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English racing driver (1912–1984)

Peter Douglas Conyers Walker (7 October 1912 – 1 March 1984) was an English racing driver. He was born in Huby, Yorkshire and died in Newtown, Worcestershire. He proved a strong driver in most disciplines, but was most adept in sports cars, winning the 1951 24 Hours of Le Mans race, and the Goodwood Nine Hours in 1955. He effectively retired after a crash in 1956 left him with serious injuries.

Peter 'Skid' Walker was born in Yorkshire in October 1912. He really started his racing career in 1935, after linking up with Peter Whitehead. He enjoyed success in both circuit racing and hillclimbing with an ERA prior to World War II, with victories at Brooklands and Donington Park. Throughout this period, he could be found racing Whitehead's ERAs. His aggressive, sliding style made him a crowd favourite and gained him a little bit of notoriety. After the hostilities finished, he returned to the sport.

Although competitive before the war, Walker's aggressive style and experience helped him become even more successful. In fact, he was one of handful of driver who could get the ERA E type to perform. In 1948, he was able to put together some impressive performances both in hillclimbing, but in Grand Prix Racing. One of those races was the inaugural British Grand Prix, at RAF Silverstone. However, the race did not go to plan. He entered the race driving an ERA E type, but the manufacturer was unable to deliver the chassis in time, so Walker used his older B type. During the race, he survived the massive attrition to finish in 11th place, 12 laps adrift of the winner, Luigi Villoresi.

Walker performances of the hills brought him to the attention of Lofty England, the manager of Jaguar's sports car racing team, rewarded him with a drive in a Jaguar XK120 in this newly launched car's first race at Silverstone in 1949. Walker finished second, but won at same event 12 months later, in an alloy bodied works prepared XK120. Still nursing his burns from the British Grand Prix, Walker dismissed them as little more than "a bit of a nuisance", he arrived at Dundrod to race a C Type in the RAC Tourist Trophy. Jaguar cleaned up, taking all three places in the podium. As for Walker, he finished in a dutiful second behind Moss. Walker did test and race again in 1957. In the spring, he tested for Rob Walker Racing Team, in their Connaught Type B at Goodwood, and subsequently drove the car in a one off race, the Gran Premio di Siracusa the following season. He was classified in eighth place despite spinning and stalling the car late on.

Year Team Co Drivers Car Class Laps 1951 Peter Walker Peter Whitehead Jaguar C Type S5.0 267 1st 1st 1952 Peter Walker Stirling Moss Jaguar C Type S5.0 DNF(Engine) 1953 Jaguar Cars Ltd. Stirling Moss Jaguar C Type S5.0 300 2nd 2nd 1954 Jaguar Cars Ltd. Stirling Moss Jaguar D Type S5.0 92DNF(Brakes) 1955 Aston Martin Ltd. Roy Salvadori Aston Martin DB3S S3.0 105DNF(Engine) 1956 David Brown Roy Salvadori Aston Martin DB3S S3.0 175DNF(Accident)

Year Team Co Drivers Car Class Laps 1954 Jaguar Cars Ltd. Stirling Moss Jaguar C Type DNF(Halfshaft)