22 replies to this topic

[Pullman99]

Today, Saturday 22nd August, is exactly 50 years to the day when John Surtees won the Oulton Park Gold Cup in the TS7,   The aggregate result saw John take victory in the first Heat and 2nd the second with Jochen Rindt - in Lotus 72 R2 - winning that Heat and then departing swiftly leaving his car parked near Old Hall.    I jhave fond memories of that event including turning up to help marshal at the Tyrrell 001 test days.

 

Does anyone else have particular memories about this Gold Cup?   I lost my pics and a valued cassette of interviews, with Surtees and Rindt, in a house move some years ago.

[RogerFrench]

I remember the event, we lived nearby at that time, on the Wirral, but nothing particular, sorry!

[LodgeCorner]

I have many memories of that weekend.

 

If I remember correctly one of the mechanics looking after Jochen Rindt that day was Jim Pickles who during 1970 was generally looking after the GLTL F3 team of Dave Walker and Bev Bond. Jim was always great to chat with, time permitting, and full of great info that schoolboys like me loved.

The car that Rindt used for the Gold Cup was the one in which he had won the British GP at Brands earlier in the year and, sadly, was the car in which he crashed two weeks later at the Italian GP.

 

Although Jackie Stewart was entered in a March 701 (which he practiced) the meeting marked the debut of the Tyrrell 001. In the Paddock at Oulton at the time was an old shed and a friend and I were intrigued why Roger Hill (the chief Tyrrell mechanic) kept disappearing into this shed. Peering through the window gave us the answer, the new car.

 

Stewart started at the back of the grid in the first heat and finished 7^th, although he did set the fastest lap. Unfortunately, he didn’t start the second heat due to an engine problem.

Graham Hill also took part in the first heat in Rob Walker’s Brooke Bond Oxo Lotus 72, but retired early in the race with engine problems.

 

The supporting F3 non championship race was won by future F1 star Carlos Pace in a Lotus 59 from Peter Hanson in a Chevron B17, while Frank Gardner won the Saloon Car race in his Ford Mustang from Brian Muir’s Chev Camaro.

 

I also recall that at the end of the second heat Rindt stopped his car on The Avenue and nipped up the nearby hill to a waiting plane in which he departed, which explains why he wasn’t on the lap of honour!

[Tim Murray]

According to Quentin Spurring’s race report in Autosport Jochen had left his suitcase at the adjacent marshals’ post and collected it before boarding his plane.

[MCS]

I posted a link to a picture - or maybe even the picture - a few years back of Jochen's abandoned Lotus on the Avenue.  Either the picture (or the link) are on here somewhere...

[Tim Murray]

This one, Mark?

https://www.flickr.c...l59/2107829669/

[MCS]

That's the one Tim!  Jochen seemingly about to take his helmet off and fly away.

 

I will always remember the announcement of his death at Monza on the Saturday Grandstand programme.  There have been some comments on the Lorenzo Bandini thread about the effect it had on us when we first experienced a fatality in the sport we were beginning to avidly follow. It took me some time to get over Jochen's demise.

[LittleChris]

Just finished re-reading my Motor Sports from 1970. I was 8 then and my memory from black & white TV was of Jochen pulling over at Old Hall and the commentator ( Raymond Baxter ? ) saying that he had an appointment elsewhere so was flying out. 2 weeks later and we'd moved from a top floor  flat in London to a small cottage in Cattistock in Dorset and I remember being in the room I shared with my little brother and the radio downstairs announcing his death.

[D-Type]

Was this the first win for the Formula 1 Surtees?

Edited by D-Type, 29 August 2020 - 13:03.

[Jahn1234567890]

Was this the first win for the Formula 1 Surtees?

 

Yes Surtees won in only the fourth race of the TS7! John also won the Gold Cup in 1971 but this time in the new TS9.

