24 replies to this topic

[Gary C]

lads, just a quickie, does anyone remember if there was any tv/film coverage of the 74 Race of Champions? Won by Ickx in the Lotus 72. I'm thinking that if the BBC did cover it (they had a history a little later in the decade of covering non-Championship races....) it would have been on 'Grandstand'.    But thanks indeed for any pointers.

[Mallory Dan]

Defintely on tele Gary, I assume BBC covered it. I still remember Ickx waltzing past Lauda at Paddock in the rain. Superb!! Would it have been a Sunday afternoon?

[Gary C]

thanks indeed, Dan. Yes, I was presuming it would have been 'Grandstand'.  With any luck I'll have someone interrogating the BBC database later this week...........I wasn't sure it would have been the Beeb, my fingers were crossed.

[Vitesse2]

30 minutes of highlights, BBC1, 4.40pm, according to The Times 16/3/74.

[Gary C]

B L I M E Y   !! 

   I'll get on to my mate at the BBC again....superb stuff,  many thanks indeed

Edited by Gary C, 21 February 2014 - 22:09.

[Mallory Dan]

IIRC it was Reuteman who lead initally. I was rooting for him, as the BT44 was such a beaut, and he'd lost his home GP shorty before in such a sad fashion. The JPS was still a looker though wasn't it. Who'd have thought it was to be Ickx's last win?  

[dweller23]

World feed highlights here:

 

Edit: there might be a glitch in embedded version, if you watch it on youtube it works perfectly fine, though.

Edited by dweller23, 21 February 2014 - 22:32.

[Michael Ferner]

Well, there was a glitch, apart from the back-to-front chronology: a ripple in the space-time continuum allowed two McLarens to enjoy a bit of dry asphalt conditions in Kyalami, while Ick and Lauda slogged it out in the rain in Kent.

[dweller23]

Indeed, I didn't even notice that, I saw that video about 2 years ago. Only wanted to link it here, as I thought it was actually fairly rare footage.

[BRG]

Who'd have thought it was to be Ickx's last win?  

Well, there would be four more Le Mans victories of course not to mention quite a few other wins....

[john winfield]

Here's some Movietone footage of the main race and the Celebrity Escorts.

 

 

Edit. Jacky Ickx seems to have aged - looks a bit like Brian Close.

Edited by john winfield, 16 March 2018 - 12:10.

[john winfield]

And here's a bit more:

 

[Sterzo]

Great to see that footage. Didn't see it on TV because I was there (at Paddock). My trousers have almost dried out.

[Rob Ryder]

Great to see that footage. Didn't see it on TV because I was there (at Paddock). My trousers have almost dried out.

Same place as me! Maybe we rubbed (wet) shoulders?

[dweller23]

Doesn't look like major F1 broadcasters from other countries had live coverage of that race, so BBC's highlights are most likely the best coverage of that race that was shown on TV.

[MCS]

And here's a bit more:

 

 

Great coverage and sensible commentating, unlike the hyper, manic, noisy and often misleading nonsense we were subjected to in the UK for many, many years.

[john winfield]

Fifty years ago today Jacky Ickx harrassed Niki Lauda before smoothly using the wet, wide line to take the lead at Paddock.  Here's the four minute b/w clip, with french commentary added after the event.

 

[Sterzo]

^ Another "I woz there", on the outside of Paddock in their spray. One historic spectator, largely original, requires only long hair and flares to restore.

[john aston]

Me too - and my pack of 20 JPS and a cheap lighter . We were at Clearways , sort of ,and I can still remember Ickx lining up that implausible pass. 

 

But even on the day it didn't feel like an Ickx renaissance , but a last hurrah. The future was the buck toothed guy in the red car. 

[dwh43scale]

Watched on tv and as a lotus fan loved the overtake. Have a print of the Michael Turner painting somewhere. 

[68targa]

Good memories. I have a lot of photos with it being sunny and dry on Saturday for practice and an F5000 race (Gethin Chevron B28 won)  and then returned for the Sunday deluge.

[Nick Planas]

Me too - and my pack of 20 JPS and a cheap lighter . We were at Clearways , sort of ,and I can still remember Ickx lining up that implausible pass. 

 

But even on the day it didn't feel like an Ickx renaissance , but a last hurrah. The future was the buck toothed guy in the red car. 

I was also at Clearways. I remember how freezing cold we were, and how boggy the ground was. I agree about the 'last hurrah' of Ickx, but we still cheered loudly when he got past Lauda. Two top drivers giving it everything in wet conditions somehow kept the cold away... 

[arttidesco]

Me five, opposite the pit lane exit, gave us a fabulous view of Jacky chasing Niki down along Top Straight into Paddock Hill Bend. It did not seen concievable Jacky could possibly make it round the outside in those conditions. Must have given Jacky quite a buzz to beat his former employers and their new boy.

[Tim Murray]

I was out in the country at Hawthorns. I’d come inadequately dressed in just a light anorak so must have ended up a real drowned rat, but don’t remember any of that now. As a Ferrari fan it was amazing to see them going well again after a dismal 1973, and I really thought that Ickx’s win marked the start of the renaissance of his career. What a letdown the rest of his time with Lotus was.

[john aston]

Indeed - and until I read Jon Saltinstall's book, I had forgotten that Ickx had soldiered on in F1 for another five years , with   JPS, Williams , Wolf , Ensign and Ligier, but to little avail .