Ferrari makes it 1-2-3 with Innes Ireland as winner

For report on 1963 R.A.C. Tourist Trophy click here

In 1960 the R.A.C. decides to restrict the annual Tourist Trophy to Grand Touring Cars. Thanks to Stirling Moss who won the R.A.C. Tourist Trophy no less than seven times, the race enjoys an excellent repitation. Together with the British Grand Prix it is the most important autosport event of the year on British soil. It offers the gentleman racers a unique opportunity to compete with the best British F1 racers. This year the Tourist Trophy is organised at Goodwood. British F1 racers at the start are Scotland's Jim Clark (Lotus 21 Climax), England's Graham Hill (BRM P48/57 Climax), England's John Surtees (Cooper T53 Climax), Scotland's Innes Ireland (Lotus 21 Climax), England's Roy Salvadori (Coo-per T53 Cimax) and Trevor Taylor (Lotus 18 Climax). 1962 will be the start of the British era in F1 racing since that year Graham Hill will win the F1 world championship. followed in 1963 by the victory of Jim Clark (ahead of Gra-ham Hill and Surtees), in 1964 by the win of John Surtees (ahead of Grajam Hill and Clark), in 1965 by the second title for Jim Clark (ahead of Graham Hill, Jacky Stewart and Surtees), in 1968 by the second title of Graham Hill (ahead of Stewart), and in 1969, 1971 and 1973 by the 3 wins of Jacky Stewart.
Other works drivers at the start of the 1962 TT are Ferrari's sports car specialist Mike Parkes (a later F1 racer) and Morgan's sports car driver Chris Lawrence (who will enter in 1966 two F1 GPs). Opposed to those 8 works drivers we find among the 34 starters some of the finest privateers in the world. Among them David Piper, Mike Salmon, Dick Protheroe, Peter Lumsden and Graham Warner.

THE FERRARI ENTRY
August 17-18, 1962 - No less than 34 cars enter the 1962 R.A.C. Tourist Trophy, 13 of them being 3-litre or over-3-litre Grand Touring cars. Eye catchers are, of course, the five brand new Ferraris 250 GTO making their first appearance at the Tourist Trophy. Equipe Endeaveour  is present with two the new night blue 3589GT Ferrari GTO for Mike Parkes. Colonel Ronnie Hoare of Maranello Concessionaires has the Italian red 3647GT for former motorcycling world champion John Surtees. Earlier this year Parkes won already five minor races with the Equipe Endeavour and Ronnie Hoare's co-owned car: in April (at Easter Monday, as appendix to the British F1 GP) the Sussex Trophy, here in Goodwood; in May the prestigeous International Trophy at Silverstone; in June the two heats at Mallory Park; and in August the Peco Trophy at Brands Hatch. The 3647GT of Surtees finished twice third at the two heats of the Mallory Park meeting, was again third at the Snetterton Scott-Brown Trophy and fourth at the Brands Hatch Peco Trophy.
John Coombs is present with his pearl white 3729GT Ferrari 250 GTO for Graham Hill and with his S850006 Lightweight Jaguar E-type for Roy Salvadori. The Coombs GTO made only one race prior to this year's R.A.C. Tourist Trophy, the Peco Trophy at Brands Hatch where Salvadori finished second to Parkes. UDT-Laystall, a team run by Stirling Moss's father and his manager Ken Gregory, has for Innes Ireland the pale green 3505GT Ferrari 250 GTO on the grid. Three days prior to the British GP, on Easter Monday, Ireland and Colonel Hoare flow to Milan to take possesion of the new cars (the 3505GT right-hand for Ireland and the 3589GT right-hand for Hoare). Two days prior to the first practice they brought the two cars in convoy to England, making enough miles to run in the engine. Hoare's car won with Parkes at its maiden race, here in Goodwood, but Ireland's car could not be raced, due to the terrible accident of Stirling Moss at the F1 GP. Normally Stirling should have driven after the F1 race the team's Lotus 19 and Ireland the brand new GTO, but due to Stirling's accident Ireland had to take the Lotus 19, so that the pale green was not raced at all. Eventually the 3505GT finished in May second to Parke at the Interna-tional Trophy at Silverstone, was third at the Brands Hatch Peco Trophy behind Parkes and Salva-dori, won at the same track the BRSCC Trophy and entered the Le Mans 24 hours where Ireland and Masten Gregory (USA) had to retire after 12 hours with a broken starter due to a broken battery.
Contrary to the four other GTOs at the start David Piper's 3767GT was owned by himself. Well-knowing that he had not all the talent of a Graham Hill, a Innes Ireland, a Mike Parkes or a Roy Salvadori, Piper was intelligent enough to compensate this lack on superior talent by doing some small modifications on the car. So he changed the light standard springs by stiffer ones, so that the car had no longer understeering problems after a refuelling pit stop. He visited Borrani at Rho (near Milan) and ordered wider 8in rear rims for his 3767GT. Last but not least he tried to make his GTO faster by cutting down the wind screen and lowering the roof of his car. All those modifications, however, are not alreay done before the start of the R.A.C. Tourist Trophy, only after, before going to Kyalami. Piper's apple green GTO appears at the start having done only one race, the Peco Trophy. 
Back-up for the five Ferraris 250 GTO comes from Chris Kerrison's night blue 2753GT ex-Stirling Moss Ferrari 250 GT SWB, winner of last year's R.A.C. Tourist Trophy. Indeed in 1961 the car won not only the TT, but also the Bank Holiday Trophy at Brands Hatch, the British Empire Trophy at Silverstone, the Peco Trophy 1961, and the Nassau Tourist Trophy. By the end of the season the car was sold to UDT-Laystall which let it race without success at the Daytona 3 hours before selling it to Chris Kerrison.

