Simply Red
Another look back on Memory Lane, this time to the summer of 2000. Olivier Beretta celebrates victory in LM GTS at Le Mans. It was the high water mark for the Oreca Viper campaign, a third class win at La Sarthe, to go with an outright triumph that year at the Rolex 24. The Corvettes were coming and they would not be denied much longer.
Two great teams, two great cars, one great contest.
John Brooks, December 2011
Street Fighting Men
The 1973 Targa Florio and a Porsche leads a Chevron through the Sicilian streets…..it was the end of the line for the classic road race……………the final chapter in its World Championship history.
Time marches on…………….
John Brooks, December 2011
All Change
Brands Hatch, September 1983, a pit stop for the eventual winners, with Derek Warwick about to take over from John Fitzpatrick. A rare defeat for the werks Porsches…………..a good result for Fitz…………
Happy Days.
John Brooks, December 2011
Only in Florida
Daytona Beach has seen some strange sights over the years and this is right up there with the oddest. Back to another world, 1956 and promotional work for an obscure fledgling race series, called NASCAR.
Festive Fun.
John Brooks, December 2011
Hang on, lads; I’ve got a great idea.
As the world winds down for Christmas, or at least this part of the world, it is time for a bit of whimsy. Here is a gang of Abarths on the Monza Banking, perhaps in training for a showdown on the Lingotto roof with the cheeky chappies in Minis.
An Italian Job indeed.
John Brooks, December 2011
A Classic Scene
1935 and this fabulous shot from Monte Carlo.
The man breaking the Bank that year was Luigi Fagioli in his Mercedes Benz W25B. Here he is about to round the Gasworks Hairpin on his way to victory. Behind him is the Maserati 8CM of Gigi Soffietti.
A classic image.
John Brooks, December 2011
Double Martini
OK, maybe I am not Mel Brooks but you get the drift.
Fishing through the archives I found this shot of the Lancia LC1 pair running away at Silverstone back in 1982. As ever in motor racing controversy was not far behind. The Group C rules were based on a specific fuel allocation per race, at Silverstone it was 600 litres, the standard amount for 1000 Kilometre races. Unfortunately the race at Silverstone was run to a traditional six hour format, that amounted to 1,118 kilometres for the winning Lancia. So despite taking pole position by 1.7 seconds, the sole Rothmans Porsche 956 of Jacky Ickx and Derek Bell ended up trundling round some ten seconds off the pace in order to save enough fuel to get to the finish. Motor racing it was not.
Rules made by those who do not understand the consequences……………now where have we heard that before?
John Brooks, December 2011
Fast Fords
1967 and Le Mans, just prior to the start. Ford have their armada of cars lined up in front of the pits. The rest of the field know that they are in for a long day and night, vainly chasing after the Ford fleet.
Power, grace and performance.
John Brooks, December 2011
1955 Le Mans 24 Hours
16.00 on June 11 1955 and the start of the Le Mans 24 Hours. The leaders, Castellotti and Maglioli in their Ferraris and the Jaguars of Hawthorn and Beauman are already streaking away up towards the Dunlop Bridge. The Mercedes Benz trio, strangely mired in the mid-field battle, struggle to get up to speed. Fangio has not yet got into motion, jumping into his car after the traditional Le Mans Start he managed to get the gear lever stuck up his trouser leg. He got away last.
Two and half hours later after some intense competition between the Jaguar and Mercedes factory teams, disaster struck as Pierre Levegh’s 300SLR collided with the Austin-Healey of Lance Macklin. The car was pitched onto the safety bank and then flew into the crowded terraces. Levegh and 83 spectators were killed and many more were injured, it was the worst accident in motorsport’s history.
The photo, taken from the excellent Mercedes Benz press site, shows just how narrow the track was at that point and how exposed both the spectators and the pits were.
John Brooks, November 2011
Porsche are not only famous for their excellent cars and ferocious racing teams, they have over the years issued a series of posters that reflect the self image of this premium brand. The message comes across as understated “cool”; it must have been a dream to have Steve McQueen as the poster boy for Porsche.
Enjoy the trip down memory lane.
John Brooks, November, 2011
