Peter Revson

Peter Revson
Revson at the 1973 German Grand Prix
Born	(1939-02-27)February 27, 1939 New York City,U.S.
Died	March 22, 1974(1974-03-22)(aged 35) Midrand,Gauteng,South Africa
Formula OneWorld Championship career
Nationality	American
Active years	1964,1971–1974
Teams	non-worksLotus,Tyrrell,McLaren,Shadow
Entries	32 (30 starts)
Championships	0
Wins	2
Podiums	8
Career points	61
Pole positions	1
Fastest laps	0
First entry	1964 Monaco Grand Prix
First win	1973 British Grand Prix
Last win	1973 Canadian Grand Prix
Last entry	1974 Brazilian Grand Prix
Champ Carcareer
17 races run over 8 years
Best finish	12th (1971)
First race	1966Bobby Ball Memorial(Phoenix)
Last race	1973California 500(Ontario)
First win	1969Indy 200 Heat 2(IRP)
Wins Podiums Poles 1 3 3

TheMcLarenRevson drove in the1972 Indianapolis 500

Peter Jeffrey Revlon Revson(February 27, 1939 – March 22, 1974) was an American race car driver and heir to theRevloncosmetics fortune. He was theCan-Am Championfor the1971 season,and finished fifth overall in theWorld Drivers' Championshipfor both the1972and1973Formula Oneseasons.

Revson andDan Gurneywere the only two drivers to win races inFormula One,Indy Car,Can-Am,andTrans-Amracing. His champagne-spraying celebrations in victory lane and public image earned him the nickname "Champagne Peter".

Background

Peter Revson was born in New York City, the son of Martin Revson and Julie (née Phelps) Hall.Martin had been a founding partner (along with his brotherCharles Revson) ofRevloncosmetics, but had parted ways in 1958 and become chairman of Del Laboratories in 1963.His mother had been a nightclub singer at the time Martin met her.

Revson's full name was Peter Jeffrey Revlon Revson, his middle name a nod to his family's business.As a young man, newspaper articles commonly referred to him as Peter Revlon Revson.

A young, handsome bachelor described as a "free spirit", Peter passed up an easy life for one of competition and danger, including driving in both theUSAC Championship CarandFormula Onecircuits, piloting a 32-foot (9.8 m)ChrisCraftboat, and courting some of the most beautiful women in the world. At the time of his death, he was engaged to therecently dethroned1973Miss World,Marjorie Wallace.

Early life and racing career

Peter Revson spent his childhood in White Plains, New York, attending prep schools. He had two sisters, Jennifer and Julie Ann, as well as a younger brother Doug, who was killed in a race in Denmark in 1967. Revson never finished his college education after attendingColumbia University,Cornell University,and theUniversity of Hawaii.In 1960, while attending the University of Hawaii, he bought aMorganand entered intosports car racing.In his first race, Revson placed second, then won his next race. His family withdrew their financial aid when he turned his attention to competitive racing full time, relying instead on his savings and education funds. Teaming with Cornell classmateTimmy Mayerand friend Bill Smith, and managed byTeddy Mayerunder the Rev-Em Racing banner, Revson competed inFormula Juniorin 1962.

In 1963, after limited successes and withFormula One(F1) aspirations, Revson took the remaining money he had, aroundUS$12,000(equivalent to $119,400 in 2023), and moved to the United Kingdom. There he was able to buy a Formula JuniorCooper T56and aFord Thamesvan. He then began barnstorming around mainland Europe competing and winning against the likes of future F1 starsDenny HulmeandJochen Rindt.Revson caught the attention ofReg Parnell,from whom Revson rented workshop space, and was offered a spot on Parnell's planned F1 team for the1964season. Revson made his F1 debut at a 1963 exhibition race at the Gold Cup inOulton Park,England, finishing ninth. In 1964, Revson teamed with fellowReg Parnell RacingdriversChris AmonandMike Hailwood,referred to as the Ditton Road Flyers, who received more attention due to their antics and wild parties than their performances on the track. Revson also raced that year, closely associated with Reg Parnell Racing, under his own Revson Racing banner. Both teams were uncompetitive due to a number of factors, including the sudden death of Reg Parnell, financial troubles, and the poor performance of theLotus 24car. Revson raced in four of the ten F1 World Championship races that season, completing only two; his best finish was 13th at the1964 Italian Grand Prix.He also competed in five non-championship races that season, where his best finish was a fourth place at the1964 Solitude Grand Prix,in West Germany.

