Practice
At the Targa Florio rank order is not influenced by times realised at practice, since the cars start one by one, with a 30 seconds interval between them. Run on the Little Madonie circuit, 72 kms long with 892 curbs, practice is absolutely necessary to become familiar with the road. Official practice is on Friday. The roads are closed soon after 6 a.m., but due to the difficulty of clearing 72 kms. of rural roads of donkey-carts and motoring tricycles, the first cars are not allowed out until 9.30. Both the Ferrari and Porsche camps are soon out. Except for prestige and to goad the opposition, realised times are without importance.
Vaccarella's #230 4.0 Ferrari 330P3 goes round in 39'7"1, which is better than his 39'21"0 realised last year during the second lap of the race at the wheel of a 3.3 Ferrari 275P2. Immediately after Klass gets in the 8-cylinder #224 2.2 Porsche 906P/8 and records 39'05"7. Giancarlo Baghetti does 39'13"0 in the #196 2.0 Dino 206S Berlinetta. When Parkes tries to beat that time in the #204 2.0 Dino Barquetta he looses control on the downhill stretch to Campofelice and damages front suspension and body during his first outing. Fastest 2-litre Porsche is the fuel-injected #218 906P of Mitter in 39'40"0. The other Porsches are playing it cool and learn the circuit between 40 and 42 minutes. Not bad is the 41'13"7 realised by Guy Ligier in the #176 4.7 Ford GT40. One car is written off: the Jack Wheeler/Harry Martin #194 Austin-Healy Sebring Sprite, owned by Coburn Improvements. The car was inverted and requires too much repair for it be a runner.

The race
With a free Saturday in between practice and race, everyone has time to get themselves sorted out. By lunch-time however, most of the area near the circuit is suffering one of those freak storms in which Sicily specialises. The rain is absolutely torrential and roads are quickly flooded. After a wet and very stormy night, race day dawns fine, threatening cloud masses over the hills giving however rise to disquiet. When on Sunday morning, at 5.30 a.m., the circuit is closed to traffic, only few racers are aware of the painful consequences of the night. Apparently the previous day's storm has washed masses of mud down on the road and, especially between the pits and Cerda, the road is thickly coated. In the hills it is not much better: sudden wet or muddy patches make it very treacherous. Around 6.30 a.m. 72 cars line up for the start, to be given each 30 seconds, the cars with small engine displacement going first, the one with highest displacement starting last.

