After driving in F1 for Lotus and BRM, Jackie Oliver contributed in the creation of the Shadow team and drove the DN1 as soon as 1973 in Montjuich (picture-above), before leaving the Grand Prix to concentrate on the well-funded Can-Am series and amass enough dollars. He was seen on more time in F1 four years […]
Year Archives:
Marathon effort
From the start the Alpine-Renaults took charge at the 1977 24 Hours of Le Mans. The works Porsches mounted a brief challenge but engine issues delayed them in the pits. When Pescarolo retired his 936 with engine problems, his co-driver Jacky Ickx, already a three-time winner, was transferred to the sister car of Barth and […]
The F2 trap
In 1977, the young hopeful Alain Prost, who was dominating the Formula Renault Europe, was called to make his debut in Formula 2 at the wheel of a modest Kaushen (in fact, an ancient Elf2 J) at Nogaro and Estoril, but the car wasn’t enough competitive for him to shine. The French driver was then […]
Nève, a Williams driver
Patrick Nève (1949-2017) was a Belgian racing driver who shone in Formula 2 and then participated in 14 Formula One Grand Prix in 1976 and 1977. He was notable for being the first driver for Williams Grand Prix Engineering. His best result was seventh in the 1977 Italian Grand Prix, but at that time, only […]
Janet Guthrie
Janet Guthrie (born 7 March 1938) from Iowa City in the USA, is a retired professional race car driver and the first woman to qualify and compete in the Indianapolis 500 and the Daytona 500, both in 1977. Guthrie, who was originally an aerospace engineer, raced in three Indy 500, in 1977, 1978 and 1979 with a best […]
Jabouille believes in the ‘yellow teapot’
The Renault RS01 was the first Formula One car to be powered by a turbocharged engine. It was also the first to use radial tyres, which were provided by Michelin. Designed by André de Cortanze and Jean-Pierre Jabouille, it first appeared at the 1977 British Grand Prix. Picture above: Jean-Pierre Jabouille at the wheel of […]
Cale Yarborough
Cale Yarborough, an American racing car driver, born March 27, 1939, a tenacious and fast driver, whose hard-charging style produced three NASCAR Cup Series championship, has passed away on 31 December 2023. He was 84. Yarborough was a four-time Daytona 500 winner and a five-time victor in the Southern 500 – figures that rank second […]
A Finn, but not a flying one
Mikko Kozarowitsky, born in 1948, entered two Formula One races in 1977, the Swedish and British Grand Prix, in a RAM-run March 761. Did not qualify at Anderstorp (picture-above) and did not pre-qualify at Silverstone. He wasn’t a flying Keke or Mika, but he was a Finn and actually the second man from his country […]
From Williams to Shadow
Renzo Zorzi (1946-2015) was a racing driver from Italy who participated in seven Formula One Grand Prix between 1975 and 1977, for the Williams, Wolf and Shadow teams. He scored one championship point, in Brazil in 1977, at the wheel of a Shadow. Picture above: Renzo Zorzi, pushing his Shadow DN8-Cosworth hard during qualifying for […]
Golden boy
In addition to the flamboyant Ronnie Peterson, Sweden could count in the 70s on a great hopeful named Günnar Nilsson. Winner of the 1975 Formula 3 BP Championship in a March, he promptly tested a F1 Williams (picture below) before being recruited by the glorious Team Lotus where he had two promising seasons, marked by […]