Ecurie Ecosse


David Leslie, right, makes some last minute adjustments to David Coulthard's Van Diemen at Ingliston.

David Leslie Snr 1927-2011

Scotland lost one of its most influential motor racing figures with the death this week of David Leslie Snr.

 David or “old David” as we affectionately called him, was a man who never courted any publicity and yet was the man who was behind the development of four of Scotland’s leading racing drivers in the past thirty years..

 David was a great karting personality in Scotland and brought up his son, David Leslie, to become one of the most successful karters in Scotland. Quiet spoken, but firm, he nurtured young David’s career and his move from karting into motor racing and Formula Ford. In this he was supported by Bert McNish of Crossflags Garage in Dumfries who was one of David Leslie’s first sponsors. In turn, when young Allan McNish made the move from karting champion to racing cars it was David Leslie Senior who stepped in and ran McNish through David Leslie Racing.

 Hugh McCaig, patron of Ecurie Ecosse, was one who recognised Allan McNish’s talent very early on and it was no surprise when McNish raced his Van Diemen in Ecurie Ecosse colours ; but run by David Leslie Senior.

 David was then called upon to help another young Borders driver in his racing career, David Coulthard. It was David Leslie who efficiently worked with David Coulhard in his early career in Formula Ford. He was to do the very same thing for his next new star, Dario Franchitti , and was always behind the scenes when Dario first hit the headlines in Formula Vauxhall Lotus.

 David Leslie was not a man to engage you in conversation and underline the job he was doing. Getting him to talk was sometimes like pulling teeth but when he did open out his inherent good nature and patience shone through. He did not suffer fools but had a warmth about him that made him the ideal person to nurture and bring on emerging talent.  Added to this his preparation was meticulous and he ran a tight ship.

 I am sure that all of his protégés mentioned above will acknowledge the guiding hand he offered in their early days. If you think about it, nobody else in Scotland – or Great Britain for that matter - could have boasted two Grand Prix drivers ( Allan McNish and David Coulthard), a double Le Mans winner (Allan McNish), a world champion Group C2 driver (David Leslie)  and a two-time Indianapolis 500 winner and five-time Indy Car champion (Dario Franchitti) as graduates from his David Leslie Racing. But then David Leslie would never boast about anything which is what made him special : very special to those of us who knew him and particularly special to motor sport in Scotland.

 For the past few years David Leslie has been in poor health and died in a nursing home in Dumfries just a week before Christmas 2011.

 David, we at Ecurie Ecosse, will always remember you just as we will always remember your son David Leslie who was walking in the footsteps of his father and was ready to take on the baton but was taken from us in the flying accident a few years ago.  We will miss them both.

 

Graham Gauld

-r