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Post by mikael on Jan 11, 2018 3:46:49 GMT
Since I had my scanner "started up" (for Lucio's 2CV thread) I though it might perhaps be of interest to include another page from the book on the Danish circuit "Ring Djursland" (Morten Alstrup: Ring "Djursland - En udfordring for alle" (= A challenge for all). Published by Ring Djursland Motorsport, 2007.) It's the story about an international Formula 3 race on that circuit 28 July 1968, where Ronnie Peterson (in Techno) was in a league of his own (to say the least!). At that time the length of "Ring Djursland" was 1.225 meters. The F3 race was over 44 laps. Ronnie's lap time (over these 44 laps) was 36.6 seconds. At the checkered flag, Ronnie was 49.6 seconds ahead of the Finnish driver Leo Kinnunen in second place. This means that he, during the race, pulled away from Kinnunen at a rate of 1.1 seconds per lap! Just imagine that: 1.1 seconds faster per lap on such a short track - with a lap time of just above 36 seconds! And it was in a field of international drivers (probably the best) - and not just Danish drivers (actually the text says that just one single Danish driver - Jørgen Ellekær - participated in that race). In spite of winning in this way - lapping the entire field - Ronnie actually didn't like the circuit! - the book says he called it a "motocross track". (It was, I guess, too much "Mickey Mouse" for his taste.)  |
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Post by René on Jan 11, 2018 8:39:22 GMT
Great stuff Mikael.
This just shows (again) how special Ronnie Peterson was. And to think that the man who came second, Leo Kinnunen, wasn't exactly a dabbler behind the wheel!
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Post by mikael on Jan 11, 2018 9:00:37 GMT
This just shows (again) how special Ronnie Peterson was. And to think that the man who came second, Leo Kinnunen, wasn't exactly a dabbler behind the wheel! Yes - Kinnunen also became an F1 driver - Finland's first! And according to Wikipedia's page on Kinnunen, he had several significant victories in F3 that year, in 1968, and he actually beat Peterson in a race in Finland. |
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Post by charleselan on Jan 11, 2018 9:59:22 GMT
Wonderful Mikael, you have made my day, a super article about a special occasion.
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Post by chrisb on Jan 12, 2018 7:14:49 GMT
wonderful, that really is a great way to start a day! apart from Emmo getting miffed at Ronnie in 73 I am struggling to ever think of anyone who had abad word to say about Ronnie, but i don't know if that is true or not,
Incidentally Mikael, I was always a bit puzzled by Reine Wisell, he seemed pretty good but just seemed to fade away,
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Post by Carl on Jan 12, 2018 16:30:28 GMT
In fairness, Chris, I think Emerson never had a bad word about Ronnie. 1973 should be seen in perspective, they were both competitors for a top prize which was within both their reach. I agree. What Emerson felt was natural frustration, not anger, that Ronnie was usually faster with Emerson's preferred set-up. I think "miffed" can also include a neutral frustration.  |
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Post by René on Jan 12, 2018 17:00:56 GMT
This just shows (again) how special Ronnie Peterson was. And to think that the man who came second, Leo Kinnunen, wasn't exactly a dabbler behind the wheel! Yes - Kinnunen also became an F1 driver - Finland's first! And according to Wikipedia's page on Kinnunen, he had several significant victories in F3 that year, in 1968, and he actually beat Peterson in a race in Finland. Indeed Mikael, Leo was the first Flying Fin in F1. And the last F1 driver to wear an open-face helmet (1974)!   |
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Post by chrisb on Jan 13, 2018 7:20:02 GMT
totally agree chaps and gentry
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Post by mikael on Jan 13, 2018 9:03:23 GMT
Incidentally Mikael, I was always a bit puzzled by Reine Wisell, he seemed pretty good but just seemed to fade away,
Chris,
it's true he started out very well in the Lotus at the end of 1970. The following year, again in Lotus, was quite good too. The shift to BRM in 1972 was not good for him, apparently.
I must admit, I have read too little about Wisell to know the reasons and details. There is a book by a Danish author (Carsten Frimodt) called "Skandinavisk Racerelite" (Scandinavian racer elite) with subtitle "Ole, Reine and Ronnie", indicating that it deals with the careers of Ole Vejlund (a Danish F3 driver), Reine Wisell, and Ronnie Peterson. Unfortunately I don't have it - I may wish to buy it.
The pictures below are borrowed from that book (or rather, from an online review (in Danish) of the book).
The first shows Ole Vejlund in a (red) Brabham BT15 followed by Wisell in a (yellow) Cooper T76 on the mentioned "Ring Djursland" in Denmark in 1967. This photo also gives an idea as to why Peterson called this (tiny and "hilly") circuit a motocross track ;-)
The second shows Wisell and Peterson sitting on Wisell's new Techno in the spring of 1968.
Cheers, Mikael
© Trebbien
© Olausson
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Post by Jamie on Jan 13, 2018 9:48:59 GMT
Yes - Kinnunen also became an F1 driver - Finland's first! And according to Wikipedia's page on Kinnunen, he had several significant victories in F3 that year, in 1968, and he actually beat Peterson in a race in Finland. Indeed Mikael, Leo was the first Flying Fin in F1. And the last F1 driver to wear an open-face helmet (1974)! Great shot Rene. Leo was also a feature of the JWA team of course and a great sportscar driver, I have a great admiration for his talents. He co-drove Pedro to the famous wet weather win at Brands 1970 in the 917 but is never mentioned as this really was Pedro's day, but he was a top class performer for sure. |
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Post by charleselan on Jan 13, 2018 15:43:55 GMT
Mikael,
Many thanks again for this really excellent thread, and not because it features Ronnie, so much else has come into the discussion that is very interesting.
