Pictorial Review

1,000 kms. Nurburgring, Crystal palace, Indianapolis 500, Acropolis Rally, Martini Silverstone, Belgian GP

1,000 kms. Nurburgring

After comparative trials before the Nurburgring 1,000 kms. event, Porsche was represented by the lightweight 908/3 models prepared for the Targa Florio. Two were entered by John Wyer for his regular drivers, who headed the Indianapolis start. The four drivers, Siffert, Redman, Rodriguez and Kinnunen had all practised inside 7 min. 50 seconds.

Victory went to the Porsche Salzburg team, helped this time by factory mechanics. The winners were Elford/Ahrens in a 908/3, followed in second place by another Targa Florio model driven by Attwood/Herrmann (pictured). These cars lapped as quickly as last year’s Formula One field, although the engines develop only 360 horsepower.

Raising cement dust at the South Curve, Surtees in the Ferrari 512S leads Elford and Stommelen. Once Elford had gone by, Stommelen trailed the Ferrari for five laps unable to overtake because the cars were evenly matched.

Scuderia Filipinetti earned its best race result of the season with fourth position, two laps behind the winner. Drivers of the Ferrari 512S were Parkes and Muller.

Martini racing team earned fifth and sixth positions with Porsche 908s, and though Larrousse was at home on the circuit he could not lap within 20 sec. of Siffert’s best time last year in a 908.

Indianapolis 500

Indianapolis start – The famous rolling start at the Speedway is led by poleman Al Unser (2), with Johnny Rutherford alongside and A. J. Foyt lagging slightly. All three of them had qualified at speeds of 170 m.p.h., while little slower were Mark Donohue (66), Art Pollard (10) and current USAC Champion Mario Andretti, whose McNamara is obscured behind Pollard.

‘500’ winner Al Unser earned more than £112,000 for victory in the richest yet race in Indianapolis’ 54-year history. His turbo-Ford-powered PJ Colt, which uses some British Lola components, was managed by former Indy winner Parnelli Jones.

Acropolis Rally

Much of the Acropolis route was over unmade surfaces, but there was plenty of very smooth asphalt which was incredibly slippery even when dry. On such roads the Alpine-Renaults were invincible and the young Frenchman Jean-Luc Therier was able to repeat his Sanremo success by winning the Acropolis Rally with Marcel Callewaert.

Alpines assume an incredible sideways attitude when cornering fast. Here the car of Jean Vinatier and David Stone merely flicks its tail a little on the way to second place.

Although the Escorts were fast and reliable, they were no match for the lightweight Alpines. Ove Andersson and Jim Porter had to be content with third place, two seconds behind the second Alpine.

There were two 1.6-litre Lancia Fulvias from the factory and both of them suffered partially seized engines. This one, driven by Sandro Munari and Arnaldo Bernacchini, survived the longest, but neither could match the rear-engined Porsches and Alpines. The Lancia team is having a bad time this year, having failed to achieve anything on any of the Constructors’ Championship events so far.

With three outright victories this year in the Championship series, Porsche seemed likely to win, but an old problem of seizing con.-rod bearings in the 2.3-litre engines caused both of them to retire in Greece. This one, driven by Ake Andersson and Bo Thorzelius, lasted until the second half, but that of Bjorn Waldegard retired after only four stages.

Motor Sport Le Mans 24 Hours

The victorious Brahbam BT28 driven by Mike Beuttler leads the Gold Leaf-Team Lotus 59A of David Walker and the Lotus 59A of Carlos Pace.

The AMOC Trophy reflects the winning Brabham of Mike Beuttler who won the fifth round of the Championship at Silverstone, during the Martini International meeting.

Starting Procedure – The new Le Mans start, with drivers sitting in their cars awaiting a flag signal, caused the teams some anxiety. In fact the new procedure worked well and three 5-litre Porsches, those of Elford, Siffert and Rodriguez were first away, appearing to start more readily than the Ferraris. As usual the opening hours were a test of speed and all the fastest cars fell out before half-distance.

Belgian GP

Matras in Formation – The two vee-12 Matras circulated in very close company for lap after lap until with only one more to go, Pescarolo called into his pit to ask for fuel. His engine wouldn’t restart and he had to watch as Beltoise finished third for another four World Championship points.

Pedro Rodriguez rounds the famous long right-handed Burnenville corner in his winning 12-cylinder Yardley BRM. The Mexican led for 23 of the race’s 28 laps, while a new Formula One circuit record was set by Amon’s March.

Quick Swede – Ronnie Peterson, on bail for a traffic offence on the morning of the race, flashes past a house immediately after Spa’s notorious Masta “kink”. Note the new guard rail.

12-cylinder machines going well – Jacky Ickx in the leading Ferrari flat-12 leads the Brabham of Rolf Stommelen in the early stages of the race, with Jean-Pierre Beltoise’s Matra keeping station.

Crystal Palace

Heat Winner – Jackie Stewart, whose Brabham had won the Japanese Grand Prix earlier in the month, was an easy heat winner at Crystal Palace. He has just overtaken Cevert’s Tecno, and the Brabham of Argentinian Carlos Reutemann follows in third position.

ALCOA Britain International Trophy – Jackie Stewart’s Brabham BT30, entered by John Coombs, gets away in company with Jochen Rindt’s Lotus 69 (looking very smart in the old Team Lotus colours) and Clay Regazzoni’s works Tecno. Stewart assumed the lead when Rindt had an electrical failure and Regazzoni finished an impressive second.