Most virtuoso effort in sportcar racing

[Fab]

Mal : Dead link ?

[John Turner]

Certainly seems to be dead!

[Mal]

http://www.pitpass.com/fes_php/pitpa...s_art_id=10181

I dont know if this is any different. If not go onto pitpass.com, click on feature, then Chris Balfe and then BOAC 1000km and you will find it

scratch that I ve tested it and it does work!!

[John Turner]

Yep, nice one, Mal

[krt917]

Best thread in ages!

Originally Posted by skycafe

Could it be Pierre "Levegh" Bouillion, in a Talbot, who wrong selected a gear and blew the engine an hour before the end-when he had a four lap lead? 1952?

It wa a great perfromance and I've even read of late that it wasn't his fault the car broke. Apparently, the car was failing and he thought - despite his tiredness - that he had a better chance of holding it together than his co-driver. I bet there were some relieved people in the Mercedes pit when the Talbot did fail.

Another great 1952 performance was Bracco on the Mille Miglia where he managed to beat the might of Mercedes in his Ferrari.

Originally Posted by gfm

I agree Aysedasi, that's the one I couldn't remember the name of. He beat the Bells in the Harrod's McLaren from some way back didn't he? Quite a virtuoso performance/drive.

I'd have to check, but I think that Derek was pretty much on JJs pace in the wet and was pretty proud of that.

Originally Posted by gfm

A couple of suggestions. Jackie Ickx/Derek Bell Porsche climb through the field after an early major delay, to win Le Mans but I forget which year of their wins it was. .... (someone? Thank you).

Could it be 1983? An early delay saw them drop down the field and they had to go all out to catch their team-mates. They got the lead, staying within their fuel allowance, only to get delayed again. Into the final stint they still had a chance, but the brakes were almost non-existant and needed a pad change, which would have finished their hopes. Ickx wasn't keen so Bell jumped in and chased after the Haywood/Holbert/Schuppan sister car. Uncharacteristicly, Derek chucked the car around, slowing the car using the gearbox and travelling sideways a great deal. He got very close to Ickx's lap record and, when the lead car virtually stopped on the final lap, got to within a minute of the lead. Perhaps Derek's greatest drive?

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by krt917

I'd have to check, but I think that Derek was pretty much on JJs pace in the wet and was pretty proud of that.

Well I'm a Dinger fan through and through, but I think that's wishful thinking, to be honest.......My recollection is that Wallace was clearly the quickest driver in that car.

[skycafe]

In 1949 Luigi Chinetti drove for almost the entire race, aided only briefly by Lord Selsdon who was ill, to win. The first victory for Ferrari, not only at LeMans, but I believe first major victory for Ferrari as a manufacturer.

That victory made both men, as it promoted the Ferrari name and Chinetti went on the develop the US market for the sale of Ferrari cars, thus providing the continued funding for the growth of Ferrari.

I am outlining two significant things then, Chinetti's drive and the significant win for Ferrari.

[marcosgt]

Originally Posted by simon c

The Lancia driver was Andrea de Ceasaris at the 1000km in 1986 (Nannini was his partner). Magnificent cars.

Was that the same race that saw de Cesaris and Patrese trading paint in Graham Hill Bend? That incident stuck in my mind (I think Patrese was lapping de Cesaris) and I saw nearly the same thing at Silverstone a few years back when Cor Euser turned up for a British GT race in his Marcos and was banging bodywork with former team-mate Tomas Erdos, who was driving the UK regular Marcos - excellent stuff, both times and neither ended in tears

Cheers.

[mikmx]

The most Impressive effort that i saw for real, Le Mans 2003 Gounon in the Courage against the Panoz.
the charge of Jan Lammers impressed me too that year.

[Woolley]

Originally Posted by marcosgt

Was that the same race that saw de Cesaris and Patrese trading paint in Graham Hill Bend? That incident stuck in my mind (I think Patrese was lapping de Cesaris) and I saw nearly the same thing at Silverstone a few years back when Cor Euser turned up for a British GT race in his Marcos and was banging bodywork with former team-mate Tomas Erdos, who was driving the UK regular Marcos - excellent stuff, both times and neither ended in tears

Cheers.

No, as this was the Silverstone race. Brands was (I think) the following year. They swapped paint everywhere !

Thanks for filling in my memory gaps, Simon. I'd like to say I was very young when that happened. Except it wouldn't be true...

[marcosgt]

Doh! Good point - Saw Brands in the first part (about Boesel) and missed Silverstone in the second part... Still, was GREAT fun - I was on the outside of GH Bend and the cars were just feet away!

Cheers.

[simon c]

Originally Posted by marcosgt

Was that the same race that saw de Cesaris and Patrese trading paint in Graham Hill Bend? That incident stuck in my mind (I think Patrese was lapping de Cesaris)
Cheers.

No it was Silverstone 1000km - you are referring to Brands 1000km 1985 b ut you have reminded me about Patrese's pole lap for that one - lanica or exocet...

[gfm]

For what it's worth if anybodies interested - that Patrese Lancia-Ferrari is currently in the Christies showroom in Nine Elms, close to Vauxhall and New Covent Garden flower market, south embankment London.

[stevebrown]

Because of his disablity I would have to say 71 race wins by one Archie Scott Brown. What he did considering the era in which he raced was incredible and his was a true story of human endevour.

Steve B

[gfm]

Or what Moss did in those Astons when his burnt at the Goodwood TT, which he went on to win?

