David Leslie killed in plane crash

[patnicholls]

RIP David, Richard and the others involved in this tragedy.

I remember David from the first time I went to a motor race - BTCC at Oulton Park in 1995 when he was driving the Honda Accord. Richard Lloyd also had a massive influence on the Super Touring era, running the Audi BTCC squad and then the Bentley Le Mans victory in 2003.

My thoughts are with their families and friends.

[heel'n'toe-no]

Having been fortunate enough to have raced against David over the last few years, I have to say he is was one of the true gentlemen in motor racing. The finest drive I remember him being in was at the Walter Hayes Trophy race in the pouring rain. On the first lap of the race he came from the back of the field to be fighting his way through at the front by the time he got on to Silverstones National Straight. Sky Sports, I think it was, had an on board camera on his car.....The footage is simply the best display of Formula Ford car control I have ever witnessed.
My thoughts are with all of the families, but especially Davids. He will be sadly missed. May you rest in peace.

[Coops]

This is how I best remember him. Racing with Team PSP with Phil Bennet.

I am hardly in a strong position to talk about memories of David as mine doesn't begin till 2002 and only ends a mere year later in 2003 with Team PSP.

But though his autograph is one of the first two I recieved in 2002 and he raced at Croft too for Proton; coming 2nd and 7th respectively in 2002 and 9th and 19th respectively in 2003, he is probably most significant to me as a Croft-goer when he was competing for Nissan; though I never saw him compete for them.
He was involved in the very first BTCC meeting there in 1997 where he came third in race 2, beating Renault's Jason Plato and coming behind 2nd place James Thompson and winner Alain Menu...so I have to ask....just how good was David? How strong a competitor for Nissan was he?

David was a fantastic driver, almost as much an engineer as a driver which made him so good. For instance, he drove for Ray Mallocks Ecurie Ecosse team (A semi-works Vauxhall team that ran year old Cavaliers) in 1992 and worked hard to push the team to the front. In 1993 he won, and by the end of the season regularly out performed the works Vauxhalls of Cleland and Allam. Ray Mallock then got the 'works' Vauxhall contract for 1994. I know this shows as much of RML as David Leslie, but in 1995 he joined Honda. Once again a brand new team, and once again, patient steady development work with MSD brought steadily improving results and the car was a winner and front runner in 1996. Yet again, a new team in 1997 (Nissan, with RML again) brought more steady progress and wins in 1998 before a challenge for the championship in 1999. The same forward progress was made at Proton, eventually achieving podiums. A very brief run-down of his acheivements in the super-touring era, but you get the picture.

What made him different was a real difference he made to the RML and MSD teams, David was the best development driver out there and would improve a car surely and steadily until it won. That's what I mean about him being as much engineer as driver, not to mention a thoroughly nice bloke. Always smiling. He would always chat in the pit lane, and if ever there was an 'uncrowned champion' he would be it. In my opinion, he was very under-rated. Fantastic bloke, i'm really sad he's gone.

You probably hadn't heard of Richard Lloyd as the name of his team seemed to vary! Named Apex Motorsport recently, you may know his team from the Audi BTCC days and the Le Mans winning Bentley programme. He also ran the Canon Porsche 956 and 962's during the mid-80's in the World Endurance Championship that challenged (and sometimes beat) the works Porsches, amongst other guises of his team. He created and led one of this countries top motorsport teams, such a loss.

I hope, and i'm sure, there will be various tributes to both in the near future. My condolences to the families of all on board - the pilots, engineer, David and Richard.

[PDS]

I met and spoke to David a number of times. A genuine gentleman! A driver that will be sorely missed on track and in the commentary box.

Also sympathies go out to Richard Lloyd who helped take touring car racing to a new level when he brought the Audi's to the BTCC.

And for the young lad that was with them! A treat that had tragic results. A young life cut short!

My thoughts are with all of the families.

[yodasarmpit]

Another great that will be missed, I have such fond memories of David battling it out with Cleland up at Knockhill during the BTCC golden age.

[SEATFreak]

Thanks for all the info Funks and Coops. Very much appreciated. I have the info down in my book about Vodafone Nissan Racing under RML with Reidy and David and before with RouseSport with Owen McAuley and Gary Ayles.

And of course David himself. His achievement in the World Sportscar Championship in 1997 with Ecosse, in 88' with Mazda at Le Mans, in 89' and 90' with Aston Martin in the Sportscar's and of course his time in the BTCC; first with BMW in 91', in 92' and 93' in the Cavaliers finishing 7th and 8th respectively, the short-lived tenure with Mazda in 94' due to inadequate budget, MSD in 95' and 96' and finishing with his first season with Nissan in 97'.

But text make history all too brief. Bust as you both proved in your posts, you need to hear it from someone who was there. Because you two, like many more, tasted and smelt everything about a BTCC that was going through a good time it seems and were able to experience for real the talents of a driver in David who was racing in his prime.

He will be sorely missed by everyone of all ages and I hope ALL meetings this season organise some tribute.

[RaikkonenRules]

RIP David Leslie. One of the first touring car drivers I followed back in the late 90s along with Rydell and Menu.

[Luffield]

After humbling the works team in 1993 with his Cavalier, that livery now adorns my batracer Astra.

My own tribute to a great racer that should have had his name on the BTCC trophy.

[Delenn]

Argh! They forgot to turn Martin's microphone up for his tribute.

How much disrespect can Eurosport have? Disgusting. For once in their life they needed to get it right.....

[Dave B]

It would appear that the whole broadcast was blighted by technical problems, I'm sure they meant no disrespect.