9 replies to this topic

[eibyyz]

First, I'll say that I did use the search feature and I didn't get a hit, so...

1. What happened at Zandvoort during practice in 1973? How bad was the wreck? How close was Ronnie to getting caught up in it?

2. 1975: Reading my Road & Track three months after the fact, Rob Walker mentioned that Emmo had shaved his head and looked like an 'old man'. Never heard any mention of any illness, and it was never brought up again. What was that about?

Thanks!

[Tim Murray]

Here's how Pete Lyons described the incident in his Autosport race report:

Just before the end of first practice on [Saturday], as Fittipaldi and Peterson in that order were thrashing around hard close together, Emerson felt a warning vibration and slacked off as he hurled down into " Pullevelt." Halfway through the glued centre of the left front wheel broke free, and the JPS went straight off the outside into the guardrail. It struck with the left front comer so hard that the footbox was crushed by the inboard brake disc on to the driver's feet, trapping him. Peterson was too close behind to stop, but the next man along was Hailwood; Mike and a Tyrrell mechanic (who happened to be on the scene to attend to Cevert's stopped car) used a length of pipe to pry the steering column away and free Emerson's foot. It could easily have been a much worse crash than it was, and in fact 72/5 was written off, but the Champion after examination by the GP Medical unit took pain-killing medication and climbed into 72/7, which had hurriedly been brought out from town. This he drove round smoothly to qualify for a grid place.

He took the race start, but retired after two laps as his right ankle was giving him trouble and as a result he didn’t feel he was in proper control of the car.

Edited by Tim Murray, 18 January 2013 - 13:32.

[2F-001]

The incident is similarly described in Michael Oliver's 'Lotus 72', although there, Graham Hill is also credited with assisting in the extraction of the driver. There's a pic of the car being hauled away - it was clearly 'a big one' since as well as the front-end damage, the left-hand side is mauled, left-rear corner is missing and the rear-end appears to be coming away at the engine/bellhousing 'joint'. '72/5' doesn't appear to have been raced again until the following year - and possibly with a new chassis(?).

I don't remember reading much from that time about Emerson's hairdressing adventures though...

[kayemod]

I don't remember reading much from that time about Emerson's hairdressing adventures though...

It was probably having a 'close shave' in the car that gave him the haircut idea.

[Ray Bell]

Not a bet with DSJ?

That tended to see hair cut on at least one occasion...

[kayemod]

Not a bet with DSJ?

That tended to see hair cut on at least one occasion...

I was looking for a Penske connection, as with John Watson's beard, but they didn't hire him until 1990 or thereabouts, so it's probably not that.

[B Squared]

I was looking for a Penske connection, as with John Watson's beard, but they didn't hire him until 1990 or thereabouts, so it's probably not that.

Mr. Penske does have particularly high standards of appearance, but mandatory head shaving is not part of the teams history.

[Charles E Taylor]

Zandvoort 73 was the last time Team Lotus used Melmag wheels.


72/5 was rebuilt using a new front bulkhead, a very complex 4130 steel fabrication and the required 16swg L72 outer skins.

The Melmag wheels were replaced with cast wheels from an Ensign pattern. Samples of these were Accelerated-Fatigue tested by Ruberry Owen.


There were no further wheel failures on the 72.


I hope this adds some detail.




Charlie

[jj2728]

Fittipaldi shaving his head? Nah, never happened......

[B Squared]

Fittipaldi's damaged Lotus