WIN IN CANADA Auto Gossip

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30804, 16 July 1965, Page 9

WIN IN CANADA

Auto Gossip

IBu

BRUCE Mc LAREN]

TN 12 months a motor racing Utopia has been created at [Ste. Jovite in the Laurentian “mountains. 20 miles north of 'Montreal. For sheer scenery ; there is little to equal the [area. The Canadian pines, the lakes, the ski trails, the log ic.bins and the chalets are [ enough in themselves, and nestled delightfully in the ( middle of all this is the prettiest little racing circuit [you could imagine. This was our third race in Canada in the last few weeks. iand although I flew back in (between times for GPs, Le I Mans, and Tuesdays and Wed[nesdays at our factory in i Feltham, our crew stayed in North America. j At Ste. Jovite five weeks [earlier Chris Amon won with J the McLaren Eiva in spite of [ strong opposition from Hap I Sharp’s Chaparral. I learnt to my dismay just before I left • England that Hap was bringing in reinforcements —Jim [Hall in a second Chaparral. I More alarming news on the : way to the plane was that [ John Surtees had been round 'Silverstone one second and a [half quicker than anyone else [by fitting his Lola with Firestones. Still, there’s nothing [like competition to keep you on your toes. Although I qualified fastest at Ste. Jovite it could just as easily have been Jim Hall’s [ race. As Teddy Mayer said, at times the gap between us stretched to a whole second! But we nearly didn’t make

Ijthe race. On the warm-up lap : my fuel pumps quit, so I i coasted off the track, leapt out ’ and twisted my knee landing ■ on uneven ground. With this ■ and the sports car obstinately ; refusing to work I didn’t ; know whether to laugh or cry. ' Fortunately my mechanic, I Tyler Alexander, arrived with ■ the tow truck, gave the fuel ■ pumps a whack with a plug i wrench and they started. The race should have been started 1 while we were having our little pantomime, but stuck 1 right in front of the grid area ' was a Lola 70 with its brakes locked on (thank goodness), i While this was sorted out 1 1 had time to get up to the front row with the Chapar- > rals. i Both Chaparrals beat me off the line, but I was soon 1 out in front, swapping the 1 lead with Jim. Late in the race

he lost ground when he misjudged his braking and dented the front of his car against the tail of mine. Without the Chaparral breathing down my neck I could ease a little and enjoy the closing laps. It’s certainly going to be interesting when Surtees, Gurney and Clark get into the act in the American autumn sports car series. Spectacular, too. It’s a shame that there is no FIA classification for these cars next year. We were just getting to the reliable and competitive stage, without being exorbitantly expensive as capacity or weight-limit formulas are. It is a form of racing that is growing in appeal to crowds, organisers, and drivers the world over. It would be a great pity to see it stop.

once again you will have to call a mechanic. Similarly, if the engine can be cranked without the rotor turning, the drive is at fault. These are far from being the only faults which can cause troublesome starting, but they are the most common. and are the things to check in an emergency. The ignition system is at fault far more often than the fuel system, and is usually the first suspecf, providing the battery is in good order.