Normally that means that the 1.0 Osca 1000 should be the first starter, the 7.0 Cobra 427 Roadster the last, but Latin way of reading the rules transforms it in a suitable way that leo Cella in the #18 1.3 Lancia HF factory car is the first to go, prince Nicodemi in the #232 4.0 Ferrari 250LM the last. At 8.11 a.m. the first car is flagged away. Some 36 minutes later - thus before one cat could have finished its first entire lap - the prince is the last to be given off. The general shape of the race lets expect a two-sided Porsche-Ferrari argument - two big fights, one between the P3 and the 2.2-litre 8-cylinder Porsche 906P/8 for overall victory, another of the factory and Scuderia Filipinetti Porsches 906P and 906S against the Dinos for the following places.
After a long wait Leo Cella's Fulvia comes roaring through with a long lead on the road over the rest of the field. His times is 47'52", what is only 27" slower than what Timo Mäkinen did on Thursday's practice, thus before the storm. As the big guns passed, we learn that Nino Vaccarella in the #230 Ferrari 330P3 has taken the time lead with a lap of 41'52"2, followed closely by Mittrer in the #218 Porsche 906P in 41'55"3, Scarfitotti's #204 Dino 206S in 42'29"2, Mairesse's #148 Filipinetti Porsche 906S in 42'38"0, Günther Klass in the #224 Porsche 906P/8 in 42'38"2 and Guichet's closed #196 Dino 206S in 43'42"3. Those six leaders are followed by the works Porsches #218 and #144 of res. Mitter and Arena, by Biscaldi's #210 Dino 206S and by Capuano in the #196 Porsche 906S of Fernando Latteri. The 1.3 Fiat-Abarth 1300 OTC of Virgilio, recording the 13th time, is more tan one minute faster than the first 1.3 Alpine A110 Berlinette, driven by Hanrioud. Toivonen looses more tan 10 minutes in his poor fired #76 Alipine A110 Berlinette and has to come into the pits, to retire shortly after.
Some cars are already missing: the #220 Porsche 906S of Mike de Udy hits the wall past Cerda and excursions of Meredino in the #128 Porscge GS2000 Carrera 2, of Swanson in the #170 Ferrari 250LM, and of Gambero in the #92 Abarth-Simca Bialbero 1300 all finish in retirements. Edgar Berney stops at the pits after his first lap and retires his #226 Bizzarini GT Strada with a broken gasket.
While lap 2 is in progress, the sun disappears and it starts to rain, lightly in the pit area, but with heavy showers in various spots in the hills, making conditions even worse. Fastest two on the track are Gerhard Mitter (#218 Porsche 906P) in 40'19"0 and Vaccarella (#230 Ferrari 330P3) in 40'43"2, what means that in the time standings Mitter is leading with 19'1 seconds Vaccarella's P3. Scarfiotti's #204 Fino 206S (41'41"4) is always third, but Klass (#224 Porsche 906P/8) jumps over Mairesse (#148 Filipinetti Porsche 906S). Jean Guichet (#196 Dino 206S Berlinetta) stays on the 6th spot, 3'55"3 slower than the leader. Meanwhile Ligier (#176 Ford GT40) moves up to 10th, 7'50"0 behind Mitter. The under 1.6-litre classis led by Pinto's #126 Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ2, coming 11th, the under 1.3-litre class by Hanrioud's #74 Alpine A110. An unscheduled pit stop delay of Giuseppe Virgilio made his #90 Abarth OTC losing its lead. During the second hour several cars are victims of the worsening race conditions. The #178 Cobra 427 Roadster, Scuderia Filipinetti #152 Porsche 906S, the big Tom Worswick #162 Austin-Healey 3000 and Luciano Conti's #228 Ferrari 275GTB/C are all out.
It's now raining the proverbial pushrods and at Modena they forgot the lessons of Monza: again the Dinos have wiper problems, especially Biscaldi's #210. Fastest man on lap 3 is again Nino Vaccarella (#230 Ferrari P3), recording 40'37"0 against 40'51"4 for Mitter (#218 Porsche 906P). Difference between the Porsche and the Ferrari is thus down to 6"2. Scarfiotti is always third in the #204 Dino, 1'35"8 down to the leading Porsche. Belgium's Willy Mairesse, superb in the rain, passes Klass for place 4. Guichet in the #196 Dino Berlinetta holds his 6th place, but now already 5'05"2 down to the leader. The Porsches of Arena (#144) and Hermann (#200) are 7th and 8th, follewed by the third Dino and the class-leading #126 Alfa Romeo TZ2, superbly driven by Enrico Pinto.

