Fifty Years Ago Today

[Rob]

August 15th, 1962

Coppa Citta di Enna - Pergusa - Sicily

A small field of the small GT's showed up for round ten of the Championship. All were Fiat-Abarths, eleven 1000's, one 850 and three 700's. Six cars finished, "Pam"/Giancarlo Scotti first from Claude Dubois and Gabriele Lavaggi. Sebastiano Andolina set the fastest lap before crashing.
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It's F1, Jim, but not as we know it.

[Rob]

August 19th, 1962

I Gran Premio del Mediterraneo - Enna - Italy

Lorenzo Bandini and Giancarlo Baghetti domiated in their Ferrari Dino 156's, Bandini led every lap from pole and shared the fastest lap with Baghetti. Of the twelve cars that started Carlo Maria Abate was the best of the rest, third in a Scuderia SSS Republica di Venezia Porsche 718/2.
_________________
It's F1, Jim, but not as we know it.

[Rob]

August 25/26th, 1962

III Det Danske Grand Prix - Roskilde Ring - Denmark

Of the eleven cars that started on the short, forty-three second lap circuit only one, Trevor Taylor's Lotus 25 - Climax, was a factory entry. Held over three heats in two days with the result on combined times, Jack Brabham was the class of the field in his Lotus 24 - Climax. He started from pole, led all but one lap and set the fastest lap. Masten Gregory (UDT-Laystall Lotus 24 - BRM) was second with two second places and a fourth and Innes Ireland (UDT-Laystall Lotus 24 - Climax) third after a second and two thirds.
_________________
It's F1, Jim, but not as we know it.

[Rob]

August 18th, 1962

27th RAC Tourist Trophy - Goodwood

Only two classes were run, GT's over and under two litres. The Jaguars and Aston Martins could not match the Ferrari 250 GTO which took the first three places. The winner was Innes Ireland in a UDT-Laystall entry with Graham Hill second in John Coombs' car and Mike Parks (Equipe Endeavour/Maranello Concessionaires) third, whose sister Bowmaker car driven by John Surtees set the fastest lap. Clive Hunt was an excellent seventh overall and won the small class in the tiny Team Elite Lotus Elite - Climax.
_________________
It's F1, Jim, but not as we know it.

[Rob]

September 1st, 1962

IX International Gold Cup - Oulton Park - England

No cars from Ferrari or Porsche but everyone else turned up for this non-championship race. Richie Ginther put the BRM P57 on pole however Jim Clark led from start to finish and set the fastest lap in the Lotus 25 - Climax. Graham Hill was second in another BRM P57 and Jack Brabham was third, three laps behind after two hours of racing in his Brabham BT3 - Climax.
_________________
It's F1, Jim, but not as we know it.

[Rob]

September 2nd, 1962


III ADAC 500 km Nürburgring

Round twelve of the GT Championship for the 700 and 1000cc cars was combined with 500, 600, 700, 850 and 1000cc touring cars. The Fiat-Abarths were the class of the seventy car field, which included GMS Delta Fords, Austin-Healey Sebring Sprites, BMW 700S's, Fiat-Abarth 850TC's, DKW Juniors, Auto Union 1000's, Mini-Coopers, NSU Prinz's, a Glas Isar Touring 600, a Panhard Dyna, Renault Dauphines, Steyr-Puch 500D's and a Saab 96.

Hans Herrmann was on pole in a Fiat-Abarth 1000 Bialbero but retired, leaving the sister car of Eberhard Mahle to take the win and fastest lap. Tommy Spychinger was an excellent second in a 700 Bialbero. Touring car class winners were Fiat-Abarth 850TC, BMW 700S, Auto Union 1000, NSU Prinz and Steyr-Puch 500D.
_________________
It's F1, Jim, but not as we know it.

[Rob]

September 15th, 1962

Bridgehampton Double 400 Race 1 - USA

The first race was for the under two liter cars with two classes for over and under one liter. Bob Holbert won and set the fastest lap in Chuck Cassel's Porsche 356B Carrera Abarth GTL. Bruce Jennings came second in his Porsche 356B 1600 GS Carrera and Bob Grossman was third and class winner in his Fiat-Abarth 1000.
_________________
It's F1, Jim, but not as we know it.

[Rob]

September 16th, 1962

Bridgehampton Double 400 Race 2 - USA

Pedro Rodriguez, the only non-American in the race, stormed away from the field in a NART Ferrari 330 TRI/LM sports, fastest both in practice and in the race. Second and first GT was Bob Grossman in his Ferrari 250 GTO with the Scuderia Bear sister car driven by Charlie Hayes and Ed Hugus in third. The small sports class was won by Millard Ripley and Charles Kurtz, fourth overall in Kurtz's Porsche 718 RS 61.
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It's F1, Jim, but not as we know it.

[Rob]

September 16th, 1962

XXXIII Gran Premio d'Italia - Monza

Jim Clark (Lotus 25 - Climax) and Graham Hill (BRM P57) shared the front row for the seventh round of the Championships. Ferrari had five 156's but the best was Willy Mairesse, tenth on the grid. The new flat-eight De Tomaso 801 driven by Nasif Estefano failed to qualify.

