Le Mans 1969

Hello

I'm looking for a picture of Jacky Ickx at Le Mans 1969 when he decided to walk at the start of the race instead of the usual run and jump into the car.

Any help would be appreciated

Thanks :)

Not sure if its there, but have a look on www.barchetta.cc follow links to gallery and see what you find.

Thanks for reply but www.barchetta.cc is a Ferrari Website only and in 1969 Jacky Ickx was driving (and won) the Ford GT40.
I have already query the whole web about this picture, using different keywords (Le Mans, 1969, Ickx, GT40...) but I had no luck so far.

Thanks anyway

Just a thought - there's a commercially available video by "Terrific Stuff" of the Wyer GT40s racing at Le Mans. I wonder if Jacky Ickx' stroll might have been captured on film in that?

I must confess I don't have a copy of the tape, as it is a little expensive, but I'll see if anyone I know can come up with it.

Thanks TimD

I have posted the same request in Sport Cars forum and got a positive answer (yes I received the picture :) ).
This picture will be soon available to my website (with credit to SL who sent it).

Thank you for the effort :)

BTW any good quality pictures of Jacky Ickx are really welcome. I will put them on my website with credit to the senders.

Julien

No I don’t have a picture of him walking to the start. However I do have Alan Henrys review of what he considered one of the..Fifty Most Famous Motor Races…
1969 LE MANS 24-HOURS

