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Post by charleselan on Mar 21, 2018 18:29:03 GMT
...Could it be that it had a peaky power delivery and Jim was keeping the revs up by blipping the throttle? ... Interestingly I have been watching agan the 1967 German GP film that is YouTube, and not the one featured in "9 Days in Summer" and Jim does not appear to be blipping the throttle in the DFV powered Lotus 49. John Charles, the driving styles of the great drivers is a most interesting subject. Perhaps Clark actually changed his style a bit for the DFV powered Lotus 49? Certainly it was quite a step-up in power. As to Senna, it seems that the throttle-blipping became a habit for him. There's a movie at Youtube of Senna driving the Honda NSX-R at Suzuka in '92. Here he's blipping the throttle too, although the engine has less than 300HP. (At that time there was a kind of Gentleman's Agreement among the Japanese automobile makers that no domestically produced car should have more than 280HP. Actually some had a bit more, but not that much more.) Somehow I feel that it wouldn't really be necessary to blip the throttle with such a relatively "tame" standard engine in a relatively heavy car (approx. 1400 kg even though it's with an aluminium body) ... Here's a link to a good version of the movie: Returning to the 1965 movie, how great a sound those small V8 engines made! Real high-strung racing engines! Another interesting point is the gentle gearshifts of Clark. Watching Formula Ford races in Denmark as a child/young man, I recall that eager drivers often shifted without lifting the accelerator (just a blip on the clutch). With Clark there's nothing like that - it's very neat and gentle gearshifts, all the time. (Probably it doesn't give anything in lap time either, to shift so aggressively - but it sounds good!) Thank you also for posting the 1967 Castrol movie, it's a real pleasure to watch. For me, the cars of 1967, with the 3 litre engines finally in place yet still wingless, are the most iconic and beautiful F1 cars ever. Mikael Mikael, Firstly thank you for the Ayrton NSX onboard film, really wonderful to see him in action and watching his feet dance on the pedals on the inset. I think he is "blipping" the throttle to balance the car in oversteer as he exits the corners. I am surprised to see that although a "supercar" of the period the gear change looks mighty cumbersome and long in throw. Over the past twelve months or so I have warmed back towards Ayrton, yes he had his faults of which I was none too impressed with, that aside he was a real talent and as i have said before he shared many similarities with Jim Clark. I was a big fan of Ayrton in his Lotus days as he so reminded me of the great times with Jim; Jochen and Ronnie driving for them. I wasn't a Prost fan at all and always wished for Ayrton to beat him in the Black & Gold Lotus Renault's. I understand that the original Honda NSX is now something of a collectors item and the values are rocketing, should have bought one 15 years ago when they were lower  . Jim was always changing his driving style, mostly to suit the cars he drove. he had a huge fascination with all cars and would drive anything just for the pleasure of seeing what it was like and what it could do. Who else could have turned up at a NASCAR event and truly impressed those "Good Old Boys" like he did. The little 1.5 litre Formula One cars were simply wonderful and musical sounding engines, particularly the V8's, many did not like that formula but it was an era that i especially loved, and it was ground breaking in so many respects. However 1967 was an amazing year with a variety of cars and engines the like we had not seen previously or since, and without wings those cars were so beautiful. |
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Post by René on Mar 21, 2018 20:03:47 GMT
JC, i would totally agree - to me a Grand Prix in that era was an 'event' something that you almost felt you were invited to, something that you socialised to and enjoyed in awe as to how someone could drive that quickly, which is interesting because you are also correct in saying that about the TT,which is also an event, not 'just' a race, where one just turns up - watches and go home, but the TT - apart from the fact watching these incredible machines at such speeds on common roads - is a package of enjoyment and fear but mighty What a great term to use for real racing Chris; "event" that fits perfectly as that is what these were/are. I always think of how I felt in the build up to the British F1 Grand Prix, the excitement grew as the week progressed, and then being there, be it Brands or Silverstone. It was just something special. I had the same feeling as a child and teenager in the build up to attending a big motocross meeting, particularly the British 250 or 500 GP's. Goodness me I would give anything to feel like that now; I have little desire to attend any sort of race meeting these days, although I keep saying to myself that I should pop down the road to Le Mans but then see the ticket prices and think the money would be better spent elsewhere  . The IOM TT is something I have to do one day as I cannot meet my maker without seeing those guys and machines in the flesh. JC, are there no historic race meetings at Le Mans? At Spa and Zolder there a several each year and they are wonderful to go to. Ticket prices are low and the atmosphere is always very relaxed. You can walk around the paddock and see everything up close. It will never bring back that special feeling of yesteryears but but it gives me a good feeling visiting such meetings.  |
