The Prince of Welsh Racing Drivers - Tom Pryce

[patriot66]

On Sunday last I found myself in North Wales...again !
Due to some torrential Storm 'Gareth' weather I had to curtail my plans for the day somewhat and around 3pm I found myself parked up in a much drier and less blustery Ruthin. A very attractive medieval town centre with lovely old buildings and church. I took shelter in the Castle Hotel, drinking coffee and watching the comings and goings. After a while I had a feeling, a 'niggle' that there was something I had wanted to do or take a look at some time in Ruthin. Then it dawned on me. A life long motorsport fan I had for the last 10 years wanted to take a look at the memorial to the local-born 1970s F1 driver Tom Pryce.

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A short walk down Clwyd St brings you to the memorial on a triangular corner plot with a commanding view down the hill. It was unveiled in 2009 - full story and more info here http://www.wrda.co.uk/2009_news/tom_pryce_memorial.htm

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It is quite an impressive memorial with a central 8'x4' bronze of Tom flanked by two of his UOP Shadow cars on the Nordschleife all superimposed over the Clwydian hills, countryside and 'local' spectators looking on.

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It's finished off with an inverted laurel wreath set into the pavement.
A plaque either side in Welsh and English briefly tell his story.

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For those of you that don't know his story or have never heard of him then this explains all
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.redbul ... ds-profile


1975 DN3B

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I think the fact that my Dad said he was relatively local to us (in Lancashire !), his helmet design looked 'ace' and his all black Shadow was 'well cool' all ensured I was a die-hard fan. Look at the drift in that photo...you don't see that anymore !

1976 DN5

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I remember as a 10 year old watching on TV with my father and grandfather as the electrifying 1976 Hunt v Lauda season unfolded and being aware amongst it all of the name Tom Pryce for the first time

I also vividly remember the 1977 season, Lauda victorious this time closely followed by Scheckter, Andretti, Reutemann and Hunt...what names !
But mostly I remember '77 for the awful accident and death of Tom Pryce at Kyalami, South Africa. I'll not go into too much detail here but it was quite possibly the most gruesome and horrific F1 death of that era. An unsighted Pryce travelling at about 170mph had no chance to avoid a young fire marshal foolishly running across the track. The marshal was carrying an 18kg fire extinguisher at the time. Suffice to say they both died instantaneously. Pryces car with him now dead at the wheel careered along the full length of the long start/finish straight, eventually colliding with Jacques Lafittes Ligier sending both cars into the catch fencing. The marshals body was so badly mutilated that he could only be identified after a roll call established who was missing. All this live on TV ! For the curious amongst you and those of you with a strong disposition there is plenty of gruesome info, photos and footage out there on the web.

Pryces Shadow DN8 at the 1977 South African GP

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and a few laps before his awful and tragic death.

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At the start of the long straight behind is where the accident happened, his car continuing all the way along and into the barriers on the right at this same corner

This sudden, shocking loss really affected me as a young lad and wasn't helped some 5 or 6 years later by seeing some truly graphic slo-mo cine-camera footage on a dodgy VHS tape at my mates house. I was stunned...literally. It genuinely scarred me and imprinted in my mind forever. So, I will admit my eyes were tearing-up thinking of those days and my old Dad and Grandpa whilst looking at the memorial and taking my few photos. Sentimental old sod !

And this unfortunately is what Tom Pryce will now always be remembered for...the gruesomely shocking manner of his death. Not the talent, the the car control, his race skills, his determination, his personality etc etc. Sad isn't it ?
And what might have been ? He was only 27. What would he have gone on to ? How different might the '78, '79, '80 and so on seasons have been ?
Sadly, we'll never know.

Anyway, I'm so glad I ended up at a loose end, in Ruthin, in beautiful North Wales last Sunday
A few ghosts laid to rest.

R.I.P Thomas Maldwyn Pryce

[mmm-five]

You could always drive the Tom Pryce straight at Trac Môn (Anglesey circuit) in homage.