At the end of lap 3 refuelling and driver changes commence. Drivers come in telling hair-raising tales of what it is like to be out there. During lap 4 race conditions are indescribable. Rain in the villages, hail-stones big as dove eggs in the mountains, make any normal racing impossible. Times go down by 10 minutes or more. Günther Klass, having not already refuelled, seems to be beyond climatic conditions. He gets around in 44'33"3, what is more than 3 minutes faster than the second best time, Dieter Glemser's in the #200 Porsche 906P: 47'37"3. The Dinos, now driven by Parkes (#204), Baghetti (#196) and Casoni (#210) are - except the wiperless one - faster than the rest of the Porsches. At the wheel of Mitter's #218 Porsche 906P Bonnier records a very poor 51'04'4, dropping to rank 4 in the standings. But also Lorenzo Bandini is slow with the #230 Ferrari P3 (49'24"2), so that he remains on rank 2, but now at 2'48"9 from the leading #224 2.2-litre 8-cylinder Porsche 906P/8 of Klass/Davis.  Giuseppe Virgilio, motoring beyond the limit to undo his arrears on the class-leading Alpine of Hanrioud, has a bad crash at the end of Cerda's straight. Heavily injured he's transported by helicopter to the hospital. After 4 laps standings are:
1. Klass (#224 Porsche 906P/8) 2h50'03"1, 2. Vaccarella/Bandini (#230 Ferrari 330P3) 2h52'37"0, 3. Scarfiotti/Parkes (#204 Dino Barquetta) 2h54'00", 4. Mitter/Bonnier (#218 Porsche 906P) 2h54'11"1, 5. Mairesse/Müller (#148 Porsche 906S) 2h55'10", 6. Hermann/Glemser (#200 Porsche 906P) 2h57'39"3, 7. Guichet/ Baghetti (#196 Dino 206S Barquetta) 2h57'46"4, 8. Arena/Pucci (#144 Porsche 906S) 3h00'41"2, 9. Pinto (#126 Alfa Romeo TZ2) 3h02'05"1, 10. Biscaldi/Casoni (#210 Dino 206S).
At the end of lap 4 Klass comes in for refuelling and gives the wheel to Colin Davis, seriously ill today. He looses more than 4 minutes, so that Lorenzo Bandini (#230 Ferrari 330P3) despite a rather slow 46'30"2 lap leads at mid-race, 1'13"9 ahead of Klass/Davis (#224 Porsche 906P/8), followed at 1"3 by the #204 Scarfiotti/Parkes Dino, having achieved a lap in 46'11"0. Maires-se/Müller are fourth at 2'22"2, Mitter/Bonnier fifth at 2'27"0. Under the heavy rain rallymen like Mäkinen/Rhodes (#64 MGB MkI) and Aaltonen/Baker (#208 Austin-Healey Sprite), although handicapped by too few bhp, can move up in the standings to res. 16th and 15th place. The Sprite is now second in the under-1.3-litre class, only headed by the #72 Alpine-Renault A110 Berlinette of Rosinski/Delageneste. But most spectacular is Leo Cella in the work's #18 Lancia Fulvia HF, moving from 27th to 20th place. Standings at mid-race are:
1. Vaccarella/Bandini (#230 Ferrari 330P3) 3h39'07"2, 2. Klass/Davis (#224 Porsche 906P/8) 3h40'22"1, 3. Scarfiotti/ Parkes (#204 Dino 206S) 3h40'24"4, 4. Mairesse/Müller (#148 Porsche 906S) 3h41'29"4, 5. Mitter/Bonnier (#218 Porsche 906P) 3h41'34"3, 6. Hermann/Glemser (#200 Porsche 906P) 3h43'13"3, 7. Guichet/Biscaldi (#196 Dino 206S Berlinetta) 3h46'29"0, 8. Arena/Pucci (#144 Porsche 906S) 3h48'16"2, 9. Maglioli/ Bourillot (#150 Porsche 906S) 3h50'30"4, 10. Latteri/Capuano (#156 Porsche 906S), 11. Pinto (#126 Alfa Romeo TZ2) 3h52'25"1, 16. Biscaldi/ Casoni (#210 Dino 206S) 3h58'40"1.
More than 350,000 spectators are out at Mado-nie. They have only eyes for one car, the #230 Ferrari 330P3 of local schoolteacher Nino Vaccarella. For them holl this is a sacred moment. Sicily falls without noise, even no noise of motors: 350,000 fans are silent, praying the good Lord that cheered Nino may bring home the Ferrari P3. They don't see that it's not Nino, but Lorenzo Bandini behind the wheel. When the red car approaches their houses Sicily explodes. Men, women, children, cats, dogs, grandfathers, grandmothers, mafiosi and priests, communists and DC-officials, they are all in heaven, since they saw the Sicilian schoolmaster passing on the lead. That, at least is what they think to have seen. But during lap 6 Klass takes over the #224 2.2 Porsche 906P/8 from ill Colin Davis. He is rocheting through mud, hail and rain. Recording 44'49"3 he passes Bandini in time, going around as slow as 48'07"1 since he had to stop for refuelling at the Polizzi fork in the mountains. Mitter is the only one to keep up with Klass, moving from fifth to second place. In the standings the P3 is now third, 2'13"9 behind the 8-cylinder Porsche. Parkes, having been involved with the #204 Dino in a slip, looses 11 minutes and drops to the sixth place, headed by Filipinetti's #148 and the #196 factory Dino.

