First Welchman

Tom Pryce (1949-1977) was a British racing driver from Wales. Fast and promising, he participated in 42 Formula 1 Grand Prix for the Token and Shadow teams between 1974 and 1977, scored two podiums, one pole position and 19 championship points.

Picture above: Tom Pryce, driving a Shadow DN5, wins the 1975 Race of Champions at Brands Hatch, becoming the first (and only to date) Welshman to win a F1 race (here, a non-championship event).

Pryce started his career in F1 with the small Token team, making his only start for them at the 1974 Belgian Grand Prix held at Nivelles. Shortly after winning the Formula 3 support race for the 1974 Monaco Grand Prix, Pryce joined the Shadow team and scored his first points in Germany, in only his fourth race.

Pryce later claimed two podium finishes, his first in Austria in 1975 and the second in Brazil a year later. Tom was considered by his team and most observers, as a great wet-weather driver. Sadly, during the 1977 South African Grand Prix at Kyalami, he collided at high speed with a safety marshal attending a stricken car, and both men were killed. Pryce, an excellent driver and a nice person, was gone too soon…