PETER REVSON

'Peter Jeffrey Revson' (February 27, 1939 - March 22, 1974) was a racecar driver from United States who had successes in Formula One and the Indianapolis 500.

Contents

Background

Racing career

Complete World Championship Formula One results

Indy 500 results

Death

Awards

External link

Background

Peter Revson was born in New York City.
The nephew of Revlon Cosmetics industry magnate Charles Revson, he was an heir to his father Martin's fortune (reportedly worth over $1 billion). He was a young, handsome bachelor who was described as a "free spirit" that passed up an easy life for one of speed and danger. Off the track, he led his life at the same accelerated pace. Revson piloted a 32-foot ChrisCraft and courted some of the most beautiful women in the world, including fashion model and 1973 Miss World, Marjorie Wallace. He had met Wallace at the Indianapolis 500; she was an Indianapolis native who was referred to as the "Hoosier Hotshot."

Racing career

Revson began racing while at Cornell University. In 1970 he teamed with Steve McQueen to place second in the 12 Hours of Sebring. Revson joined McLaren in 1971 and became the first American to win the Can-Am Championship. That same season he finished second in the Indianapolis 500 after posting the fastest qualifying time. He competed in the Indy 500 each year from 1969-1973. In 1972, Revson was named to the McLaren Formula One team. He remained with the team for two years, winning the British Grand Prix and Canadian Grand Prix in 1973, before moving to Shadow in 1974. He is the last American born driver to win a Formula One race (Mario Andretti, who won in later years, is a naturalized American).

Complete World Championship Formula One results

() (Races in 'bold' indicate pole position)

Year	Entrant	Chassis	Engine	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	WDC	Points
1964	Revson Racing (America)	Lotus 24	BRM V8	MON DNQ	NED			GBR Ret	GER 14	AUT	ITA 13	USA	MEX						-	0
	Reg Parnell (Racing)					BEL DSQ
		Lotus 25					FRA DNS
1971	Elf Team Tyrrell	Tyrrell 001	Cosworth V8	RSA	ESP	MON	NED	FRA	GBR	GER	AUT	ITA	CAN	USA Ret					-	0
1972	Team Yardley McLaren	McLaren M19A	Cosworth V8	ARG Ret	RSA 3	ESP 5	MON	BEL 7	FRA	GBR 3	GER								5th	23
		McLaren M19C											AUT 3	ITA 4	'CAN' 2	USA 18
1973	Team Yardley McLaren	McLaren M19C	Cosworth V8	ARG 8	BRA Ret	RSA 2													5th	38
		McLaren M23					ESP 4	BEL Ret	MON 5	SWE 7	FRA	GBR 1	NED 4	GER 9	AUT Ret	ITA 3	CAN 1	USA 5
1974	UOP Shadow Racing Team	Shadow DN3	Cosworth V8	ARG Ret	BRA Ret	RSA DNP	ESP	BEL	MON	SWE	NED	FRA	GBR	GER	AUT	ITA	CAN	USA	-	0

Indy 500 results

Year	Chassis	Engine	Start	Finish
1969	Brabham	Repco	33rd	5th
1970	McLaren	Offy	16th	22nd
1971	McLaren	Offy	'1st'	2nd
1972	McLaren	Offy	2nd	31st
1973	McLaren	Offy	10th	31st

Death

During a practice run for the 1974 South African Grand Prix in Johannesburg, he was killed as a result of suspension failure on his Shadow Ford DN3. He was the second Revson to lose his life racing; his brother Douglas was killed in a crash in Denmark in 1967. Peter and Douglas Revson are interred together in a crypt at Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, New York.
Revson was replaced by Tom Pryce, who died three years later at the same Grand Prix.

Awards

He was inducted in the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1996 in the sports car category.

External link

★ Peter Revson Photos

★ Bruce McLaren Trust website with articles featuring Revson