Clark’s Lotus is being warmed up. Jim was already the World Champ for 1963 having won 5 of the 7 races.
Indy champ Roger Ward drove a Lotus BRM. Ward is standing next to famous Aston mechanic Rex Woodgate.
Phil Hill sits in the ATS while mechanics make some adjustments. A beautifully designed V8, but the car never had the funding necessary to develop.
Jim Clarks Lotus is apart and being maintained on pit row. There were no buildings, no garages at the Glen until much later.
Jim Clark’s Lotus in the foreground, Injection covered. Phil Hill being attended to in the ATS.
Imagine if you will - drinking a beer and standing next to a Ferrari at a world championship F1 race. Nah, it could never happen.
A long look down pit lane. Just a narrow slip road leading to the track. Team and spectators finally had a wood roof over their heads.
Our American hero Dan Gurney leaves the pits in practice. Gurney hung tough in the top 5 most of the race.
Trevor Taylor’s Lotus catches fire on practice day. Taylor (in dark sweater) looks on as a mechanic (left) arrives with an extinguisher.
The fire is out as Taylor stands in the smoke to see what happened. The car was fixed for race day.
A look at the officials tower in front of the start/finish line. Look at the mass of cars and fans outside the last turn. No wonder, look at the sun and the fall colors.
The start of the 1963 US GP. Hill leads but where is Jimmy Clark? He had a dead battery on the grid and started last from pit lane. Hill & Ginther would make it a 1-2 for BRM but not without a fight from Surtees in the Ferrari.
Hall of Fame shot - Graham Hill’s BRM leads his team mate Richie Ginther. John Surtees Ferrari closely followed by Gurney in the Brabham. These series of turns still exist at The Glen.
Graham Hill took the lead, was caught and passed by Surtees but held him close until a swaybar came loose. He profited when Surtees dropped out and went on to win easily.
Clark broke every record trying to catch up and eventually unlapped himself one time to finish 3rd. The relaxed, easy style of the best driver of his time.
There’s World Champion Jim Clark in this photo but the colorful scenery makes one enjoy the nature surrounding the Watkins Glen track.
John Surtees, his head leaning into the corner starts up the Glen hill. Surtees passed Graham Hill for the lead but his engine soured late in the race to drop Surtees to 9th.
Lorenzo Bandini in his Ferrari as he goes over the top of the hill. Bandini finished 4th.
What is it? A Canadian Stebro with a 4cyl Ford engine. Driven by Peter Broeker, the car was not fast but with all the dnf’s finished 7th.
South African Tony Maggs in the factory Cooper is driving somewhere out of the paddock trying to find his way to the track.
Pedro Rodriguez in the 3rd factory Lotus. Pedro qualified 10th but was a dnf, retiring after 36 laps. This was Pedro’s first grand prix. He had quit after his brother was killed in 1962.
Phil Hill in the ill fated ATS Grand Prix car. A great collection of engineers that somehow just never worked out. Hill qualified 15th but lasted just 4 laps.
Clark passes the older 4 cyl Porsche of Count deBeaufort. The Count would outlast many and gain a world championship point by finishing 6th.
Jim Hall in his team BRP Lotus BRM. Hall did the whole year with BRP and had two points finishes, 5th in England and 4th in Germany. Today he finished 10th with a bad gearbox.
Roger Ward in his Lotus BRM owned by Reg Parnell. Roger was one of 5 American entered. It was and still is the largest number of Americans to race at an F1 event. Ward did not finish.
A huge growd of over 60,000 enjoyed a great day of racing. No grandstands, no bleachers, just fans coming to watch the grand prix.
Tony Maggs against the fall colors of upstate NY. Maggs would run in the top for a while but retire just after half way.
The pace car was one of those new AC’s with a Ford motor made by Carroll Shelby called a Cobra.
prev / next