Revson accepted an offer to race in the United States in 1965. Focusing mainly on sports car racing, including theCan-AmandTrans-Am Series,he was able to build his reputation as a capable driver. He also competed inAmerican open-wheel car racing,including the top levelUSAC Championship Carseries. In that series, he qualified for the 33rd and final starting position at the1969 Indianapolis 500;despite completing only 197 of the 200 laps, he finished in 5th place in an underpoweredBrabham BT25.He returned to theIndianapolis Raceway Parktrack later in the 1969 USAC Championship Car season, where he finished third in leg one of the Indianapolis 200, followed by his first Champ Car win in the second leg. His 1969 success at Indianapolis Raceway Park earned him an invitation to race for theMcLarenteam at the1970 Indianapolis 500,after his friend Chris Amon was dropped by the team for failing to qualify; Revson qualified 16th, but retired from the race due to mechanical reasons after 87 laps. That same year, while teamed in aPorsche 908/02withSteve McQueen,the duo finished second overall in the12 hours of Sebring,and first overall in the 3-liter class, just a few seconds behind the 5-literFerrari 512driven by a trio led byMario Andretti.McQueen received credit for driving with a broken foot, which also meant that Revson drove the bulk of the race. Revson also the finished the1970 Can-Am seasonin 8th, driving aLola T220forCarl Haas Racing.

The 1971 racing season was a major breakthrough in Revson's career. Driving at the1971 Indianapolis 500for McLaren Racing, he qualified in the pole position in aMcLaren M16,and finished the race in second place. As a member of the McLaren Racing team in the1971 Can-Am season,Revson drove hisMcLaren M8Fto five wins and three other podium finishes in the 10-race season, winning the championship. His success earned him an invitation to race in Formula One, at the season ending1971 United States Grand Prix,for theTyrrell Racingteam; he started 19th, but retired after one lap due to mechanical issues with hisTyrrell 003-Ford Cosworth DFV.

His success in 1971 earned Revson an offer from the McLaren Formula One team for 1972, headed by his long-time friendTeddy Mayer.Revson entered the 1972 season as a driver for McLaren's Indy Car, Can-Am, and Formula One teams.

Formula One career

During the1972F1 season, Revson finished 5th in the Driver's World Championship, helping McLaren finish 3rd in the World Constructors' Champion Championship with itsMcLaren M19A / M19C.Running 9 out of the 12 races, Revson finished on the podium four times with three third place finishes and a season-best second-place finish at the1972 Canadian Grand Prix.

As part of his contract with McLaren, Revson was required to drive a McLaren Indy team entry in theIndy Car Triple Crownof 500 mile races for the1972 USAC Championship Car season.At the1972 Indianapolis 500,he started from 10th on the grid, but retired due to mechanical issues after 23 laps. He also retired due to mechanical issues, after 7 laps, at thePocono 500and finished 23rd at theCalifornia 500.

During the1973F1 season, Revson won two races in hisMcLaren M23,the1973 British Grand Prixand the1973 Canadian Grand Prix.He added two other podium finishes, with a third place and a second-place finish, helping McLaren finish 3rd in the World Constructors' Champion Championship. Despite Revson's successes, Teddy Mayer was not satisfied and McLaren opted for the 1972 champion and 1973 runner-upEmerson Fittipaldi.

Revson again drove a McLaren Indy team entry in the Indy Car Triple Crown for the1973 USAC Championship Car season.At the1973 Indianapolis 500,he qualified to start from second on the grid, but retired after brushing the wall on the third lap. He qualified in the pole position for both the1973 Pocono 500and the1973 California 500,finishing 21st and 23rd, respectively.

For the1974F1 season, Revson signed with the one-year-oldShadow Racing CarsF1 team. Driving the team's newShadow DN3,Revson retired from the first race after an accident in the second lap, and retired from the second race due to overheating of hisFord Cosworth DFVengine after 10 laps.

Death

Revson was killed during a test session on 22 March 1974, before the1974 South African Grand PrixinKyalami.HisShadow DN3suffered a front suspension failure and crashed heavily into theArmco barrieron the outside of "Barbecue Bend". The car stood on its nose, wrapped itself around the barrier and caught fire, and although safety workers and other drivers managed to pull Revson from the wreckage, he was already dead.

