Shane Lister Summers (23 June 1936 – 1 June 1961) was a British

racing driver Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition. Auto racing has existed since the invention of the automobile. Races of various sorts were organise ...

, born in Rossett,

Denbighshire Denbighshire ( ; cy, Sir Ddinbych; ) is a county in the north-east of Wales. Its borders differ from the historic county of the same name. This part of Wales contains the country's oldest known evidence of habitation – Pontnewydd (Bontnew ...

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

. Although he raced in

Formula One Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship ...

, he never participated in a World Championship event. He was the son of the

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

politician Spencer Summers. In 1960, Summers had a successful season racing a

Lotus 15 The Lotus 15 is a front-engine sports racing car designed by Colin Chapman of Lotus Cars, Lotus, built from 1958 until 1960. Series 1 The 15 is a two-seater, front-engine, rear wheel drive sports racer with an aluminium body over a space frame c ...

sports car prepared by Terry Bartram, and for the following season, he and Bartram decided to enter Formula One with a new

Cooper Cooper, Cooper's, Coopers and similar may refer to: * Cooper (profession), a maker of wooden casks and other staved vessels Arts and entertainment * Cooper (producers), alias of Dutch producers Klubbheads * Cooper (video game character), in ' ...

T53, chassis number F1-8-61. At the season opener, the non-Championship Lombank Trophy, 24-year-old Summers qualified tenth of the 14 runners, and finished eighth and last. The following week he crashed out of the

Glover Trophy The Glover Trophy, also known as the Richmond Trophy, was a non-championship Formula One motor race held in the spring at Goodwood, England from 1949 to 1965. In the 1962 race, Stirling Moss Sir Stirling Craufurd Moss (17 September 1929&nbs ...

after again qualifying tenth. Travelling to Europe for the next two races, he was refused a start at the 1961 Brussels Grand Prix despite posting the 12th fastest time in qualifying, but started from the front row at the Vienna Grand Prix. From second on the grid, he ran near the front until his suspension failed. Returning to the UK, Summers entered the Aintree 200, qualifying 13th of 28 starters, and finishing 12th. A month later he achieved his best result, finishing fourth in the London Trophy. However, during practice in the rain for the Silver City Trophy race at

Brands Hatch Brands Hatch is a motor racing circuit in West Kingsdown, Kent, England, United Kingdom. Originally used as a grasstrack motorcycle circuit on farmland, it hosted 12 runnings of the British Grand Prix between 1964 and 1986 and currently hos ...

, Summers was killed when he spun at Paddock Hill Bend and crashed into a concrete wall at the pit tunnel entrance.

Non-championship Formula One results

( key)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Summers, Shane 1936 births 1961 deaths Welsh racing drivers Welsh Formula One drivers