HULME STEALS PRIX FROM LOCAL HERO

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33433, 15 January 1974, Page 24

HULME STEALS PRIX FROM LOCAL HERO

(N.2.P.A -Reuter—Copyright)

BUENOS AIRES.

The New Zealander, D. C. Hulme, in a McLaren, stole the international season’s first grand prix yesterday from an Argentinian whose car ran out of petrol two laps away from certain victory.

Hulme. aged 37, said after the race that he felt sorry for the unlucky driver, C. Reuteman.

President Peron, who came ito the track while his countryman, Reutemann, looked like a sure winner handed Hulme the winner’s plaque and trophy.

Reutemann’s new Brabham 8T44 kept 100.000 spectators yelling and waving white handkerchiefs as he drew to the front in the third

lap and held the lead nearly all the way. The top of Reutemann’s airscoop broke, but he showed no signs of slowing until a cooling problem caused his petrol consumption to rise, and he finished only 52 of the 53 lap- in the race.

“I didn’t know 1 would win until I passed Carlos (Reutemann),” said Hulme, who recorded an average speed of 187.47 kilometres an hour. Lotus mechanics said the course was dirty, and it was apparently loose stones which caused J. Ickx (Bel-

gium) and R. Peterson (Sweden) to withdraw from the race with burst tyres. G. Regazzoni (Switzerland) drove a hard race, completing the thirty-eighth lap in Imin 52.1 sec for the best lap time of the race. He finished third behind the Austrian. N. Lauda. Both drove Ferrari 31285.

Regazzoni spun sideways in a tight curve, one of a number of spin-outs in the injury-free race, but he cleared the track before others entered the turn.

Fittipaldi finished only 52 laps, arriving tenth. H. Ganiev, of New Zealand, finished eighth. Ganley escaped uninjured earlier when fire broke out in the cockpit of his March 741. The young driver was making trial runs when the cockpit began to smoke. Firemen rushed to the scene and extinguished the flames. Mechanics repaired the car in time for the race. Results:

Hulme. 1:41:02.01, average speed 187.57 k.p.h.. 1; Launda, Ferrari, 1:41:11,28, 2; Regazzoni, Ferrari, 1:41:22, 3; Hailwood. Mcll.aren. 1:41:33.30, 4: Beltoise, 8.R.M.. 1:41:53.85 , 5; Depallier I (France). Tyrrell. 1:42:54.49, 6; C. 'Reutemann (Argentina). Brabham, (52 lans). 1:39:15.01, 7: Ganley. March. 1:40:19.32 8: H. Pescarolo (France), 8.R.M., 1:41:23.45, 9: Fittipaldi (Brazil), McLaren, 1:41:55.95, 10.

Indoor tennis.— The top-seed, B. Gottfried, of the United States, has won the men’s singles, defeating J. Chanfreau (France), 16-3. 6-4. at the Pacific Coast [indoor tennis championships in i Portland. Oregon.