Tom Delaney (racing driver) facts for kids

Tom Delaney was an amazing British sportsman and businessman. He was born on January 8, 1911, and passed away on August 31, 2006. Tom was famous for being the oldest licensed racing driver in the world. He raced the same special Lea-Francis car for over 75 years! He kept racing until just a few months before he died.

A Family of Racers

Tom Delaney was born into a family that loved racing cars. His father was a pioneer in motorsport. He even raced in a big road race from Paris to Madrid in 1903. Later, his father started a factory in London. After World War I, his father became a director at Lea Francis.

In 1928, a young Tom went with the Lea Francis team. They were getting cars ready for a big race in Ireland. This race was called the Ards Tourist Trophy. Tom joined the team in Ireland as a pit manager. He watched Kaye Don win the race in a Lea Francis car. Tom was so excited that he later bought that very car!

Racing Adventures

In 1930, Tom started racing his Lea Francis car. He won two trophies in his first year! He won many more trophies after that. He raced at famous places like Brooklands and Brighton. He also raced at Shelsley Walsh and Prescott. Tom even led the Irish Grand Prix for a long time.

He raced at many well-known tracks. These included Donington Park and Castle Combe. He also raced at Rockingham, Goodwood, and Silverstone. Amazingly, he raced at Donington Park in its first meeting in 1933. Then, he raced there again in 2005! That's a long time to be racing.

Beyond the Race Track

Besides racing cars, Tom also loved airplanes. He was one of the first people to get a pilot's license at Brooklands. Tom also took over his father's business. The company was called Delaney Gallay Ltd. He helped it grow a lot.

His company had five factories. They employed 2,000 people. They made special heating and cooling systems. These systems were used in airplanes and cars. They were the first to bring car heaters to the UK. They also introduced car air-conditioning and seat belts. Delaney Gallay parts were used in famous planes. These included the Spitfire and the Lancaster. Their parts were even in the Concorde jet! The company Gallay still operates today.

A True Racing Legend

In 2004, Tom had a serious accident. He was racing at Silverstone. He was thrown from his car. The car then hit a barrier and ran over him. That evening, in the hospital, he learned he had only injured his wrist. Tom immediately called his mechanic. He wanted to know if his car could be fixed for the next race! This shows how determined he was.

In 2005, Tom received a special award. The Motor Sports Association gave him their first "Lifetime Achievement" award. This was to celebrate his 75 years of motor racing. His last race was in April 2006. He was 95 years old! It was a VSCC meeting at Silverstone. Tom was invited to another race meeting in September. But he passed away a few days before it happened.

Tom Delaney was featured in a BBC documentary. It was called The Oldest Drivers in Britain. It showed his amazing life and love for racing.