International Gold Cup Meeting - Saloon Car Race

Track length: 4.443 m

Entries accepted: 30 + 6 reserves

Pole position: Brabham
Fastest lap: Clark in 1.56,8

Distance: 19 laps
Average speed: 135,89 kmh
Weather: Dry
Ruleset: Group 2

Unfortunately this race was something of an anticlimax, thanks to the gigantic mix-up in the first corner. Jim Clark and Jack Sears in the works Cortinas made superb starts and got into Old Hall clear of the howling pack, which was lead by Roy Pierpoint's Mustang, Jack Brabham having muffed his start. Whether Pierpoint was nudged or not is not known, but his car went into a series of fish-tail slides in the corner which increased in amplitude. He was hit by at least four cars, the whole field telescoped, and the race virtually stopped. Six cars were off the track, and the Cortina drivers watching in their mirrors wondered if they would be the only competitors left in the race. Only one car failed to restart - the Mini Cooper of John Lewis which collected a severely concave near side. The damage caused to other cars involved in the concertina became apparent later in the race by the number of pit stops to check bodywork, and a few retirements with radiator leaks and suspension damage.
Jack Brabham extricated his big brute from the melee and went to the front during the second lap, and from there only Jim Clark could keep him in sight. Interest inevitably centred on the 1-litre class, in which Warwick Banks had to get his Mini into a higher position than that occupied by Pierpoint in the big class if he was to win the championship. Banks was under constant pressure from John Handley's Broadspeed Mini and the duel kept the interest alive to the end, when Banks got the decision by 0.2 sec.
However, Gawaine Baillie's retirement and Jack Brabham's subsequent exclusion left Roy Pierpoint with an unexpected class win and, it seems, the title. Brabham's Mustang was excluded due to the triple valve springs fitted were not shown on the homologation form.

Jim Clark - Ford Lotus Cortina

Jack Brabham - Ford Mustang

Frank Gardner - Ford Lotus Cortina

Klasyfikacja generalna.

1. #105. Jim Clark (GB) - Ford Lotus Cortina.  19okr.
2. #106. Jack Sears (GB) - Ford Lotus Cortina.
3. #111. Roy Pierpoint (GB) - Ford Mustang.
4. #101. Jack Newman (GB) - Ford Lotus Cortina.
5.  #84.  John Rhodes (GB) - Morris Mini Cooper.
6.  #91.  Steve Neal (GB) - Austin Mini Cooper S.
7.  #82.  Mike Young (GB) - Austin Mini Cooper S.  18okr.
8.  #81.  Chris Craft (GB) - Austin Mini Cooper S.
9. #102. Robin Smith (GB) - Ford Lotus Cortina.
10. #71. Warwick Banks (GB) - Austin Mini Cooper S.
11. #75.  John Handley (GB) - Austin Mini Cooper S.
12. #77.  Bob Smith (GB) - BMC Mini Cooper S.
13. #72.  Jan Erik Andreason (S) - Austin Mini Cooper S.
14. #107.Frank Gardner (AUS) - Ford Lotus Cortina.