DRIVERS (D)
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Even with lots of work still do be done this list have reached a state
where it must be considered one of the most complete and accurate ever assembled on
the subject. This has only been possible due to the tremendous help from people
all over the world, each of them experts of their local drivers and events.
Short biographies of drivers with BLUE background, will come up in due time.
If you have any information about any driver with GREEN background, please
contact me!
Antonio (Antonino) "Nino" D’Agata (ITA)
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Sicilian driver from Catania, he never raced in Italy north of Reggio
Calabria, on the opposite shore of the Messina Straight from Sicily.
There he placed third driving an OM in the 1930 race. Inevitably a
specialist of the Targa Florio and of the Giro di Sicilia, he drove OMs,
Maseratis and Alfa Romeos, whereas, after WWII, he drove a Fiat 1100 in
1948 and a Lancia Aprilia touring car in the 1949 and 1950 editions.
D'Agata is nonetheless found racing in the famous 1938 Christmas race at
l'Asmara (Eritrea) where he placed second in a 2.6L Alfa Romeo, a feat
not recorded by Alfa Monza guru Simon Moore.
(Info supplied by Alessandro Silva)
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Börje Dahlin (S)
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"Daniell" (Daniel Porthault) (F)
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Raced in France with his own Delahaye 135 sportscar.
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da Silva Ramos - SEE: Ramos
de Avellar - SEE: Avellar
de Burnay - SEE: Burnay
Louis Decaroli (F)
1898 - 1968
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Born in Nice. Voiturette driver who begun racing Salmson 1100cc cars in the late 20s.
In 1930 he bought two new cars and begun racing regularly with some success, winning the Voiturette class
at the 1931 Coppa Acerbo and the 1932 Prix Royale in Rome. Changed to a Bugatti T37A for the 1933 and 1934
season. Crashed in Brno 1933, the car was rebuilt as a single seater.
Decaroli retiring from racing after the 1934 season and was associated with a prioject to build a Voiturette car
named "Rocatti", a project that came to nothing.
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de Graffenried - SEE: Graffenried
Delangle - SEE: "Hellé-Nice"
de las Casas - SEE: "Raph"
Ernst von Delius (D)
29 Mar 1912 - 26 Jul 1937
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Born in Plessa 1912.
Raced Zoller 1934, ERA 1935, Auto Union junior driver 1936-37. Died after a collision with Seaman in the
German GP 1937.
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della Chiesa - SEE: Chiesa
Jean Delorme (F)
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Private Voiturette racer with a Bugatti T51A. Worked hard as member for the Independent Drivers
Association for better starting money for amateur drivers.
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Lorenzo Delpino (I)
4 Sep 1899 - ?-
Born in Genoa where he worked as an important FIAT concessionary.
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"de Maris" - SEE: "Maris"
de Montbressieux - SEE: "Raph"
de Oliveira - SEE: Oliveira
de Paolo - SEE: Paolo
de Praez - SEE: Praez
de Rham - SEE: Rham
de Saugé - SEE: Saugé
de Teffé - SEE: Teffé
de Villapadierna - SEE: Villapadierna
Heinz Dipper (D)
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Held a private German Maserati team (Suddeutsche Renngemainschaft) with Joa.
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di Villamarina - SEE: Villamarina
Albert Divo (F)
1895 - Nov 1966-
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Frederick "Freddie" William Dixon (GB)
21 Apr 1892 - 5 Nov 1956-
Born in Stockton, Durham.
Yorkshireman Freddie Dixon started his career on motor cycles but later turned to car racing.
He was known as a smart engineer and entrepreneur and became famous for his expertise
in tuning Rileys. He took one of these to victory at the 1934 BDRC 500 Mile handicap race at
Brooklands. He was third at Le Mans that year with Cyril Paul.
In 1935 he won the RAC T.T. at Ards and headed a triple Riley victory at the British Empire Trophy at Brooklands.
In 1936 h e won winning the T.T. for a second time and also the Brooklands 500 Miles Race.
After the war Dixon worked on the Ferguson transmission system. He died at Reigate, Surrey 1956
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Hector George Dobbs (GB)
c 1904 - 3 May 1968-
Died in Southampton 1968.
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Arthur Charles Dobson (GB)
6 Aug 1914 - 12 Mar 1980-
Born in Lodsworth, Sussex 1914.
ERA Voiturette driver. Not to be confused with his brother Austin Dobson. Raced an private ERA early in the 1937 season,
soon becoming ERA works driver. Raced the troublesome ERA-E during the 1939 season.
Died in Battersea, London 1980.
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Austin Dobson (GB)
19 Aug 1912 - 13 Mar 1963-
Born in Lodsworth, Sussex 1912.
Maserati and Alfa Romeo Tipo B Grand Prix driver. Not to be confused with his brother Arthur Dobson.
Bought three Maserati 6CM cars in 1937. That year he also raced a ex-Ferrari Alfa Romeo Bi-motore at Brooklands.
Next year he sold that car to Peter Aitken.
Died in Cuckfield, Sussex 1963.
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Charles "Charlie" Joseph Pownall Dodson (GB)
6 Dec 1901 - 26 Sep 1983-
Son of a barrister from Didsbury near Manchester. Successful
motorcycle rider in 1925-1934 (Sunbeam, Excelsior, New
Imperial). Winner of the amateur class at the Isle of Man TT in 1928
and 1929 (Sunbeam 500). In the 1930s he raced MG, Austin (factory
driver) and Maserati. Won the Tourist Trophy in 1934 and 1936.
