Richard Lloyd (racing driver)

Le Mans drivers
Name = Richard Lloyd


Caption =
Nationality = flagicon|GBR British
Years = 24hLM|1982 - 24hLM|1985
Teams = GTi Engineering, Richard Lloyd Racing
Best Finish = 2nd (24hLM|1985)
Class Wins = 0

Richard Lloyd (February 18, 1945 – March 30, 2008) was a British racing car driver and founder of multiple sports car and touring car teams. He drove in multiple championships himself, including the British Saloon Car Championship and the World Endurance Championship.

Life and career

Initially Lloyd worked for Decca Records from 1964 to 1970, during which time he became interested in racing after competing in a Triumph TR4A during 1967. He later formed his own public relations business, "Motor Race Relations", in 1971, while continuing his own driving duties, during which time he won multiple events in the British Saloon Car Championship. He went on to form "GTi Engineering" in 1978, running Volkswagen Golf GTIs and Audi 80s. This team eventually became "Richard Lloyd Racing" in 1985 as Lloyd moved into the World Sportscar Championship with Porsche 956s and 962s.

Following the demise of the team in 1990, Richard Lloyd returned to racing, driving, and winning, in the Porsche 924 Championship. In 1995, he established "Audi Sport UK" to once again compete in the British Touring Car Championship, with support from the Audi factory. Lloyd re-entered sports car racing in 1999 with the Audi R8C program at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, before being chosen by Audi's fellow Volkswagen Group subsidiary, Bentley, to run the EXP Speed 8 program in 2001.

Audi Sport UK was renamed "Apex Motorsport" during their Bentley tenure, and are currently Jaguar's development team for the XKR in the FIA GT3 European Championship. Lloyd stopped racing professionally in the 1990s, but continued to run in historic racing events up until his death.

Death

Lloyd died on 30th March 2008 after a private jet on which he was travelling crashed into a house in Farnborough, shortly after take-off from Biggin Hill Airport. It is reported that just before the crash the plane suffered severe engine problems. All five occupants were killed upon impact, which also included former British Touring Car Championship driver David Leslie. [ [http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30100-1311171,00.html Farnborough Air Crash: Cessna Aircraft Goes Down In Kent |Sky News|UK News ] ] Both were en route to the Nogaro Circuit in France to prepare Apex Motorsport's Jaguar for the upcoming FIA GT3 season. [citeweb | url = http://www.planetlemans.com/2008/03/30/david-leslie-and-richard-lloyd-killed-in-plane-accident/ | title = David Leslie and Richard Lloyd killed in plane accident | publisher = Planetlemans | date = 30 March 2008 | accessdate = 2008-03-30]

References

External links

* [http://www.brdc.co.uk/brdcarchive.cfm/flag/2/member_id/144 British Racing Drivers' Club] - Richard Lloyd
* [http://www.apexmotorsport.com/ Apex Motorsport]