THE REMAINING ENTRY
Opposition to the six Ferraris has to come from three Jaguars E-type, three Aston Martins and one Corvette. The two other Jaguars, apart from John Coombs's Lightweight for Salvadori, are the private owned cars of Dick Protheroe and Peter Lumsden. Both are underway for a full lightweight transformation, but we could not find how far the transformation was finished entering the 1962 R.A.C. Tourist Trophy.
Of the three Astons two are entered by John L.E. Ogier (Essex Racing), both DB4GT Z versions, one for the professional works driver Jim Clark, and the other for Graham Warner, founder of the London Chequered Flag Garage. Warner is a simple gentleman racer. The same holds for Mike Salmon entering his own DB4GT Z, the 0200/R, being the first DB4GT Zagato tansformed for racing and having finished 5th at the 1961 R.A.C. Tourist Trophy. It's important to know that none of the three Astons is a works entry by David Brown, despite the fact that they receive full factory support. Famous, of course, is the 2 VEV with chassis 0183/R as raced this year by Jim Clark. In 1961 the car won at Aintree and was class-winner (4th overall) at Goodwood. At last year's R.A.C. TT Clark finished 4th overall with the 2 VEV. The 1 VEV is even more famous. It was raced last year at the Le Mans 24 hours where it was retired, but it finished with Salvadori 3rd at the TT, with Tony Maggs 2nd at Monza and with Jim Clark/Innes Ireland 6th at the Paris 1,000-kms. With their 314bhp and with a 286kph top speed at Hunaudières, none of the Aston Zagatos succeeded to beat the Ferraris 250 GT SWBs or 300bhp 250 GTOs with a 300kph top speed. That's why David Brown develops a lighter and better profiled DP212 and DP214 (later also DP215) in view of the 1963 season.
The lonely other over 3-litre car at the start is the Chevrolet Corvette entered by Winkelmann Ra-cing for America's Dan M. "Danny" Collins, a gentleman driver from Denver.
Among the under 3-litre cars only the Lotus Mk14 Elites entered by Team Elite for Trevor Taylor, Clive Hunt and Sir John Whitmore are semi-works entries, together with the by Morgan Motors entered Plus 4 SS (having won GT2 class at the Le Mans 24 hours) for Chris Lawrence. One other car draws attention, the 2.0 Porsche-Abarth Carrera GTL for Holland's Ben Pon, entered by himself.

No picture can illustrate better what was long distance racing in 1962. Here we see a poorly isolated Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato surrounded by no less than eight Ferraris 250 GTO. At its first racing year the GTO dominated completely the racing scene. The picture was made at the start of the 1962 Montlhéry 1,000-kms where the isolated Aston, with Jim Clark and Innes Ireland in excellent hands, finished sixth overall, preceeded by five GTO Ferraris.

QUALIFICATIONS
A large crowd attends the qualifications, all curious to see in action those wonderful Ferraris 250 GTO, so performing at the Le Mans 24 hours where, end June, they finished 2nd, 3rd and 6th overall. There is a bit of disappointment that the Lightweight Jaguars of Briggs Cunningham, at Le Mans still 4th and 5th, are not here. But since Roy Salvadori has a Jaguar with a very similar set-up hope remains that an all-British car can beat the Italian Ferraris. Logical favourite to take the pole is Mike Parkes at the wheel of the winningest GTO of the five present. It is however Innes Ireland in the UDT-Laystall machinery who clocks the sharpest time: 1'28"4. Then, within the same second follow the GTO Ferraris of John Surtees, Mike Parkes and Graham Hill. Ray Salvadori, in the Coombs Jaguar, is fifth on the grid, 1 sec. 4 down to the pale green pole sitting GTO. Piper in the apple green GTO with yellow nose is sixth, 1 sec. 8 down. The Aston Martins disappoint. Despite all his talent Jim Clark is only sicth, 3 full seconds down. Then follows Mike Salmon, 6 seconds down. Disappointing too is Kerrison in the 250 GT SWB having won last year. He is 9th at 6 seconds. Fastest under-2-litre Is the Lotis Elite Mk14 Climax of Trevor Taylor on rank 15, headed by all 3-litre and over 3-litre cars, 9 sec. 2 down to Ireland.

