13 replies to this topic

[Bauble]

Being a fairly recent addition to the ranks of TNF 'Old Sweats' I might be venturing into territory previously covered in the dim and distant past. If so please advise and accept apologies.

In over 60 years of following motor sport two races stick in my memory as 'suprising', and I wonder if there are other examples in your memory banks?

In 1951 Franco Cortese won the Targa Florio in a Frazer Nash, one of the toughest races on the calendar, and not the sort of result one might have expected. That is not to belittle either Cortese or Frazer Nash, but it just remains with me as a significant milestone.

In 1954 when Moss was a works Jaguar driver and wanted to drive in the Sebring 12 hours, but there were no works Jags. so he was told by Jaguar that he could not drive anything that might be a rival for the World S/c Championship, so he drove a 1500cc Osca, and won!

Now I know that there are many examples of 'suprise winners', 'unusual results', or great drives that stand out, but both of these events took place over fifty years ago but still remain very much as suprises to me.


NB: I once asked Stirling for his opinion of his 'greatest drive' and he mentioned an Intercontinental race at Silverstone, and when I mentioned Sebring he replied; " I'm suprised anyone remembers that."

Hope I am not starting another trivia quiz.

Regards.

B

[Barry Boor]

If we are talking surprising results that we have seen, my very first F.1 race at Goodwood in 1957 must rank quite highly. Stuart Lewis-Evans in the Connaught won it (for those too young to remember) but I wouldn't say he beat the Vanwalls and B.R.Ms. They just broke down.

The other that I saw was Rosberg winning the International Trophy race in the Theodore in 1978. Surely THE most unlikely of winners ever.

[Doug Nye]

Surely THE most unlikely of winners ever.

Jenson Button - 2009 World Championship?



DCN

[john winfield]

One that comes to mind is Tony Dean's Can Am win at Atlanta in 1970, beating (or finishing ahead of) the works McLarens etc. in his Porsche 908.
Four of my other favourites are also from the 1970s, but these are surprisingly good performances that don't appear in the results, as on each occasion the car broke or deteriorated, ruining the fairy tale: Carlos Reutemann at his home GP in 1972, Regazzoni and the BRM at the same circuit a year later, Jarier and the Shadow at the 1974 Brazilian GP and JPJ again, at Montreal in 1978, in his short spell with Lotus.

John

[Bloggsworth]

Sitting on the outside of the proper Woodcote and watching James Hunt in the Hesketh sweep past Peterson on the outside...

Watching at Goodwood as lap after lap Moss clipped exactly the same piece of chalk on the apex in a Porsche RSK(? I was young).

1964 a very wet F1 race at Snetterton, listening to Clark, Taylor, Hill et al, wheelspinning up the length of the pit straight.

Edited by Bloggsworth, 07 February 2011 - 22:09.

[Giraffe]

Alan Jones 1977 win for Shadow at the Osterreichring came out of the blue, and Jody Scheckter's win the same season debuting the Wolf at Buenos Aires caught me napping.

[arttidesco]

Surely THE most unlikely of winners ever.

Peter Gethin winning the 1973 Race of Champions after the Lotus and BRM teams and a few others melted like butter despite the fact that we were all freezing our butts off, what was that about ?

Gethin his #32 Marathon B24 qualified ahead of and stayed ahead of Denny Hulme in the McLaren M23 which if IIRC had qualified on pole at Kayalami !

Mazda winning the Le Mans 24 hours beating the faster but weight strapped Jags and Mercs was something I did not see coming.

And I had no idea that Clay Regazzoni was still capable of wining a GP when I went to Silverstone in 1979, an event possibly topped by John Watson winning in a non turbo MP4 on a turbo suited Silverstone in 1981.

Favourites on TV #27 Monaco and Spain 1981 pure magic !

[RA Historian]

One that comes to mind is Tony Dean's Can Am win at Atlanta in 1970, beating (or finishing ahead of) the works McLarens etc. in his Porsche 908.

Perhaps the operative word should simply be "finished". That day almost every one of the front runners broke or crashed; the Hulme and Gethin McLaren M8Ds, the Revson Lola T-220, the Eaton BRM P-154, and others. Taking nothing away from a great drive by Dean, but it was more of a case of the last man standing. Much like what Barry says about Goodwood in 1957.
Tom

[Eric Dunsdon]

Jean Behra winning the 1957 Caen Grand Prix in a BRM was a wonderful surprise.

[Barry Boor]

Especially to Jeannot!

[Eric Dunsdon]

Especially to Jeannot!

Justified might be a better word, for it was 'Jeanott' himself who suggested that BRM might prepare a car for him at Caen after being impressed by the cars during the British Grand Prix at Aintree the week before. Behra saw the race winning potential of a car that many considered to be undriveable, and transported BRM fans from despair to delight. Of course. he won The International Trophy Race at Silverstone for BRM later that year as well.

[kayemod]

One that comes to mind is Tony Dean's Can Am win at Atlanta in 1970, beating (or finishing ahead of) the works McLarens etc. in his Porsche 908.

As RA Historian said earlier, a well deserved win by Yorkshireman Tony Dean, but very much a case of 'the last man standing'. More noteworthy to my mind, and just as unexpected was John Cannon's win at Laguna Seca in 1968, two years earlier. The UK born Canadian was fortunate in that he had the only set of Firestone F1 intermediates, which were perfect for the wet conditions. His car was a three year old tube-frame McLaren M1B that would have been hopelessly outclassed in the dry, he'd qualified mid grid in damp conditions, but when the heavens opened for the race, he just drove around everyone, putting more than a lap on second placed Denny Hulme in the works M8A.

[arttidesco]

I did have Art, believe me.

Regards

Lucio

I believe you Clay but I think the script was that Alan should win



Rapidly heading into the realms of nostalgia I would not have put a single cent on Rookie Cup racer Brad Keselowski winning the April '09 Aarons 499 50 secs before this photo was taken.

[john aston]

Well to this teenager from near Castleford AG Dean's Can Am victory was mighty big news even if I do not recall the Castleford and Pontefract Express having too much coverage of the victory. Even better was seeing the 908 thrash everything in sight at Rufforth! Otherwise- Lauda in BRM 1973 Silverstone- my reaction being- but he was crap in the March..