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Post by charleselan on Mar 21, 2018 20:55:18 GMT
JC, are there no historic race meetings at Le Mans? At Spa and Zolder there a several each year and they are wonderful to go to. Ticket prices are low and the atmosphere is always very relaxed. You can walk around the paddock and see everything up close. It will never bring back that special feeling of yesteryears but but it gives me a good feeling visiting such meetings. René, Just the Le Mans Classic but the ticket prices are in my opinion a complete rip off at this venue for all meetings. If you pay for a general admission, you then are limited to where about you can go just to watch the on track action; alternately you take out a mortgage and purchase a "special" pass which allows more. Sorry to say that after 25+ years of going to meetings as a member of the Press I find it hard to step back. Do not get me wrong I do really like historic and classic meetings. I really enjoyed a small but very well run "show" last summer in Lincolnshire which I went to with a former girlfriend and her son; fabulous day out. |
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Post by René on Mar 21, 2018 20:57:49 GMT
Jimmy with family.  His parents.  His first race in Scott-Watson's DKW, 1956.  With the Ford tractor.  In a Sunbeam.  Jaguar D-type.  Lotus Elite at Le Mans 1959.  Aston Martin, Le Mans 1960.  Indianopolis 1963.  Jimmy the mechanic, Tasman series.  NASCAR!   |
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Post by chrisb on Mar 21, 2018 21:23:11 GMT
JC I do share that sentiment, previously at the start of every year I would diligently write down in my diary the GP dates and book as soon as I could a few days holiday around the British GP and off I would trot either on my own, or with a girlfriend or friends and stay locally - the tension would grow and the anticipation build up so that before the start I was on a knife-edge, fidgety, who is going to win and then the warm-up - that blast of noise, the weaving around and then this followed by an hour and a half of blurred images, sweet music and roaring enthusiasm, but then along came the poisoned duo and money became the king and queen of our sport -
Historic's are interesting, I try to go to the Donington meeting in May, it is a 3 day jolly and with so many races and cars, almost too many - yet you still get that anticipation when you hear a DFV or V12 revving up -, I've not been to the Brands historic meeting and baulk a bit about fortress Silverstone but favourite will always be the Gold Cup at Oulton, not the best of races but the atmosphere, the friendly attitude and the multi-tude of things to see, the saloon cars tend to be the best and they do go some and that makes it a real pleasure. I managed to get to Goodwood in 97 or 8 and would love to go again, but I now tend to schedule motorbike racing 1st then historic's - maybe because I am one?
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Post by charleselan on Mar 21, 2018 21:29:54 GMT
Fantastic pictures René, I especially like the Fordson tractor image a 1965 model denoted by the "C" on the registration plate. I have several others of Jim in the tractor at various times, also one of him on an earlier model with tracks rather than wheels clearing blizzarding snow.
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Post by René on Mar 22, 2018 9:41:15 GMT
JC, are there no historic race meetings at Le Mans? At Spa and Zolder there a several each year and they are wonderful to go to. Ticket prices are low and the atmosphere is always very relaxed. You can walk around the paddock and see everything up close. It will never bring back that special feeling of yesteryears but but it gives me a good feeling visiting such meetings. René, Just the Le Mans Classic but the ticket prices are in my opinion a complete rip off at this venue for all meetings. If you pay for a general admission, you then are limited to where about you can go just to watch the on track action; alternately you take out a mortgage and purchase a "special" pass which allows more. Sorry to say that after 25+ years of going to meetings as a member of the Press I find it hard to step back. Do not get me wrong I do really like historic and classic meetings. I really enjoyed a small but very well run "show" last summer in Lincolnshire which I went to with a former girlfriend and her son; fabulous day out. Maybe the Le Mans Classic is a bigger event compared to the Zolder/Spa events, I don't know. For instance the Zolder Historic Grand Prix (of which I posted pictures on MS and we had some great conversations) has a ticket price of 25 euro and that gives you full access to all grandstands and paddock and pitboxes. When the weather is good you can have a fantastic day, super relaxed. Also at Spa the summer classic events are about the same prices. And this is how it should be, makes it also more accessible for families with kids. |
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Post by chrisb on Mar 25, 2018 5:41:07 GMT
having received my first copy of Octane, which is pretty good, I noticed an advert for a Lotus 16, nothing unusual about this as there were 8 made, but the advert puzzled me, it was saying this was the first F1 Lotus Jimmy drove - i have looked at this but cannot find any confirmation of this, does anyone else know about this?