[simon c]

Originally Posted by Woolley

No, as this was the Silverstone race. Brands was (I think) the following year. They swapped paint everywhere !

Thanks for filling in my memory gaps, Simon. I'd like to say I was very young when that happened. Except it wouldn't be true...

Sorry - should have been clear. Yes -it was Silverstone 1000km in 86 for the lancia and brands 87 for Boesel's contretemps with Baldi's Liqui Moly Porsche.

Silverstone 86 - only 1 Lancia entered, the last ever outing for the Martini car.

[simon c]

Wolley and Marcosgt - help I have confused myself!

86 - Silverstone 1000km -de Cesaris lap record, and the team pack up and go home.
87 - Boesel off at paddock
85 - Brands 1000km is the Lancia duel at Brands

[F360]

I'm not old enough to have witnessed it, but I was going to nominate the Chinetti 1949 Le Mans win - 23 hours at the wheel !

Of much more recent memory - Jean Marc Gounon in a Ferrari F40 at Nogaro in the 1996 BPR series. Had a "contretemps" with a Mac at the first corner - struggled to get going again, but resumed a lap down.
Then drove the thing absolutely flat out, nearly making up the lost lap until it gave up at the last pit stop. He was sooooooo frustrated - but I almost felt sorry for the car !!

[Mal]

Originally Posted by F360

I'm not old enough to have witnessed it, but I was going to nominate the Chinetti 1949 Le Mans win - 23 hours at the wheel !

Of much more recent memory - Jean Marc Gounon in a Ferrari F40 at Nogaro in the 1996 BPR series. Had a "contretemps" with a Mac at the first corner - struggled to get going again, but resumed a lap down.
Then drove the thing absolutely flat out, nearly making up the lost lap until it gave up at the last pit stop. He was sooooooo frustrated - but I almost felt sorry for the car !!

I remember watching that on TV, but I had forgotten when and where it was. It definately was one of the greatest drives I have seen. They had a lot of in car shots which were fantastic . I think he was sideways on most corners

[krt917]

Yes, I was going to mention that drive. I was always a McLaren fan in the BPR series, but Gounon's drive that day was fantastic. He seemed to be running on controlled anger for most of the race!

Another one that springs to mind for me was Brundle at Silverstone in '88. Cheever had been taking the fight to the two Saubers from the start, but couldn't shake them off. Then Martin got in the car...and by the time he ended his stint he was more than half a minute clear. Game over.

There were also three great drives at Dundrod in 1955 for the TT:
- Moss, who won in the 300SLR, having left everyone behind, including Fangio;
- Hawthorn, who put the D-Type, which wasn't really suited to the circuit, up with the Mercs.
-Collins. His Aston Martin DB3S failed to get away at the start, but he charged through the field in the underpowered (though superbly handling) car, briefly getting up to third before the car gave up the gost completely.

[PascaLM]

Originally Posted by F360

I'm not old enough to have witnessed it, but I was going to nominate the Chinetti 1949 Le Mans win - 23 hours at the wheel !

Of much more recent memory - Jean Marc Gounon in a Ferrari F40 at Nogaro in the 1996 BPR series. Had a "contretemps" with a Mac at the first corner - struggled to get going again, but resumed a lap down.
Then drove the thing absolutely flat out, nearly making up the lost lap until it gave up at the last pit stop. He was sooooooo frustrated - but I almost felt sorry for the car !!

Yes. I was lucky to be in the grandstands that day ; I confirm this race was interesting during the whole 4 hours. And overtaking cars on this circuit is not easy.

[PascaLM]

The others performances I have on mind are Pescarolo on the Matra with whippers out of order in 1968, Barth on the 936 in the last lap of LM 77, Roger Dorchy on the WM at LM 1987 (405 km/h), and Jacky Ickx at LM 1979 when he miraculously found a brand new alternator belt in the grass near his faulty 936.
But there are certainly many others anonymous feats that nobody talked about...

[gi_gav]

It doesn't stack up as one of the legendary drives, but I thought Gunnar Jeanette's effort in the Panoz at LM 2003 was a bit special.

Quick and consistent for the whole race, but was simply brilliant in holding off Gounon's Courage (with Lammers also closing) well into the last half hour of the race.

Impressive in that he was absolutely fair, never viciously blocking, and just placing the big Panoz perfectly under a hell of a lot of pressure.

Surely great as a coming-of-age type of drive.

[ensign14]

Can't see that anyone has mentioned Jim Clark leading at the 'Ring in a Lotus 30. Sort of like leading a GP in an F3000 Lola.

Or Louis Rosier's Le Mans drive in 1950 - he drove for 23.5 hours to victory.

How about Revson at Sebring in 1970/1? 2nd with Steve McQueen? Mario Andretti claimed the drive was all Revvy's, but I've seen more recently that McQueen's role was bigger and better than Mario claimed.

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by ensign14

Can't see that anyone has mentioned Jim Clark leading at the 'Ring in a Lotus 30. Sort of like leading a GP in an F3000 Lola.

Or Louis Rosier's Le Mans drive in 1950 - he drove for 23.5 hours to victory.

How about Revson at Sebring in 1970/1? 2nd with Steve McQueen? Mario Andretti claimed the drive was all Revvy's, but I've seen more recently that McQueen's role was bigger and better than Mario claimed.

Quite a bit about it in the A French Kiss with Death book......