Ickx thwarts the Porsches


Jacky Ickx’s career may latterly have been closely identified with Porsche’s fortunes, but the gifted Belgian was at the wheel of a JW/Gulf Ford GT4O when he edged the German marque out of the Le Mans winner’s circle in one of the most sensational finishes ever seen at the Sarthe. After the powerful and spectacular 41/2~litre Porsche 917 of Vic Elford/Richard Attwood led the lion’s share of the race, its retirement with a broken gearbox late on Sunday morning handed the initiative to the smaller-engined 908 of Hans Herrmann/ Gerard Larrousse. But neither of these men was a match for Ickx at his brilliant best, the Ford driver outfumbling Herrmann to win by a few lengths on the very last lap.
After Ferrari’s last win at Le Mans in 1965 it became Ford’s turn to rule the roost, but by the start of the ‘69 24-hour classic it was clear that Porsche was prepared to do whatever was necessary to notch up its first victory in this marathon. On paper, Ford’s 5-litre GT4Os, entered by the JW/Gulf team, were outdated long shots with little apparent chance of scoring a fourth victory for Detroit. Porsche had no fewer than five factory entries, including two fearsome, flat-12 cylinder 917s for Rolf Stommelen/Kurt Ahrens and Elford/Attwood, Chris Amon shared a Ferrari 312P with Peter Schetty, a quartet of wailing French Matras were on hand and three Alpine-Renault V8s. But only the Ford team had Jacky Ickx...
Prior to Le Mans, Porsche had already clinched the 1969 Sports Car Manufacturers Championship with wins at Brands Hatch, Monza, the Targa Florio, Spa and Nurburgring. If that title had been the German marque’s sole ambition it could have justifiably missed the 24-hour slog. But the prestige of a Le Mans victory was a tantalizing prize beckoning Porsche to attend. So often cast in the supporting role now they could finally register a long-overdue success.
After the technical dramas with collapsing aerofoils which had punctuated the Formula I scene, the CSI had slapped a ban on aerofoil assistance in the sports car championship as well, obliging the participating teams to alter their bodywork to conform. Porsche made it quite clear that its 917s had been designed with aerodynamic stabilizers and was not prepared to take them off completely, but a good Gallic compromise prevented tempers getting too frayed.
In official practice the 917s completely demoralized their opposition, Stommelen proving easily fastest, some six seconds faster than Jo Siffert’s flat-8 cylinder 3-litre Porsche 908. Thus, when the 45 competitors lined up to take the start on Saturday afternoon, there was very little confidence anywhere other than in the Porsche camp. Matra and Ferrari, concerned about fuel consumption, could only opt to run steadily and hope that the German cars broke, while the Gulf GT4Os had economy and reliability on their side, but not speed.
At the start it was Stommelen who fishtailed away first, his 917 laying rubber like a dragster as it leaned into the first right-hander. Further back, Ickx publicly registered his dislike of the classic sprint-across-the- road start procedure. While his colleagues ran, he didn’t. The Belgian took a leisurely stroll across to his GT4O, climbed in without fuss, fastened his belts and accelerated slowly away at the tail of the field. Who needed to save seconds with a day to go?
At the end of the first lap, Stommelen and Elford streaked through comfortably in 1-2 formation, but an ominous cloud of smoke on the horizon told a sad story. Wealthy English privateer John Woolfe, who many considered insufficiently experienced to handle such a projectile, had elected to start the race in his private 917, the first customer car to be delivered by the Porsche factory. Out of his depth, he crashed violently at the fast White House bends before the pits, the car disintegrating in flames as it hit the bank and Woolfe was killed. Amon’s Ferrari, following close behind, ran straight into the debris and Chris was lucky to escape unscathed. But the Italian car was wrecked as well ...
Tremendously fast, the works Porsche 917s were nonetheless consuming a tank of fuel in just over an hour, but the smaller 908s and the elderly Fords could run for almost 90 minutes before stopping. What’s more, after their initial spurt, the Porsches were proving mechanically more frail than expected. Stommelen’s car quickly developed an oil leak and the Elford/Attwood car was soon to show the first signs of transmission trouble.During the fourth hour the Elford/Attwood 917 took over the lead, but is stablemates were having a rough time. The Jo Siffert/Brian Redman 908 broke its gearbox, the Herrmann/Larrousse car broke a front hub and was badly delayed while a replacement was fitted. The Matra of Jean-Pierre Beltoise/Piers Courage climbed through to a brief second place early on Saturday evening, but the Gulf Ford seemed completely outclassed. By two o’clock on Sunday morning transmission trouble had finally eliminated the Stommelen/ Ahrens 917, but Elford and Larrousse were well in the lead — eight laps ahead of the fourth place Ickx/Oliver GT4O.
However, what seemed impossible at two o’clock merely looked unlikely early on Sunday morning as mechanical failure took its toll on the leading runners. Just before five o’clock, Porsche fortunes took another knock when Udo Schutz crashed very heavily in the second place 908 he was sharing with Gerhard Mitter. The GT4O was now third, with only the lone 917 and another 908 ahead of it.
Gradually, brick by brick, Porsche’s technical edifice crumbled in full view of the Le Mans
grandstands. The marque which was gaining itself a reputation for reliability and quality faced a dud of a day. A thin trail of oil smoke from the leading car indicated that Elford and Ahrens were having to nurse it along. Finally, it gave up the ghost three hours from the end, a fate shared by the second place Willi Kauhsen/Rudi Lins 908.
Through sheer dogged reliability the lckx/ Oliver GT4O now found itself in the lead, but the Herrmann/Larrousse 908 was closing in steadily, making up ground after losing half an hour the previous night changing that suspension upright. With one-and-a-half hours left, the pace had picked up to Grand Prix tempo rather than the usual late-race crawl. Ickx and Herrmann were swapping places with a gusto that belied the fact that they were nearing the end of a 24-hour chase.
Just before the two o’clock finishing time, the two cars went battling into their last lap, Herrmann pulling every trick in the book in an attempt to salvage Porsche’s chances. But lckx wasn’t to be denied. Going through the fast kink just before Mulsanne, he forced his Ford ahead of the Porsche and hung on ahead by a few car lengths to score Detroit’s fourth straight Le Mans success.
Poor Herrmann had no excuses and he felt terrible having allowed Porsche’s victory to slip through his fingers. But there was a happy ending for him; 12 months later he was to score Porsche’s first Le Mans triumph, sharing a 917 with Richard Attwood. As for Ickx, he would he back too. Another five Le Mans victories awaited him!
;) :beer:

There was an interview with Hans Hermann in Motor Sport not long ago. In fact he did have a good excuse, no brakes ! The discs were shot. To stop would mean a certain second the team elected to carry on. Hans thinks he had a chance at the end but unsure of the brakes chose the finish rather than the Armco.

SL

That could be right but what the story doesn't say is how Jacky Ickx made to win. The lap before the last, Ickx thought it was the last one and knew that if he could stay behind Hermann before the Hunaudieres, he could passed him before the end of it and kept the Porsche behind util the checked flag which he did. But then it was still a lap to go. Ickx was scared to run out of fuel. Hermann knew that the GT40 could have fuel problems. So the GT 40 was in front of the Porsche at the begining of the Hunaudieres and had the advantage that Ickx had the lap before. But Ickx didn't put the 5th gear and Hermann thought he was running out of fuel and passed Ickx thinking he had the victory. But Ickx jumped in the aspiration of the Porsche and at the end of the Hunaudières took the lead and never lost it. Ickx's trick did work.

