Nationality - BritishBorn - 19 February 1961Height - 172 cms / 5' 7½"Weight - 68 kgs / 150 lbsCareer HistoryI First drove a racing car in 1976 at the Jim Russell Racing Drivers' School at Silverstone.My first race was at Silverstone in 1979, driving a Formula Ford 1600 Van Diemen RF78.My first win came at Cadwell Park in 1980, driving a 1973 Hawke DL11 in the Pre-1974 Formula Ford 1600 Championship.My first full season of racing was 1980 in Pre-1974 FF1600. I won the Championship with 6 wins from 12 starts.For the next 3 years I concentrated on contemporary Formula Ford 1600, scoring about 15 victories, mainly in the Silverstone based Esso Championship and the RAC British Championship. I finished runner-up in the Formula Ford Festival in 1983.In 1984 I graduated to Formula Ford 2000, with a Reynard SF84, and scored 5 wins including the Formula Ford 2000 World Cup at Brands Hatch.I moved up to Formula 3 for 1985, driving a Madgwick Motorsport run Reynard-Volkswagen 853. I scored pole position and won my very first race, at a cold and wet Silverstone. I went on to score 3 wins and secure runner-up spot in the British Formula 3 Championship.After a full years F3 experience, I became British Formula 3 Champion in 1986. I won a total of 12 races that year driving a Reynard-Volkswagen 863, including the Cellnet Superprix and the Macau Grand Prix. Late in the year I got my first drive in a Formula 1 car when I tested for the Benetton BMW Team at Donington Park.For 1987 I graduated to Formula 3000 with Madgwick Motorsport; initially with a March and later with a Lola chassis. We struggled with an inadequate budget, but managed to score some top 3 qualifying positions and several top 6 finishes. I also scored two race victories in the Japanese Formula 3 Championship.In 1988 I competed in a few selected F3000 races, but importantly secured a seat with the factory TWR Jaguar Team for selected major Sportscar races, including the Le Mans 24 hours. Partnered by Jan Lammers and Johnny Dumfries, I won the Le Mans 24 hours for Jaguar, and also went on to win the Brands Hatch 1000kms with Martin Brundle and John Nielson.For '89 & '90 I became a full time member of the TWR Jaguar Team. I drove mainly in the FIA World Sportscar Championship, but also raced for TWR USA in selected IMSA Championship events. I finished 2nd in the '89 Daytona 24 hours, then won the race in 1990 partnered by Jan Lammers and Davy Jones. I also scored 2nd place in the 1990 Le Mans 24 hours, 2nd in the FIA WSC events at Silverstone and Spa, and 3rd in the Sebring 12 hours. I finished 4th in the 1990 FIA World Sportscar Championship, and was presented with the British Racing Drivers' Club, Gold Star Award. I also did some testing work for the March and Leyton House F1 Teams.I spent a lot of time in Japan during 1991, testing Toyota's new TS010 Group C Sportscar, in readiness for a full attack on the FIA World Sportscar Championship the following year. I also raced for Dan Gurney's AAR Toyota Team in the Daytona 24 hours & Sebring 12 hours. I also competed in several Japanese Sportscar Championship races for Toyota Team Tom's, finishing 3rd in the Fuji 1000kms. I was permitted by Toyota, to drive for Jaguar in the '91 Le Mans 24 hours, and finished 4th.Early 1992 went well with victory in the Sebring 12 hours partnered by Juan Fangio II, driving an Eagle Toyota for Dan Gurney's AAR Team. Then came a full season in the FIA World Sportscar Championship, driving a factory Toyota TS010 for Toyota Team Toms. Despite massive effort by everyone involved, we trailed the all conquering factory Peugeot 905's for most of the year. |