Historic Andretti!

Mario Andretti in his Lotus 49-Ford, shares his impressions with Bobby Unser, at the end of the qualifying sessions for the 1968 United States Grand Prix, run at Watkins Glen (photo above).

These qualifying sessions were fiercely contested between Jackie Stewart (Matra), Graham Hill (Lotus), and Chris Amon (Ferrari), but it was Mario Andretti who, by a mere seven hundredths of a second, snatched pole position at the wheel of his Gold Leaf Lotus 49! An even more remarkable performance as the American secured pole in his very first Grand Prix. Historic.

A large crowd was present on race day to encourage the three Americans at the start, because in addition to Andretti on pole, there was Dan Gurney (McLaren) in seventh position and Bobby Unser (BRM) nineteenth.

Little success for these three drivers in the race. Andretti retired on lap 32 with a broken clutch, Bobby Unser stopped on lap 35 with a broken engine, and Dan Gurney salvaged some pride by bringing his McLaren to the finish line in fourth position, but one lap behind the winner Jackie Stewart (Matra, see photo below).