This is the translation of Jacky Ickx interview for a Belgian newspaper

Julien

I'll dig out the Hermann interview for you later. I don't think either driver won or lost that day. Both teams drove for the finish and it sounds like one heck of a race. Just sad that I was not there for another 9 years.

SL

You're right ! only the legend of Le Mans won that year :)

Julien

I now have the interview. Hans reckons the engine was a little down on rev's and the front brakes were gone. However there seemed to be a trust between the drivers in the overtaking. In the end it was cat and mouse neither driver wanting to lead.

PM me your address or fax and I will send you a copy.

SL

Mail on the way...I should refresh this page more often and learn to write faster in English (my native language is french) :)

Julien

"Jumped in the aspiration..." = got into the slipstream...

Just for clarification.

I'll use those words next time :)

de tout façon M fan, tu fais un bon effort de participé dans un forum en anglais! Si tu restes ici un peu, tu vas voir que les mecs ici ont beaucoup de connaissance, et tu vas amèliorer ton anglais!

Salut de Montréal.

and by the way, thanks strad for the read.

This group is so well informed that there really is much to be added except this;

Loverley!

Hard to believe that they were that close after 24 hours. Great print, must be White House on the last lap, although I would have expected there to be more dirt and grime on the cars by this stage of the race.
SL

I'm not sure, but I have an appointment for Tuesday with a Racing Paint artist who does such painting. This one could be from him.
I'll find out on Tuesday. He promised me to give me a couple of his paintwork to put on my site. He said one of them was Le Mans 1969.

The painting is by nicolas watts. He is my favorite, but Michael and Graham Turner (not related) are very good. I also like alan fernley's work.

Ah! OK ... Have a look on this one www.targaflorio.be
If you look on the order page, you can click on thumbnails.
This is not his complete collection, just a small part of it.
He's the one I will visit on Tuesday.

Thank you so much! What great art and good sized too. If you ever need any images, please let me know. Thanks again!

You are welcome. Like I said, after Tuesday, it should be a couple of his artworks on my website (at bigger size) if you ever want them, they will be your.
I also will buy the 6 postcards he made about J Ickx's victories and I can scan them and send them to you. But this must stay personnal, not to put on a website. I have to respect the artist's work. I'm sure you understand what I mean :)

I went back to the web site and the art is copyright protected, so the postcards and images will work great for me. I just collect the images and use them as desktops. I fell in love with Nicolas Watt's "Mulsanne Express" and finally just bought the print, which hangs above my desk. I didn't really have an appreciation for motorsports art until i got this computer, and the images are as big a part of my motorsports as my models.

Originally posted by Dr. Austin
Michael and Graham Turner (not related) are very good
Graham is Michael's son

I have a book written by Nigel Roebuck and illustrated by Michael Turner. It covers F1 in the sixties, seventies and eigthies. The pics are absolutely stunning.

I usually buy Michaels' Christmas cared pack. Well worth it as a record of five of the season's races.

Originally posted by David McKinney

Graham is Michael's son

Thank you. I was mistaken.

Funny. Then I am sure the son learned from the father, but their styles seem different to me. Of course, I know nothing of art except what I like. And i like them both.


Peter mentions the Christmans card. I have a few of the Nicolas Watts ones and would like more. Also the Turners and Alan Fernley. Does anyone have a good link? I collect images and it would be greatly appreciated.

Julien...

Found this thread at the same time as I unearthed a photo I took at the Brands Hatch Race of Champions in 1968? 69? - you would know better than me. Feel free to add it to your site if you wish. PM me if you want a bigger image.

Hi Dave

It can't be 1969 since Jacky Ickx was driving for Brabham that year.

Looking at the car, it looks more like the Ferrari 312 from 1970 (typical windshield). At the British GP 1971 he was driving a car #3 as well but there was no driver's name on the car body so I guess you're right about the Race of Champion but in 1970.
Unfortunatly I have no info about his participation to that race. But I'll be really glad to add this picture to my website and if you have a bigger one you can mail it to julien.garnier@skynet.be

Thanks a lot for the thought.

