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Archive for the month “June, 2012”

29 Jun 2012

Goodwood Graphics

Here are just a few of the details that caught my eye on Friday at the 2012 Goodwood Festival of Speed. The event gathers pace over the weekend, when some of the current F1 stars will demonstrate 2011 machinery – but the essence, through it all, will remain: wonderful people, wonderful cars…

Lighting up the skies: Jim Clark’s 1965 Tasman-winning Lotus 32B-Climax

John Surtees re-united with a factory Lotus 18-Climax: traces of Silverstone, 1960…

Sculpting a curve: GLTL Lotus 49B-Cosworth DFV

Cockpit detail: a Jim Clark Lotus Ford Cortina Mk1

The four-pedal 1968 Lotus 58-Cosworth FVA F2 car: Jim Clark was keen to add left-foot-braking to his repertoire…

Air-cooled Dan: 1962 French GP-winning flat-8 Porsche

Denny’s CanAm trumpets

1970 Le Mans-winning Porsche Salzburg 917 (Richard Attwood-Hans Herrmann)

Pure Elegance: 1963 Indy Lotus 29-Ford

The blue and the green: Henri Pescarolo and Matra brought vibrant new colour combos to F1/F2/F3/Prototypes

Caution: Eagle about. Dan’s 1967 Belgian GP winner is on this occasion driven by the indomitable Brian Redman

GLTL de-brief, 1969: Graham Hill appraises an arriving ACBC; Eddie Dennis and Leo Wybrott tend the 49s

The same transporter, 2012: such is the beauty of Goodwood…

Posted in Circuits, Days Past, F1 and tagged Jim Clark, Lotus

21 Jun 2012

2 Comments

My all-time favourite front cover

As we remember the passing of the gentleman and racing driver who was Piers Courage (June 21, 1970), I make no excuse for posting my favourite magazine front cover: and, yes, that is Piers’ wife, Lady Sarah, on his right!

Below: I took this shot of Piers in February, 1968 at Warwick Farm (Sydney, Australia) prior to an unofficial practice session for the Tasman Race. Note Ian Geoghegan’s magnificent Ford Mustang and assorted Formula Vees in the background. Piers would finish a brilliant third on Sunday in his F2 McLaren M4A-FVA, beaten only by the Gold Leaf Team Lotus 49-DFWs of Jim Clark and Graham Hill

Above: I later asked Piers to sign a Courage beer coaster I’d obtained in the UK. As Courage beer was not sold in Australia, he was both delighted and bemused. “My gosh! Where did you get this?” he asked with a smile. I’ve cherished it ever since

My colleague, Alan Gow, has pointed out that Courage actually set up a Melbourne brewery in 1968. There is no evidence that Piers kick-started the new project whilst at Sandown Park for the Tasman race that year, but it’s a nice idea. This contemporary Aussie ad perhaps lacked some of the subtlety of its British counterpoints but at least gave it an Antipodean stamp…

Posted in Days Past, F1

20 Jun 2012

23 Comments

St Jovite, Canada

I recently joined a few friends in a quiet corner of F1 paradise that used to be called St Jovite

Part One: “It’s idyllic…”

Part Two: “It was that sort of circuit…”

Peter Ryan scrapbook

Although Peter raced for Canada on snow and Tarmac, he was actually an American citizen

Peter’s smudged caption says it all. John was tragically killed at the Garmisch downhill in 1959

No doubt about Peter’s national loyalties when he raced the Porsche Spyder

Stirling Moss struck trouble with third gear and a damaged radiator at Mosport in 1961, but Peter Ryan was right up there with him in a similar car (Lotus 19). Peter won the race – the September 30 Canadian Grand Prix for the Pepsi Cola Trophy. Note maple leaf logo on the door

Having caught the attention of Colin Chapman, Peter was invited to race a third works Lotus 18/21 (to be entered by J Wheeler Autosport) in the US Grand Prix at Watkins Glen the following week. He qualified on the seventh row (ahead of such names as Olivier Gendebien, Roger Penske and Jim Hall) and finished an excellent ninth. Peter moved to Europe for 1962 but was killed in a Formula Junior slipstream race at Reims when his Ian Walker Lotus 22 touched wheels with Bill Moss’s Gemini. Wrote Peter Garnier, the Sports Editor of Autocar: “During his all too-brief-spell on British and Continental circuits, he had proved himself to be extremely skilful and fast, with just that touch of fire which can often indicate the makings of a great driver.”

All photos courtesy of the Ryan Family Collection

Posted in Circuits, Days Past, F1 and tagged Amon, Canadian GP, Ferrari

18 Jun 2012

Jack Harvey: winning again…

Carlin’s Jack Harvey was back in front at Rockingham as the Cooper Tires F3 Championship returned from its European swing

Posted in F3 and tagged Carlin, F3, Rockingham | Leave a comment

15 Jun 2012

1 Comment

Via Twitter: win VIP tickets to the British GP

One of the established (but very New Media-friendly) F1 sponsors (Allianz Your Cover) has created a nice-looking competition for on-line fans to win a VIP trip to the 2012, July 6-8, Santander British Grand Prix. What I like about this competition – apart from its Twitter focus – is that it goes much further than the standard “luck of the draw” aspect: to qualify for the excellent prize (worth £6,000) you must complete a series of online challenges to test your skill and knowledge.

The competition will launch via Twitter on Monday, June 18 @YourCoverUK. There will be five “laps” of challenges over seven days (at 10:00 UK each day); as a part of that, contestants must also try to predict the result of next weekend’s European Grand Prix at Valencia.

Winners will receive two VIP Paddock Club tickets to the British GP, with unprecedented viewing of the circuit, Paddock Club access to the pit lane plus five-star catering throughout the days. Other prizes include an F1 collection hooded track top from the F1 store: (http://f1store.formula1.com/stores/f1/products/product_details.aspx?pid=47477). For more details see the @YourCoverUK Twitter feed. I’ll tweet out a few reminders next week, too.