        Innes Ireland                                   John Surtees                         Mike Parkes
    #15 Ferrari 250 GTO                         #10 Ferrari 250 GTO             #5 Ferrari 250 GTO 
            1'28"400                                           1'28"600                             1'28"800

                                  Graham Hill                                      Ray Salvadori
                            #10 Ferrari 250 GTO                    #11 Jaguar E-type Lightweight 
                                      1'29"200                                          1'29"800

        David Pïper                                    Jim Clark                              Mike Salmon
    #8 Ferrari 250 GTO              #2 Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato    #4 Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato
            1'30"800                                       1'31"400                              1'34"400   

     Chris Kerrison/Rob Benson               Dick Protheroe                        Peter Lumsden  
    #15 Ferrari 250 GTO            #12 Jaguar E-type Lightweight      #14 Jaguar E-type Lightweight 
            1'34"400                                       1'34"800                                1'35"200

                                  Dean M. Collins                                Graham Warner
                            #1 Chevrolet Corvette                   #3 Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato
                                      1'36"200                                          1'36"200

    Trevor Taylor/Gil Baird                      John Whitmore                         Peter Jopp
    #24 Lotus Elite Mk14                   #25 Lotus Elite Mk14                #23 Lotus Elite Mk 14
            1'37"600                                        1'39"200                               1'39"600 

   etc. (34 cars in total) 

THE RACE (FIRST HALF)
Race day dawns sunny when the 34 cars are lined up for a Le Mans start. There is little doubt that one of the five Ferraris 250 GTO - all five in different colours (!) - will win once more. This year they won all races they entered in their class, with overall wins at the Trophée d'Auvergne (Abate), at the Silverstone Int'l Trophy (Parkes), at the Coppa Asagio (Lualdi), at the Brands Hatch BSSCR (Ireland), at the two Mallory Park heats (Parke), at the Solitude GP (von Csazy), at the hill-climbs of Lyon-La Forêt (Tavano) and Trieste-Opicina (Lualdi), at the Nürburgring GT race (von Csazy), at the Peco Trophy (Parkes). At such long distance races as the Sebring 12 hours (2nd), the Targa Florio (4th), the Nürburgring 1,000-kms (2nd), and the Le Mans 24 hours (2nd) the GTO was always class-winner, finishing ahead of the majority of prototypes. So, also here at Good-wood the three Jaguars, three Astons and lonely Corvette can hardly be a match for the unbeata-ble Ferrari 250 GTO.
This year the R.A.C. Tourist Trophy is the seventh of the nine rounds for the World Championship for Manufacturers of over-2 litre cars. It is the first round on British soil. First away at the Le Mans start is the Aston Martin of Jim Clark, followed by the GTOs of Innes Ireland and John Surtees. Despite all his talent the Scot cannot prevent that both Ferraris pass his Aston before the end of the first of hundred laps. One lap further Graham Hill and Mike Parkes, on two other GTOs pass the 2 VEV Aston Martin at their turn. A train of four is formed with Innes Ireland setting the pace. The positions remain unchanged until the first pit stops, except for Roy Salvadori having passed Clark for the fifth place.
After refuelling John Surtees is the first away and leads now the race with Ireland hanging close behind. Graham Hill and Mike Parkes in the other GTOs are unable to follow and are loosing ground on the two leaders. Meanwhile we lost already 10 of the 34 cars  with mechanical bothers. Among them the Astons of Graham Warner and Mike Salmon, res. out after only 10 and 11 laps with a blown engine. Seven laps further the Lumsden Jaguar was out after a spin. And after a quarter of the race Peter Jopp, 16th on the grid and third in Division II went off with an overheating engine.
In Divsion II between Trevor Taylor's Team Elite Lotus Mk14 and the sister car of John Whit-more.They pull away from Ben Pon's Porsche-Abarth and from Chris Lawrence's Morgan. After 50 laps, however, Whitmore has to let go the others with a broken engine. Shortly after Taylor looses more than 20 minutes in the pits, so that order in Division II is now: 1. Ben Pon (Porsche), 2. Chris Lawrence (Morgan) and 3. Clive Hunt (Morgan). By his faster refuelling stop Hunt is totally back following the Morgan nose to tail.

