Leslie Brooke

Henry Leslie Brooke, GM (12 September 1910 – 9 November 1967[2]) was a British racing driver from England. He competed in various classes of racing, including non-championship Formula One, the Le Mans 24-hour race and the Monte Carlo Rally, in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s.

Leslie Brooke
NationalityBritish
BornHenry Leslie Brooke[1]
(1910-09-12)12 September 1910
Rusholme, UK
Died9 November 1967(1967-11-09) (aged 57)
Birmingham, UK
World Sportscar Championship
Years active1955
TeamsTriumph Motor Company
Starts1
Wins0
Poles0
Previous series
1947–1954Non-championship Formula One
24 Hours of Le Mans career
Years1955
TeamsTriumph Motor Company
Best finish19th (1955) (7th in class)
Class wins0

Racing career

Pre-World War II

Brooke began his career in 1937 with a self-built special based upon a Riley Imp chassis, with an 1,100 cc (67 cu in) MG engine.[2] He entered several events that season but without much success.[2] However, he continued to develop the car over the subsequent two seasons and in 1939, using a Riley 1,750 cc (107 cu in) straight-six engine, achieved three podium finishes at Brooklands, together with a second place at Shelsley Walsh[2] and another second place in the International Trophy at Silverstone.[3]

Post-war

Brooke's career was then interrupted by World War II. He resumed thereafter, initially with his special, but subsequently purchased an ERA B-type.[2] With this car he won the Grand Prix des Frontières in 1946[4] and hillclimb events.[2]

In 1947, he finished second in the Swedish Winter Grand Prix[5] in February, but retired from the Vallentuna F1 race held later the same month[6] and from the Jersey F1 race held at Saint Helier.[7] Brooke then purchased an ERA E-type which he used to compete in the Reims Grand Prix retiring after five laps after which he shared Fred Ashmore's ERA B-type which also retired after 33 laps.[8] At the Grand Prix d'Albi, Brooke resumed with his own B-type but having qualified sixth,[9] retired after 18 laps with an engine problem.[10] At the Nice Grand Prix, he finished seventh with the B-type having qualified 20th, and last. He achieved the first-ever race finish (fourth) for the E-type in the 1947 British Empire Trophy at Douglas Circuit[2] and at the 1947 French Grand Prix, qualified in eighth position with the same car but retired after only one lap with an engine problem.[11] He later sold the car back to ERA.[2]

In 1948, Brooke began the season with the B-type, retiring from the Jersey F1 race in April,[12] but claiming third-place in the British Empire Trophy in May,[13] followed by fourth place in the inaugural Zandvoort Grand Prix.[14] He then moved to a Maserati 4CLT, entered by Scuderia Ambrosiana and finished 11th in the Grand Prix d'Albi[15] and 11th in the 1948 Italian Grand Prix under his own name,[16] but was forced to retire from the Monza Grand Prix[17] and the Penya Rhin Grand Prix.[18]

In 1949, Brooke finished seventh in the Grand Prix d'Albi with the Maserati,[19] did not progress past the heats at the International Trophy and retired from the 1949 Italian Grand Prix.[1]

Brooke retired from the 1950 San Remo Grand Prix after eight laps. He subsequently reduced his participation in circuit racing and began competing in rallying with a Triumph TR2.[2] He also competed in the Monte Carlo Rally in 1955 when the Standard Motor Company entered several of their Eight and Ten models.[20]

Brooke made an appearance at the 1954 Goodwood F1 race with a Connaught A-type-Lea Francis. However, having set fastest time in qualifying, he failed to start the race.[21]

Career highlights
Season Series Position Entrant Car
1946 Grand Prix des Frontières 1st Leslie Brooke ERA B-type
1947 Swedish Winter Grand Prix 2nd Leslie Brooke ERA B-type
1948 British Empire Trophy 3rd Leslie Brooke ERA B-type
Source:[1]

Complete Mille Miglia results
Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Pos. Class
Pos.
1954 Jack Fairman Triumph TR2 S2.0 94th
1955 Frank Lampe Triumph TR2 S2.0 59th
1956 Stan Asbury Austin-Healey 100 SP DNF
Source:[22]

Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results
Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps Pos. Class
Pos.
1955 Standard Triumph Mortimer Morris-Goodall Triumph TR2 S2.0 214 19th 7th
Source:[23]

Personal life

Brooke was awarded the George Medal during World War II for bravery during the Coventry Blitz.[2] He was also joint-principal of Coventry-based Speed Engines Limited, set up in the mid 1950s to build a British F1 engine. The project was short-lived though and only one example was produced.[24]

References
  1. "Leslie Brooke". Motor Sport magazine database. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  2. "Leslie Brooke". www.historicracing.com. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
  3. Jenkinson, Denis (April 1978). "The International Trophy". Motor Sport magazine archive. p. 27. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
  4. "Reports of Recent Events". Motor Sport magazine archive. August 1946. p. 7. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
  5. "1947 Swedish Winter Grand Prix". Motor Sport magazine database. Retrieved 30 November 2016.
  6. "1947 Vallentuna F1". Motor Sport magazine database. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  7. "1947 Jersey F1 Race". Motor Sport magazine database. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
  8. Galpin, Darren. "XVI Grand Prix de Reims". www.silhouet.com. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
  9. "1947 Albi Grand Prix". Motor Sport magazine datadase. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
  10. Galpin, Darren. "IX Grand Prix de l'Albigeois". www.silhouet.com. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
  11. "1947 French Grand Prix". Motor Sport magazine database. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
  12. "JCC Jersey Road Race". Motor Sport magazine database. Retrieved 25 December 2016.
  13. "British Empire Trophy". Motor Sport magazine database. Retrieved 25 December 2016.
  14. "1948 Zandvoort Grand Prix". Motor Sport magazine database. Retrieved 9 January 2016.
  15. "1948 Albi Grand Prix Results Sun 29 Aug". Motor Sport magazine database. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
  16. "1948 Italian Grand Prix". Motor Sport magazine database. Retrieved 28 January 2017.
  17. "1948 Monza Grand Prix". Motor Sport magazine database. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  18. "1948 Penya Rhin Grand Prix Results Sun 31 Oct". Motor Sport magazine database. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
  19. Brown, Allen. "Grand Prix d'Albi: Circuit d'Albi, 10 Jul 1949". www.oldracingcars.com. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
  20. "Rumblings: The "Big Five" and the Monte Carlo Rally". Motor Sport magazine archive. March 1955. p. 25. Retrieved 3 April 2017.
  21. "1954 Goodwood F1". Motor Sport magazine database. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
  22. "All Results of Leslie Brooke". racingsportscars.com. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
  23. "Le Mans 1955 Results and Competitors". experiencelemans.com. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
  24. Lawrence, Mike (April 1986). "If... A Story Of What Might Have Been". Motor Sport magazine archive. p. 38. Retrieved 3 April 2017.
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