David Cripps, 1963-2026

David Cripps’ battle against cancer came to an end over the weekend. The veteran IndyCar engineer died one day short of his 63rd birthday.

Born and raised in England, Cripps followed a familiar path for many of his countrymen, working in Formula 1 and for Williams and Onyx before moving to the United States, where he made his name as a race engineer in CART, the Indy Racing League, and today’s IndyCar Series.

His introduction to CART came at Dick Simon Racing. Cripps’ first Indianapolis 500 was in 1991, when he developed a special connection with the famed oval.

“Quite a few people suggested that I should experience Indy Car although I had no ideas about it,” Cripps told author Ian Wagstaff in a profile of British racers at the 500. “It wasn’t the Indy 500 that brought me here, but it was the Indy 500 that made me stay.”

After Dick Simon, he moved across a variety of teams, including Della Penna Racing, but made his lasting impact with Panther Racing as its technical director from 2003-2013.

Cripps and rookie JR Hildebrand came within one corner of winning the 2011 Indy 500, but former Panther driver Dan Wheldon swept through to victory after Hildebrand’s meeting with the Turn 4 wall.

After Panther’s closure, Cripps took on a position as chief engineer for the U.S. Bobsled team, where he applied his vast mechanical and aerodynamic knowledge to help develop the bobsled used in the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Cripps shifted to engineering roles in the automotive sector for nearly a decade afterwards, but was a familiar sight at Indianapolis each May as everyone from Lazier Racing Partners to Juncos Racing benefited from his Speedway experience.

In recent years, Cripps returned to IndyCar in a full-time capacity working in a shop-based role for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing as its head of R&D. Tasked with aiding RLL’s ‘Indy 500 Recovery Plan’ after the team endured escalating lows at the Speedway in 2022 and 2023, Cripps was instrumental in shaping the team’s competitive restoration upon his arrival in 2024.

Cripps was trackside late last year for Mick Schumacher’s first test with RLL, and was at the Speedway in May where he shared the news of his fight with cancer.

Kind and engaging, Cripps was imbued with a deep passion for his craft, and made an effort to share technical insights with those who wanted to learn about the abstract and intricate world of motor racing.

He is survived by his wife Joy, daughter Sydney, son Jenson, and other members of the Cripps family.