BTCC STATEMENT: DAVID LESLIE & RICHARD LLOYD
British Touring Car Championship Series Director Alan Gow
pays tribute to David Leslie and Richard Lloyd who it is now
understood lost their lives in yesterday’s air crash
near Biggin Hill in Kent.
“It was my privilege to know both David and Richard,
which began during their involvement in the BTCC and continued
throughout the ensuing years.
“David of course was a great competitor within the
BTCC for many years - always exciting to watch, fiercely competitive
and incredibly passionate about his sport.
“Richard I never knew as a driver, but as the team
owner of Audi Sport UK – and he was a thoroughly likeable
person, of real integrity and determination.
“The BTCC is a close-knit community and we mourn the
tragic loss of both David and Richard. However our sense of
loss is nothing compared to those of their families and our
thoughts go out to them at this terrible time.”
David Leslie contested the BTCC from 1990-2003. In that time
he rose to become one of the BTCC’s top drivers, achieving
nine race wins and in 1999 he finished championship runner-up
to Nissan team-mate Laurent Aiello. Among the other cars he
drove were BMW M3s, Vauxhall Cavaliers (famously, as a Scot,
under the Ecurie Ecosse banner), Mazdas, Honda Accords and
Proton Impians.
Richard Lloyd’s involvement with the BTCC stemmed back
to the early 1970s when he achieved 12 race wins in Chevrolet
Camaros. In 1978, running his own team, he achieved the second
of three straight class titles in a Volkswagen Golf GTi to
finish outright championship runner-up. In 1980 his team ran
a pair of Audi 80s for Stirling Moss and Martin Brundle.
In 1996, as team principal, Richard oversaw Audi Sport UK’s
first attempt at the BTCC and successfully won the championship
with German driver Frank Biela and the Audi A4 quattro. He
remained in charge of the team until Audi withdrew from the
BTCC in 1998.
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