TOP: The 4.0 Ferrari 330P3 is leading at mid-race with Lorenzo Bandini at the wheel. BOTTOM: Under a torrential rain, wrestling with the muddy track, Marseille's shipowner, Jean Guichet, is on his way to a second place overall with the 2.0 Ferrari Dino 206S Berlinetta. Both pics were found at SPORT AUTO, June 1966, res. at pp. 35 and 34.

Dieter Glemser has to retire the #200 factory Porsche from 5th position, when he crashes the car between Cerda and the pits.  For Ferrari lap 7 is full of drama. Bandini - having started 2'30" earlier than Klass - is now even passed on the road by the 2.2-litre 8-cylinder Porsche. He sets off after the new leader to undo his arrears. Although overtaking in the villages is forbidden, he tries at any inch of the track to pass the #224 Porsche. Neck and neck they are coming up the mountains. Excited by the public, screaming and yelling, Bandini tries to pass the Porsche at an impossible hair pin and puts off the road the #230 Ferrari 330P3. It's the end of Ferrari's main hope to beat Porsche. At the pits a hyper nervous Vaccarella waits his car. Then, at once, he finds Bandini, having got a lift back to the pits in Adriano Reale's #128 Ferrari 250GTO/64. In Siculy it's now time for national mourn. To fill Ferrari's cup of sorrow, on the same lap, Parkes has the throttle stick open on the muddy stretch up to Cerda and there the fuel injection #204 is beyond repair. With the two fastest Ferraris out, Porsche seems now on its way to a 1-2-3 sweep. However, at the same eventful 7th lap, Klass (#224 Porsche 906P/8) has a slight brush with Mitter (#218 Porsche 906P), which results in Mitter going off the road.

This incident has apparently deranged the 8-cylinder, since shortly after the start of lap 8 Klass has to retire. With two factory Ferraris and three work's Porsches out, all at the same lap, standings are seriously modified. Filipinetti's #148 Porsche 906S, shared by Willy Mairesse and Herbert Müller; is now on the lead, already 6 minutes ahead of the #196 Dino 206S Berlinetta of Guichet/Biscaldi. The lonely surviving factory Porsche, the Pucci/Arena #144 906S is now third, but the Ligier/Greder #176 Ford GT40 is catching it quietly. For the fifth place Pinto/Todaro (#126 Alfa TZ2) have a tremendous fight with Umberto Maglioli (#150 Filipinetti Porsche 906S), having lost his door in the early stages of the race. During the last lap Ligier (Ford GT40) seems on his way to a certain third place, when on the descent to Campofelice a rear stub-axle breaks, stopping the car 12 kms before the finish. The Alpines A110 could benefit from the retirement of five top-cars to take places 6 and 7 with res. the #72 of Delageneste and Rosinski and the #78 of Vinatier Orsini: their way to have a revenge for the poor performances at Monza.

It has been said that Porsche was saved at the 50th Targa Florio by its client (count Filipinetti). That, however is partially untrue. The winning #148 2.0 Porsche 906S of Herbert Müller and Willy Mairesse was only on paper a private entry, but in fact the car was a real factory car. First prototype was the #196 2.0 Dino 206S Berlinetta of Jean Guichet and Giampiero Biscaldi, finishing 8'30" behind the leaders. First GT-car was the #64 1.8 MGB Mk1 of Mäkinen/Rhodes, finishing 9th. Normally the other MGB, the #66 of Hedges/Hendley, should have finished 10th. However on the road both cars were split by Leo Cella's 1.3 Lancia HF. It grieved BMC's Stuart Turner that Andrew Hedges was lapped by the leader just before he took the flag, so that the #66 was credited with 9 laps, whilst Cella's Lancia, and several other cars, having started on the road long before the MGBs could make a 10th lap, despite the fact that timewise they were all behind the second MGB. With a staggered time start and a race that finishes when the leader has completed his race, this unfortunate situation can easily arise. All entrants know that typical inconvention of the Targa Florio, but in half a century of time, the Latins found no way to adapt their typical rule book...

