THE RACERS, PART V.

By Peter M. DeLorenzo

Detroit. Racing a car, motorcycle or anything with some sort of power is a pursuit like no other. It is a passionate endeavor requiring an obsessive single-mindedness that consumes the people involved to a degree that outsiders find hard to understand. Ask any driver who has competed at the top level, and they will tell you that there is nothing half-assed about what they do, because the focus required is almost incomprehensible. Drivers talk about being in "the zone" - a strange state of mind that takes over their entire being while they're racing - when the faster they go the more things seem to slow down for them. They're aware of everything around them, but at the same time their focus on the task at hand is impenetrable, because anything less can result in a mistake that will likely have severe consequences. Racers are indeed a rare breed, willing to sacrifice everything for the pursuit of what they love to do, to the detriment of everything else. These racers have left an indelible mark on the sport. Drivers who were fierce competitors, flawed heroes and incredible, gifted talents. Their legacies are what make the sport of motor racing so fascinating. In the next few issues of "Fumes" I will recall some of my favorites. This week, we feature another all-time great - Jackie Stewart.

Sir John Young "Jackie" Stewart is one of the all-time F1 greats. Stewart - the other "The Flying Scot" - competed in F1 between 1965 and 1973, winning 27 out of 99 Grand Prix races and three World Driving Championships (1969, 1971, 1973). Jackie almost won the Indianapolis 500 in his first attempt in 1966, and he also competed in the Can-Am series in 1970 and 1971. I will always remember seeing Jackie driving the No. 1 Carl Haas Racing L&M Lola T260 Chevrolet in the 1971 Can-Am series, giving fits to Bruce McLaren and Denny Hulme with his ill-handling, short wheelbase Lola. He willed that car to victory twice that season (Mont Tremblant and Mid-Ohio), and he was in contention in several other races, finishing third in the championship. Jackie abruptly retired from racing in Watkins Glen, New York, in 1973, after a catastrophic accident took the life of his Tyrrell teammate, Francois Cevert, in F1 practice. I was there that tragic weekend, and I watched as Jackie and his wife Helen left the track. It would have been his 100th Grand Prix race. His persistent pursuit of improving racing safety - including tracks and medical facilities - has left a lasting impact on the sport that still resonates to this day. After John Surtees' death in 2017, Jackie is now the lone surviving F1 World Champion from the 1960s.

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Indianapolis Motor Speedway, May, 1966. Jackie Stewart sits in the No. 43 John Mecom-entered Bowes Seal-Fast Lola T90-Ford. Jackie qualified in eleventh position but 11 of the 33 starters were eliminated in a massive crash at the start of the race. Stewart led by over a lap late in the race, but with less than ten laps left he had to park the car with no oil pressure. Graham Hill, his John Mecom Racing teammate, led the final 10 laps in his American Red Ball Lola-Ford, becoming the first rookie to win the race since 1927. Stewart was classified finishing sixth and was named rookie of the year over Hill. Only seven cars finished the race.
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Monaco Grand Prix, May 30, 1965. Jackie Stewart qualified third in the No. 4 Owen Racing Organization BRM P261 behind Graham Hill (No. 3 Owen Racing Organization BRM P261) and Jack Brabham (No. 1 Brabham Racing Organization brabham BT11). They finished the race in that same order.
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For his moment in time, Jackie Stewart was the quintessential F1 driver.

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The two "Flying Scots" - Jackie Stewart and Jim Clark.
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The starting grid for the 1967 German Grand Prix at the Nurburgring: Jim Clark (No. 3 Lotus 49 Ford Cosworth DFV V8); Denny Hulme (No. 2 Brabham B24 Repco V8); Jackie Stewart (No. 11 BRM P115 H16) and Dan Gurney (No. 9 AAR Eagle T1G Weslake V12). Hulme won, followed by Jack Brabham (No. 1 Brabham B24 Repco V8) and Chris Amon (No. 8 Scuderia Ferrari 312 V12). Quite the front row...

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Jackie Stewart won the 1969 F1 World Championship in the Ken Tyrrell-entered Matra MS80 powered by a Cosworth DFV V8.
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Jackie Stewart and Ken Tyrrell at the press introduction for the Tyrrell 001 Grand Prix car in 1970.

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British Grand Prix, Silverstone, July 12, 1971. Jackie Stewart (No. 12 ELF Team Tyrrell/Tyrrell 003 Ford Cosworth DFV V8) on his way to the win.
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Jackie Stewart during the 1973 F1 season. He would capture his third - and last - World Championship.

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Stewart was absolutely brilliant during the 1971 Can-Am season. Wheeling the evil-handling, short wheelbase Carl Haas Racing L&M Lola T260 Chevrolet, Jackie gave Team McLaren fits, winning twice and being a force to be reckoned with in almost every race.
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Stewart put on a show in the 1971 Can-Am Series, taking that Lola T260 by the scruff of the neck and willing it to victory. It remains one of my all-time favorite racing memories.

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Jackie Stewart powers up the main straight in his No. 1 Carl Haas Racing L&M Lola T260 Chevrolet at Road America.
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Jackie Stewart got the call from Jim Hall to debut the Chaparral 2J Chevrolet at the Watkins Glen Can-Am in 1970. He qualified third, but the radical machine suffered teething troubles and he did not finish. 

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Jackie Stewart in his 1969 F1 Championship-winning Matra MS80 Cosworth DFV V8 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2019.

Editor's Note: You can access previous issues of AE by clicking on "Next 1 Entries" below. - WG