36 replies to this topic

[Lukin]

G'Day,

I searched and came across a bit of info on this but those threads were closed! Im a bit scared, posting a thread on the Nostalgia Forum..

I have a few question regarding the Brands Hatch BOAC 1000 in 1970. I was talking to a lecturer at uni and he said he was at a 1000 (mile or km) race at Brands Hatch in 1970 for production car style racing (Ferrari, Porshe etc) and it rained on and off the whole day and he reckons it was the best race he had ever seen.

Seeing as it happenned 13 years before I was born, I was wondering if this is the same race that everyone in previous archived threads is talking about in regard to Pedro Rodriguez's efforts in the wet?

If so, is there anywhere I can get this on tape or DVD?

Any help would be great. Cheers!

[Vitesse2]

It's okay .... we don't bite!

Yes, that is indeed the race - I'm no sports car expert, but I'm sure Pedro 917 and a few others will be along to tell you all about it!

That race is the source of Pedro 917's sig, BTW:

Why doesn't someone tell Pedro it's raining" - Chris Amon, 1000km Brands Hatch 1970 -

[Twin Window]

Originally posted by Lukin
Im a bit scared, posting a thread on the Nostalgia Forum..

Do we know where you live...?!

I was wondering if this is the same race that everyone in previous archived threads is talking about in regard to Pedro Rodriguez's efforts in the wet?

It certainly sounds like it. I can't help you on dvd/video (although if it exists, someone else will!) but still pictures will be available from the bigger specialist photographic archives.

Twinny

[Keir]

You can find bits and pieces of that race on the "famous Amon" thread.

It's in there.......................somewhere!!

[Lukin]

Originally posted by Vitesse2
It's okay .... we don't bite!

Heh Im more worried that it's a sign I'm getting older!

PS That Amon thread is 86 pages long!!!!

[Tim Murray]

If you haven't unearthed it already, this thread is very entertaining:

http://forums.atlasf...ght=Nick Syrett

[Doug Nye]

Welcome Lukin - no, we don't bite, and yes, we test attention span here on TNF, though that Amon thread just about takes the perishing biscuit.

That wet Brands race with the 917s was simply wonderful - someone described Pedro Rodriguez as being like a faulty ammeter - permanently at Maximum Charge...

DCN

[Keir]

Doug,
What kind of biscuit??

[2F-001]

In the context of this thread, I would suggest a Water Biscuit.

There are odd snippets of that race on a multitude of videos (or so it seems) but it would be interesting to know if there is any more substantial footage available.

[Lukin]

Were full races telecast back then?

[SEdward]

I was there at the tender age of 9, accompanied by my big brother and my Dad. We got home much later than expected to be greeted by howls of protest from Mum, complaining that we were late and that dinner was ruined.

The only excuse we could offer was: "It rained". A bit like Alf Garnett's "They played extra time..."

If I had the means of rewinding the images captured by my retina, then I'd put them on a DVD.

Trouble is, the only thing I seem to remember about that day is the rain...

Edward

[Rosemayer]

Lukin

Try here scroll down to John Wyer.

http://www.32fullthr...Le Mans/wsc.htm

[Pedro 917]

There's a video (I believe it's from Terrific Stuff) that covers the Le Mans 1968 race and the 1970 Sport-Prototype season. I believe it's called "The John Wyer Gulf Fords and Porsches 917" but I can't check it as I'm still at work. There's also a video called racing in the sixties and seventies that has great coverage of the BOAC 1000kms race of 1970 and the Rothmans Trophy at Oulton Park 1971.
Yep, Pedro was definitely on another planet that day. He was blackflagged after he'd ignored the yellow flag after a car had crashed at Clearways ending the first lap (when you see the images, I really believe he couldn't see a thing but the road in front of him - it was a deluge). Pedro came in, was lectured by the clerk of the course Nick Syrett and went out again, 1 lap behind the whole field.
He won the race, 5 laps ahead of everyone. That should tell you something about the little man I adore so much. He drove most of the race just handing over to Kinunnen for regulations sake.

[Rosemayer]

I'm sorry its Gulf Wyer Fords and Porsches

[Lukin]

Originally posted by Rosemayer
I'm sorry its Gulf Wyer Fords and Porsches

That has the footage, I actually came across that one a few hours ago. Thanks for the link

Do you know if there are full telecast kicking around anywhere?

