Peter Ashdown

Peter Hawthorn Ashdown (born 16 October 1934) is a former motor racing driver. He drove in a single Formula One World Championship Grand Prix, racing a Cooper.

Ashdown is celebrated after winning his class and being 3rd overall, at the Kanonloppet race at Karlskoga racetrack (Gelleråsen) on 26 August 1956 in his Lotus Mark IX license "KH9". On his return he drove this tiny car back to the UK, but had an accident from which this car was not to be repaired. Ashdown had trained as a vehicle mechanic, and had been a few years in the Royal Air Force when he started racing. First seen in a Dellow with a Ford 10 engine,

Prior to Formula One, Ashtown was one of the leaders of the British Formula Junior scene, but an accident at Rouen-Les-Essarts in 1958, in which he broke his collarbone, considerably hampered his career.

Ashtown continued racing, and competed in a Formula Two (F2) Cooper-Climax entered by Alan Brown at the 1959 British Grand Prix at Aintree. He finished in 12th position, third of the F2 cars and six laps down.

Ashtown retired in 1962 and focused his efforts on a Vauxhall dealership in Essex.