[d j fox]

I remember Jochen Rindt with an unfamiliar white Bell full face helmet and Graham Hill sitting in the paddock in Rob Walker’s “new” Lotus 72 whilst his mechanic drilled holes in the screen to install his mirrors before practice Also Frank Gardener in the Boss Mustang

Edited by d j fox, 31 August 2020 - 20:47.

[LodgeCorner]

This is a nice little bit of footage of the meeting.

 

[Sterzo]

Pretty sure this was televised with Murray Walker commentating. I recall a camera shot of an empty road and Walker wildly excited, shouting: "And there's nobody coming through the bend at the moment!" It permanently coloured my view of his commentary, though I admit bearing a grudge for 50 years might be thought extreme.

[10kDA]

Pretty sure this was televised with Murray Walker commentating. I recall a camera shot of an empty road and Walker wildly excited, shouting: "And there's nobody coming through the bend at the moment!" It permanently coloured my view of his commentary, though I admit bearing a grudge for 50 years might be thought extreme.

 

First Commandment Of Broadcasting: Thou shalt honor thy Producer and thy Director and allow not dead air.

 

Or maybe Murray's contract stipulated he was to be paid by the word.

[mikeC]

Some fine footage of Bill McGovern's George Bevan Hillman Imp from 8.53 onwards.

[2F-001]

And at 5:00, a mechanic being inserted - dangled by his feet - head first into the footwell of David Prophet's McLaren...

 

 

In the Rindt post race aircraft departure picture (linked to in post No. 6 by Tim), on the far side is Mike Hailwood's Lola - abandoned on the warm up lap for heat two having (according to reports) burst its oil filter and left there during the race.

Edited by 2F-001, 01 September 2020 - 06:46.

[SJ Lambert]

This is a nice little bit of footage of the meeting.

 

 

Love the coordinated pair of mechanics work at the 5 minute mark. One of 'em drew the short straw!

[Alan Cox]

It was, indeed, covered by BBC Grandstand as this schedule from the Radio Times shows

https://genome.ch.bb...2ebe4f81797d05e

[ErinKondratieff]

Page 175 of  Howden's book, The Road to Monaco talks about the 1970 Gold Cup:

[Slurp1955]

The BBC had a commentary position on the start/finish line opposite the Pits. This was way up a ladder, and they interviewed Jochen and Graham Hill before the race way up there.  Graham was still suffering from his leg injuries from Watkins Glen and it was a real struggle for him. As we waited for autographs as they descended the ladder we were treated to some choice anglo saxon from Graham. Another aside, the Lotus 72 never looked better than in the Rob Walker livery, it was gorgeous.

[Pullman99]

Thanks Alan and Slurp 1955.   I watched the first heat from right next to that makeshift looking tower and have vivid memories of its occupants peering over the edge!

 

F1 drivers having to climb a rickety ladder to do an interview.   Try telling that to young people today; will they believe you?

[D-Type]

The BBC had a commentary position on the start/finish line opposite the Pits. This was way up a ladder, and they interviewed Jochen and Graham Hill before the race way up there.  Graham was still suffering from his leg injuries from Watkins Glen and it was a real struggle for him. As we waited for autographs as they descended the ladder we were treated to some choice anglo saxon from Graham. Another aside, the Lotus 72 never looked better than in the Rob Walker livery, it was gorgeous.

In spite of his injuries, Hill still climbed the ladder to be interviewed - professionalism and grit!

[RJE]

Wow!  This brings back a few memories.  I was at the Gold Cup with Team Surtees that year and I can even spot myself and my wife at a couple of points in the video.  The success came as something of a relief for the team because up until then the TS7 had suffered from a lot of engine unreliability.  The winners wreath hung in the workshop for months afterwards.

 

The race win however always has something of an unfortunate taste for me as on the way home I heard that my much admired favorite uncle, who had been responsible for among many other fabulous projects the building of the BRM mobile workshop, had unexpectedly died earlier that day.