Denis Welch Explained

Denis Welch (16 March 1945 – 27 July 2014) was a British racing driver and businessman.

Denis Welch Motorsport

Welch founded Denis Welch Motorsport in 1976, specialising in parts for Austin-Healey and Jaguar cars. The company remanufactures parts for classic racing cars which would otherwise be impossible to obtain.[1] His son Jeremy took over the company in 2007.[2]

Historic racing

Welch started racing in 1965. He took motorsport seriously but did not have ambitions to race professionally; he focused on building his engineering company and continued to race on the side.[3]

Welch was particularly noted for his red 1959 Austin-Healey 3000, nicknamed The Bulldog and with registration 6200 NO, which he drove to great success in a flamboyant, oversteering style.[4] [5] He purchased the car in 1979 and fully restored it, going on to win a multitude of races including the Eifel Classic at the Nürburgring Nordschleife and events at Bathurst.[6] [7] He won the HSCC Pre-1960 Historic Sports Car Championship in 1986 and 1987, and the HSCC Classic Sports Car Championship in 1988, 1991 and 1992.[8] [9] Along with son Jeremy, he drove the car to a narrow second in the 1997 Motor Classic Six Hours of Spa, only losing the lead in the final half-hour when a backmarker cost them a penalty.[10] Victories at Brands Hatch in 1993 and Donington Park in 1996 also received magazine coverage.[11] [12]

Welch was an accomplished historic Formula Junior racer and drove a Merlyn for many years in the FIA Lurani Trophy, the first officially sanctioned historic motorsport series. He never won the title, but lost out on a tie-break in 2004.[13] His first single-seater race weekend in 25 years came at Donington Park in 1995, where he netted a second-place and third-place finish.[14] A selection of his Formula Junior victories were at Dijon-Prenois in 2001,[15] at the Nürburgring in 2001 and 2004,[16] [17] at Pau in 2001,[18] in the wet and the dry at Donington Park in 2004 and 2005,[19] [20] at Monza in 2004 for the closest finish ever recorded at the circuit (0.003 s),[21] and at Silverstone in 2008.[22] In addition, Welch won the Formula Junior race at the Historic Grand Prix of Monaco in 2000, 2002 and 2006; the victory in 2000 was his first in the category and he was elated after the race:

"I’ve waited a long time for a Junior win, so this is magic. I’d never classed myself as that good a driver, but to see Stirling Moss half out of his car, waving and cheering as I came in, was incredible."[23]

In 2003, the Macau Grand Prix celebrated its golden jubilee by running two races for historic cars: the GP Anniversary Trophy and the Golden Jubilee Cup. Welch finished third in both races, driving a Lotus 23B.[24] [25] He had previously won in this car at Donington Park the same year.[26] He won at Estoril in an Elva GT car in 2004.[27]

Death

Welch crashed fatally during the 2014 Silverstone Classic. He had entered a Lotus 18 into the Jack Brabham Memorial Trophy for pre-1966 Formula One cars. Gearbox issues during qualifying had forced him to start toward the back of the field. Two cars ahead of him collided on the opening lap and he was unable to avoid them, making contact and launching his own car into a roll. He was taken to the circuit's medical centre but later succumbed to his injuries.[28] [29] [30]

