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Last Corner, Last Lap


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#1 Manfred Cubenoggin

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Posted 13 September 2014 - 15:54

Hi, fellas!

 

I certainly hope that this topic hasn't been posted before.  Twinny!  Kill it off if it has.

 

Watching the live stream of the Goodwood Revival this morning, I noted a few close calls at the infamous chicane.  I got to wondering...

 

Would members care to post stories, film clips or stills images of dramas...preferably for the lead but not necessarily...in the last corner of the last lap?  Could be great steals or great blunders.



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#2 Vitesse2

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Posted 13 September 2014 - 16:07

Er, you mean like this? Hardly historic though - as it only happened seven hours ago: last corner of the first ever Formula E race.

 

 

Heidfeld walked away without a scratch!



#3 Vitesse2

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Posted 13 September 2014 - 16:12

Or how about JR Hildebrand - Indianapolis 2011?

 

 

Hero to zero ...



#4 Tim Murray

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Posted 13 September 2014 - 16:18

1962 International Trophy at Silverstone. Graham Hill stole the race from an unwary Jim Clark at the last corner to win by a nose, both cars being given the same race time.

Rindt and Brabham at Monaco and Brands 1970.

1953 Italian GP. Fangio nicked the race after the three cars in front of him went off at the last corner.

#5 BRG

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Posted 13 September 2014 - 16:44

Hardly at a high level, but the very first ever Mazda MX-5 at Silverstone back in 1990 or so saw  a clash between the leading two at Bridge Corner on the last lap that put them both (one was Mark Lemmer, the other...wasn't) into the kitty litter.  My motor clubmate, John Blennerhasset was a surprise, and surprised, winner, in his first ever circuit race.



#6 RStock

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Posted 13 September 2014 - 16:52


 

Heidfeld walked away without a scratch!

 

Poor Nick must have thought for a moment he was back at the USGP, 2007 I think it was?



#7 RStock

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Posted 13 September 2014 - 16:54

Wasn't the last corner, but it was the last lap. Poor Nige.

 

 


Edited by RStock, 13 September 2014 - 16:55.


#8 Bloggsworth

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Posted 13 September 2014 - 17:13

Jack Brabham, twice in one year, 1967 IIRC. The first when he spun at the last corner at Monaco, and the second when he ran out of fuel at Brands Hatch, being passed for the lead as he coasted round Clearways.



#9 Tim Murray

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Posted 13 September 2014 - 17:21

1970, Bloggsy, as in my earlier post. :p

#10 ocp

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Posted 13 September 2014 - 17:44

The best I have seen is Olivier Jacques and Shinya Nakano.

Last race, last lap, last corner, win and the championship. 



#11 carlt

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Posted 13 September 2014 - 18:03

Well there is the 2008 world championship decided on the last corner of the last lap



#12 Afterburner

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Posted 13 September 2014 - 18:19

No thread of 'last corner, last lap' duels would be complete without this:



And wwoooooww that Honda ARX sounds so nice. :love:

#13 pRy

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Posted 13 September 2014 - 18:21

Well there is the 2008 world championship decided on the last corner of the last lap

 

Still can't quite believe that sequence of events. Amusing how James & Martin used to pronounce Vet-tel. 



#14 D28

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Posted 13 September 2014 - 18:25

Jack Brabham, twice in one year, 1967 IIRC. The first when he spun at the last corner at Monaco, and the second when he ran out of fuel at Brands Hatch, being passed for the lead as he coasted round Clearways.

Sir Jack admitted to missing his breaking point at Monaco, but that is not quite as bad as spinning. He said he was allowed the odd mistake in such a long career, just too bad it was televised live around the world.



#15 Collombin

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Posted 13 September 2014 - 19:10

After Indy 2011, the next two that sprang to mind were Bjorn Wirdheim's somewhat embarrassing premature celebration in the F3000 race at Monaco in 2003, and the James Hunt v Dave Morgan bout at Crystal Palace in 1970.

Edited by E.B., 13 September 2014 - 19:12.


#16 ChiliFan

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Posted 13 September 2014 - 19:55

The 2011 British Superbike season was decided by a photo finish for 1st in the final race:

 



#17 Manfred Cubenoggin

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Posted 14 September 2014 - 01:04

Oh, but some great stuff being posted here.  TYVM, gents.

 

Of course, the Monaco 1970 last corner/last lap turnover figures very prominently.  That old footage from Panorama is terrific!

 

I recall the Indy 500 of 2006...just checked to confirm...when Penske driver, Sam Hornish, aced then rookie, Marco Andretti, on the home straight with just a few hundred metres to run.  The 2nd closest finish in that event's history.  A great steal and a piteous loss all rolled up into one.

