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Stevie
thanks for the link
its easy to forget the subsidiary race series of the day
two were the Springbok series and a little before that,the Argentine Temporada series
IIRC David piper was a Springbok series supporter in both Porsches and Ferraris for some years
Cheers
Dennis :)
. . . 1971
'. . . Forty years ago today I got on a couple of trains, then caught a bus on a journey to Brands Hatch. The Rothmans World Championships Victory Race was due to take place, a non-Championship Formula One event celebrating the World Titles of Jackie Stewart and Tyrrell. There was an Indian Summer back then, much like this year. So 40,000 or so flocked to the fabulous track on Kent’s border with London, all anticipating a grand finale to the 1971 season.
After the death of Pedro Rodriguez in July, Jo Siffert had assumed the mantle of team leader at BRM. Their Tony Southgate designed P160 was running at the sharp end by the end of the year. Siffert’s dominant victory in Austria was followed by Peter Gethin outfumbling the rest of the pack at Monza, perhaps BRM would repeat their glory days of the 60’s. It was no surprise to see the Swiss ace on pole position, maybe he could round off the year with another win. Siffert made a poor start but was recovering well till on lap 15 his BRM left the road suddenly at Dingle Dell, one of the fastest parts of the track. The impact and consequent fire were severe, Siffert was asphyxiated in the delayed rescue, his only other injury was a broken ankle . . .'
http://www.doubledeclutch.com/?p=2243
Thanks, Steve
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Now 45 years later...such a sad loss...
. . . the cruelest month'
'. . . I was at Brands Hatch – a premier circuit in in southern England – in October 1971. Brands was where I cut my motor racing teeth. It was seven years before Dan Wheldon was born. Fresh out of high school I had recently joined Team Surtees working in the stores. Surtees is still the only man to be world champion on both two and four wheels. Wearing my wet-look team jacket I was there to watch the team (Surtees and Mike Hailwood) compete in the 1971 World Championship Victory Race in honor of the new world champion, Jackie Stewart. It was desperately exciting. Not only because of the race. But there was Surtees in the very car I had seen and touched in the factory being driven by a hero of mine who I was seeing now on a daily basis. In front of him was his team mate, Mike Hailwood, who always had time to say hello to someone as lowly on the ladder as me. And there was I wearing the team jacket in the proud vain hope that someone would notice. Nobody did. I was just another another fan. But in my heart I knew I was “in”.
I was standing just before Druids, the cars flashed past me, a howling mass of metal, air whistling from the wings as the drivers lifted from the throttles and braked for the corner. The air was full of the smell of burning oil, a perfume more evocative than Clive Christian could ever be.
On lap fifteen a pillar of smoke rose on the approach to Hawthorn. The cars in front of the accident continued round the circuit, slowing now as they approached me under a flurry of waving flags. I counted them in: Stewart, Fittipaldi, Hill, Gethin, Hailwood. No Surtees. The circuit was now silent. After the ferocious and addictive roar of high performance engines my ears were singing. It was the only sound I could hear. My thoughts focussed on what had happened just out of sight. Had Surtees been injured? It was worse than that. His friend the talented Swiss driver Joe Siffert had perished, dying not from impact injuries but from smoke inhalation. As inconceivable as it seems today, the trackside extinguishers were inoperative and Siffert had no independent air supply.
The next day I passed John as he walked out of the front door to his factory. A small man in statue maybe, but a huge character, a man used to facing death and dealing with fear. One of the greatest. He was grey faced, bent, all emotion internalized so much so I didn’t even offer a good morning or commiserations, so struck was I by his condition, so mute was I in my teenage world of no confidence.
Siffert’s death lead to a a massive increase in driver, car and track safety to the point where drivers are walking away unharmed by accidents that a few years ago would have killed them . . .'
https://everestandthetoenail.com/tag/jo-siffert/
https://gaming.youtube.com/watch?v=M...2E7M9iF&mweb=1
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Amen and RIP . I remember watching hte race live on BBC with my Dad.
Siffert...and Bandini...
That's a GREAT pic and find Peter......... WOW !!!
Siffert is driving his BRM-engined Lotus 24, and Bandini a Centro Sud BRM P578. Siffert would retire, while Bandini would finish 5th.Quote:
Originally Posted by 72targa
1963 British Grand Prix at Silverstone.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1963_British_Grand_Prix
Jon B.
Vista, CA
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Attachment 402781
Riverside 1969...