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: The 'go to' people to get your hands on a winning race car. Burton Mail. 4–5. Rob. Smyth. 16 August 2017. 24 August 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210824224146/https://www.bighealey.co.uk/burton-mail. 24 August 2021. live.
  2. Web site: Denis Welch Motorsport – HAAS Automation UK. haas.co.uk. 24 August 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20201023001408/https://www.haas.co.uk/resources/our-customers/motorsport/denis-welch-motorsport/. 23 October 2020. live.
  3. Web site: Denis Welch died in crash at Silverstone Classic as wife Tina watched from the stands. birminghammail.co.uk. 28 July 2014. James. Cartledge. 28 July 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190722144700/https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/denis-welch-died-crash-silverstone-7521565. 22 July 2019. live.
  4. 50MC Birkett Six Hour Relay Race. Motor Sport. 1330. Gordon. Cruickshank. November 1983. 25 August 2021.
  5. Historic 91 -- The Historic Car Club. Motor Sport. 355–357. April 1991. 25 August 2021.
  6. Service history: racing cars that simply won't stop. Motor Sport. 105. October 2004. 24 August 2021.
  7. Web site: 6200 NO – 1959 Austin healey 3000 "The Bulldog" | Denish Wel… | Flickr. flickr.com. 25 August 2021. 26 February 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20210824234617/https://www.flickr.com/photos/homer----simpson/5481819650/. 24 August 2021. live.
  8. Web site: The Champions | Historic Sports Car Club. hscc.org.uk. 25 August 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210813130702/https://hscc.org.uk/the-champions/. 13 August 2021. live.
  9. Where there's a Williams.... Motor Sport. 1062–1063. Gordon. Cruickshank. November 1992. 25 August 2021.
  10. Chevron takes Spa spoils. Motor Sport. 9. November 1997. 25 August 2021.
  11. Burning Brands. Motor Sport. 63. July 1993. 25 August 2021.
  12. Donington Park HSCC. Motor Sport. 735–736. Alan. Cox. July 1996. 25 August 2021.
  13. 2004 Review -- Part One: The single-seaters. Motor Sport. 94. January 2005. 25 August 2021.
  14. Motor Sport concours. Motor Sport. 1090–1091. October 1995. 25 August 2021.
  15. Title goes to wire. Motor Sport. 8. November 2001. 25 August 2021.
  16. A perfect weekend to 'ring in the old'. Motor Sport. 6. Paul. Parker. October 2001. 25 August 2021.
  17. Around the tracks. Motor Sport. 24. September 2004. 25 August 2021.
  18. Around the tracks. Motor Sport. 10. August 2001. 25 August 2021.
  19. Around the tracks. Motor Sport. 22. June 2004. 25 August 2021.
  20. Wheel to wheel -- the month in historic motorsport. Motor Sport. 100–101. Paul. Lawrence. June 2005. 25 August 2021.
  21. Around the tracks. Motor Sport. 32–33. July 2004. 25 August 2021.
  22. Web site: Silverstone Classic Results and Pictures. sportscardigest.com. 25 August 2021. 28 July 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20150922082448/https://sportscardigest.com/silverstone-classic-results-and-pictures/. 22 September 2015. live.
  23. Monaco welcomes back historic racers. Motor Sport. 4. Marcus. Pye. July 2000. 20 May 2021.
  24. Web site: Decades of history | Macau Grand Prix. macau.grandprix.gov.mo. 14 May 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210514132707/https://www.macau.grandprix.gov.mo/en/about-us/history?year=2000. 14 May 2021. dead.
  25. Hadfield reaps eastern promise. Motor Sport. 24. December 2003. 25 August 2021.
  26. Around the tracks. Motor Sport. 8. June 2003. 25 August 2021.
  27. Gallego's TGP title on home ground. Motor Sport. 107. December 2004. 25 August 2021.
  28. Web site: NOTICE OF DEATH – DENIS WELCH. brdc.co.uk. 14 May 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20170720121842/http://www.brdc.co.uk/Notice-Of-Death---Denis-Welch. 20 July 2017. live.
  29. Web site: Denis Welch dies in Silverstone Classic accident. classicandsportscar.com. 28 July 2014. 25 August 2021. Greg. MacLeman. https://web.archive.org/web/20201127175222/https://www.classicandsportscar.com/news/historic-motor-sport/denis-welch-dies-in-silverstone-classic-accident. 27 November 2020. live.
  30. Web site: Motor racing ace's death in Northamptonshire was a tragic accident, inquest hears, despite his car's roll-bar collapsing – Northampton Chronicle and Echo. northamptonchron.co.uk. 25 August 2021. 18 March 2015. Paul. Lynch. https://web.archive.org/web/20160205191245/https://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/local/motor-racing-ace-s-death-in-northamptonshire-was-a-tragic-accident-inquest-hears-despite-his-car-s-roll-bar-collapsing-1-6640353. 5 February 2016. dead.

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