14 replies to this topic

[longhorn]

Ickx & Regazzoni were delayed early in the 1971 Brands Hatch 1000km because of accident damage sustained in avoiding the spinning Dulon. They lost between 6 and 8 laps (accounts vary) and then a further 2 laps when the throttle played up. According to Regazzoni, after the first delay he and Ickx committed to driving flat out and they eventually secured second place behind the winning Alfa T33. When Rodriguez put in that fabulous drive at Brands in the 917 in 1970, it captured the public's imagination, and still does. However, the Ickx/Regazzoni performance was also fabulous but is rarely if ever mentioned. Why is that?

The same pairing also led the Ostereichring 1000km and came up against a very on-form Rodriguez in the 917, who eventually won after Regazzoni went into the barrier. Wyer hinted that Regazzoni had been pressured into going off the road after Rodriguez unlapped himself and disappeared into the distance whilst Caliri is emphatic that the 312P suffered a chassis breakage. In any case, Rodriguez catching Regazzoni in the time left was only a remote possibility, not a certainty. Rodriguez did win after a superb drive but I can't imagine Regazzoni sucumbing to pressure from anybody and surely the Ferrari would have won until fate intervened. Wouldn't it?

Edited by longhorn, 09 January 2010 - 14:40.

[Stephen W]

Ickx & Regazzoni were delayed early in the 1971 Brands Hatch 1000km because of accident damage sustained in avoiding the spinning Dulon. They lost between 6 and 8 laps (accounts vary) and then a further 2 laps when the starter motor failed. According to Regazzoni, after the first delay he and Ickx committed to driving flat out and they eventually secured second place behind the winning Alfa T33. When Rodriguez put in that fabulous drive at Brands in the 917 in 1970, it captured the public's imagination, and still does. However, the Ickx/Regazzoni performance was also fabulous but is rarely if ever mentioned. Why is that?

I suspect that the main reason is that Pedro Rodriguez won the 1970 event. There is a tendency to always remember the winners!

Likewise Tambay's drive in the Ferrari F1 in the 1982 Austrian GP at Osterrichring is one of the greatest I have ever seen yet he gets little credit because he came 4th a lap in arrears!

[john winfield]

Ickx & Regazzoni were delayed early in the 1971 Brands Hatch 1000km because of accident damage sustained in avoiding the spinning Dulon. They lost between 6 and 8 laps (accounts vary) and then a further 2 laps when the throttle played up. According to Regazzoni, after the first delay he and Ickx committed to driving flat out and they eventually secured second place behind the winning Alfa T33. When Rodriguez put in that fabulous drive at Brands in the 917 in 1970, it captured the public's imagination, and still does. However, the Ickx/Regazzoni performance was also fabulous but is rarely if ever mentioned. Why is that?

The same pairing also led the Ostereichring 1000km and came up against a very on-form Rodriguez in the 917, who eventually won after Regazzoni went into the barrier. Wyer hinted that Regazzoni had been pressured into going off the road after Rodriguez unlapped himself and disappeared into the distance whilst Caliri is emphatic that the 312P suffered a chassis breakage. In any case, Rodriguez catching Regazzoni in the time left was only a remote possibility, not a certainty. Rodriguez did win after a superb drive but I can't imagine Regazzoni sucumbing to pressure from anybody and surely the Ferrari would have won until fate intervened. Wouldn't it?

I was 12 or 13 at the time of these races and an unashamed Ferrari fan. Even so, standing in the wet at Brands in 1970, Pedro's drive was clearly exceptional. I saw the 1972 race but missed 1971, being in the middle of the Mediterranean on an old troop ship, the Nevasa, on a school cruise. I was pleasantly surprised that, on the ship's noticeboard, not only did they post the weekend's UK football results but also the result of the Brands 1000km. Ferrari second? Beaten by an Alfa?! My brother was there, tells me that Ickx and Regazzoni were excellent, but perhaps not as eye catching as Rodriguez the year before. I think the 312P hit the Dulon at another race too.
As regards the Osterreichring race, I'm pretty sure that Pedro was eating into Regazzoni's lead quickly enough to win. I agree that, wheel to wheel, Clay would never succumb to pressure (ask JYS!) but, for the whole of that season, the 312P had to be driven right on the limit in an attempt to beat the five litre Porsches - there wasn't much room for either driver error or mechanical fragility. Frustrating for Maranello that it was Alfa who twice (I think) picked up the pieces.

[Pedro 917]

The Dulon-Porsche (driven then by Martin Ridehalgh) cut accross Regazzoni at Hollowel (just before Stavelot) during the Spa 1000 kms of 1971. Both cars were seriously damaged.
It was indeed the same car that forced Ickx to leave the road at Brands Hatch 1971.

[john winfield]

The Dulon-Porsche (driven then by Martin Ridehalgh) cut accross Regazzoni at Hollowel (just before Stavelot) during the Spa 1000 kms of 1971. Both cars were seriously damaged.
It was indeed the same car that forced Ickx to leave the road at Brands Hatch 1971.

Thanks Carlos. I've never seen that photo before; is it one of yours? The cars look a real mess. I hadn't realised how extensively damaged they were but, if the collision took place at Hollowell, I guess the speed would have been quite high.

[longhorn]

I suspect that the main reason is that Pedro Rodriguez won the 1970 event. There is a tendency to always remember the winners!

Likewise Tambay's drive in the Ferrari F1 in the 1982 Austrian GP at Osterrichring is one of the greatest I have ever seen yet he gets little credit because he came 4th a lap in arrears!

I agree about remembering winners. I was always taught that if you came second you might as well have been last.

