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Let's
indulge in Nostalgia - 1967
Formula one motor
racing is not just about noisy cars and egotistical drivers jet setting
around the World. It is indeed a clear commentary on life itself. The
year is 1967.
The final F1 race
of the year in Mexico City.
Dennis Hulme the no
nonsense Brabham driver, set out to secure the championship in this the
final race of the year.Believe me Bernie could not have staged it any
better!. However the line up of drivers of the day makes for very sad
reading some 33 years latter. Both Chris Amon and Jack Brabham are still
with us, but I understand Jack Brabham has almost lost his hearing, no
doubt from all of the years of having a thumping racing engine within
a few inches of his ears for hours on end.
What about the rest
of the line up? Virtually all deceased. The great Jim Clark, Graham Hill,
Bruce McLaren, Dennis Hulme, Rindt, Bonnier, Mike Spence, Siffert, all
no longer with us. Only two of those not through racing accidents. It
was a very dangerous time to be racing at the top level of motor sport.
Will the next ten
years see such an annihilation of such wonderful men, and such extremely
talented characters? Clark did go on to win the race with Hulme finishing
good enough to win the World Championship, and that was done with a year
of steady finishing and a few wins.
Both Monaco and The
German Grand Prix at the famous old fourteen mile Nurburgring. Some years
before as a 13 year old I had shaken hands with Jack Brabham after a Grand
Prix win, and in fact finished drinking his coke left in the driver's
seat after this, as it was just sitting on the seat of his little Cooper.
Much to the amusement of those with me, and in fact demonstrating a lot
of cheek! Try that now-a-days! Oh how things have changed! Of course I
didn't realize quite the significance of the occasion but that's what
happened and for those of us overfifties we realise that's how things
have changed and that's just life.
What about the clear
memory of watching the great Jim Clark in action some years later. We
'expected' him to be smoother than the others, we expected him to be faster
than them, we expected him to be in the lead and win by a large margin.
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In looking back I'm
sure he expected that, and that he would do nothing less!
I found it unbelievable
when Clark was not on pole at Monza one year! Amazing he was only fourth
on the grid!!
Stirling Moss was
off the scene at that point. I can clearly remember the straight arm style
of Jim Clark, and watching this special man totally committed to drifting
a high speed corner, no seat belts, tiny useless role over bar and totally
focused on the task in hand. Dark blue helmet, white peak on his helmet,
white Firestone overalls but with, I think, a yellow tinted screen. What
a memory!
Was the Lotus that
much better? Was the Ford vee eight engine that much better or was it
Clark that was just that much better than the others. I feel in my bones
that Clark was just simply the best. Just remember Stirling Moss had been
off the scene for about a decade or less. I look at the current line up
and is there a Jim Clark there? Ayrton Senna would be the closest I think?
Michael Schumacher? Nigel Mansell? Mika Hakkinen?
I would like to say
yes, but for those of us so fortunate to have witnessed this and with
those clear memories still in my mind even though I didn't realise it
at the time, for me, modern F1 is different. What a wonderful chapter
in history this was for F1 Motor Sport. There will never be another 1967.
Click
here and send us your memory of 1967.
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