Two weeks after David Leslie and Richard Lloyd tragically lost their lives in a plane crash in Kent, the motorsport community came together to honour the pair at both Rockingham and Knockhill during the latest rounds of both the BTCC and British GT Championship.
Former Nissan race-winner and ex-Audi team boss Lloyd were amongst five people killed when their plane came down on the same day that the new BTCC campaign was getting underway at
Brands Hatch two weeks ago, and the pair were remembered ahead of the opening race of the weekend at the Rockingham Motor Speedway.
Once the cars lined up on the grid, circuit commentator Alan Hyde read out a moving tribute to the pair before the grandstands erupted into a wall of applause to honour two men who played a major role in the history of the series.
All car carried a tribute to both Leslie and Lloyd, while Team Halfords driver Gordon Shedden then dedicated his win in race one to the pair.
Meanwhile, at
Knockhill, the Scottish circuit renamed its second corner after Leslie in a moving ceremony attended by his widow Jane and father David Sr.
After race marshalls provided a guard of honour it pitlane, former team-mate Anthony Reid took the track in Leslie's 1997 Nissan Primera for two laps of the Fife circuit alongside another of the Scot's former cars – an ex-works Honda Accord.
After Leslie Sr greeted the cars at the end of their demonstration with the Scottish flag at the start-finish straight, the watching spectators then burst into applause while a lone piper played.
"The Leslie family showed amazing strength by being here," Knockhill PR manager Ray Smith said, "and both Jane and David Snr expressed their thanks for the honour bestowed on and the warmth of affection shown by everyone towards David."
Leslie's funeral took place yesterday [Mon] in Dumfries and will be followed by a memorial service close to Silverstone at a later date. Lloyd's funeral takes place tomorrow [Wed] in Brackley, with a celebration of his life following at
Silverstone.
