You were there...
From Swiss vs Austrian hillclimbing to unwieldy in-car cameras, James Garner and a three-wheeled F3 racer…
These wonderful hillclimb shots were sent in by Austrian reader Dr Josef Maier. “As a 14-year old I saw a stunning colour shot of a Porsche RSK in Automobil Revue crossing a finishing line somewhere. The closest I ever came to one of these cars was seeing Heini Walter at the Saltzburg-Gaisberg hillclimb on September 9,1952. I was quite disconsolate at the time, thinking, ‘Why do the Swiss do everything that little bit better than we Austrians?’
“The other Porsche shot is of Al Schörg who raced his elderly RS550 as a means of getting publicity for his driving school, in the Salzburg province — ‘Your licence in seven days, full-board, with racing driver so and so’.
“The single seater is German Gerhard Mitter’s Lotus-DKW 18. He’s seen wearing the same green jersey he always wore.
– Heini Walter crosses line at Salzburg-Gaisberg in his Porsche RSK
– Maserati Tipo 61 finished third in the sportscar class at S-G hillclimb
– Mitter (green jersey) with his DKW-powered Lotus 18 FJunior
– Al Schörg, on right with his Porsche 550, ran a local racing school
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These crisp black-and-white images were sent by John Chitam of Worthing: “My father, Jack Chitam, was a speedway racer before WWII and later a dispatch rider for Fleet Street before he lost his licence — apparently an occupational hazard! He then became a Fleet Street photographer and took these shots of (500cc Formula 3 star and Lotus driver) Reg Bicknell, among others. Many of these were taken for publication but I’m not sure whether or not they ever were published.
By 1951 my father had taken over the Bull Hotel in Farningham, just down the road from Brands Hatch. Many of the drivers of the day would stay there or have a couple of pints after a meeting, including the Lotus boys. I remember Reg Bicknell in particular who was always very laid back.
“By this time my father was still doing a little grasstracking, including passengering on Jack ‘father of John Surtees’ sidecar.
– Reg Bickmell with his Lotus Eleven, fag still unlit
– Losing a wheel at Crystal Palace ’51 in his Kieft F3 car
– Bicknell and Colin Chapman celebrate after ’56 Lotus win
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Balimore’s Larry Zimlin took these wonderful shots at Watkins Glen in1967. “I had a great time as I’d managed to obtain a press pass from a local newspaper for the grand prix. Back then if you had the correct pass you had total access to everywhere on the circuit, as you can see from the photos”.
Picture shows Graham Hill in his Lotus-Cosworth 49. The Brit had endured a troubled year, retiring from the World Championship rounds, but at Watkins Glen he finished second behind team-mate Jim Clark and claimed the fastest lap.
Answers on a postcard if you know who is trying this early helmet-cam. Or why. Must have played hell with the neck muscles.
– Graham Hill took second in ’67 US GP despite gearbox dramas
– A year on from Grand Prix, James Garner was seen at the ‘Glen
– Early in-car camera required both hands to operate.