Brabham Lead Consolidated

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31121, 26 July 1966, Page 19

Brabham Lead Consolidated

(N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright) ZANDVOORT (Holland). Jack Brabham, the 40 - year - old former world champion, tightened his grip on the 1966 drivers’ championship by winning the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort on Sunday.

It was Brabham's third successive victory, after recent wins in the French and British Grand Prix. The Australian, driving a Repco-Brabham, beat another former world champion, Graham Hill, of Britain, in a 8.R.M., with the reigning champion, Jim Clark, of Scotland, in a Lotus Climax, third. The race was the fifth of 10 events counting toward the 1966 championship. Brabham now has 30 points. His nearest competitor is Hill, with 14, followed by Jackie Stewart, of Scotland, with 12, and Lorenzo Bandini, of Italy, and Jochen Rindt of Austria, each with 11.

A crowd of 78.000 saw Brabham first gain the lead at the start of the 90-lap race over the 2.6-mile undulating circuit.

Clark took up second place in the 17-car race, followed by the New Zealander, Denis Hulme, driving a Brabham.

Rindt, in a Cooper-Maserati, retired on the third lap after spinning on the far side of the circuit He was unhurt. Clark set the pace, but Brabham began to challenge strongly after 60 laps and overtook him In the seventysixth lap. Clark was forced to make pit stops in the seventy-eighth and eightieth laps. His engine was overheating. Officials took 75 minutes after the finish to confirm the final placings. Brabham’s time

was 2hr 20min 32.5 sec—an average speed of 100.05 miles an hour. The fastest lap was set by Hulme, a non-finisher, in a Repco-Brabham. Bruce McLaren did not start because of engine trouble.