 

And as for a few metres more to work with, Scott Goodyear came up just a few short to pip Al Unser Jr. in the 1992.  Breath-taking finish that had me jumping out of my chair!

 

And here's one for Bob Barg(aka, oldtransamdriver)...

 

I expect that it was 1966 while taking in the regional event at Mosport that I witnessed a thrilling 'last corner/last lap' drama.  In the sedan race, Maurice(Mo)Carter was driving his Carter Chev-Olds Camaro up against Werner Gudzus in the Shanahan Mustang.  I can't recall the length of the race...perhaps upwards of 20...but it was sufficient to lay the groundwork for the finish.

 

Mo lead narrowly for the entire race until 4-5 laps from the end when it became apparent from my vantage point(a home-built platform strung from a tree halfway along the pit straght)that the Camaro was losing front end grip.  With each pass through the final corner, Mo was having to crank on more and more steering lock.  This allowed Gudzus to plant right on the Mo's tail and press.  Last lap and popping over the crest of the back straight, Mo still lead but the Mustang was a virtual shadow to the Camaro.  Through T8 and into the esses for the last time.  T10...the last corner and with only about 300m to run...  Mo has a fierce amount of lock screwed on but the Chev pony car skates wide to drop wheels into the gravel verge.  He may have even kissed the earthen berm that lined the corner and pit straight.  It may have cost all of half a second's worth of time but it was all Gudzus needed to gun the 'stang by on the right and win by a bonnet's length.

 

The essence of 'the thrill of victory...the agony of defeat'.

 

Regretably, both Mo and Werner have passed on.  RIP, gents, and thanks for the memories.


Edited by Manfred Cubenoggin, 14 September 2014 - 01:07.


#18 Graham Clayton

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Posted 14 September 2014 - 06:59

The 1963 Armstrong 500 at Bathurst, with the memorable duel in Class A between the Barry Ferguson VW and the Lindsay Little Mini. To quote Bill Tuckey in "Australia's Greatest Motor Race - The Complete History":

 

 

But even with an hour to go the noise of battle still rolled on in the tiddlers' class. Everyone forgot about the others, as they watched the Mini and the VW savage each other all around the Mountain, the pits waiting breathlessly for the moment when the two hove into sight - inevitably side-by-side over the last hump in Conrod straight.....And so Barry Ferguson in the VW and Lindsay Little in the Mini arrived together at Murray's for the last corner on the very last lap of the first 500-mile enduro at Bathurst. Ferguson, desperate, bringing to bear all his loose-surface rally experience, squeezed out by the Mini under brakes, simply put it right across the brick and over the dirt in the apex of the corner. Little was literally shoved off line, and the Mini rolled into the wooden fence. The driver leapt out and rolled it back onto its wheels and then raced for the line....second.

 



#19 wenoopy

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Posted 14 September 2014 - 09:57

I recall reading of the finish of a 1-hour or 3-hour small-capacity touring car race at Spa in the early 1960's where the 3 team cars of one make were running 1-2-3. They decided, or were ordered, to do a formation finish, nose-to-tail or triple dead heat, and accordingly slowed considerably as they approached La Source hairpin on their last lap so  as to achieve this. Unfortunately they did not notice that the 4th-placed car was rapidly catching them, and in fact passed them as they rounded the bend to take first place, turning the 1-2-3 into a 2-3-4.

 

I now have no magazines from the period to check up on this but probably it was in either "Motoring News" or "Motor Sport", and I think the drivers were the top Belgian, Dutch and German touring car drivers of the day.

 

Stu     



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#20 Vitesse2

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Posted 14 September 2014 - 10:17

Not quite the last corner, but I've just seen Julian Bronson's Scarab - which was cruising to an easy victory in the Richmond Trophy - roll to a halt having apparently run out of fuel on the last lap! Thirsty things, those Offenhausers ...



#21 wenoopy

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Posted 14 September 2014 - 10:32

I recall reading of the finish of a 1-hour or 3-hour small-capacity touring car race at Spa in the early 1960's where the 3 team cars of one make were running 1-2-3. They decided, or were ordered, to do a formation finish, nose-to-tail or triple dead heat, and accordingly slowed considerably as they approached La Source hairpin on their last lap so  as to achieve this. Unfortunately they did not notice that the 4th-placed car was rapidly catching them, and in fact passed them as they rounded the bend to take first place, turning the 1-2-3 into a 2-3-4.

 

I now have no magazines from the period to check up on this but probably it was in either "Motoring News" or "Motor Sport", and I think the drivers were the top Belgian, Dutch and German touring car drivers of the day.

 

Stu     

 

I tried a new approach on the internet and found the answer immediately.

 

1962 GP de Spa for 1600cc and 1000cc touring cars : Lucien Bianchi won overall and also 1600cc class, John Whitmore, Jimmy Blumer and Bill Blydenstein in Mini-Coopers were leading the 1000 cc Class when the Belgian Emile Holvoet (Auto-Union) swept past them on the last corner to win the class.