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Post by Carl on Mar 25, 2018 16:52:06 GMT
JC I do share that sentiment, previously at the start of every year I would diligently write down in my diary the GP dates and book as soon as I could a few days holiday around the British GP and off I would trot either on my own, or with a girlfriend or friends and stay locally - the tension would grow and the anticipation build up so that before the start I was on a knife-edge, fidgety, who is going to win and then the warm-up - that blast of noise, the weaving around and then this followed by an hour and a half of blurred images, sweet music and roaring enthusiasm, but then along came the poisoned duo and money became the king and queen of our sport - Historic's are interesting, I try to go to the Donington meeting in May, it is a 3 day jolly and with so many races and cars, almost too many - yet you still get that anticipation when you hear a DFV or V12 revving up -, I've not been to the Brands historic meeting and baulk a bit about fortress Silverstone but favourite will always be the Gold Cup at Oulton, not the best of races but the atmosphere, the friendly attitude and the multi-tude of things to see, the saloon cars tend to be the best and they do go some and that makes it a real pleasure. I managed to get to Goodwood in 97 or 8 and would love to go again, but I now tend to schedule motorbike racing 1st then historic's - maybe because I am one? Well said, Chris! Historic race fans should be accorded the same respect as the cars and enjoy the best seats and the best food with recently retired grid girls as weekend companions and to instruct in various disciplines.  Cheers, Carl |
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Post by chrisb on Mar 25, 2018 18:17:23 GMT
you do make me laugh Carl, the irony of watching Formula E with the grid girls and F1 with none is not lost of me
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Post by René on Mar 29, 2018 11:38:43 GMT
Dario Franchitti Drives Jim Clark's Lotus-Ford 38/1 at Indianapolis.
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Post by Carl on Mar 29, 2018 21:18:07 GMT
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Post by chrisb on Mar 30, 2018 6:06:35 GMT
Carl, even the magazine is so much better this month - so hopefully... but the above is great, something any fan of Jimmy's would have known but fantastic that MS are recognising this- incidentally aside from Jimmy's other attributes it was always how intelligent he was that struck me, Jimmy spoke of Innes being 'unhelpful' when being lapped when Jimmy was dicing with Dan at Monza in 63 - so Jimmy let Dan past - at the sweetest moment and Innes tried to block Dan - which you didn't do, something I treasure about Dan, and they wobbled off and Jimmy overtook them both! pure magic and why Jimmy was so far ahead of most and slightly ahead of others of such intelligence [Ascari, Fangio, Stewart, Prost] and why Hockenheim was such a tragedy
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Post by charleselan on Mar 30, 2018 10:54:06 GMT
Not bad at all Carl, but I would suggest that much of the article itself was "borrowed" from Peter Windsor's web site. I don't know how Peter gets all of his information in such great detail about Jim but it is well worth a visit for any JC fan. One bit that grabs the attention is his detail description about when Jim went over to the States to drive the Arceiro Bros Lotus 19, a fantastic tale. The film of the 1965 French GP from Clermont Ferrand is a superb bit of footage. The first time I saw that film was in 1971 when my college motor club had a film night and that as one of the films shown, I was in heaven that evening . The circuit was amazing although dear old DSJ was a bit disparaging about the fact that part of it circulated a huge rubbish tip. |
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Post by charleselan on Apr 1, 2018 14:42:38 GMT
As we approach that terrible day 50 years ago a few more interesting shots of Jim. [img src=" ![]() i.imgur.com/elnk0aX.jpg" alt="" src="" style="max-width:100%;"] The above is only one of the photos I had intended to attach but for some reason I cannot upload pictures at all using my normal image host. Do not know what the problem is but I just get the small blue square every time I try and with different hosts!!!!!!  The above image has appeared via a very strange (to me) method thanks to René, anyway great that this brilliant photo of Jim at a Service Halt during the 1965 RAC Rally, beautifully illustrates why the guy was so special. Thanks René. |
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