Can you identify this race?

Fellow nostalgiers, your help is needed!

The first race I ever attended was an F1 meeting at Brands in the early/mid 70's, just for the Friday or the Saturday. I was four or five at the time, so memories are slightly hazy. I've been trying to work out which it was (given there's a fairly limited choice of suspects...), but I wonder if anyone could help me pin it down, based on what little I remember.

So, Brands Hatch, almost certainly 1975 or 1976, definitely no later, which probably narrows it down to either of those years Race of Champions, or the '76 GP.

I have a vague memory of it raining that day, which at first would seem to indicate the 75 RoC, as I believe it rained then. But...

I also have a very distinct memory of a Ferrari spinning on the run from Druids to Graham Hill bend (a small voice in the back of my mind tells me that it had a rear wing failure, but that may well be the overexcitement of youth colouring the events...) And as far as I can tell, no Ferraris were entered for the 1975 Race of Champions. So I'm back at square one.

So, was anyone there at those races, and able to help me pinpoint which race it was?

Thanks,
Chaz

I was at the 1974 Race of Champions and I can confirm that yes, it did rain, my God, was I ever soaked...

But I don't recall any Ferrari spinning at the place you mention , that year it was Lauda and Rega in 312 B3's . However you story reminds me of something, wasn't it the infamous "Scuderia Everest" Ferrari of Giancarlo Martini that suffered that fate a few years later ?

Philippe,

Thanks for the reply.

To be honest, I'd be surprised if it was the '74 race, as I'd have been 3 and my brother 1, and I'm sure we were older than that. It *could* be a later race I suppose, especially if you're right about Giancarlo Martini. I'll have to have a look and see if it rings any bells

Of course, my memories of it raining on the Friday or Saturday don't preclude the possibility of it being gloriously sunny for the race.

OK, a bit more hunting around makes me start to think the 1976 Race of Champions is the one and that I might have been mistaken about not having been there for raceday itself.

So, to clarify things even further, two questions if anyone would be so kind:

1) What was the weather like for the '76 RoC on both the 13th and 14th March?

2) What were the details of the shunt that Giancarlo Martini had in the warm up that stopped him entering the race? If it was coming out of Druids, that probably clinches it.

3) Failing that, did Lauda have any lurid moments during the meeting?

Thanks again,
Chaz

Originally posted by chazh

What were the details of the shunt that Giancarlo Martini had in the warm up that stopped him entering the race?

Talent failure.

Originally posted by Twin Window
Talent failure.

Make a note people, Twinny being diplomatic!!!

Originally posted by Twin Window
Talent failure.

Thanks Twinny....

Now was that talent failure early, or late in the lap And did it perchance include the jettisoning of a rear aerodynamic appendage...

Originally posted by chazh
OK, a bit more hunting around makes me start to think the 1976 Race of Champions is the one and that I might have been mistaken about not having been there for raceday itself.

So, to clarify things even further, two questions if anyone would be so kind:

1) What was the weather like for the '76 RoC on both the 13th and 14th March?

2) What were the details of the shunt that Giancarlo Martini had in the warm up that stopped him entering the race? If it was coming out of Druids, that probably clinches it.

3) Failing that, did Lauda have any lurid moments during the meeting?

Thanks again,
Chaz

1) The weather was bad on both days.

2) Martini shunted the barriers on the left going up to Druids, blaming locking rear brakes - perhaps a tad too much pressure on the middle pedal...

3) Dunno, but the report by Pete Lyons in Autosport is a real gem, being in the form of a letter to his Aunt - as in Auntie BBC, who didn't televise the race because of the Durex sponsorship of Alan Jones' Surtees....


Twinny, pretty please, can I post links to the 4 pages of the report, as they are really hilarious....


/Conny

Martini shunted the barriers on the left going up to Druids, blaming locking rear brakes - perhaps a tad too much pressure on the middle pedal...

Thank you Conny, so that means I've still not got it pinned down. Still, rain on both days makes sense.

My working hypotheses is now that I was there on the first day, and I probably saw Martini practicing for his race-day shunt with a pirouette coming out of Druids. Rear wing acrobatics clearly a figment of the imagination of an over-excited five year-old.

Go on Twinny, please let him post the report...

Chaz