After WW2 in 1949 he raced a Jaguar sports car at Silverstone.
Died in Sidcup, Kent 1983.
(Info supplied by Andrzej Jakubaszek & Granville Dodson)
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Kaye Ernest "Kaye Don" Donsky (GB)
10 Apr 1891 - 29 Aug 1981-
Born in Dublin, Ireland.
Don started as a motorcycle driver but turned to car racing, driving a Wolseley Viper at Brooklands.
Was the winner of the 1928 Tourist Trophy with a Lea-Francis.
In 1928 he had three ex-works Sunbeams to his disposal known als Cub, Tiger and Tigress.
and sat many class records on Brooklands with the cars durjng 1928 to 1930.
1931 he had a new Bugatti 4.9L know as Tiger 2.
Disappeared from racing as he served a 6 month jail sentence 1934 after crashing on the Isle of Man, killing his passenger.
Was back once more to race in Donington 1936.
Died in Chobham Surrey 1981.
(Info supplied by Rudiger de Jonghe)
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dos Santos - SEE: Santos
René Dreyfus (F)
6 May 1905 - 16 Aug 1993
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Born in Nice 1905, Dreyfus was the son of a wealthy linen merchant. He started racing a Mathis in 1925 and then moved up to a Bugatti Brescia
and later a T35B. He joined Ecure Friderich and finished 8th in the 1928 Targa Florio and took his first major victory at Dieppe in 1929. Finishing
5th in Monaco that year he was back in 1930 and took a surprice victory, the Ecure Friderich Bugatti being equipped with a extra fuel tank enabling
Dreyfus to do a non-stop race. Dreyfus was works driver for Maserati in 1931-32 without much success and he joined the Bugatti works team in 1933
taking 3rd places at the Belgian and Monaco GPs. In 1934 he was 3rd behind the Alfas at Monaco, 3rd behind the Auto Unions in the Swiss GP and
won the Belgian GP after the German teams had withdrawn. In 1935 he got married and joined Scuderia Ferrari winning the Marne and Dieppe GPs and
finishing 2nd at the Italian GP. In 1937 he signed for Delahaye racing sports cars and raced a Maserati in Voiturette racing winning at Tripoli
and Florence. On 27 August Dreyfus won the "million" at Montlhéry for Delahaye.
Dreyfus started 1938 in grand style winning at Pau in front of the Mercedes cars, Dreyfus' Jewish name of course preventing him from any chance
to ever join a German team. He was also victories at the Cork GP that year. He joined the French army in 1939 but went on leave to USA to
finish 10th at Indianapolis. With the fall of France he remained in USA joined the US army in 1942. In 1945 he opened an restaurant
but he sold it in 1952 and moved back to France. He was back in USA a year later and opened an other restaurant, "Le Chanteclair", at
18 East 49th street New York.
Click here for more about Monaco 30, "Million", Pau 38 and Indy.
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Leonard Patrick "Pat" Driscoll (GB)
5 Dec 1900 - 8 Jun 1983-
Born in Chiswick, Middlesex
Died at Hayling Island, Hampshire 1983.
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Jacques Du Brusles (F)
1907 - 1972-
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George Edward Duller (GB)
26 Jan 1891 - 6 Aug 1962-
Born in Plaistow, London. Well known jockey. One of the "Bentley Boys", 2nd at JCC 200 miles Race 1924, and winner of the 1927 Montlhery 24h.
Raced from 1930 to 1934 with Derby & Duesenberg at Brooklands. (Not to be confused with his younger brother
R.L. "Jack" Duller, who was a partner in the London firm of Strete & Duller who serviced Alha-Romeo cars before WW2)
Died in Epsom, Surrey 1962.
(Info supplied by Rudiger de Jonghe and John Edwardes)
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John du Puy (USA)
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John Du Puys was an rich American who did same races before the war.
After the war he rarely drove a car (i.e. lost license). He gave same other drivers the chance to use his
Maseratis, among them was De Graffenried. In the 50s he lived with his
wife in Lausanne Palace in Switzerland.
(Info supplied by Romain Heckemanns)
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Henri Durand (F)
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Voiturette driver racing a private Bugatti T37A in the early 30s. Also took part
at Angouême 1939.
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Piero Ettore Dusio (I)
13 Oct 1899 - 7 Nov 1975-
Started as a fabric salesman at the age of 20.
At 27 he was owner of the biggest oilcloth manufacturing factory in Italy.
Dusio was a vital and likable man for whom success had come
easily. Shrewd and firm, it had not been difficult for him to stay at
the top of commerce and industry, once he had made it there. Commerce
above all, as his subsequent history will show. Dusio’s great love was
motor cars. He had been a good amateur driver in the thirties with a
third at the Mille Miglia and a victory at the international Stelvio
hill-climb in 1938. Grand Prix driver racing an Maserati 8CM.
In 1938 he had founded a highly competitive -
racing team called "Scuderia Torino" with Maserati Maserati 6CM voiturettes. Dusio
liked to have his cars modified to his particular specifications.
Dusio’s cars acquired in this way independent Tecnauto front-suspension
and SIATA radiators. Dusio, though, wanted to see his ideas realised
from scratch and had started to work on a Fiat 1100 special in 1939. He
had made even more money in real-estate dealings at the beginning of the
war and some of it was invested in Cisitalia, founded 1943.
(Info supplied by Alessandro Silva)
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© 2010 Leif Snellman - Last updated: 10.01.2010
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