Peter Gregg (racing driver)

Peter Holden Gregg (May 4, 1940 – December 15, 1980) was an American race car driver during the golden age of the Trans-Am Series and a five-time winner of the 24 Hours of Daytona.

Gregg was born in New York City, the son of a mechanical engineer and manufacturer of marine incinerators.

[1][2] He graduated from the Deerfield Academy, a private prep school,[2] in 1957 and moved on to Harvard University, where he earned a degree in English in 1961.

While at school, Gregg began his motorsport career in gymkhanas and ice races after an initial appearance in a hill climb in 1958 in Laconia, New Hampshire.

[2] In 1963 he drove an unmodified production Corvette in Osceola County, Florida, and won the SCCA sanctioned race.

[3] In 1971, he was part of the major Trans-Am Series, driving Bud Moore Ford Mustangs, alongside teammate George Follmer.

In June 1980, he was due to compete at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in a 924 Carrera GTS for the Porsche factory team along with fellow American Al Holbert, but was injured near Paris; en route to a practice session for the race,[3] he attempted to overtake an ox cart, but a car pulled out in front of him and, in attempting to avoiding a collision,[6] his car careered into a ditch.

"And after the accident that happened in Le Mans, Peter went through a rough period of having to face the reality that he was physically not able to race because of his medical problem.

[12] After a five-month courtship, Gregg married Deborah Jane Marrs, a 25 year-old commercial artist from Miami, on December 6.

He won the SCCA Southeast Conference Major's Tour GT-1 race at Homestead-Miami Speedway in January 2015, and set a new track record for the GT-1 class.