Dave Wilson

Dave Wilson (born 24th October 1958) is an English racing driver who competes in the Life GP Series for his own team, Dave Wilson Racing.

Wilson was born and has spent his entire life living in the Stratford area of East London, and having left school in the summer of 1975 aged 16, moved quickly into making money in the black market primarily dealing in alcohol. He worked under the orders of a notorious criminal known locally as just "Bruiser", but over the years gradually worked his way up the order, until by the mid 1980s, Wilson was effectively controlling most of the black market business in East London himself. He moved into the loans business, establishing DAYP (Default At Your Peril) Loans Ltd. in 1987 and the income he was able to raise from this venture allowed him to distance himself from his previous black market dealings. As a result he saved himself from prosecution when his former boss Bruiser and most of his former workmates were convicted for massive fraud and were handed serious time in Wandsworth Prison.

Away from his work life, Wilson had always maintained an interest in motorsports, and had gambled large amounts of money on race results throughout his adult life. An opportunity arose in late 1990 for Wilson to have a go at racing himself when an old friend of his was able to source a Life L190 chassis that had been manufactured for competition in the upcoming 1991 Life GP Series season. Jumping at the chance to actually compete in racing for the first time in his life, Wilson sold DAYP Loans and used much of the money to buy the chassis and his entry into the newly formed championship.

Entering himself under the Dave Wilson Racing name, Wilson initially sourced some extra funding from fellow local loan sharks around East London to help him with the running of the team. He retired from the first three races of the season, but at the fourth round in Italy his car held together for the full distance, allowing him to take victory. This success allowed Wilson to attract a portfolio of various sponsors with questionable backgrounds and motives, including Wang Laboratories, SAM Computers Ltd., Toaplan, Maxwell Communications, Phar-Mor, and the Bank of Credit and Commerce. The additional income allowed Wilson to make some improvements to his chassis, with two podiums following in the next two races in Austria and Czechoslovakia, putting him in a great position for the championship with third of the season complete.

Disappointingly, three straight retirements then followed for Wilson, but his second win at Dijon got his title challenge back on track. The unpredictable, high level of attrition that characterised the series ensured that the championship remained wide open, meaning that despite two further retirements at Rouen and Brands Hatch, Wilson was still second in the championship with six rounds to go.

Complete Life GP Series Results

 * * denotes a season currently in progress.