Graham hill led from start to finish and set the fastest lap, challenged only for the first three laps by Clark before he had gearbox problems. Richie Ginther was second in another BRM P57 with Bruce McLaren (Cooper T60 - Climax) in third. Mairesse brought the first Ferrari home in fourth place.
_________________
It's F1, Jim, but not as we know it.

[Rob]

October 7th, 1962

V United States Grand Prix - Watkins Glen

All the teams except Ferrari made the trip across the Atlantic, thus denying the American fans seeing their World Champion in action. Phil Hill drove Jo Bonnier's Porsche 804 in practice but did not start the race. The two top Championship contenders, Graham Hill (BRM P57) and Jim Clark (Lotus 25 - Climax) were third and first respectively on the grid.

Clark led for the first eleven laps, Hill for the next seven and then Clark again for the remaining eighty-two. The two of them lapped the field with Clark setting the fastest lap. Bruce McLaren (Cooper T60 - Climax) was third with former Champion Jack Brabham fourth in his Brabham BT3 - Climax, Dan Gurney (Porsche 804) fifth and Masten Gregory (UDT Laystall Lotus 24 - BRM) sixth.
_________________
It's F1, Jim, but not as we know it.

[Rob]

October 21st, 1962

1000 km de Paris - Montlhéry

The last round of the World Sportscar and GT Championships was a total Ferrari and Porsche benefit. Ferrari GT's filled the top six places and Porsche the next two. Pedro and Ricardo Rodriguez brought the NART Ferrari 250 GTO home first followed by the Maranello Concessionaires sister car driven by John Surtees and Mike Parkes. In third were Ludovico Scarfiotti/Colin Davis in the Scuderia SSS Republica di Venezia Ferrari 250 GT SWB Drogo. Willy Mairesse set the fastest lap in an Equipe Nationale Belge GTO.

Other class winners were Porsche 356B Carrera Abarth GTL, Abarth-Simca 1300 Bialbero and Lotus 23 - Ford Cosworth.


Final Championship Standings

GT Manufacturer's Championship

Division 1 - Fiat-Abarth
Division 2 - Porsche
Division 3 - Ferrari
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It's F1, Jim, but not as we know it.

[Rob]

November 4th, 1962

I Gran Premio di Mexico - Mexico City

No Ferraris, BRM's or Porsches for this non-championship race, however all the rest of the regulars turned out. Poor Ricardo Rodriguez, trying hard in front of his home crowd in Rob Walker's Lotus 24 - Climax, lost his life in an accident in practice. Jim Clark (Lotus 25 - Climax) was on pole next to Innes Ireland (UDT-Laystall Lotus 24 - Climax).

Trevor Taylor (lotus 25 -Climax) and then Clark led for the first nine laps until Clark was disqualified for a push start. Jack Brabham (Brabham BT3 - Climax) battled with Bruce McLaren's Cooper T60 - Climax until Bruce's engine gave up. Meanwhile Clark took over Taylor's car and managed to pull back fifty-seven seconds in twenty- four laps, setting the fastest lap in to process. Brabham finished second with Ireland third and Jim Hall an excellent fourth in a four-cylinder Lotus 21 - Climax.
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It's F1, Jim, but not as we know it.

[Rob]

December 2nd, 1962

Nassau TT - Nassau Speed Weeks - Bahamas

Nothing could touch the Ferrari 250 GTO in the main GT race. Roger Penske won in the Mecom Racing Team car with Lorenzo Bandini second for NART and Innes Ireland third for the Rosebud Racing Team. Class winners included Porsche 356B Carrera Abarth, Alfa Romeo Giulietta SZ, Jaguar XKE, D.B. - Panhard and Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray.
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It's F1, Jim, but not as we know it.

[Rob]

December 7th, 1962

Governor's Trophy - Nassau Speed Weeks - Bahamas

Hap Sharp cruised to a win in a Cooper Monaco T57 - Climax from Bob Holbert in a works Porsche 718 W-RS with Charlie Hayes third in a NART Ferrari 250 GTO. Other class winners included Porsche 718 RSK, Porsche 356B Carrera, De Tomaso - Osca, Porsche 356B Carrera Abarth, Alfa Romeo Giulietta SZ, Lola Mk.1 - Osca, D.B. - Panhard, Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray and Lister - Corvette.
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It's F1, Jim, but not as we know it.

[Rob]

December 9th, 1962

Nassau Trophy - Nassau Speed Weeks - Bahamas

The big race of the week was won by Innes Ireland in the Rosebud Racing Team Lotus 19 Monte Carlo - Climax. Bob Holbert was again second in a works Porsche 718 W-RS with Hap Sharp third in a Cooper T59 Monaco - Climax. Other class winners included Ferrari 330 TRI/LM, Ferrari 250 GTO, Ford Galaxie, Porsche 356B Carrera, Porsche 356B Carrera Abarth, Porsche 718 RSK, Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spyder, Lola Mk.1 - Osca, Shelby Cobra - Ford, D.B. HBR5 - Panhard, Lotus 17 - Climax and Lister - Corvette. Sixty-three cars started of which thirty-seven were running at the finish.
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It's F1, Jim, but not as we know it.