1. Tom Walkinshaw was involved in professional rugby union, as owner of Gloucester Rugby, and chairman of the team owners organisation for the Aviva Premiership.
21 Facts About Tom Walkinshaw
1. 2.
Tom Walkinshaw began racing in 1968, starting in an MG Midget, before moving on to a Lotus Formula Ford car.
3.
Ford hired Tom Walkinshaw to drive a Capri on the British Touring Car Championship circuit in 1974.
4.
In 1976 Walkinshaw established Tom Walkinshaw Racing, continuing to drive for his own team.
5.
Tom Walkinshaw competed in the 1976 World Championship for Makes, sharing a Hermetite-sponsored BMW 3.5 CSL with John Fitzpatrick.
6.
In September 1984, Tom Walkinshaw had teamed up with Australian driver John Goss to drive an Australian Group C spec XJS in the Bathurst 1000.
7.
Tom Walkinshaw was again a favourite to take out the title, but would finish 3rd.
8.
Tom Walkinshaw had intended to return to Bathurst in 1986 with the V12 Jaguars but withdrew when JRA refused to help with funds following a downturn in the Australian car market.
9.
Tom Walkinshaw comfortably led the race for the first 6 laps from teammate Jeff Allam and Australian Peter Brock in his Holden Dealer Team VK Commodore before retiring with no oil pressure.
10.
In 1988 TWR developed the Holden VL Commodore SS Group A SV and Tom Walkinshaw again teamed with Jeff Allam at the RAC Tourist Trophy at Silverstone.
11.
In 1975 Walkinshaw established Tom Walkinshaw Racing, a group whose business was the manufacture and design of racing and road cars.
12.
In 1991 Tom Walkinshaw was recruited as engineering director of the Benetton F1 team which subsequently won the 1995 Formula One World Championship.
13.
Tom Walkinshaw was involved in the recruitment of Michael Schumacher by Benetton after the German's Formula One debut with the Jordan team.
14.
In 1997 Tom Walkinshaw was voted Autocar Man of the Year.
15.
At the time, Tom Walkinshaw was managing director of Arrows Grand Prix International.
16.
Tom Walkinshaw's TWR racing group went into liquidation in 2002 after the Arrows team ran out of money.
17.
In 2005 Tom Walkinshaw returned to the V8 Supercars Australia and began a new relationship with his former teams, helping lead Holden to its first series win since 2002 through driver Rick Kelly and Garth Tander.
18.
In late 2006 Tom Walkinshaw Performance bought the small Australian sports car manufacturer Elfin Cars.
19.
Tom Walkinshaw died on Sunday 12 December 2010, aged 64, from complications arising from cancer.
20.
Tom Walkinshaw is survived by his son Fergus Walkinshaw from his first marriage, and his second wife Martine Walkinshaw and their sons Ryan and Sean.
21.
Fergus Tom Walkinshaw, who has been racing since 11 years old, inclusive of Ginetta Juniors and GTSupercup, has followed in his fathers footsteps and has restarted TWR in October 2023.