Tommy Wisdom

Thomas Henry Wisdom (16 February 1906 – 12 November 1972[1]) was a British motoring correspondent for the Daily Herald. He was also a racing driver who took part in numerous races and rallies.[2]

1939 Bentley 4.25 Litre Embiricos Pourtout Coupé that Wisdom shared with its owner H.S.F. Hay in the 1949 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Model of the factory-entered Nash-Healey that Wisdom shared with Leslie Johnson in the 1952 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Wisdom was born in Brighton. His wife Elsie (known as "Bill") was also a racing driver, and their daughter Ann Wisdom competed in International rallies, most notably as Pat Moss's co-driver.[3][4][5]

Tommy Wisdom, died in Birmingham, aged 66.

Racing, rallying and record-breaking

Wisdom specialised in endurance events and entered 52 sports car races in 33 years, including 12 Le Mans 24-hour races, 10 Mille Miglias and 4 Targa Florios. He was a class winner in the Mille Miglia in 1949, 1952 and 1957, and at Le Mans in 1950 and 1952. In 1950 he lent his Jaguar XK120 to Stirling Moss for the RAC Tourist Trophy, which brought Moss his first major international race victory.

Cars that Wisdom raced included Singer, Riley, MG, Jaguar, Aston Martin, Bristol, Nash-Healey, Austin-Healey, Jowett and Bentley, and among his co-drivers were Jack Fairman, Leslie Johnson, and Graham Whitehead.

An experienced rally driver, he competed in the Monte Carlo Rally 23 times.[6][7]

In 1959 he was a member of the three-driver BMC team whose EX-219 streamliner, a purpose-built experimental Austin-Healey Sprite, broke 12 speed records at Bonneville Salt Flats. The car averaged 138.75 mph (223.30 km/h) for 12 hours.[8]

