{"id":491490,"date":"2010-09-01T15:00:53","date_gmt":"2010-09-01T22:00:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportscardigest.com\/\/?p=39488"},"modified":"2025-01-06T00:46:25","modified_gmt":"2025-01-06T00:46:25","slug":"racing-for-walkinshaw","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/racing-for-walkinshaw\/","title":{"rendered":"Racing for Walkinshaw"},"content":{"rendered":"
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In 1975, at Mallory Park, I made my race debut in British Touring car Championship\u2014it was the first round of a new season. I was driving the Toyota Celica Samuri 1600-cc for the Super Samuri Team. I diced the whole race against this Ford Escort RS2000 entered by London Sports Car Centre, it was in a different class to me, the 2-liter class, whereas I was in the 1.6 one. We diced all race long, but we didn\u2019t touch and had a fair fight throughout. At the end of the race I\u2019d won my class. As I got out of my car a small gathering of people formed around me\u2014they were from Pride and Clarke, the Toyota importers at the time, various members of my Super Samuri Team, and Mike Copelan the motorsport manager. They were all congratulating me saying, \u201cWell done Win!\u201d All of a sudden, this stocky bloke pushed through the little crowd speaking to me in a Scottish accent. He said, \u201cWin\u2019s a funny name!\u201d I replied, \u201cIt\u2019s short for Winston.\u201d He carried on, \u201cI understand this is your first touring car race.\u201d I nodded in agreement. He held his hand out to shake mine and carried on talking, \u201cYou\u2019re very good; one day I\u2019ll have my own touring car team and you\u2019ll be my driver.\u201d The man was Tom Walkinshaw, and that is honestly how we first met. For me it was an absolutely incredible and unexpected meeting that had such a huge impact on my racing career, in fact my whole life.<\/p>\n

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Win Percy
Photo: Mike Jiggle<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sometime later, at Donington Park, I was approached by Eddie Hinckley (Tom\u2019s first employee), I was still contracted to drive for Toyota. Something had happened to their regular driver, Dieter Quester, he\u2019d missed his plane and hadn\u2019t arrived at the circuit. I was asked by Eddie if I could step into Quester\u2019s place. Motor racing, in those days, was very different than today. The Toyota guys were only too pleased to let me have a go in the BMW. I qualified the car quite reasonably, but the car failed in the race and I retired. Little by little, though, I was being drawn toward Tom and racing for him. I got more involved with him when I drove in the BMW County Championship. At the end of 1979 I was still contracted to drive for Toyota. Tom asked me if I\u2019d like to drive for him full time for the 1980 season, I agreed and that was the real start of my career racing for him. Tom is a very focused, determined and ambitious man, and I asked him why he wanted me to drive his Mazda RX-7. He simply said, \u201cWell, I\u2019ve got other plans.\u201d I didn\u2019t then, but I now know, he was at the very start of the Jaguar plan with Chuck Nicholson driving the XJS, which ultimately led to XJR Jaguar and the assault on the Le Mans 24-hour race. Even in those days, his ultimate goal was to have his own team in Formula One\u2014which he achieved with Arrows.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n