[Doug Nye]

Originally posted by Keir
Doug, What kind of biscuit??

Distinctly Digestive...

DCN

[Keir]

Very SLY, NYE!!!

[MrAerodynamicist]

Sadly two years out but you can get a free clip of the 1968 race from Pathe

[911]

Kind of off topic here, but last week I finally received a factory Porsche poster that I had ordered last month, and it was the BOAC 1000 kilometer race at Brands Hatch from 1970. It has Pedro's winning 917 (number 10) coming around Druids, I believe. Awesome looking poster.

[wibblywobbly]

Originally posted by MrAerodynamicist
Sadly two years out but you can get a free clip of the 1968 race from Pathe

Thanks, very much, for that link. Interesting bit about the Howmet, as well!

[Ray Bell]

But there are some, aren't there, who reckon his race at the Osterreichring a few weeks later was even better...

[Gary C]

'Do you know if there are full telecast kicking around anywhere?'
The race was certainly not televised.

[Pedro 917]

Originally posted by Gary C :

"The race was certainly not televised"

Now that would have been a marathon broadcast. I just checked and the race started at noon and finished at 6.45 ! Pedro drove five and a half hours , Kinunnen 1 hour and fifteen minutes.

Ray, the Österreichring race was a year later, two weeks before he died. Here too, he drove 932 km, leaving just 12 laps for Attwood.

Saturday, I've been at Spa to witness the Classic Endurance race that had the Barazi 917 entered. It was great to see a 917 in action again and winning too :



Oh, there was also practice for the 1000 kms race of today (won by the Audi of Herbert-Davies, no surprise really) but I really don't know much about these contemporary cars. Took some great shots though.

[Paul Parker]

I was at Brands Hatch in 1970 and watched Pedro R outperform and outrace everybody with nary a backward glance.

If memory serves me correctly Vic Elford led at first (another wet weather specialist) also in a 917 but Pedro went by like he was tied to a post. Jackie Oliver was driving a 512S and spun coming out of Druids. I also recall Barrie Smith crashing his Lola T70 on I think the first lap opposite the pits, the car being smashed to pieces although Barrie survived but it is all a long time ago so I might have got my chronology and some of the details wrong. After the race I drove around the circuit with a friend who was marshalling at the event and somewhere beyond Hawthorns 4/5 marshalls had actually picked up the front half including cockpit and front suspension, wheels etc., of what looked like a Porsche 910, and were carrying it to the other side of the track, the engine and rear assembly no longer attached to the car.

Passes were much easier to come by then and during practice Pedro accelerated out of the pit lane (very narrow) in the 917 and I was too close to the action. The o/s/r wheel split the back of the left leg of my cords, amazingly not actually touching my leg! The proverbial close shave.

[SEdward]

Paul,

I hope that you kept those strides as a souvenir!

Edward

[Rosemayer]

Cheers Rosey

[Ray Bell]

Some brave flag marshals there!

Must watch that again sometime when I'm at a computer with sound. Would be interesting to hear what Seppi and Pedro have to say...

[scags]

Interesting interview with Pedro- It was a bit sunnier in the pits, under the palm trees.

[Gary C]

..................I have about 25 minutes of home movie footage of this race in my collection. I'm just looking for an excuse to use it on one of my DVD's....................

[sterling49]

Originally posted by Paul Parker
I was at Brands Hatch in 1970 and watched Pedro R outperform and outrace everybody with nary a backward glance.

If memory serves me correctly Vic Elford led at first (another wet weather specialist) also in a 917 but Pedro went by like he was tied to a post. Jackie Oliver was driving a 512S and spun coming out of Druids.

I have great memories of the race, but it's odd that we all recall different aspects of the event. I stood at Druids, but cannot remember Oliver spinning there, I can however remember Pedro on beautiful exit powerslides, lap after lap ;)

Awesome, just so very special, it makes me realise just what we took for granted, when new enthusiasts learn of the feats of these guys some 30 plus years later........and maybe overlay them with the more measured approach of today.


Sterling

[bigears]

A little off-the-topic question as this thread is mainly based about a famous race at Brands Hatch.