Sports car racing results

No.DateRaceEntrantCarTeammate(s)Result
122 August 1931RAC Tourist Trophy"L.A. Cushman"Invicta S"J. Chilton"
Donald Healey
Dudley Froy
19th
220 August 1932RAC Tourist TrophyElsie WisdomRiley Brooklands 9Sammy NewsomeDNF
316 September 1933500 Miles of BrooklandsAlan HessMG L TypeAlan HessDNF
417 June 19341934 24 Hours of Le MansSinger MotorsSinger Nine Le MansJohn Donald Barnes18th
522 September 1934500 Miles of BrooklandsCapt. G.E.T. EystonMG K3Bill Everitt4th
616 June 19351935 24 Hours of Le MansSinger MotorsSinger Nine Le MansJohn Donald BarnesDNF
7 7 September 1935 RAC Tourist Trophy Peter Donkin Aston Martin Ulster Peter Donkin DNS
821 September 1935500 Miles of Brooklands"Evans"MG R-Type"A.L. Phipps"NC
928 June 1936Grand Prix de l'ACFD.M.K. MarendazMarendaz SpecialEarl Howe25th
10 5 September 1936 RAC Tourist Trophy Arthur Dobson Riley TT Sprite Arthur Dobson DNS
1119 September 1936500 Miles of Brooklands"Dixon"Riley 6"G. Daybell"6th
124 April 1937Mille MigliaMG SAElsie WisdomDNF
13 24 July 1937 12 Hours of Donington Team Autosports Singer Nine Le Mans Frank Stanley Barnes
Alf Langley
DNA
144 September 1937RAC Tourist TrophySinger MotorsSinger Nine Le MansnoneDNF
1519 June 19381938 24 Hours of Le MansTeam AutosportsSinger Nine Le MansJohn Donald BarnesDNF
163 September 1938RAC Tourist TrophyFrank Stanley BarnesSingernone26th
1718 June 19391939 24 Hours of Le MansArchie Scott BrownSinger Nine Le MansArchie ScottDNF
1811 July 1948Spa 24 HoursHealeyNick Haines8th
1912 September 194824 Hours of ParisHealeyNorman BlackDNF
2024 April 1949Mille MigliaHealey 2400 WestlandGeoffrey Healey10th (1st in class)
2126 June 19491949 24 Hours of Le Mans"H.S.F. Hay"Bentley 4 1/4 Paulin"H.S.F. Hay"
"Mrs. Hay"
6th
2210 July 1949Spa 24 HoursJowettJowett JavelinAnthony Hulme9th
2320 August 1949Silverstone InternationalDonald HealeyHealey Silverstonenone17th
243 January 1950Palm BeachHealey Silverstone"C. Swenson"22nd
252 April 1950Targa FlorioHealey SilverstoneAnthony Hulme15th
2623 April 1950Mille MigliaJaguar CarsJaguar XK120Anthony HulmeDNF
2718 June 1950Circuito do PortoJaguar XK1203rd
2825 June 19501950 24 Hours of Le MansJowettJowett JupiterTommy Wise16th (1st in class)
2926 August 1950Silverstone InternationalTom WisdomJaguar XK120none7th
3016 September 1950RAC Tourist TrophyJowettJowett JupiternoneDNF
3129 April 1951Mille MigliaTommy WisdomAston Martin DB2Anthony Hulme11th
325 May 1951International Production Car RaceT.H. WisdomJaguar XK120none9th
3317 June 19511951 Portuguese Grand PrixJaguar XK120DNF
3423 June 19511951 24 Hours of Le MansJowettJowett JupiterTommy WiseDNF
35 15 September 1951 RAC Tourist Trophy Jaguar Cars Jaguar C-Type Stirling Moss DNS
3615 September 1951RAC Tourist TrophyJowett CarsJowett JupiternoneNC
374 May 1952Mille MigliaAston MartinAston Martin DB2Fred Lown12th (1st in class)
382 June 19521952 Monaco Grand PrixTommy WisdomJaguar C-Typenone6th
3915 June 19521952 24 Hours of Le MansHealeyNash-HealeyLeslie Johnson3rd (1st in class)
4026 April 19531953 Mille MigliaAston Martin Lagonda Ltd.Aston Martin DB2Dave Halliwell
Peter Bolton
DNF
4114 May 1953Targa FlorioJaguar CarsJaguar C-Typenone17th
4214 June 19531953 24 Hours of Le MansBristol Aeroplane Co.Bristol 450Jack Fairman
Maurice Wilson
Graham Whitehead
DNF
43 7 March 1954 12 Hours of Sebring Donald Healey Ltd. Austin-Healey 100 Lance Macklin
George Huntoon
Thomas Johnson
DNS
442 May 19541954 Mille MigliaDonald HealeyAustin-Healey 100Mortimer Morris-GoodallDNF
4513 June 19541954 24 Hours of Le MansBristol Aeroplane Co.Bristol 450Jack Fairman8th
464 July 195412 Hours of ReimsBristol Aeroplane Co.Bristol 450Jack Fairman12th
471 May 1955Mille MigliaAston MartinAston Martin DB2Peter BoltonDNF
4812 June 19551955 24 Hours of Le MansBristol Aeroplane Co.Bristol 450Jack Fairman
Tommy Line
9th
4929 April 1956Mille MigliaAustin-Healey 100SWalter Monaco77th
5012 May 1957Mille MigliaAustin-Healey 100SCecil Winby37th
5124 May 1959Targa FlorioTommy WisdomAustin-Healey SpriteBernard Cahier18th
5226 April 1964Targa FlorioDonald Healey Motor CompanyAustin-Healey SpritePaddy HopkirkDNF

[9][10][11][12]

References

  1. "Tommy Wisdom | Racing career profile | Driver Database".
  2. Harnessing Horsepower: The Pat Moss Carlsson story, S. Turner, Veloce Publishing, 2011, p.29
  3. "Speedqueens: Elsie Wisdom". 29 July 2010.
  4. "Cocktails, cakes and a racing heroine called Bill". www.goodwood.co.uk. Archived from the original on 8 March 2014.
  5. Fast Ladies – Female Racing Drivers 1888–1970, J-F. Bouzanquet, Veloce Publishing, 2009, p.84
  6. "High Performance Course - HISTORY".
  7. "Rallysport | AHOCN". 8 December 2015.
  8. Goodwin, Carl (2011). They Started in MGs. McFarland. p. 99. ISBN 978-0-7864-6052-6.
  9. "Tommy Wisdom (GB) - Racing Sports Cars".
  10. "Le Mans Through the Years". Archived from the original on 28 February 2014. Retrieved 28 February 2014.
  11. "Le Mans History".
  12. "Jowett Jupiter Sports Car competition results summary - Monte Carlo, le Mans, Watkins Glen and more".
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