After 4 rounds Ferrari counts 24 points (4-0-10-10) for FIA's International Prototypes Trophy, against 20 for Ford (10-10-0-0). Only now FIA officials realise that they created an unworkable point's system. Indeed, by splitting P1 and P2 (instead of taking them together) ptrince Antonio Nicodemi's ex-Heini Walter 4.0 Ferrari 250LM could score a maximum of points, despite the fact that the car finished not higher than ... 17th.

Round #5: Les 1000 kilomètres de Spa (B)
WORKS FERRARI PLAYS WITH WORKS FORD

May 22, 1966 - The date of the first Spa 1,000-kms seems not well-chosen. Indeed, most factory teams use F1 racers for the most important endurance races, but this year the Spa 1,000-kms are organised the same day as the F1 Monaco Grand Prix. For Ford and Ferrari that implies that they have to modify their pairings. Yes, Ferrari AND Ford, because both are present with one works car! If one consults the programme cover and the billboards, the race is called officially Grand Prix de Spa. It is on the international calendar since 1963, but was restricted to a 500-kms race. Now it's the first 1,000-kms edition. It is raced on what we call now the ancient circuit, 14.1 kilometres long, going over Burneville, the straight of Masta and Stavelot. It's the fastest circuit in Europe and that may explain why at Dearborn they decided to send a works car to Belgium. It is the former 7.0 Ford MkIIA with chassis 1012, which already finished second at the Daytona 24-hours. The Shelby American Inc. car has been sent to Alan Mann Racing, unable to use Graham Hill and Jackie Stewart as racers, since they are at Monaco. Eventually sir John Whitmore and Frank Gardner are aligned as drivers. SEFAC Ferrari, also present with one single works car, has to replace John Surtees and Lorenzo Bandini by Lodovico Scarfiotti and Mike Parkes. [At the Monaco Grand Prix, first F1 race of 1966, Bandini will finish second in the 2.4-litre Ferrari F1, 10 seconds down to Jackie Stewart.]

The entry
It is the first time this year that the two prota-gonists in the Ford-Ferrari combat show with equal arms, and only the second time that both are present at the same race with at least one works car. The #4 Ford MkIIA of Alan Mann Racing is equipped as usual with Goodyear tires. But the #1 Ferrari 330P3 Berlinetta entered by SpA SEFAC Ferrari is here with, apart from its regular Dunlop tires, several sets of Firestone tires. The tire war is another aspect of the Ford-Ferrari combat. Earlier this year Goodyear was the winning tire at Daytona and Sebring, Dunlop the winning tire at Monza and the Targa Florio. Firestone won three minor races: in Snetterton, Oulton Park and Silverstone, three times with Dennis Hulme and his Lola T70. 
Other Fords present at Spa are the Essex Wire Corporation #42 Ford GT40 for Peter Revson and Skip Scott and #43 Ford GT40 for Jochen Neerpasch and David Hobbs. Colonel Ronnie O'Hoare, chief of Maranello Concessionaires, and importer of Ferrari in England, is present with a pale blue ... #44 Ford GT40 for Chris Amon and Innes Ireland, officially entered by F. English Racing Ltd. Insiders knew already longer that the colonel was bedding in 1966 on two horses - Ford and Ferrari - but one has to wait the Spa 1,000-kilometres to read in the press that the colonel was hidden behind that mysterious F. English Racing Ltd. Peter Sutcliffe has his dark green #40 Ford GT40, which will be shared with Brian Redman.

Start of the Spa 1,000-kms. On the front row we see the #1 Ferrari 330P3 Berlinetta, the #4 Ford MkIIA and the #42 Essex Wire Ford GT40 Coupe. Partly hidden behind we find the pale blue #44 F. English Racing Ford GT40 and the yellow Ferrari 365P2/P3. We recognise further the #12 Maranello Concessionaires Ferrari Dino 206S (#12) and the #54 Porsche 906S. Count Filipinetti's red Ford GT40 is partly hidden by the Ford MkIIA and the yellow P2/P3.