Tony Southgate,designer of the DN3, in a 2012 interview withMotor Sport,said:

Revvie was a fabulous easy-going guy, fitted in well, and a very good driver. But tragically he wasn't with us for long. He qualified on row 2 for Argentina and row 3 for Brazil. Then he and I, our chief mechanic Pete Kerr and two other mechanics went down to Kyalami for testing before the South African GP. Revvie was going very well, very happy with the car, and then he didn't come around. We rushed out to the back of the circuit and found the car buried under the Armco on the outside of a quick corner. Peter was already in the ambulance and gone. I phoned the hospital, and they told me I had to go to the morgue and identify him. When the news got out all hell let loose, journalists banging on my hotel door, then the Revson family lawyer arrived and took over. We were using titanium quite a lot on the DN3, which was quite a new material then. Titanium is finicky, it has to be machined smooth and the surface polished, and a ball joint which had some coarse machining on it had failed. There was only one layer of Armco and the car, instead of being deflected or stopped, had gone right under as far as the cockpit. I felt personally responsible. It was a very difficult time. The glamour of Formula 1 had gone, replaced by a sort of loneliness. You just had to work on. Of course I replaced all the titanium components with steel before the next race.

He was the second Revson to lose his life racing; his brother Douglas was killed in a crash inDenmarkin 1967. Peter and Douglas Revson are interred together in a crypt in the community mausoleum atFerncliff CemeteryinHartsdale, New York.Revson's autobiography,Speed with Style,co-written with Leon Mandel, was published posthumously by Doubleday & Company in 1974.

Revson was replaced byTom Pryce,who died three years later atthe same Grand Prix.

Awards

Revson was inducted into theMotorsports Hall of Fame of Americain 1996 in the sports car category.

Racing record

Complete Formula One World Championship results

(key) (Races inboldindicate pole position)

Year	Entrant	Chassis	Engine	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	WDC	Pts
1964	Revson Racing	Lotus24	BRMV8	MON DNQ	NED				GER 14	AUT	ITA 13	USA	MEX						NC	0
	Reg Parnell Racing					BEL DSQ		GBR Ret
		Lotus25					FRA DNS
1971	ElfTeam Tyrrell	Tyrrell001	CosworthV8	RSA	ESP	MON	NED	FRA	GBR	GER	AUT	ITA	CAN	USA Ret					NC	0
1972	Team Yardley McLaren	McLarenM19A	CosworthV8	ARG Ret	RSA 3	ESP 5	MON	BEL 7	FRA	GBR 3	GER								5th	23
		McLarenM19C										AUT 3	ITA 4	CAN 2	USA 18
1973	Team Yardley McLaren	McLarenM19C	CosworthV8	ARG 8	BRA Ret	RSA 2													5th	38
		McLarenM23					ESP 4	BEL Ret	MON 5	SWE 7	FRA	GBR 1	NED 4	GER 9	AUT Ret	ITA 3	CAN 1	USA 5
1974	UOPShadow Racing Team	ShadowDN3	CosworthV8	ARG Ret	BRA Ret	RSA	ESP	BEL	MON	SWE	NED	FRA	GBR	GER	AUT	ITA	CAN	USA	NC	0

Non-Championship Formula One results

(key) (Races inboldindicate pole position) (Races initalicsindicate fastest lap)

Year	Entrant	Chassis	Engine	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14
1963	Reg Parnell	Lotus24	BRMV8	LOM	GLV	PAU	IMO	SYR	AIN	INT	ROM	SOL	KAN	MED	AUT	OUL 9	RAN
1964	Revson Racing	Lotus24	BRMV8	DMT Ret	NWT 8	SYR Ret	AIN DNA	INT 9	SOL 4	MED 6	RAN
1971	Milestone Racing Team	SurteesTS8	ChevroletV8	ARG	ROC	QUE Ret	SPR	INT	RIN	OUL	VIC
1972	Yardley Team McLaren	McLarenM19A	Ford Cosworth DFV3.0V8	ROC 8	BRA
		McLarenM19B				INT 5	OUL	REP	VIC
1973	Yardley Team McLaren	McLarenM23	Ford Cosworth DFV3.0V8	ROC	INT 4
1974	UOPShadow Racing Team	ShadowDN3	CosworthV8	PRE	ROC 6	INT