 

Stu  



#22 ReWind

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Posted 14 September 2014 - 13:44



#23 Risil

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Posted 14 September 2014 - 14:15

Three from America:

 

2013 Sao Paulo Indy 300: James Hinchcliffe survives a pretty nasty chop to pass Takuma Sato -- whose tyres and not only his tyres are long past their peak -- at the last corner.

 

2013 Freedom 100 (i.e. the Indy Lights race before the "500"): Three drivers go side-by-side into turn 4 with another close behind, needless to say the guy who's close behind wins it.

 

1985 Sanair Indy 300: Pancho Carter invents the green-white-chequered, jumping leader Johnny Rutherford as they came to the finish line under caution. Unbelievably it took weeks for Rutherford to be awarded the race on appeal.


Edited by Risil, 14 September 2014 - 14:16.


#24 Michael Ferner

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Posted 14 September 2014 - 14:49

I recall reading of the finish of a 1-hour or 3-hour small-capacity touring car race at Spa in the early 1960's where the 3 team cars of one make were running 1-2-3. They decided, or were ordered, to do a formation finish, nose-to-tail or triple dead heat, and accordingly slowed considerably as they approached La Source hairpin on their last lap so  as to achieve this. Unfortunately they did not notice that the 4th-placed car was rapidly catching them, and in fact passed them as they rounded the bend to take first place, turning the 1-2-3 into a 2-3-4.
 
I now have no magazines from the period to check up on this but probably it was in either "Motoring News" or "Motor Sport", and I think the drivers were the top Belgian, Dutch and German touring car drivers of the day.
 
Stu

I tried a new approach on the internet and found the answer immediately.

1962 GP de Spa for 1600cc and 1000cc touring cars : Lucien Bianchi won overall and also 1600cc class, John Whitmore, Jimmy Blumer and Bill Blydenstein in Mini-Coopers were leading the 1000 cc Class when the Belgian Emile Holvoet (Auto-Union) swept past them on the last corner to win the class.

Stu


Ahh, the good old times when Belgian, Dutch and German drivers had proper English names... :D

#25 Charlieman

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Posted 14 September 2014 - 17:22

Another recommendation for the bikes: Rossi beating Lorenzo at Barcelona in 2009. 

 

Prior to that overtake, nobody made a serious move at the final corner. Next year, after seeing that it could be done, almost everybody had a go.



#26 LittleChris

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Posted 14 September 2014 - 19:45

Toni Elias beating Valentino Rossi & KR Jr Portugal 2006 - often remembered more for Dani Pedrosa taking team mate and Championship  contender Nicky Hayden out.

 

 

Sorry about the Spanish version of "I will Survive" that accompanies it



#27 wenoopy

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Posted 15 September 2014 - 09:31

Ahh, the good old times when Belgian, Dutch and German drivers had proper English names... :D

 

Spa GP 1962 - Willem(Bill) Blydenstein was born in the Netherlands, Holvoet was Belgian, 2 out of 4 at least!

The reason for remembering this finish in particular was the satisfaction of seeing people being too smart-arsed and ending up as a laughing-stock.

 

As for names of sports-people in Belgium, there seems to be a trend for non-Belgian first names like Ken, Kevin, Kim and Kirsten these days. Is this a Flemings vs Walloons thing?

 

Stu Buchanan (a fine old Scots name)   


Edited by wenoopy, 15 September 2014 - 09:33.


#28 byrkus

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Posted 15 September 2014 - 09:59

Speaking of Spa - what about 1964 Belgian GP? Bruce McLaren coasted from La Source towards finish line, with his engine off (electirical fault?), with Jim Clark screaming by on full throttle less than 50 meters to go... And he only learned the he won some time later, when his fuel ran out and he heard the results over PA system. :drunk:



#29 Ray Bell

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Posted 15 September 2014 - 10:59

That was Dan Gurney, wasn't it? Or did his fuel run out earlier in the lap?

A similar thing at Spa in 1958, if I recall...

#30 xtoph

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Posted 15 September 2014 - 11:13

 

one of the most pathetic last laps in motor racing.

 

anyway. what about laguna seca 1996? zanardi vs. herta.



#31 TimRTC

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Posted 15 September 2014 - 11:20

First one of the top of my head - SBK Donington Park 2012 - Jonathan Rea takes a win after the BMW bikes take each other out at Godard's on the last lap.

 



#32 uechtel

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Posted 15 September 2014 - 13:06

My favourite one

 

http://youtu.be/g-eVv4-5Ii0

 

Even closer to the line than Wirdheim...


Edited by uechtel, 15 September 2014 - 13:06.