Is it Alan Jones or Jacques Laffite in the cockpit of this beautiful light blue race car (picture above)? It is indeed Alan Jones we see here at the wheel of a Chevron B40-Hart entered by Fred Opert, at the Nürburgring F2 Eiffelrennen in 1977. The car still features Jacques Laffite’s name on both sides of […]
Year Archives:
Breaking the 200 mph barrier
On Saturday, May 14, 1977, Tom Sneva drove into history by becoming the first driver to officially clear the 200-mph barrier at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during a Pole Day qualification run. Driving a McLaren Cosworth DFX owned by Roger Penske and prepared by chief mechanic Jim McGee, Sneva ripped a first lap of 200.401 mph that […]
Villeneuve’s three wishes
Mid-1977, rumours circulated that this promising Canadian, Gilles Villeneuve, pictured here-above at Dijon in 1979, was one of several drivers in whom Ferrari was interested, and in August he flew to Italy to meet Enzo Ferrari, who was immediately reminded of Tazio Nuvolari, the pre-war European champion. “When they presented me with this ‘piccolo Canadese’ (little Canadian), this minuscule […]
Bernard de Dryver
Bernard de Dryver (born 19 September 1952) sits in Jacky Ickx’s Ensign during a test at Zolder, prior to the 1978 Belgian Grand Prix. The Belgian will not succeed to qualify. He entered two Belgian Formula One Grand Prix weekends in 1977 and 1978. In 1977, he entered a non-works March, but failed to make […]
Pressure at the Glen
In the summer of 1977, Hans Joachim Stuck had scored two consecutive podiums in the Brabham-Alfa. Always running well ‘at home’ at Hockenheim and Zeltweg, the tall German finished twice third and thought his seat at Brabham was safe for 1978. Just before the US Grand Prix held at Watkins Glen however, Bernie Ecclestone owner […]
A red Tyrrell for Scheckter
But not the one you think. Ian Scheckter, born 22 August 1947 in East London, South Africa, is a former racing driver. He’s the elder brother of 1979 F1 World Champion Jody Scheckter. Ian participated in 20 Formula One Grand Prix between 1974 and 1977, but failed to score a championship point. Picture above: In […]
Rolf Stommelen
Rolf Stommelen (11 July 1943 – 24 April 1983) was a German racing driver. He participated in 63 Formula One Grand Prix, achieving one podium, and scored a total of 14 championship points. One of the best endurance sports car racing drivers of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, Stommelen won the 24 Hours of Daytona […]
Little prince of Québec
Besides his first Grand Prix with McLaren in 1977, Gilles Villeneuve drove most of his career at Ferrari. That year, the fiery Canadian driver, double Formula Atlantic champion in Canada and in the US, driving a Doug Shierson entered March (9 victories in 10 races), inherits the new Dallara WD1 for the Can-Am series. Chris Amon […]
Eje Elgh
Eje Elgh (born 15 June 1953) is a Swedish former racing driver and television commentator. In the 1970s, Elgh was regarded in Sweden as a great talent, and potentially as a successor to the deceased Gunnar Nilsson and Ronnie Peterson. After his first years in Formula Super Vee (picture above), and managed by former racing driver […]
Gilles Villeneuve: “Fearfully quick”
Gilles Villeneuve, the bravest of the brave. Never forgotten. Alan Henry, motorsport journalist remembers: “Behind the wheel of a racing car he was fearfully quick, never stopped trying, and could extricate himself from the most precarious situations with deft brilliance.” Picture above: The Canadian, trying hard, at the wheel of the Ferrari 126CK, in Argentina, […]