Although Attwood disputed seventeen Formula 1 Grand Prix races, he was most successful in endurance racing and at the wheel of prototypes. He drove his first 24 Hours of Le Mans in a Lola but, a year later, he was one of the first drivers to be approached by Ford as part of its aggressive strategy against Ferrari at Le Mans. However, it was at the wheel of a car bearing the famous prancing horse that he first saw the chequered flag at the 24-Hour race, when he finished seventh with fellow Brit David Piper.

In 1969, he joined the Porsche works team. That year, the 917 that he shared with Vic Elford started the race in pole position. The car took the lead after the fourth hour but the two British drivers were forced out of the race due to gearbox failure with just three hours to go. In 1970, Richard Attwood drove for the Porsche Konstruktionen Salzburg team. His team-mate was German driver Hans Herrmann, a renowned Porsche specialist. Despite only qualifying in fifteenth position, the team at the wheel of the 917 no. 23 had a date with destiny. After a race marked by some very harsh weather conditions, Attwood and Herrmann took the lead eleven hours in and managed to hold on to it until the finishing line. Porsche's 21 years of efforts were finally rewarded with their first victory at Le Mans! In 1971, Attwood moved to John Wyer's team. With Swiss team-mate Herbert Müller, he came second at the wheel of one of the 917s sporting the legendary sky blue and orange Gulf Oil livery.

Although he retired in 1971, he came back to Le Mans in a Nimrod Aston Martin in 1984. He is still very active at the major historic motor racing events such as the Festival of Speed and the Goodwood Revival.

Jean-Philippe Doret / ACO                                  Translated by Clair Pickworth

Photo: LE MANS (SARTHE, FRANCE), CIRCUIT DES 24 HEURES, 24 HOURS OF LE MANS, SATURDAY 13 & SUNDAY 14 JUNE 1970. Alongside Hans Herrmann, Richard Attwood claimed victory after an apocalyptic race, beating some of the big names in endurance racing at that time, including Pedro Rodriguez, Jo Siffert, Jacky Ickx and Vic Elford.

Photo : D.R. - ARCHIVES ACO