David Leslie (racing driver) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids David Leslie |
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Leslie in 2003
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| Nationality |  British |
| Born | 9 November 1953 Annan, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland |
| Died | 30 March 2008 (aged 54) Farnborough, Orpington, UK |
| BTCC record | |
| Teams | BMW, Vauxhall, Mazda, Honda, Nissan, Proton |
| Drivers' championships |
0 |
| Wins | 9 |
| Podium finishes | 35 |
| Poles | 16 |
| Fastest laps | 17 |
| Debut season | 1990 |
| First win | 1993 |
| Best championship position | 2nd (1999) |
| Final season (2003) position | 11th (28 points) |
| 24 Hours of Le Mans career | |
| Years | 1984 – 1991, 1993, 1995 |
| Teams | Ecurie Ecosse, Mazdaspeed, Aston Martin, Silk Cut Jaguar, TWR Jaguar, Team Marcos |
| Best finish | 8th (1987) |
| Class wins | 0 |
David William Leslie (born November 9, 1953 – died March 30, 2008) was a Scottish racing driver. He was best known for his time in the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC). In 1999, he finished as the runner-up in this championship.
David was very good at helping car teams make their race cars better. He helped both Honda and Nissan become winners in the BTCC. He was born in Dumfries, Scotland.
Racing Career Highlights
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David Leslie started his racing journey in karting, where he won the Scottish championship five times! After that, he moved into car racing. In 1978, he won the Formula Ford title.
He then raced in the British Formula Three Championship from 1981 to 1984. During this time, he joined the Ecurie Ecosse team. With Ecurie Ecosse, he moved to the World Sportscar Championship. He won many races in the C2 class and helped his team win the championship in 1986.
In 1987, David Leslie himself finished second in the Drivers Championship with his teammate Ray Mallock. They also came in second in their class and eighth overall at the famous 1987 24 Hours of Le Mans race.
Ecurie Ecosse later took over the Aston Martin sports car program. David left in 1990 to join Tom Walkinshaw's Jaguar team. He raced in the 24 Hours of Le Mans a total of 10 times. One notable race was in 1993, when he drove the Jaguar XJ220. He had to stop early due to engine problems, even though he was doing very well.
British Touring Car Championship
David Leslie kept his connection with Ecurie Ecosse when they joined the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) in 1990. He raced part-time for the first two years. Then, in 1992, he became a full-time driver for Vauxhall.
He won his first BTCC race in 1993. Over those two years, he started from the very front (called a pole position) six times. He finished in the top 10 in the championship both years.
The year 1994 was not as successful for him while driving a Mazda. But in 1995, he joined Honda as they entered the BTCC for the first time. The team's car was not ready early in the season, and it often had problems. However, David finished 10th overall after a strong end to the season.
The 1996 season started with some crashes for David. But a victory at the 1996 British Grand Prix support race helped him turn things around. He had a strong second half of the season and managed to finish 4th overall in the championship.
In 1997, David Leslie switched to Nissan and raced alongside Anthony Reid. Again, the car was not very competitive at first. Many people say that David Leslie deserves a lot of credit for helping Nissan improve their car.
In 1998, he won two races and finished on the podium (top three) five times for Nissan. He ended up seventh in the standings that year. He also raced in one British GT Championship event, finishing third in a Porsche 911 GT1.
The year 1999 was a fantastic season for David. He finished a very close second in the championship to his teammate Laurent Aïello. He won three races and was on the podium 10 times!
After 1999, Nissan left the BTCC. David Leslie only raced occasionally in 2000. He drove for Honda in one race of the 2000 European Super Touring Cup. He also raced in three BTCC rounds, two of which were in a private Nissan Primera. He competed in the Spa 24 Hours race that year but had to stop due to engine failure. He also raced in the British GT Championship and finished on the podium at Croft.
In 2001, he raced in the Speedvision Challenge in the US. He also had another race in the British GT Championship, where he again finished on the podium.
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David joined Proton in the BTCC for the 2002 and 2003 seasons. This project was not very successful, but David still managed to get two third-place finishes. He was the best-placed Proton driver in both seasons.
After his racing career, David Leslie became a commentator for Eurosport. He talked about the World Touring Car Championship series. He also taught Motorsports Management part-time at Swansea Metropolitan University.
Famous racing drivers like Allan McNish, David Coulthard, and Dario Franchitti have said that David Leslie and his father, David senior, helped them a lot at the start of their careers.
Sad News
On March 30, 2008, David Leslie passed away in a plane crash. He was traveling with another racing driver and team owner, Richard Lloyd, and a data engineer, Chris Allarton. They were flying to France for a car test.
An investigation into the crash found that problems with the plane's engines caused them to stop working during the flight. The crew could not restart them in time to prevent the crash.
Images for kids
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Leslie in 2003
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Leslie in his Mazda Xedos 6 racing at Brands Hatch in 1994.
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Leslie driving for Honda at Brands Hatch in 1996.
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Leslie's Nissan Primera in the 1999 BTCC season.
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Leslie driving for Proton at Brands Hatch in 2003.