Fifth and last Ford GT40 on the grid is the #41 of Scuderia Filipinetti, the same car which finished this year already third at Monza. Of the two Cobra Roadsters only the #5 7-litre of Tony Settember will take the start. The #46, a nearly standard 4.7-litre Cobra 289, already seen one year earlier at Spa, and entered by Nick Granville-Smith, will break a rod in practice, failing to start.
Of the six private Ferraris at the start only David Piper's green #9 365P2/P3 (on the pic the same car with #44 at an old-timer meeting) and the yellow Écurie Francor-champs #8 365P2 are considered to be able to follow the Fords GT40. The #12 2.0 Ferrari Dino 206S Berlinetta, earlier seen at the Tourist Trophy, and entered by the colonel's Maranello Concessionaires, is expected to be fast enough to beat the works Porsches in the under 2-litre class. The three others are Ferraris 250LM of Jackie Epstein (#49), Peter Clarke (#50) and the Écurie Francorchamps (#52, the same car having finished second at last year's Le Mans 24-hours). Another and newer 250LM (#51), scheduled to be raced by Pierre Noblet and "Eldé" for the same Écurie Francorchamps, is withdrawn before the start, since not competitive. Although anounced by the organisers the 5.4 Chaparral-Chevrolet is absent.
Porsche Engineering System has three white works cars down to the circuit: a fuel-injected #10 906P for Gerhard Mitter/Günther Klass and #11 906P for Hans Hermann/Dieter Glemser, and a #54 906S for Gerhard Koch and Udo Schütz. On practising Mitter will write off the #11, so that final works entry by Huschke von Hanstein is limited to only two cars. Two private Porsches 906S are entered by Racing Team Holland (the organge #60) and by Mike de Udy (#57). There is also a private Porsche 911. Matra Sports, Porsche's opponent in the under 2-litre class, is present with the #25 Matra-BRM MS620 for Alan Rees and Johnny Servoz-Gavin. SpA Autodelta doesn't show after its brilliant performances at the Targa Florio, being busy to prepare the TZ2s for the twisty Nürburgring circuit in the German Eifel. The only other works entries come from British Motor Company with the #59 MGB, from Société Automobiles Alpine with two M65 A210 prototypes and from Donald Healey with the #19 and #21 Sebring Sprites.

Practice
Practice takes place on Friday and Saturday. Despite overcast conditions the circuit remains dry for both sessions. In the first session the Ford MkIIA suffers handling troubles, and it is not until the end of the day that Sir John Whitmore makes a big effort, recording a sharp 3'52"7. The Ferrari 330P3 Berlinetta, the same having won earlier this year the Monza 1,000-kms, realised in hands of Mike Parkes earlier 3'52"8.  The Essex Wire Ford GT40 of Skip Scott is credited with 3'53"1, a time which even the driver in question doubts. His correct time was probably 3'58"1. Lucien Bianchi clocks the fourth best time at the wheel of the Belgian rebodied Ferrari 365P2 in 3'56"9.
In the second training session Ferrari's Eugenio Dragoni decides to switch the Dunlop tires for Firestone ones on the 330P3. A very determined Mike Parkes and Lodovico Scarfiotti are motoring considerably faster now than on Friday. Eventually Parkes realises the incredible time of 3'47"4, being 1"8 better than the F1 record which stands to Dan Gurney in a 1500 Brabham-Coventry Climax. The Ford MkIIA is not to be baited and Whitmore contents himself with a single lap at 3'50"7. Co-driver Frank Gardner is not hanging about and goes down to 3'52".

