Tom Pryce -- In Memoriam

DISCLAIMER: This post contains detailed graphical content. Discretion is advised. This is also dated 05/03.

Tom Pryce is a driver that not many people remember. He was killed on this day in 1977 at the South African GP at Kyalami.

Tomarted his F1 career at the Belgian GP in 1974 with Token Racing in the RJ02 chassis. The race was held at Circuit Nivelles-Baulers, which was used twice in ‘72 and ‘74 and was deemed a “safe alternative” to Spa. Almost too safe as the drivers and spectators didn’t like it. Tom however, retired from the race.

He sat out the Monaco and Swedish GP and was later snapped up by Shadow Racing - full name UOP Shadow Racing Team. He retired from his first two entries. His first points came at the German GP held at the famous Nordschleife circuit. He finished a whole a whole 1minute 7seconds (!) and two places ahead of experienced teammate Jean-Pierre Jarier, he showed what he could do.

His first major success came the following year in 1975. Having never claimed a championship victory in his career, his claim to fame is his Race of Champions victory at Brands Hatch. Tom dominated the race in appalling conditions. After a bit of rain and even snow, he won by a margin of over 30 seconds to Surtees driver John Watson. This was Tom’s only win.

Tom did however score 8 championship points that season and finished 10th in the standings - complete with a 3rd place at the incredibly weird Austrian GP (look it up if you don’t get it).

He would also score his second and final podium at the season opening Brazilian GP the following season. He scored 10 points in 1976, but only finished 12th in the final standings.

Now we get to 1977, a season that isn’t talked about much. The start of the season wasn’t great for Tom as he was not classified at the Argentine GP at Buenos Aires for some reason (I can’t find out why) and retired in Brazil due to an engine issue - despite using last season’s car.

Then comes the illusive South African GP at Kyalami. James Hunt took his third consecutive pole position of the season, with Carlos Pacé alongside. Niki Lauda, who started third, took the lead on lap 6 - he later won the race.

The race however was overshadowed by the accidents on Lap 22. Pryce’s Shadow teammate, Renzo Zorti, pulled over on the start finish straight due to a split fuel pipe. After the car briefly burst into flames, two marshals ran across the track to assist - one of these was 19 year old Frederick Jansen van Vuuren.

Pryce was racing alongside Hans-Joachim Stuck who was driving a Ford-powered March that day. They created a rise in the circuit, and to their surprise, they came across marshals on the track. Stuck swerved clear of the first marshal, narrowly missing them. But Pryce was now blind as to where the the second marshal was.

After seeing van Vuuren at the last moment, he had no time to react and hit the 19 year old at over 150 miles an hour. van Vuuren was killed instantly as his body was split in two by the extreme forces. His injuries were so severe that his body was only identified after the race director summoned all the race marshals and van Vuuren was not among them.

At the moment of impact, the fire extinguisher that van Vuuren was holding flew out of his hand and hit Pryce in the head - still travelling at serious speeds. The exceptional forces caused the chin strap of Pryce’s helmet to dig into his neck and rip into the skin. This was done to such an extent that Pryce was nearly decapitated by his own safety equipment.

The car began to slow as it headed for the first corner - with Pryce’s dead body at the wheel. The car headed in a direct line towards the first corner, later colliding with Jacques Laffite’s Ligier. Laffite, understandably enraged, got out of his car in anger, before seeing Pryce slumped at the wheel covered in blood.

The whole incident was televised live on TV.

It would also prove to be Carlos Pacé’s last race, as he was sadly killed in a plane crash just a few weeks later.

Niki Lauda went on to win the race, with his first victory since his ‘76 Nürburgring accident. Lauda’s car was damaged after picking up debris from Pryce’s accident. This damaged the water system on Lauda’s 312T2 - engineers later discovered only a third of the cars normal water levels remained.

Lauda first described it as the greatest win of his career, but after finding out the sad news if Pryce and van Vuuren’s deaths, he was later quoted as saying “there is no joy after that”.

Tom Pryce is Formula 1’s most successful Welshman, scoring a record two podiums and 19 championship points.

Tom was remembered for his charisma and humour around the paddock. He is still regarded as a great driver that deserved more from his career.

Out of respect for Tom, my CT account banner will be changed to honour him. This will be kept until further notice.

Thanks all for reading, drive safe,
675LT_ftw