Complete USAC Championship Car results

Year	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26	27	28	Pos	Points
1966	PHX	TRE	INDY	MIL	LAN	ATL	PIP	IRP	LAN	SPR	MIL	DUQ	ISF	TRE	SAC	PHX 16													-	0
1967	PHX 13	TRE DNQ	INDY DNP	MIL	LAN	PIP	MOS	MOS	IRP	LAN	MTR	MTR	SPR	MIL	DUQ	ISF	TRE	SAC	HAN	PHX	RIV								-	0
1968	HAN	LVG	PHX	TRE	INDY	MIL	MOS	MOS	LAN	PIP	CDR	NAZ	IRP	IRP	LAN	LAN	MTR	MTR	SPR	MIL	DUQ	ISF	TRE	SAC	MCH	HAN	PHX	RIV 10	-	0
1969	PHX	HAN	INDY 5	MIL	LAN	PIP	CDR	NAZ	TRE	IRP 3	IRP 1	MIL	SPR	DOV	DUQ	ISF	BRN	BRN	TRE	SAC	KEN	KEN	PHX	RIV DNP					-	0
1970	PHX	SON	TRE	INDY 22	MIL	LAN	CDR	MCH	IRP	SPR	MIL	ONT 5	DUQ	ISF	SED	TRE	SAC	PHX											-	0
1971	RAF	RAF	PHX	TRE	INDY 2	MIL	POC 21	MCH	MIL	ONT 7	TRE	PHX																	12th	1,100
1972	PHX	TRE	INDY 31	MIL	MCH	POC 31	MIL	ONT 23	TRE	PHX																			-	0
1973	TWS	TRE	TRE	INDY 31	MIL	POC 21	MCH	MIL	ONT	ONT	ONT 23	MCH	MCH	TRE	TWS	PHX													-	0

Indianapolis 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

Complete Canadian-American Challenge Cup results

(key) (Races inboldindicate pole position) (Races initalicsindicate fastest lap)

Year	Team	Car	Engine	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	Pos	Points
1966	Drummond Racing	McLarenM1B	Ford	MTR	BRI	MOS	LAG	RIV 6	LVG 4						10th	4
1967	DanaChevroletRacing	Lola T70Mk.3	Chevrolet	ROA Ret	BRI Ret	MOS 4	LAG Ret	RIV Ret	LVG DSQ						9th	3
1968	Shelby American Racing	McLaren M6B	Ford	ROA 4	BRI Ret	EDM Ret	LAG 12	RIV Ret	LVG Ret						12th	3
1969	Agapiou Brothers Racing	Ford G7A	Ford	MOS DNS	MTR DNS	WGL	EDM								9th	30
	Robbins-Jeffries Racing	LolaT163	Chevrolet					MDO 7	ROA 4	BRI Ret	MCH Ret	LAG Ret	RIV 5	TWS Ret
1970	Carl Haas Racing	LolaT220	Chevrolet	MOS Ret	MTR Ret	WGL 19	EDM Ret	MDO 2	ROA Ret	ATL Ret	BRA 3	LAG 3	RIV Ret		8th	39
1971	Bruce McLaren Motor Racing	McLaren M8F	Chevrolet	MOS 2	MTR 3	ATL 1	WGL 1	MDO 7	ROA 1	BRA 1	EDM 12	LAG 1	RIV 2		1st	142
1972	Bruce McLaren Motor Racing	McLaren M20	Chevrolet	MOS 3	ATL Ret	WGL 2	MDO Ret	ROA Ret	BRA Ret	EDM 6	LAG 19	RIV 2			6th	48
Source:

See also

• List of select Jewish racing drivers

References

All work no playboy | Motor Sport Magazine Archive. (2014, November 27). Retrieved fromAll work no playboy

Chang, R. S. (2008, May 29). McQueen's Porsche, but Memories of Another Driver. Retrieved from

(n.d.). Retrieved from[1]

There but for fortune | Motor Sport Magazine Archive. (2014, December 23). Retrieved fromThere but for fortune

External links

• Bruce McLaren Trust website with articles featuring Revson
• Video Tribute to Peter RevsononYouTube
• Video interview with Peter RevsononYouTube