I remember watching this race on BBC as a 16 year old. I must admit I was gobsmacked. Clark pitted very early with a puncture and lost over a lap in the pits. He rejoined and emerged a lap behind the leader - Graham Hill in an identical Lotus 49.
Now here's what I remember: Clark passed Hill who held on in his slipstream for a couple of laps before Clark set off from last place in an apparently no hope hot pursuit of the guys in front, unlapping and dropping Hill. Hill's Lotus eventually expired later in the race. But I have seen a couple of accounts of this race that say that Hill stayed on in Clark's slipstream and the two went on circulating together. I don't think that's what happened. Can anyone provide the lap charts, or some other evidence as to what actually happened?
I think the race itself was one of the greatest Grand Prix ever. Clark catching and passing the leaders with a couple of laps to go, before running out of fuel on the last lap. Then the two hardest men in Grand Prix racing going side by side into the last corner. Brabham v Surtees. Surtees won by a few inches.
I've been watching Grand Prixs for 50 years or so and, for me, the only thing that's come close to the Italian Grand Prix in 67 is Rindt at Monaco in 1970. Watching that Lotus going through Casino Square sideways, in the last laps, in a car with the crash resistance of beer cans. He was very obviously inspired.
Nowadays, for me, it's so sanitised with drivers/circuits/sponorsi you can't identify or sympathise with the drivers. Back in the 60's they were all the best of friends.
I guess I'm a sad old bastard, but I'm glad I witnessed that era.