Leslie Brooke
NationalityBritish
BornHenry Leslie Brooke[1]
(1910-09-12)12 September 1910
Rusholme, UK
Died9 November 1967(1967-11-09) (aged 57)
Birmingham, UK
World Sportscar Championship
Years active1955
TeamsTriumph Motor Company
Starts1
Wins0
Poles0
Previous series
1947–1954Non-championship Formula One
24 Hours of Le Mans career
Years1955
TeamsTriumph Motor Company
Best finish19th (1955) (7th in class)
Class wins0

Henry Leslie Brooke, GM (12 September 1910 – 9 November 1967)[2] was a British racing driver from England. He competed in various classes of racing, including non-championship Formula One, the Le Mans 24-hour race and the Monte Carlo Rally, in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s.

Racing career

Pre-World War II

Brooke began his career in 1937 with a self-built special based upon a Riley Imp chassis, with an 1,100 cc (67 cu in) MG engine.[2] He entered several events that season but without much success.[2] However, he continued to develop the car over the subsequent two seasons and in 1939, using a Riley 1,750 cc (107 cu in) straight-six engine, achieved three podium finishes at Brooklands, together with a second place at Shelsley Walsh[2] and another second place in the International Trophy at Silverstone.[3]

Post-war

Brooke's career was then interrupted by World War II. He resumed thereafter, initially with his special, but subsequently purchased an ERA B-type.[2] With this car he won the Grand Prix des Frontières in 1946[4] and hillclimb events.[2]

In 1947, he finished second in the Swedish Winter Grand Prix[5] in February, but retired from the Vallentuna F1 race held later the same month[6] and from the Jersey F1 race held at Saint Helier.[7] Brooke then purchased an ERA E-type which he used to compete in the Reims Grand Prix retiring after five laps after which he shared Fred Ashmore's ERA B-type which also retired after 33 laps.[8] At the Grand Prix d'Albi, Brooke resumed with his own B-type but having qualified sixth,[9] retired after 18 laps with an engine problem.[10] At the Nice Grand Prix, he finished seventh with the B-type having qualified 20th, and last. He achieved the first-ever race finish (fourth) for the E-type in the 1947 British Empire Trophy at Douglas Circuit[2] and at the 1947 French Grand Prix, qualified in eighth position with the same car but retired after only one lap with an engine problem.[11] He later sold the car back to ERA.[2]

In 1948, Brooke began the season with the B-type, retiring from the Jersey F1 race in April,[12] but claiming third-place in the British Empire Trophy in May,[13] followed by fourth place in the inaugural Zandvoort Grand Prix.[14] He then moved to a Maserati 4CLT, entered by Scuderia Ambrosiana and finished 11th in the Grand Prix d'Albi[15] and 11th in the 1948 Italian Grand Prix under his own name,[16] but was forced to retire from the Monza Grand Prix[17] and the Penya Rhin Grand Prix.[18]

In 1949, Brooke finished seventh in the Grand Prix d'Albi with the Maserati,[19] did not progress past the heats at the International Trophy and retired from the 1949 Italian Grand Prix.[1]

Brooke retired from the 1950 San Remo Grand Prix after eight laps. He subsequently reduced his participation in circuit racing and began competing in rallying with a Triumph TR2.[2] He also competed in the Monte Carlo Rally in 1955 when the Standard Motor Company entered several of their Eight and Ten models.[20]

Brooke made an appearance at the 1954 Goodwood F1 race with a Connaught A-type-Lea Francis. However, having set fastest time in qualifying, he failed to start the race.[21]

Career highlights

Season Series/event Position Entrant Car
1946 Grand Prix des Frontières 1st Leslie Brooke ERA B-type
1947 Swedish Winter Grand Prix 2nd Leslie Brooke ERA B-type
1948 British Empire Trophy 3rd Leslie Brooke ERA B-type
Source:[1]

Complete Mille Miglia results

Year Team Co-drivers Car Class Pos. Class
Pos.
1954 United Kingdom Jack Fairman Triumph TR2 S2.0 94th
1955 United Kingdom Frank Lampe Triumph TR2 S2.0 59th
1956 United Kingdom Stan Asbury Austin-Healey 100 SP DNF
Source:[22]

Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results

Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps Pos. Class
Pos.
1955 United Kingdom Standard Triumph United Kingdom Mortimer Morris-Goodall Triumph TR2 S2.0 214 19th 7th
Source:[23]

Personal life

Brooke was awarded the George Medal during World War II for bravery during the Coventry Blitz.[2] He was also joint-principal of Coventry-based Speed Engines Limited, set up in the mid 1950s to build a British F1 engine. The project was short-lived though and only one example was produced.[24]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Leslie Brooke". Motor Sport magazine database. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Leslie Brooke". www.historicracing.com. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
  3. ↑ Jenkinson, Denis (April 1978). "The International Trophy". Motor Sport magazine archive. p. 27. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
  4. ↑ "Reports of Recent Events". Motor Sport magazine archive. August 1946. p. 7. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
  5. ↑ "1947 Swedish Winter Grand Prix". Motor Sport magazine database. Retrieved 30 November 2016.
  6. ↑ "1947 Vallentuna F1". Motor Sport magazine database. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  7. ↑ "1947 Jersey F1 Race". Motor Sport magazine database. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
  8. ↑ Galpin, Darren. "XVI Grand Prix de Reims". www.silhouet.com. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
  9. ↑ "1947 Albi Grand Prix". Motor Sport magazine datadase. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
  10. ↑ Galpin, Darren. "IX Grand Prix de l'Albigeois". www.silhouet.com. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
  11. ↑ "1947 French Grand Prix". Motor Sport magazine database. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
  12. ↑ "JCC Jersey Road Race". Motor Sport magazine database. Retrieved 25 December 2016.
  13. ↑ "British Empire Trophy". Motor Sport magazine database. Retrieved 25 December 2016.
  14. ↑ "1948 Zandvoort Grand Prix". Motor Sport magazine database. Retrieved 9 January 2016.
  15. ↑ "1948 Albi Grand Prix Results Sun 29 Aug". Motor Sport magazine database. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
  16. ↑ "1948 Italian Grand Prix". Motor Sport magazine database. Retrieved 28 January 2017.
  17. ↑ "1948 Monza Grand Prix". Motor Sport magazine database. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  18. ↑ "1948 Penya Rhin Grand Prix Results Sun 31 Oct". Motor Sport magazine database. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
  19. ↑ Brown, Allen. "Grand Prix d'Albi: Circuit d'Albi, 10 Jul 1949". www.oldracingcars.com. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
  20. ↑ "Rumblings: The "Big Five" and the Monte Carlo Rally". Motor Sport magazine archive. March 1955. p. 25. Retrieved 3 April 2017.
  21. ↑ "1954 Goodwood F1". Motor Sport magazine database. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
  22. ↑ "All Results of Leslie Brooke". racingsportscars.com. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
  23. ↑ "Le Mans 1955 Results and Competitors". experiencelemans.com. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
  24. ↑ Lawrence, Mike (April 1986). "If... A Story Of What Might Have Been". Motor Sport magazine archive. p. 38. Retrieved 3 April 2017.
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