THE RACE (SECOND HALF)
After 61 laps Surtees is still leading Ireland and on his way to lap Jim Clark in sixth position. Exactly when Big John tries to lap the 2 VEV Aston, Clark spins at Madgwick and both cars collide, finishing beyond repair into the earth bank at the outside of the circuit. After 62 laps Ireland is again leader, 25 seconds ahead over Graham Hill and nearly 50 seconds over Mike Parkes. The lonely other car still in the lead lap is John Coombs's Jaguar, driven by Salvadori. Piper is now fifth at nearly one and a half lap. Then follows Rob Benson who took over the ex-Moss 250 GT SWB from Kerrison, already at four laps, followed two laps further by Protheroe's Jaguar in seventh position.
In Division II Clive Hunt succeeds to pass Lawren-ce's Morgan, having already overtaken Ben Pon's Porsche-Abarth. But Trevor Taylor - who drives with Gill Baird two cars - is back and menaces now Lawrence for the second place in Division II, whilst Hunt is pulling away from all others. After 80 laps positions here are: 1. Hunt (Lotus Mk17), 2. Law-rence (Morgan), 3. Baird/Taylor (Lotus Mk 17) at 1 lap, 4. Pon (Porsche) at 2 laps.

With still 6 laps to go Rob Benson, at the wheel of Kerrison's ex-Moss Ferrari 250 GT SWB, tries to catch Piper's BP-green GTO. At Madgwick, however, he looses control over the car and collides with Surtees's parked car at the outside of the track. That makes that Dick Protheroe can now move into sixth position. In front Ireland is loosing lap after lap one or two seconds from Graham Hill coming closer and closer. What happens? In the final practice session Ireland had a brake failure, hitting the wall at the banking with the left side. Curiously this didn't affect the handling of the car. But when with less than 10 laps to go Ireland comes in for a splash and dash, his chief mechanic decides to change the rear wheels. At once the handling of the car changes completely. The wide gap with Graham Hill is now closing relentlessly. His last laps are fraught with anxiety, Graham's pearl white GTO looming larger and larger in Ireland's rear-view mirror. After 2 hours and 30 minutes of racing 98 of the 100 laps are completed. With 2 laps to go Hill is within 6 seconds. Parkes is the lonely other driver still in the lead lap, but foolowing at one minute. The two last laps Hill, finding an incentive for extra speed when he sees that the gap becomes 2 secs closer per lap, is driving like a devil. At the finish, however, he comes 3 sec. 4 short for victory. Parkes is third at 54 sec. 2. Fourth place is for Salvadori and the Coombs Jaguar, one lap down. Piper is fifth at two laps, Protheroe sixth at seven laps. The Corvette, having been never in front is 16th at 21 laps. Division II is won by Clive Hunt, finishing seventh overall, with one lap more than Lawrence's Morgan, two than the Trevor Taylor/Baird pairing and three than Pon. [JPVR]

POST SCRIPTUM
In 1962 four races of 2 hours or more, exclusively restricted to GT cars, were organised. At the Tourist Trophy the Ferrari 250 GTO took the 3 first places. First non-GTO was a Jaguar. At the Paris 1,000-kms the five first cars were all Ferraris 250 GTO. At the Preliminary Nassau Tourist Trophy the four first were all Ferraris 250 GTO. And at the Nassau Tourist Trophy the four first were again all Ferraris 250 GTO.
Of the 9 rounds of the Manufacturers World Championship for Division III GT cars the GTO was entered 8 times and won them all 8. At the first round, the Daytona 3 hours, the new car was not already ready. That round, however, was won by the old Ferrari 250 GT SWB. Ferrari won the championship with the maximum of points (45, since only the 5 best results were considered). Jaguar was second with 16 points, Corvette third with 9 points.
As far as known GTOs won in 1962 no less than 25 international races. In the 24 other races it entered, it won at 23 occasions the GT class. Only at the Crystal Palace meeting of September 2 the race was not won, since only Piper's GTO was present and since it was retired. Never earlier in history, and never later, one car was so superior to all others of its generation as the 3.0 Ferrari 250 GTO. We'll have to wait the 1963 Coppa Inter Europa at Monza to see the GTO loosing for the real first time in a race over 2 hours or more. It was one of the most thrilling combats in the history of autosport and it was won by Roy Salvadori in David Brown's Aston Martin DP214. A full report on that legendary race will be published later. [JPVR]