1962 Solitude Grand Prix

The 12th Solitude Grand Prix was a non-Championship motor race, run to Formula One rules, held on 15 July 1962 at the Solitudering, near Stuttgart. The race was run over 25 laps of the circuit, and was won by Dan Gurney in a Porsche 804.[1]

1962 Solitude Grand Prix
Non-championship race in the 1962 Formula One season
Race details
Date 15 July 1962
Official name XII Großer Preis der Solitude
Location Solitudering, near Stuttgart
Course Permanent racing facility
Course length 11.4086 km (7.089 miles)
Distance 25 laps, 285.216 km (177.225 miles)
Attendance 320,000
Pole position
Driver Lotus-Climax
Time 3:53.9
Fastest lap
Driver United States Dan Gurney Porsche
Time 3:55.6
Podium
First Porsche
Second Porsche
Third Lotus-Climax

Race Report

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The 1961 Solitude Grand Prix had been very exciting, and 320,000 people showed up in 1962 for a new record attendance. However, the race proved less than exciting, with only Lotus and Porsche sending their cars in addition to numerous privateers. Ferrari and Scuderia SSS Venezia stayed away due to the ongoing Italian metal workers' strike, while UDT/Laystall and Yeoman Credit Racing both stayed home to repair cars damaged in the 1962 French Grand Prix.[2]

Jo Bonnier was hindered at the start by a photographer on the track, and the race began with Gurney leading Clark, then Bonnier, and then Trevor Taylor. These positions remained unchanged until just past the middle of the race, when there was a rainsquall and all of the oil and rubber deposits on the track made for very slippery conditions. Clark slipped backwards into a fence and had to retire with a damaged exhaust and rear end. Taylor also slipped off the track a few times, and the tempo dropped steadily. As an indication thereof, Gurney's average speed for the first fifteen laps was 173 km/h (107 mph) while it was only 145.75 km/h (91 mph) for the last ten.[2] Ian Burgess' Cooper-special was best privateer in fourth. Jo Siffert had an electric short which led to a small fire. Luckily for the spectators, Solitude also hosted the German Motorcycle Grand Prix and there was a GT-race, won by Kalman von Czazy in a Ferrari 250GTO which he had crashed during practice.[2]

Results

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Pos Driver Entrant Constructor Time/Retired Grid
1   Dan Gurney Porsche System Engineering Porsche 1.45:37.2 2
2   Jo Bonnier Porsche System Engineering Porsche + 1:47.1 s 3
3   Trevor Taylor Team Lotus Lotus-Climax + 3:55.1 s 4
4   Ian Burgess Anglo-American Equipe Cooper-Climax 24 laps 7
5   Carel Godin de Beaufort Ecurie Maarsbergen Porsche 23 laps 8
6   Gerhard Mitter Ecurie Filipinetti Lotus-Climax 23 laps 14
7   Heinz Schiller Ecurie Filipinetti Porsche 23 laps 11
8   Bernard Collomb Bernard Collomb Cooper-Climax 19 laps 12
Ret   Jim Clark Team Lotus Lotus-Climax Accident 1
NC   Günther Seiffert Autosport Team Wolfgang Seidel Lotus-Climax 18 laps 13
Ret   Tony Settember Emeryson Cars Emeryson-Climax Oil leak 9
Ret   Tony Marsh Tony Marsh BRM-Climax Clutch 6
Ret   Kurt Kuhnke Autosport Team Wolfgang Seidel Lotus-Climax Engine 10
Ret   Jo Siffert Ecurie Filipinetti Lotus-BRM Electrics 5
DNS   John Campbell-Jones Emeryson Cars Emeryson-Climax Practice accident -
WD   Peter Arundell Team Lotus Lotus-Climax No car -
WD   Nino Vaccarella Scuderia SSS Republica di Venezia Porsche -
WD   Carlo Abate Scuderia SSS Republica di Venezia Porsche -
WD   Innes Ireland UDT Laystall Racing Team Lotus-Climax -
WD   Masten Gregory UDT Laystall Racing Team Lotus-BRM -
WD   John Surtees Bowmaker Racing Team Lola-Climax -
WD   Wolfgang Seidel Autosport Team Wolfgang Seidel Lotus-BRM No car -

References

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  1. ^ a b Thompson, John (1974), The Formula One Record Book
  2. ^ a b c Johansson, Lars-Erik (September 1962). "Rekord publik på Solitude: 320,000" [Record audience at Solitude: 320,000]. Illustrerad Motor Sport (in Swedish). No. 9. Lerum, Sweden. p. 23.


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1962 Reims Grand Prix
Formula One non-championship races
1962 season
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1962 Kanonloppet
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1961 Solitude Grand Prix
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