Racing Heroes - Peter Revson

Peter Revson at the German Grand Prix in 1973. Photo by Raimund Kommer.

For those with a passion for motorsports, intent on a career as a racing driver, having a wealthy family is both a blessing and a curse. Peter Revson, born into the family that founded Revlon cosmetics, never wanted for anything material in his life, yet frequently witnessed his talents being downplayed in the media, dismissed as the "rich guy from New York" who raced when he wasn't living the life of a jet-set playboy. Those who knew him best understood that Peter Revson, one of a handful of American drivers with Formula One wins to their credit, worked extremely hard at being fast.

Born to Martin and Julie Phelps Revson in February 1939, Peter Revson was raised in affluence in Westchester County, New York. Sent to the finest of prep schools, and ultimately to college at Cornell University, he was likely expected by his family to follow a conventional path into business. When his father stepped down from the Revlon board of directors in 1958, his sure path to success in the cosmetics industry was less certain, but none of this mattered to Peter; his idea of success already differed from convention.

In 1961, while attending the University of Hawaii, Revson had his first taste of motorsport competition. Driving a Morgan, Revson won in just his second outing, but following the conclusion of his third race received a temporary ban for aggressive driving. This setback aside, the hook had been set, and Revson began working toward a career as a racing driver. With former Cornell classmates Timmy and Teddy Mayer, Revson formed the Rev-Em Formula Junior team in 1962, with the hopes of progressing up the racing ladder into the "big league," Formula One. Peter and Timmy would be the drivers, while the more studious Teddy would be the team's manager; after a season with just limited success, the group moved to Europe in 1963 to further its efforts.

Revson at the 1972 Canadian Grand Prix. Photo by Laurie Button.

Revson likely could have lived comfortably in the finest of hotels, but instead opted to stay in the team's worn-out transporter to save money. By the end of 1963, Revson's efforts began to pay off, and he made his Formula One debut (in a non-championship race) driving a Lotus-BRM for Reg Parnell Racing at September's International Gold Cup, held at Oulton Park, England. In 1964, Revson would drive for both Revson Racing and for Reg Parnell Racing in F1, but the season proved a disappointment. Out of six attempted starts, Revson did not qualify for the season opener at Monaco, was disqualified from the Belgian Grand Prix and managed a season-best 13th place finish at the Italian Grand Prix.

Tragedy struck Revson in 1964 as well. While racing in the Tasman series, Timmy Mayer was killed in practice for the South Pacific Trophy race at the Longford circuit in Tasmania, Australia. His death came two months before the start of the Formula One season, but the loss certainly weighed on both Revson and Timmy's brother, Teddy; despite this, both continued their paths into professional motorsports, Revson as driver and Teddy Mayer as team manager.

Achieving greatness in Formula One was proving difficult for Revson, so in 1965 he returned stateside to campaign sports cars in various SCCA series, only occasionally racing in FIA World Sports Car Championship events. Over the next several years, Revson appeared to be everywhere at once, driving in the Can-Am and Trans-Am series (where he raced a Mercury Cougar for Bud Moore before joining the Javelin Racing Team in 1968 to drive the new AMC Javelin), along with the occasional IndyCar start. In 1967, death came calling once again, when Revson's younger brother Doug was killed in a Formula 3 crash in Denmark.

In 1969, Revson ran his first Indy 500, where he started last and climbed his way to a fifth-place finish. He kept a busy schedule in 1970, but his breakout year came in 1971, when he qualified on pole at Indianapolis and finished second, then went on to become the first American to capture the Can-Am season title. On top of his game in sports car racing, Revson was once again lured back to the world of Formula One, where he drove a single race (at Watkins Glen in October 1971) for Elf Team Tyrrell.

In 1972, Revson was hired by Yardley Team McLaren, where the team manager was his old colleague Teddy Mayer. Despite missing three races (where Brian Redman sat in for Revson), he still finished a respectable fifth in the year-end point standings, delivering four podium finishes in nine races. The following year, 1973, Revson captured his first Grand Prix win at the British Grand Prix, following this up with a second victory at the late-season Canadian Grand Pix. Though he'd missed just a single race (the French Grand Prix), three DNFs hurt his chances of contesting for the championship. As in 1972, he'd end the year fifth in the standings, but trouble, in the form of Emerson Fittipaldi, was on the horizon.

Fittipaldi, who'd captured his first world championship in 1972, was shopping for a new team in 1974 and brought with him sponsorship from Marlboro. Despite their long relationship, McLaren team manager Mayer made the decision to cut Revson in favor of Fittipaldi for the 1974 season, hoping that the Brazilian's talent and funding could carry McLaren to a world championship. It appeared as if Revson would land on his feet at Ferrari, but restrictions on extracurricular racing in North America demanded by the Scuderia prompted Revson to end his talks with the team. Mayer extended an olive branch of sorts by offering Revson a seat on the Yardley McLaren team, its secondary effort, but made it clear that Revson would be third in the team pecking order behind stars Fittipaldi and Denny Hulme. The American driver refused the offer, and instead signed with the UOP Shadow Racing Team, partnered with French driver Jean-Pierre Jarier.

The season opened with DNFs for Revson and Jarier in Argentina and Brazil, so the opportunity for additional testing in advance of the South African Grand Prix was welcomed by the Shadow team. On March 22, 1974, Revson climbed into a race car for the very last time; entering a section of the Kyalami track known as Barbecue Bend, a titanium ball joint on Revson's Shadow DN3 failed, sending him into the Armco barrier at a high rate of speed. The impact was massive, and Revson died of his injuries before help could arrive.

Despite what critics of the day implied, Revson made it in racing on his own merits, without the aid of his family fortune. Had an improperly finished component not failed that day in South Africa, could Revson have eventually captured the world championship he so desperately sought? That particular question will forever go unanswered, but his achievements in other forms of motorsport are certainly an enduring legacy, as well as a clear indication of his talent behind the wheel.