Parker, Don

[HiRich]

I've somehow volunteered myself to interview an associate of Don Parker in about a week's time. Problem is, the information about both 1950s F3 generally, and Don in particular is very piecemeal and can be summarised as:
- Was 40 before he even saw a race
- Developed the CFM and Kieft-based Parker Specials
- Was very successful
- Often beat Stirling Moss
- Hardly ever raced outside F3
I've got a fairly decent understanding of the 500s anyway, but I'm struggling to put all the pieces together to define a timeline and develop a framework for the interview. Best source has been www.500race.org, but seeing as it was written by my brother, it's hardly trustworthy!

I've done the usual internet searches, but does anyone have access to any decent biographical pieces that I can bone up on?

Thanks Awfully
Rich

[j w davies]

there was an article on Don in Motor Sport June 2003.

[RAP]

Hope this helps.From Motor Racing Register 1964 (summarised)

Born 1908 Married 1 daughter
Business - Don Parker Motors London
First race 1950 Parker Spl 500 At Silverstone. Sebsequently became leading 500 exponent in Kiefts tuned by Steve Lancefield and Francis Beart. Winner Autosport 500cc Championship 1952-54.in 1953 31 1st, 12 2nd, 3 3rds. Wins at Monaco , Reims, Zandvoort, Nurburgring as well as all UK cicuits. At various times held lap record at Brands, Oulton, Fairwood, Silverstone, Snetterton, Cadwell, Crystal Palace & Shelsley Walsh. Also competed with Jensen (1960 after 500 racing more or less folded up as I recall) Jaguar (I don't recall this) and Cooper (1956-1959 after the Kieft was no longer competative - I'm pretty certain he was 1959 500 champ although the MRR bio doesn't say so)

All in all pretty much the "top dog" in 500s.
RAP

[HiRich]

Thanks for that RAP. Particularly, whilst I was aware of a couple of races (such as the Dundrod TT) in Kieft sportscars, I have not heard of any other races outside of F3-500.

I also thought there was only one F3 race at Monaco, which I'm pretty sure was a Moss victory.

Does anyone know where/what Fairwood is/was?

Rich

[RAP]

[QUOTE=HiRich]
I also thought there was only one F3 race at Monaco, which I'm pretty sure was a Moss victory.
Me too. Parker was 3rd not 1st - just goes to show yet again that you can't believe all that is published!!

Does anyone know where/what Fairwood is/was?

Yes- airfield near Swansea. Used only twice (by cars) 26/7/52 and 24/7/54 by Welsh Motor Racing Club / Swansea MC for "500cc Car Championship of Wales"

[j w davies]

Fairwood Circuit is now Swansea airport.
On July 26 1952 it held the 500cc Championship of Wales. Don Parker (Kieft) won heat 3 but only finished 4th in the final which was won by George Wicken in a Cooper.
On July 24 1954 Don Parker (Kieft) finished 3rd in the second heat after hitting a straw bale at the hairpin. Don won the final with a fastest lap of 1min 22.1 secs (74.27 mph). He also drove a Kieft 1100 in the 1500cc sports car race but didn't place, Colin Chapman (Lotus 8) won, Archie Scott-Brown (Lister-MG) second.

[ErleMinhinnick]

At one stage he was involved in the production of racing car trailers - the only customer ones you could buy in the old days, maybe? I still have one and use it regularly.

[Marcus Mussa]

I have been clearing a cupboard and happened finally to find the notes I made back in 1992 when I had a telephone interview with Don Parker. I was involved in the second edition of Yves Naquin’s book about the Monaco Grand Prix and as he speaks no English he asked me to call Stirling Moss, Don Parker and Geoff Duke, for their recollections about their races in Monaco. Yves lent me a tape recorder – it was a plastic thing that you give to 5 year old children for Christmas, and naturally it recorded nothing at all when I spoke to Parker! Luckily I copied down what he said which was as follows:

That race was a long time ago, over forty years and I am now 84 years old!
I was always a private driver. I won the Formula 3 championship in England three times. I started with a KIEFT which was awful. I modified it and won my first championship. I then built my own car, which I still called a KIEFT before giving it my own name. Altogether I won over 125 races during my career. I stopped racing in 1960.

The car used at Monaco had a 500 cc JAP engine, and Norton gearbox driving through a chain. I used Dunlop tyres and Shell petrol. We used to run 10.5/11:1 compression ratios.

As I am a small person, only 8 stone, the car was very fast up the hill towards the Casino. I finished 2nd in the heat and 3rd in the final, behind Moss and Schell.

My best memories of Monaco are the sunny weather and the cream cakes. I enjoyed the race very much.

I stayed at a hotel at the top of the hill. We really operated on a shoe-string budget. I suppose our costs were just about covered by the starting money and the prize money.

Monaco was a real driver’s track. You had to be on your feet the whole time. There was no room to make mistakes.

All the best
Marcus