I have been wondering at all those years as I noticed in the YouTube video link that there are some grandstands at the Paddock Hill Bend. But now they are not there anymore (well I last visited the circuit in 2003 though)

How come they are not there anymore?

[sterling49]

Originally posted by bigears
A little off-the-topic question as this thread is mainly based about a famous race at Brands Hatch.

I have been wondering at all those years as I noticed in the YouTube video link that there are some grandstands at the Paddock Hill Bend. But now they are not there anymore (well I last visited the circuit in 2003 though)

How come they are not there anymore?

They were there from years back, in the '60's I think but I could not tell you when they were dismantled, very basic scaffolding with planks laid across the top originally, and seat numbers painted on in white......a far cry from what punters expect today, but I found the old stands comforting, if not comfortable, watched many a great race from them, sheltered from the rain, if not the wind..........

I may even have some of the time scales wrong, as I first visited Brands in the early '60's

[Paul Parker]

Sterling49 those grandstands were lucky to survive after one particular 'incident'.

Sometime in the 1960s, possibly the 1964 or 1966 GP, I was stood behind them during a Red Arrows demonstration. I heard a sudden, very loud intake of breath followed by a huge roaring sound and the entire structure seemed to move, certainly the roof seemed to be sucked upwards.

One of the Red Arrows planes (I think they were Folland Gnats then, but others better informed will know) had flown into the valley behind the pits below the level of the grandstand and then pulled up to fly over the top by what seemed to be no more than 50 odd feet.

It was truly terrifying and not an experience I would care to repeat. I cannot imagine what the grandstand spectators made of it, perhaps one of the TNFers was there.

[sterling49]

Originally posted by Paul Parker
Sterling49 those grandstands were lucky to survive after one particular 'incident'.

Sometime in the 1960s, possibly the 1964 or 1966 GP, I was stood behind them during a Red Arrows demonstration. I heard a sudden, very loud intake of breath followed by a huge roaring sound and the entire structure seemed to move, certainly the roof seemed to be sucked upwards.

One of the Red Arrows planes (I think they were Folland Gnats then, but others better informed will know) had flown into the valley behind the pits below the level of the grandstand and then pulled up to fly over the top by what seemed to be no more than 50 odd feet.

It was truly terrifying and not an experience I would care to repeat. I cannot imagine what the grandstand spectators made of it, perhaps one of the TNFers was there.

Hmmmn...I was there, it was astonishing, they had great air shows then before the days of Health and Safety I remember standing at Clearways and ducking as they flew over the tree tops...just AWESOME!!!! Then there was the time that Concorde flew over, the Jump Jets and the big Delta Winged Bomber (Vulcan ) that made the earth vibrate and my ears burst.....just amazing times, what I would not give to see the likes of again. I am considering making the long 3 mile trek tomorrow for the A1 cars, but cannot make up my mind.....there was a time..........


Sterling

[Stephen W]

I remember a demonstartion by a Harrier jump-jet at Brands. It flew round the bowl and then started to hover above the trees at the back to the specator area on what is now Cooper Straight. The pilot let the plane slowly move over the specator area which also had a lot of stalls at the back. Suddenly there was paper, teeshirts and all sorts of stuff flying round in a whirlwind.

Sat in the Main Grandstand it looked wonderful but I suspect somewhat less so if you were under the down-draft.

[Paul Jeffrey]

There is a video (VHS) which was released by Terrific Stuff Videos Ltd (set up by the late Chris Nixon) in the early 1990s. It goes under the title of 'The Gulf/Wyer GT40s and 917s in action' TSV9. It contains two films, one about the 1968 Le Mans and the other ' A year to remember' which is 35 mins and cover the Gulf Porsche 917s in 1970, including Pedro's drive at Brands Hatch. I haven't watched his in a while but the blurb says...'The sight of him [Pedro Rodriguez] and 'Seppi' Siffert powersliding the 917s out of Druid's Hairpin is quite something...'

[Barry Boor]

Steve, I think that was 1982 - British Grand Prix.

It was a very emotional display, coming as it did, very soon after a bit of a dust up down in the South Atlantic....

My wife still laughs at the way I ducked when a display aircraft whistled about 3 feet 6 inches above our heads during a similar display at the 1985 European Grand Prix.