Some of the Fords, having had handling problems on Friday, go much better at the Saturday session. In their brand new #44 F. English Ford GT40 Innes Ireland/Chris Amon go down to 3'58"2, good for a fifth place at the grid. Then comes the #41 Filipinetti Ford GT40 of Willy Mairesse/Herbert Müller in 4'00"4, immediately followed by Peter Sutcliffe's dark green #40 GT40 in 4'01"8. The second Essex Wire GT40 is not so fast as its team mates, but when the suspension geometry has been sorted out the #43 is 8th on the grid in 4'02"1. David Pipers rebodied #9 Ferrari 365P2/P3 is handling well, but for som mysterious reason the car is down in power, coming no further than 4'05"6. It is even headed by the #11 works Porsche 906P going round in 4'05"5. Colonel O'Hoare's #12 Dino is 4'07"3 fast on Friday, but nearly 10 seconds per lap slower on Saturday. On the grid the Dino is headed by a second Porsche, the Schutz/Koch 906S. Gerhard Mitter's 906P lefts the road on the way up to Burnenville and is totally demolished. The driver suffers cuts and a fractured knee. The Matra-BRM MS620, still so fast at Le Mans, disappoints with a poor 4'14"0. Two of the four Ferraris 250LM, going around in 4'11, are even faster. Écurie Francorchamps decides to withdraw its second LM, being 4'19"4 slow.

Eventually compostion of the grid is as follows:

#1 Ferrari 330P3       #4 Ford MkIIA      #42 Ford GT40
(Parkes/Scarfiotti)    (Whitmore/Gardner)   (Revson-Scott)   
       3'47"4                   3'50"7                  3'53"1

                #8 Ferrari 365P2/P3     #44 Ford GT40
               (L.Bianchi/"Beurlys")    (Amon/Ireland)
                        3'56"9                     3'58"2

#41 Ford GT40         #40 Ford GT40     #43 Ford GT40
(Mairesse/Müller)     (Sutcliffe/Redman)   (Hobbs/Neerpasch)
        4'00"4                   4'01"8                  4'02"1

                #11 Porsche 906P       #9 Ferrari 365P2/P3
                (Hermann/Glemser)     (Piper/Salmon)
                        4'05"5                     4'05"6
#54 Porsche 906S #12 Ferrari Dino 206S  #60 Porsche 906S
(Koch/Schutz)       (Attwood/Guichet)     (G.vLennep/D.vLennep)
        4'06"8                 4'07"3                    4'09"1

              #52 Ferrari 250LM         #49 Ferrari 250LM
              (Gosselin/de Keyn)         (Hawkins/Epstein)
                       4'11"6                        4'11"8

etc. (31 of the 35 cars on the grid).

