Whether you’re new to classic motor racing or have been involved for years, we’d like to ask you to join us on a brief journey into our history.
When you’re uncle is Reg Parnell, a highly influential racing driver of his time, and your ancestry includes John Whitehurst, a well known 18th Century scientist and clockmaker (who had a hand in the design of the original steam engine), maybe you’re destined to be involved in engines and motor racing. Clearly it runs in the blood.
David Whitehurst started building steam engines at school at the age of seven. During the summer he would help his Uncle Reg at his farm and learned a lot from tinkering with engines, as well as driving the farm vehicles.
At age 12 Dave bought his first car, a 1933 Austin 7, and by age 13 had rebuilt the engine entirely by himself. So began a long career in engineering.
By the age of 17 he began to work for the Kenning Motor Company, who were agents for BMC. It was after this stint that he decided he wanted to get into all out racing. So, shortly after he moved to work for Alan Borta, a Jaguar and Bentley agent, and by 1959 was working full time for his Uncle Reg in Formula One racing. For those three years he worked as a trackside mechanic with the likes of Tim Parnell, Andre Pilett and Gerry Ashmore.
After this in 1963 Dave started with Alan Smith Racing, and eventually moved on to become Managing Director, spending a successful 13 years at the helm of the company. Here Dave specialised in building Cosworth and BMW engines as well as engines for F5000 Chevron cars.
In 1974 Dave took over the company and David Whitehurst Racing started it’s journey. Dave is now joined by his son Julian, who trained at Rolls Royce. From trackside to engine building Julian has twenty years experience within the industry and hopes one day to take over the family business and continue his father’s legacy.
