Drivers

Roger Williamson

A gifted young kartist who came to prominence driving a Ford Anglia in British club events and then moved into Formula 3 in 1971 driving a March 713M with backing from Tom Wheatcroft, the Leicester building contractor who was also the new owner of the Donington Park circuit. Williamson won the Lombank British F3 title in 1972 and then moved into Formula 2 for 1973, winning the Monza Lottery race in a Wheatcroft March-BMW. He was then signed to drive a works March 731 in the British Grand Prix at Silverstone where he was eliminated in the multiple pileup at the end of the opening lap.In the following Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort he crashed heavily due to a suspected tire failure. The March flipped and Williamson was asphyxiated when the car caught fire. Fellow March driver David Purley distinguished himself trying to save Williamson but was beaten back by the flames.