I'd forgotten about Tambay's performance. I had to read DSJ's report in Motor Sport to remind myself. Very fast, very smooth and very correct. The marks of a true GP driver.

[longhorn]

As regards the Osterreichring race, I'm pretty sure that Pedro was eating into Regazzoni's lead quickly enough to win. I agree that, wheel to wheel, Clay would never succumb to pressure (ask JYS!) but, for the whole of that season, the 312P had to be driven right on the limit in an attempt to beat the five litre Porsches - there wasn't much room for either driver error or mechanical fragility. Frustrating for Maranello that it was Alfa who twice (I think) picked up the pieces.

Rodriguez was certainly making inroads into the Ferrari's lead but I don't think it was a foregone conclusion that he would win. Certainly the Ferrari people didn't think so and DSJ's report says that there were just about enough laps left to reduce the deficit to zero. That 312P chassis 0878 had a particularly hard life, being damaged at Brands, Monza, Spa and Ostereichring, but managed to survive a collision at the non championship Kyalami race to eventually win.

Edited by longhorn, 10 January 2010 - 12:12.

[longhorn]

I agree that, wheel to wheel, Clay would never succumb to pressure (ask JYS!) but, for the whole of that season, the 312P had to be driven right on the limit in an attempt to beat the five litre Porsches - there wasn't much room for either driver error or mechanical fragility. Frustrating for Maranello that it was Alfa who twice (I think) picked up the pieces.

I'm reminded that we were at the downhill Hatzenbach swerves during the 1972 German GP at the Nurburgring and Stewart walked past us heading back to the pits after he and Regazzoni had that coming together, which, according to Stewart's column in the Voice of Britain the next day, was all Regazzoni's fault. Most others thought it six of one and half a dozen of the other. Whatever, nobody got close to Ickx that day.

[longhorn]

Thanks Carlos. I've never seen that photo before; is it one of yours? The cars look a real mess. I hadn't realised how extensively damaged they were but, if the collision took place at Hollowell, I guess the speed would have been quite high.

I've not seen this picture before either. Seeing the damage, I'm not surprised that Ferrari decided to miss the Targa Florio. In any case they would have struggled particularly as they didn't have a road race specialist like Merzario on board until the following year.

There is a b&w picture of the damaged car after the Ostereichring off in McDonough's 312P & 312PB book but it doesn't look as bad as this.

[LittleChris]

That marshall holding the yellow flag at the exit of Hollowell was a brave man even if he is slightly off the racing line !!

[john winfield]

Ickx & Regazzoni were delayed early in the 1971 Brands Hatch 1000km because of accident damage sustained in avoiding the spinning Dulon. They lost between 6 and 8 laps (accounts vary) and then a further 2 laps when the throttle played up. According to Regazzoni, after the first delay he and Ickx committed to driving flat out and they eventually secured second place behind the winning Alfa T33. When Rodriguez put in that fabulous drive at Brands in the 917 in 1970, it captured the public's imagination, and still does. However, the Ickx/Regazzoni performance was also fabulous but is rarely if ever mentioned. Why is that?

I have just re-read the Motoring News report from 1971 (MGD...Mike Doodson?). You're quite right, Longhorn, it sounds a superb fightback from Ickx and Regazzoni, just falling short after that later throttle problem. Regazzoni lost his visor during one stint but just tucked his head down and stayed on the limit.
You mention reports of either 6 or 8 laps lost after the incident with the Dulon. M News goes for 7! Apparently, after going off at Westfield avoiding the spinning Bill McGovern, it took Ickx a full lap to extricate the damaged Ferrari and trundle back to the pits, where he lost a futher six laps having the front end repaired and new bodywork fitted.

[longhorn]

I have just re-read the Motoring News report from 1971 (MGD...Mike Doodson?). You're quite right, Longhorn, it sounds a superb fightback from Ickx and Regazzoni, just falling short after that later throttle problem. Regazzoni lost his visor during one stint but just tucked his head down and stayed on the limit.
You mention reports of either 6 or 8 laps lost after the incident with the Dulon. M News goes for 7! Apparently, after going off at Westfield avoiding the spinning Bill McGovern, it took Ickx a full lap to extricate the damaged Ferrari and trundle back to the pits, where he lost a futher six laps having the front end repaired and new bodywork fitted.

I used to read MN every week as well as Motor Sport every month from the late 60's. Regrettably I didn't keep the MN's but do have MS from 1949 to 2002 when I stopped my subscription.

In the Ferrari 312 512 book, Bamsey concurs with MN's 7 laps lost as does ARM in MS, so I'm not sure where I got 6 or 8 laps from. You said in post 3 that the 3 litre cars had to be driven at the limit in order to beat the 917's and 512's. Ickx, Regazzoni & Andretti certainly did that which is presumably why they had so many dramas, there being no safety margin. Regazzoni received a cut above an eye after he lost his visor at Brands, but, as you say, carried on at unabated speed.

[john winfield]

Some good footage of a rather gloomy Brands Hatch:

 

 

[glyn parham]

Thanks for sharing this, reminds me just how cold and miserable that weekend really was. 1970 was far wetter but more enjoyable because of "that" drive.

[Fr@nk]

I suspect that the main reason is that Pedro Rodriguez won the 1970 event. There is a tendency to always remember the winners!

Likewise Tambay's drive in the Ferrari F1 in the 1982 Austrian GP at Osterrichring is one of the greatest I have ever seen yet he gets little credit because he came 4th a lap in arrears!

 

I agree with Stephen. The Pedro's wet race at Brands Hatch in 1970 is remembered because Pedro performed a fabulous drive, but also won the race.
History very often forget the losers...independently of their bravery. :-(