Reg Parnell facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Reg Parnell

Born	(1911-07-02)2 July 1911 Derby, Derbyshire, England
Died	7 January 1964(1964-01-07) (aged 52) Derby, Derbyshire, England
Formula One World Championship career
Nationality	British
Active years	1950 – 1952, 1954
Teams	Alfa Romeo, BRM, non-works Ferrari, non-works Maserati, non-works Cooper
Entries	7 (6 starts)
Championships	0
Wins	0
Podiums	1
Career points	9
Pole positions	0
Fastest laps	0
First entry	1950 British Grand Prix
Last entry	1954 British Grand Prix

Reginald Parnell (born July 2, 1911 – died January 7, 1964) was a famous racing driver and team manager from Derby, England. He raced in seven Formula One World Championship races. He achieved one podium finish and scored a total of nine championship points.

Reg Parnell had a big impact on British motorsport after World War II. He was both a driver and a team manager. He raced at places like Brooklands. After an accident there, his racing license was taken away for a short time. Before the war, he bought many racing cars. After the war ended, he sold them to help start new racing teams. He raced many different cars before becoming a manager. He even led the Aston Martin team in Formula 1. Later, he managed the Yeoman Credit Racing team with his son, Tim Parnell, who also became a Formula 1 driver.

Early Racing Days

Reg Parnell's family owned a garage business in Derby. In 1933, he watched his first motor race at Donington Park. He decided he wanted to try racing too. By 1935, he bought an old 2-litre Bugatti racing car. It broke down quickly, and spare parts were too expensive. So, he replaced it with an MG Magnette K3.

Parnell won races at both Brooklands and Donington Park. But in 1937, he lost his racing license. This happened after a practice accident at Brooklands. He crashed into another driver, Kay Petre, and she was badly hurt. She could never race again. Even though she called it "bad luck," the RAC took away Parnell's license for two years.

Becoming a Team Manager

Because he couldn't race in 1938, Parnell found a new way to be involved. He started lending his cars to other drivers. This helped him learn how to manage a racing team. When his license was given back in 1939, Parnell returned to racing. He drove a powerful car called the BHW, which had a 4.9-litre Bugatti engine. He was very successful with it at Donington Park.

He also started building his own car, called the Challenger. But then World War II began. This meant he lost some of his best racing years. During the war, Parnell finished building the Challenger. He also collected many racing cars, including Alfa Romeo, ERA, and Maserati models. He became known for buying and selling these race cars. But he was eager to drive again as soon as the war ended.

After World War II

Parnell started racing again in 1946. He drove many different cars, especially a Maserati 4CLT. He also raced ERA, Delage, and Riley cars. He sold his Challenger car. This year was tough for car reliability. However, he finished second in the Ulster Trophy race in his Maserati 4CLM. He also won the main race at Gransden Lodge, which was the only motor racing event in England that year.

An ex-Reg Parnell Maserati 4CLT "San Remo" in a museum.

In 1947, Parnell became Britain's most successful racing driver. He won the BRDC's Gold Star award. He started the year by winning two ice races in Sweden with his ERA A-type. One of these was the very first Formula 1 race! He then won the Jersey Road Race in Britain. He won the Gold Star again in 1948. He finished third at the first race at Zandvoort. He also won the Goodwood Trophy at its first meeting.

Parnell continued his success in 1949 with his Maserati. He won many races at Goodwood, earning him the nickname "Emperor of Goodwood." He raced at almost every major track in Europe.

Clever Racing in Sweden

In 1947, Parnell showed how clever he was in Sweden. He was at the Swedish Winter Grand Prix at Rommehed. This was the first race for cars following the new Formula 1 rules. He won the race, becoming the first-ever Formula 1 winner. His ERA team took all three podium spots. Their main rivals, the French drivers, were stuck on a ship in the ice.

The organizers decided to re-run the race as the Stockholm Grand Prix. It was held on a frozen lake. Between races, Parnell had a smart idea. He put two rear wheels on his ERA car to get better grip on the ice. When he arrived, a French driver complained. But Parnell had checked the rules, and there was nothing against it! Even in very cold temperatures, Parnell's extra wheels made a big difference. He easily won the race.

Formula One Racing

In 1950, Reg Parnell got a huge honor. He was asked to drive for the factory Alfa Romeo team. This was for the very first World Championship Formula One race at Silverstone. He finished an amazing third place, getting on the podium. He was on the same lap as his famous teammates, Giuseppe Farina and Luigi Fagioli. He was the only British driver chosen to race for the powerful Alfa Romeo team.

Parnell also raced his Maserati for the Scuderia Ambrosiana team. He then joined BRM. He started as a test driver for their special V16 car. Later, he became the main driver for the BRM Type 15. However, BRM cars didn't race very often. In 1951, he was still with BRM, but he raced his Maserati because BRM couldn't get him a car. He won the Chichester Cup at Goodwood. When the BRM car did work, Parnell won the Woodcote Cup and the Goodwood Trophy at Goodwood.

Tony Vandervell's special Ferrari 375 car, called the Thinwall Special. Parnell drove it between 1952 and 1954.