The race
Race day dawns bright and warm but with a strong breeze blowing down the Masta straight. The good weather has some 70,000 Belgians out, filling every vantage point around the Ardennes circuit. Except for the very late arrival of Mauro Bianchi, driver of one of the Alpines M65, and back from Monaco where he contested the F3 race, it is a start without problems. Mike Parkes makes a tremendous dash into Eau Rouge in his Ferrari 330P3 with Peter Revson (#42 Essex Wire Ford GT40), John Whitmore (#4 Ford MkIIA), Lucien Bianchi (#8 Ferrari 365P2/P3) and Chris Amon (#44 F. English Ford F40) behind. There is a small gap, then comes the second Essex Wire Ford with David Hobbs and Peter Sutcliffe's #40 GT40. In the #12 Dino 206S Richard Atwwood precedes the #49 Ferrari 250LM of Paul Hawkins and the injection-fuelled #11 Porsche 906P of Hans Hermann. Again a gap and now the #9 Ferrari 365P2/P3 of Piper, the #54 Porsche 906S of Gerhard Koch and the #41 Filipinetti Ford GT40 of Willy Mairesse, having missed his start, and rocketing now through the field. 0n his second lap Parkes improves the track record by realising 3'46"4, an average of 224.204 kph! When Amon comes in the pits to close a door, Sutcliffe (#40 GT40), Hobbs (#43 GT40) and Attwood (#12 Dino) are involved in a close combat for 5th place. All three they will be passed by Willy Mairesse (#41 GT40), however not for long, because the Filipinetti Ford suffers from suspension problems.
After 12 laps Parkes has already lapped the whole field, except for the four cars behind. With 15 laps order is: 1. Parkes (#1 Ferrari 330 P3), 2. Whitmore (#4 Ford MkIIA), 3. Revson (#42 Essex Wire Ford GT40), 4. L. Bianchi (#8 Ferrari 365P2/P3), 5. Hobbs (#43 Essex Wire Ford GT40), 6. Sutcliffe (#40 Ford GT40) at 1 lap, 7. Attwood (#12 Dino 206S), 8. Hawkins (#49 Ferrari 250LM), 9. Koch (#54 Porsche 906S), 10. Hermann (#11 Porsche 906P) and 11. Gijs van Lennep (#60 Porsche 906S). An Alfa Romeo GTA is already out after one hour and Tony Settember has to stop to change the windscreen on his #5 Cobra 427 Roadster. Mairesse is in the pits with front-suspension troubles wich will cause finally his retirement. Problems too for Gerhard Koch with an overreved engine, letting Hermann and Van Lennep battle together.
Both the Ferrari P3 and the Ford MkIIA are in for scheduled fuel stops and driver's change when Bianchi brings the yellow P2/P3 in with a holed radiator. Mechanics try to repair at no avail. After 30 laps the leading Ferrari has already lapped all cars except for the Ford MkIIA. Positions are: 1. Parkes/Scarfiotti (#1 Ferrari P3), 2. Whitmore Gardner (#4 Ford MkIIA) at 2 minuts, 3. Revson/Scott (#42 Ford GT40) at 1 lap, 4. Hobbs/Neerpasch (#43 Ford GT40), 5. Amon/Ireland (#44 Ford GT40), 6. Sutcliffe/Redman (#40 Ford GT40), 7. Attwood/ Guichet (#12 Dino) at 2 laps. Piper is running withouth fifth gear and has a tire burst on Masta, being lucky to hold the car on the road. Mauro Bianchi looses 3 laps in the pits, having problems with the oil-pneumatic suspension. In front Ford looses the #43 Essex Wire with an overheated engine due to a broken fan belt. At mid-race positions are: 1. Parkes/Scarfiotti (#1 Ferrari P3), 2. Whitmore/Gardner (#4 Ford MkIIA) at 2'25"3, 3. Revson/Scott (#42 Ford GT40) at 2 laps, 4. Suttcliffe/Redman, 5. Attwood/Guichet (#12 Dino) at 3 laps, 6. Amon/ Ireland (#44 Ford GT40), 7. Hermann/Glemser (#11 Porsche 906P), 8. Piper/Salmon (#9 Ferrari P2/P3), 9. Van Lennep/Van Lennep (#60 Porsche 906S) at 4 laps, 10. Gosselin/de Keyn (#52 Ferrari LM).
The Porsches are chasing the hyper fast Dino, having been equipped with long lasting Firestone tires. Hermann looses a wheel of his #11 906P and is out. The Dutch 906S suffers a broken tappet (but can continue) and de Udy's 906S is abandoned for a packed up differential.

Eventually only one Porsche 906 is left, the orange one, being nearly 20 laps (280 kms!) down to the leaders. Towards the final stages of the race the Piper Ferrari P2/P3 looses much ground, having lost the use of all but two gears. When Gosselin/de Keyn have clutch problems on their #52 Ferrari LM, they loose their 7th place. Despite smoking throughout the race and having to be hold in gear the #49 Ferrari LM of Hawkins/Epstein can pass the Belgian Ferrari to take 7th place. Behind the two LMs come now the two factory Alpines A210 M65, going around as a clockwork. Positions change no longer, except that the works Ford MkIIA is now lapped and has to change its Goodyears, suffering from the extreme conditions. Mike Parkes/Lodovico Scarfiotti win in the Ferrari 330P3, its V12 4-litre engine having missed never a beat on cantering home to victory. The Ford MkIIA finishes 5 minutes down to the leaders, whilst Group 4 honours go to Revson/Scott and their #42 Essex Wire Ford GT40, preceeding a similar machinery of Ireland/Amon (#44) and Sutcliffe/Redman (#40). The #12 Dino (a hidden works entry) wins easily the 2-litre class, finishing 6th overall. In the the 1.3-litre class the two Austin-Healey Sprites are beaten by the two Alpines M65. GT honours go to the #59 MGB shared by Vernaeve and Hedges.