Joseph Dudley "Benjy" Benjafield, MD (6 August 1887 – 20 January 1957) was a British medical doctor and racing driver.
 Dudley Benjafield was a British medical doctor and racing driver. | |
| Nationality |  British |
|---|---|
| Born | 6 August 1887 Edmonton, London |
| Died | 20 January 1957 (aged 69) London |
| 24 Hours of Le Mans career | |
| Years | 1925 – 1930, 1935 |
| Teams | Bentley Motors Ltd. Private |
| Best finish | 1st (1927) |
| Class wins | 1 (1927) |
Career
editBenjafield was born in Edmonton, London, UK. He attended the University of London and received his MD from University College Hospital in 1912. Specializing in bacteriology, he served in Egypt during World War I and later used his expertise combating the great flu epidemic of 1918–1919.
Benjafield had a passion for motorsports which started with boating, but moved on to automobiles in the 1920s, following the accidental destruction of his beloved motor launch. Upon purchasing a Bentley 3-litre, he started racing in 1924 and 1925. Benjafield's success led to him being offered to drive a company racer at the behest of Bentley founder W.O. Bentley. He competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans seven times, and won the event in 1927 with co-driver and fellow "Bentley Boy" S. C. H. "Sammy" Davis; while their car was badly damaged, they frantically made on-the-spot repairs and wound up winning the race.
Benjafield later created the British Racing Drivers' Club, and continued racing until 1936. He died on 20 January 1957.
Racing record
editComplete 24 Hours of Le Mans results
edit| Year | Team | Co-Drivers | Car | Class | Laps | Pos. | Class Pos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1925 | Bentley Motors Ltd | Bertie Kensington-Moir | Bentley 3 Litre Sport | 5.0 | 19 | DNF (Out of fuel) | |
| 1926 | Bentley Motors Ltd | Sammy Davis | Bentley 3 Litre Speed | 3.0 | 137 | DNF (Accident) | |
| 1927 | Bentley Motors Ltd | Sammy Davis | Bentley 3 Litre Speed | 3.0 | 137 | 1st | 1st |
| 1928 | Bentley Motors Ltd | Frank Clement | Bentley 4½ Litre | 5.0 | 71 | DNF (Radiator) | |
| 1929 | Bentley Motors Ltd |  Baron André d'Erlanger | Bentley 4½ Litre | 5.0 | 159 | 3rd | 2nd |
| 1930 | Hon. Dorothy Paget |  Giulio Ramponi | Bentley 4½ Litre 'Blower' | >3.0 | 144 | DNF (Engine) | |
| 1935 | Arthur W. Fox & Charles Nichol | Sir Roland Gunter | Lagonda M45R Rapide | 5.0 | 196 | 13th | 3rd |
References
edit- General
- Pugh, Martin. "Bentley Boys". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/97973. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
- Specific
- ^ "John Dudley Benjafield". Automobile Club de l'Ouest. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
- ^ "Dudley Benjafield Results". Motorsport Stats. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
- ^ "Complete Archive of Dudley Benjafield". Racing Sports Cars. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
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