After a trip to Italy, a man named Tony Vandervell asked Parnell to drive his special car. It was a highly changed Ferrari 375 Formula One car, called the Thinwall Special. Parnell drove it in many F1 races. He won the BRDC International Trophy in terrible weather. It was hailing, lightning, and raining heavily. The track had six inches of water! The race had to be stopped because it was too dangerous. Parnell was in the lead when it stopped. He later said, "It's a pity it was stopped as I would have liked the race to have continued. I was a minute ahead of the Italians and I am sure they would not have made this up."

A few weeks later, Parnell won the Festival of Britain Trophy at Goodwood. He set a new lap record on his very first lap! He then won the final race after a great battle.

Parnell was back in his Maserati for the Ulster Trophy. Another famous driver, Farina, arrived with his Alfa Romeo. Farina started better and took the lead. But Parnell had a plan: Farina would need to stop for fuel, but Parnell wouldn't. When Farina stopped, Parnell took the lead. But Farina quickly caught up and won the race, with Parnell finishing second.

In June 1952, over 25,000 people watched Parnell win his only Formula Two race. He was driving a Cooper –Bristol T20.

Sports Car Racing

An Aston Martin DB3S, similar to the car Parnell won many races with.

After his success in the 1950 British Grand Prix, Aston Martin hired Parnell. He drove an DB2 to sixth place in the 1950 24 Hours of Le Mans race. He also won his class (fourth overall) in the RAC Tourist Trophy race.

In 1952, Parnell had more class wins with the DB2 at Silverstone and Boreham. At Goodwood, he quickly stepped in as team manager for Aston Martin after a pit fire injured another manager. This was a hint of his future as a manager. His success continued in 1953. In the Mille Miglia race, he finished fifth in his DB3. This was the highest finish ever for a British car in that famous Italian race. He also finished second in the 12 Hours of Sebring and the RAC Tourist Trophy. He won the Goodwood Nine Hours race.

Later Years and Retirement

In 1954, Parnell kept driving for Aston Martin. He also drove his own Ferrari 625 in many Formula One races. He won at Goodwood, Snetterton, and Crystal Palace. The next year, he won more races for Aston Martin. In 1956, Parnell crashed a car and broke his collarbone. He recovered and went to New Zealand. There, he won the New Zealand Grand Prix and the Dunedin Trophy in early 1957.

He was successful in other types of racing too. But at the end of 1957, at age 45, he decided to retire from driving. His last international race was in New Zealand, where he finished second.

Becoming a Team Manager

After retiring from driving, Reg Parnell became the team manager for Aston Martin. He led the team to a famous 1-2 finish at the 1959 24 Hours of Le Mans race. Roy Salvadori and Carroll Shelby won, with Maurice Trintignant and Paul Frère coming in second. Aston Martin then decided to enter Formula One, and Parnell led that team too. But at the end of 1960, the Formula One program was stopped.

In 1961, the Samengo-Turner brothers asked Parnell to manage their Yeoman Credit Racing team. During the 1961 Formula One season, he managed two Cooper-Climax cars for John Surtees and Roy Salvadori. They scored some championship points. For the 1962 season, the team changed its name to Bowmaker-Yeoman Racing. They used Lola cars instead of Coopers. Surtees and Salvadori stayed with the team. Salvadori had a tough season, but Surtees did much better. He scored 19 points and finished fourth in the Drivers' Championship. He also gave Parnell his first podium finishes as a manager. He finished second in the British and German Grand Prix races. Surtees also got the pole position at the first race of the season.

After Bowmaker-Yeoman left F1 in 1962, Parnell started his own team. It was called Reg Parnell Racing. The team was just starting when he passed away. He had hired a young driver named Chris Amon.

A writer named Dr. Bartrip said that Parnell "could prepare a car very carefully." He was also a very good judge of drivers. He could spot talented young drivers like John Surtees, Chris Amon, and Mike Hailwood.

Death

For the 1964 racing season, Parnell had ordered a design for a new car. But he sadly died at age 52. He passed away from an infection called peritonitis, which happened after an appendix operation. Parnell's son, Tim Parnell, who was also a racing driver, took over managing the team. He worked closely with BRM in the late 1960s.

Racing Record

Career Highlights

Complete Formula One World Championship Results

(key)

Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans Results

Year	Team	Co-Drivers	Car	Class	Laps	Pos.	Class Pos.
1950	Aston Martin Ltd.	Charles Brackenbury	Aston Martin DB2	S3.0	244	6th	2nd
1951	Aston Martin Ltd.	David Hampshire	Aston Martin DB2	S3.0	208	7th	3rd
1952	Aston Martin Ltd.	Eric Thompson	Aston Martin DB3	S3.0		DNF (Transmission)
1953	Aston Martin Ltd.	Peter Collins	Aston Martin DB3S	S3.0	16	DNF (Accident)
1954	David Brown	Roy Salvadori	Aston Martin DB3S	S5.0	222	DNF (Head gasket)
1955	Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd.	Dennis Poore	Lagonda DP166	S5.0	93	DNF (Out of fuel)
1956	David Brown	Tony Brooks	Aston Martin DBR1	S3.0	246	DNF (Gearbox)

Images for kids

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  Parnell Challenger, Goodwood Revival, 2019

See also

In Spanish: Reg Parnell para niños