest Dutch rally competition.The teams are divided into three classes: Tour, Sport and Expert. The Expert Class is for the navigators which in the past 2–6 years in the Top-20 of the Sport class have ended, or the previous years in the Top-20 of the...
, Coupe des Alpes (Alpine Rally), Tour de France Automobile
Tour de France Automobile
Tour de France Automobile was a sports car race held on roads around France, first held in 1899 at speeds of 30 mph . The first event was won by René de Knyff driving a Panhard et Levassor...
and Monte Carlo Rally
Monte Carlo Rally
The Monte Carlo Rally or Rally Monte Carlo is a rallying event organised each year by the Automobile Club de Monaco which also organises the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix and the Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique. The rally takes place along the French Riviera in the Principality of Monaco and...
. Peter also competed in the Le Mans 24 Heures
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...
race several times, and raced in many Grand Prix, his highest position second in the Berlin Grand Prix.
Procter's racing career ended in 1966 when he was hit from behind in a saloon car race at Goodwood. After several somersaults, the car burst into flames and Procter was left with 3rd degree burns to 65 per cent of his skin. After many months of treatment and operations, he left hospital and returned home to Yorkshire, where he lives with his wife and family.
Procter has returned to driving a few times, including racing his original Sunbeam Tiger
Sunbeam Tiger
The Sunbeam Tiger was a muscle car version of the British Rootes Group's Sunbeam Alpine roadster.-Development:The West Coast Sales Manager of Rootes American Motors Inc., Ian Garrad, realized that the Alpine's image was that of a touring car rather than a sports car, and he set about changing its...
at the Le Mans Historic in 2002, and is still involved in motorsport, a member of the British Racing Drivers Club at Silverstone.