By Peter M. DeLorenzo
Detroit. Front-row qualifiers at any major racing event are usually significant. They represent the quickest drivers at that particular moment in time, at a particular track. From the annals of F1, INDYCAR and Can-Am, to IMSA and beyond, front-row qualifiers are often memorable and help define - and capture - a specific era in motorsport. This week, I am going to begin our coverage with just a few of the races - and the legendary drivers - that spring to mind. There will be more to come.
Le Circuit Mont-Tremblant-St. Jovite, Quebec, September 1966. Okay, so this isn't the Front Row of the grid, but it is a compelling photo of the front-row lineup before qualifying for the Can-Am St. Jovite. Dan Gurney is in his No. 30 All American Racers Lola T70 Mk.2 Ford and John Surtees is in the No. 3 Team Surtees Ltd. Lola T70 Mk.2 Chevrolet. Surtees got the pole, but Gurney qualified an uncharacteristic ninth. The first Can-Am race ever run came down to a torrid duel between Surtees and Bruce McLaren (No. 4 Bruce McLaren Motor Racing Ltd. McLaren Elva Mark IIB Oldsmobile), and they finished 1-2 in that order. Chris Amon (No. 4 Bruce McLaren Motor Racing Ltd. McLaren Elva Mark II Oldsmobile) finished third.
Road Atlanta, September 13, 1970. Vic Elford (No. 66 Chaparral Cars Inc. Chaparral 2J Chevrolet) and Denny Hulme (No. 5 McLaren Cars. Ltd. Gulf/Reynolds Aluminum McLaren M8D Chevrolet) lead the field to the start of the Can-Am. Elford put the Chaparral 2J on the pole by 1.2 seconds, which was a shocking margin over the usually dominant factory McLarens. But the race was a different story altogether. Hulme and teammate Peter Gethin (No. 7 McLaren Cars. Ltd. Gulf/Reynolds Aluminum McLaren M8D Chevrolet) failed to finish, and Elford had an assortment of issues and finished sixth. The surprise winner was Tony Dean in his No. 8 A. G. Dean Ltd. Porsche 908/02 K.
Watkins Glen, New York, October 1, 1967. The start of the United States Grand Prix with an All-Start Front Row of Graham Hill (No. 6 Team Lotus Ford Cosworth DFV, pole) and Jim Clark (No. 5 Team Lotus Ford Cosworth DFV) leading the charge from the green flag. Dan Gurney started third in the No. 11 Anglo American Racers Eagle T1G Weslake V12 and Chris Amon fourth in the No. 9 Scuderia Ferrari 312 V12. Hill took the lead, and Gurney would muscle his way past Clark for second, but the Californian relinquished his position to Clark on Lap 8 and would eventually retire with suspension issues. Clark and Hill swapped the lead back and forth until Hill faded with gearbox issues. Clark would win, and Hill had to hold off Denny Hulme (No. 2 Brabham Racing Organization Brabham BT24 Repco V8) for second.
Laguna Seca, California, October 12, 1975. Mario Andretti (No. 5 Lola T332 Viceroy/Hilton Chevrolet) and Al Unser (No. 51 Lola T332 Viceroy/Hilton Chevrolet) on the Front Row for the start of the Monterey Grand Prix Formula 5000 race. Mario and Al ran 1-2, with Brian Redman (No. 1 Boraxo Lola T332 Chevrolet) finishing third. For anyone who had the privilege to see F5000 at its peak in this country, it was some of the best racing this country has ever produced. 
(Dave Friedman photo)
Laguna Seca, California, October 16, 1966. The start of Can-Am Race 2 with Phil Hill (No. 65 Chaparral Cars Chaparral 2E Chevrolet) and Jim Hall (No. 66 Chaparral Cars Chaparral 2E Chevrolet) on the Front Row. That's Bruce McLaren (No. 4 McLaren Racing Ltd. McLaren Elva Mark IIB Chevrolet) and John Surtees (No. 7 Team Surtees Lola T70 Mk. 2 Chevrolet) behind Hill and Hall. Phil Hill would win Race 1, followed by Hall and McLaren. Parnelli Jones (No. 98 John Mecom Jr. STP Lola T70 Mk. 2 DOHC Ford) would win race 2, followed by Hill and Hall. Parnelli's win in Race 2 was a rare success for the DOHC Ford Indy V8 in road racing competition.
(Dave Friedman photo)
Daytona International Speedway, February 5, 1967. Dan Gurney put the No. 3 Shelby American Ford Mk II on the pole for the Daytona 24 Hours, but he and co-driver A. J. Foyt did not finish due to a blown engine. Phil Hill put the No. 15 Chaparral Cars Inc. Chaparral 2F Chevrolet right next to Gurney in qualifying, but Phil and co-driver Mike Spence did not finish either due to an accident and subsequent suspension damage. The finish of this race was the famous 1-2-3 for Scuderia Ferrari, with the No. 23 Ferrari 330 P3/4 driven by Lorenzo Bandini/Chris Amon winning, followed by the No. 24 Ferrari 330 P4 driven by Ludovico Scarfiotti/Mike Parkes and the No. 26 North American Racing Team Ferrari 412 driven by Pedro Rodriguez/Jean Guichet.
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