Firstly on the subject of Leo Kinnunen I wonder how many actually realise he sadly passed away last year, to my knowledge not mentioned on the MS Forum which was pretty bad form; I actually was alerted to the fact from the French quarterly AutoDiva. He was a really good sports car driver and pretty handy at rallying too apparently, but maybe not a Grand Prix driver.
Incidentally at the same time as Leo was emerging in the late 1960's another Finn was also on the scene in a privately entered Porsche 908/2 and he even caught the eye of one DSJ. His name was Hans Laine and he was seriously good but sadly perished in the Porsche (I believe at the Nurburgring) before he got a top line drive.
Moving on to Chris' comment about Reine Wisell, and why he didn't go on to bigger things in F1. Reine was extremely good and right up there with the Fittipaldi's etc but as Mikael mentions he didn't jell at Lotus in 1971 and the move to Marlboro BRM was a huge mistake. No one stood a chance forming a career with Louis Stanley running a five car team at times. Rein, like Tim Schenken, was right at the very top in the one litre F3 class, and that was hugely competitive, also in F2. Sadly its a case of what might have been, and unfortunately that first season with Lotus was where it all went pear shaped our I believe to the fact that the 72 struggled that season, as did others, with there new Firestone slick tyres and that Colin Chapman was already more interested in the other Swede.
One more thing and with reference to Ronnie's testing abilities, Ralf Bellamy recounted a very humorous instant when they were testing at Lotus. Ronnie was complaining of big problems with oversteer and every time he came into the pits Ralf and the crew would try to adjust the car to improve matters, but each time Ronnie would come back in and say it was worse. So in desperation Ralf went out track side to see for himself what was happening; Ronnie appeared at the chosen bend and the car was completely sideways. When they both returned to the pits Ralf said to Ronnie that it was impossible for the car to be at such an angle of drift, to which Ronnie said "I have to make it do that as it just wants to go straight on". Ralf then explained to Ronnie that what he had was understeer and not oversteer, it was him making the car oversteer to counteract the understeer.
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Post by mikael on Jan 14, 2018 5:28:09 GMT
JC,
Thank you very much for your kind words and comments.
I noted the passing of Leo Kinnunen (last July) when I checked the page on him at Wikipedia. I really should have commented on it. I was not aware of it before.
Regarding BRM and the eventual demise of the team, the little I have read about Louis Stanley suggest that the success of BRM meant the world to him – that it was almost like a mission in life for him to make BRM great again in the 1970’s. So it was so much the sadder that he didn’t succeed.
I wonder about the philosophy of running so many cars at a time – if this was optimal from a business point-of-view – or just a result of being a bit too ambitious.
The decline and fall of a once great team is always a sad thing to witness. (Hopefully Williams will remain a healthy organization for many years to come …)
The multifacetedness of the GP-drivers’ abilities is an interesting subject; how some could pinpoint the slightest change (like Chris Amon) and how some could drive around almost any problem and go just as fast, regardless.
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Post by chrisb on Jan 14, 2018 11:05:18 GMT
thanks Sir JC et al,
tales of Ronnie's testing abilities are legendary and a book is calling out for all the anecdotes of these great people,
I too read of Leo's sad demise in Wikipedia's daily feed and will have to check my MS's to see if it was mentioned, but far too often people like Pete Arundel are barely mentioned in MS and until he tried to follow Jimmy at Spa and realised that maybe Jimmy is a wee bit better was touted as a potential GP winner
The pomp of BRM was always an interesting factor, and on the one hand the Stanley days - he did a great deal towards safety - with his mobile ambulance, but then the terrible revelations -
Mikael, yes that sounds fascinating and despite an exhaustive library including a recent auction 'success' where i 'won' another 100 or so books, other than the better known stories of say Jimmy, or Ronnie it is not something I am that familiar with, for instance I am not really that clear how good a tester Gilles was, what approaches to testing some drivers used and how effected they were by the changes to their cars and to what degree - sorry I kinda lumped in the testing aspect as I also find it fasnicating
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Post by chrisb on Mar 3, 2018 19:13:18 GMT
I have these stickers somewhere, must sort the attic out..but have come across two photos of Ronnie that were specially sent.
they are obviously professionally taken and all i can find about them is that they are on Kodak paper! but it is with Ronnie in the 72 with a no 1 on the car, but who I got them from is beyond my recollection
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Post by charleselan on Mar 3, 2018 19:42:57 GMT
I have these stickers somewhere, must sort the attic out..but have come across two photos of Ronnie that were specially sent.
they are obviously professionally taken and all i can find about them is that they are on Kodak paper! but it is with Ronnie in the 72 with a no 1 on the car, but who I got them from is beyond my recollection That would be 1974 then Chris. I have two beautiful colour photos of Ronnie, one a portrait and the other from Monaco 1974, purchased these as a member of Classic Team Lotus which I was a member for several years. |
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