Jackie Stewart won the 1971 World Drivers’ Championship despite suffering from mononucleosis and crossing the Atlantic Ocean no less than 186 times (!) because of racing and media commitments in the US and in Europe. In 1972, the stress of racing every week-end, and the many flights to all continents, eventually caused some medical worries […]
Year Archives:
Scuderia drivers
Belgian Jacky Ickx and Swiss Clay Regazzoni were the two lead drivers at the Scuderia Ferrari in Formula 1 in 1972 (picture above). Ferrari fielded a revised 312B2, designed by Mauro Forghieri, with a more conventional rear suspension, but could not keep up with the progress of the competition, like Colin Chapman’s more advanced Lotus […]
Large engines lover
The count Rodolphe van der Straten, was a great patron of motor racing and a lover of very powerful engines: after starting with Mini’s and the first Alfa Romeo 33, his Team VDS moved to the V8 Chevrolet in a Lola T70 and in a McLaren M8F that Teddy Pilette drove to second place in […]
Daytona in 6 hours
The second round of the 1972 World Championship of Makes at Daytona had been reduced to a 10am-4pm sprint by circuit boss Bill France Jr in line with the governing body (FIA) desire to keep sports car races – with the exception of Le Mans, of course – to a maximum of six hours. Ferrari entered three […]
Sam Posey
Sam Posey (born 1944) is a former American racing driver and sports journalist. He was a Sports Prototype specialist (often driving a Ferrari) who also raced in the USAC series, with 13 career starts including the 1972 Indianapolis 500. He finished in the top ten 8 times. As an endurance racer, Posey appeared at the […]
On the billboard…
At the 1972 Austrian Grand Prix, a local businessman named “Don Claudio” (you can’t make this up) rented a billboard to communicate about his activities to the numerous spectators at the Östreichring: one could already mention the new name of the short version of the once mighty Zeltweg! Excellent rookie at the wheel of his […]
Chris Amon: lucky, after all
Chris Amon was a racing driver from New-Zealand. He was active in Formula One and endurance racing in the 1960’s and 1970’s and is widely regarded as one of the best drivers never to win a championship Grand Prix. He, however, won non-championship F1 races, the 1970 International Trophy driving a March and the 1971 Argentina […]
Ford Capri at Le Mans
Scot Gerry Birrell (at the wheel) and Belgian Claude Bourgoignie in their Ford Deutschland-entered, Ford Capri 2600 RS, at the 1972 24 Hours of Le Mans. They finished 10th overall, and winners of their category.
Ickx, Monaco 1972
Monaco 1972. Jacky Ickx is feeling confident, minutes before the start of the race. He qualified second behind Emerson Fittipaldi (Lotus) and feels good in his Ferrari 312B2. Heavy rain in the race, and nobody, even ‘Rain Master’ Ickx, could match Jean-Pierre Beltoise in one of the BRM’s. The Belgian finished second, 38 sec behind the winner, […]
John Love and Dave Charlton
John Love (1924-2005) was a Rhodesian (nowadays Zimbabwe) racing driver. He participated in 10 Formula 1 Grand Prix, achieving one podium at the 1967 South African Grand Prix in a Cooper-Climax, and scored a total of six championship points. Dave Charlton (1936-2013) was a racing driver from South Africa. He participated in 13 World Championship […]