You were there

Motor Sport articles prompted two readers to share their memories with us, while our third contributor has enjoyed some classic Indianapolis 500s

Graham Potter
Graham was a keen fan at the 1977 Brands Hatch Six Hours, in which Hans Stuck and Ronnie Peterson gave the BMW 320 Turbo its European debut, as described by Stuck in his recent ‘Lunch With’ (December). {1} Peterson qualified the flame-spitting 320 second, but Stuck crashed out in part one of the rain-delayed race. {2} Team performs an engine change, as Peterson looks on {3}.

Shotaro Kobayashi
Tokyo auto historian Shotaro adds to Andrew Frankel’s Aston Martin DB3 story (July 2011), recalling that in 1957/58 the car was owned by Preston Hopkins, a civil engineer in the US Occupation Forces in Japan.{1} Rebodied car arrives at Yokohama dock. {2} Shotaro says he and Preston struggled to get DB3/5 fired up on the quay. {3} Car gathers speed on the Murayama oval. {4} Preston prepares for “high-speed slalom stage” at the Yokota US Army Base in ’57. Son Riley, “an ardent Stirling Moss fan”, looks on.

David Smith
A motor sport fan since the age of five, Kentucky-based David enjoyed great access to events at the Indy 500 while working in television during the late ’70s/early ’80s. {1} Danny Sullivan (53) and Bobby Rahal (19) prepare for a restart at their first Indy 500 in 1982. They finished 14th and 11th. {2} Eventual winner Gordon Johncock and Rick Mears battle for the lead in that year’s race. {3} Huge mass of crew and media on the front straight before the ’83 race. {4} Tom Sneva was second in ’77 race aboard Penske McLaren M24-Cosworth. {5} Three places further back came Johnny Parsons Jr in Wildcat Mk2-DGS. {6} Danny Ongais is all smiles in ’83. {7} Gordon Smiley (Wildcat) collides with Tony Bettenhausen (McLaren) in ’81 race, before crashing into the wall {8}. {9} Johnny Rutherford (McLaren M24) pits en route to 13th-place finish in ’78. {10} Remains of Ongais’ wrecked Interscope in ’81 race.