Julien

My bad, when I said "At the British GP 1971 he was driving a car #3" I meant At the British GP 1970...".
Wrong key :-)

There has been talk on another thread about the 1969 Le Mans as the video of the race is free with the current issue of 'Motorsport' magazine.
The painting above of the race was indeed done by Nick Watts. That is one scene I have not painted but must at some point! But I agree with you that Nick, Michael ( my inspiration to start my career!) Graham and Alan Fearnley are all great artists. Check out my website too! www.andrewkitson.com

Back to Le Mans '69, I have been talking to Brian Redman today who remembers that race very well. He was leading the race but the car had a new longtail especially for the speeds on the Mulsanne. This unfortunately caused the gearbox to overheat which led to retirement while leading.
One of the saddest scenes on the video is the sight of John Woolfe putting on his crash helmet for the final time. When I mentioned this to Brian, he had this to say:
I quote
'There was a big row about the moveable flaps on the Porsches.....actually, that was one of the main reasons the 917s wandered about so much, but they didn't figure it out till later in the year.
Digby Martland, John's co-driver, spun the 917 over the Mulsanne hump, in practice.
He didn't hit anything, drove the car back to the pits, got out and said to John
" Thank you very much John - I have now retired from motor racing". He never raced again.
All the English Porsche drivers begged John to let Herbert Linge start the race, but no, "it's my car and I am starting the race". Very sad.' Unquote.
For other info about John, check out this previous thread.
http://www.ten-tenths.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=32029&highlight=john+woolfe

Interesting Andrew. I must admit I've heard that quote before. Very sad indeed.

Yes. I've read a contemporary article on the race which severely criticised Porsche for making the car available to John Woolfe when it was know to be undriveable. Maybe a bit harsh - Woolfe had driven T70s and wanted tto drive the car - but an interesting point of view. Any thoughts?

Were all the 917's in that race as badly handling as John's then? Or was it an isolated incident?

If you listen to the '69 Castrol video, Elford says to camera the car's all over the place, and that the car would spin it's wheels in any gear. I know Attwood was of the same opinion.
Aerodynamic appendages - front and rear tabs - you can see were real afterthoughts, just tacked on, and when Porsche arrived at Le Mans, they were moveable and for the race, they were made to fix them (I think - need to watch the footage again). Stommelen's pole lap was one of heroic proportions, his co-driver conceding it was the bravest thing he'd ever seen!
It was very early ground breaking days and there were many areas of development the factory went through before the 917 started winning regularly. It was all organised in a big rush because the homologation required 25 identical cars - so that's 25 cars that needed sorting and we're talking about chassis, gearbox, brakes, aerodynamics etc. The Castrol film shows Elford trying to shut his door for the first few laps of the race, and finally popping back into the pits to get it shut. No need to ask why.

The original 917 was evil. I think Elford has said that the 917 was both the worst car (in '69 form) and best car (in '71 form) he ever drove. Stories of the rear wheels starting to lift off the ground at high speed must have been a tad worrying!!

At the Nurburgring in 1969 none of the Porsche works drivers would race it, so Porsche persuaded a couple of BMW drivers to do so. However, when BMW found out about it they banned their men from competing. As a result, David Piper and Frank Gardner drove it! Porsche were so pleased when they brought it home without blowing it up or crashing it that they paid them both double their original fee! That says a lot really.

With 25 built, there were some questions over whether 50 drivers could be found on the planet who could handle it! It wasn't until a Winter test in 69/70 with Porsche AND John Wyer engineers present that the upswept tail of the 917 Kurtz was developed and the car became more driveable and even faster, though there is still debate as to who came up with the solution!

Ahhh, I kept reading about how undriveable the 917 was, though I never really understood the true extent of it!

Thanks guys!

Originally posted by Andrew Kitson
There has been talk on another thread about the 1969 Le Mans as the video of the race is free with the current issue of 'Motorsport' magazine.


We had the pleasure of watching it the other night - quite an impressive video, well worth the watch...from Ickx's walking start (and winning), to the amount of suits and ties working on cars in the pit lane during stops - its incredible to see the change in motorsport over the years - but ultimately the change in positions after 24hours of racing on the last lap...incredible...

Originally posted by Dr. Austin
This group is so well informed that there really is much to be added except this;

i painted that picture for my Art GCSE, it was one of the three i handed in, couldn't of been bad though, i got an 'F' for three pictures and two years work.

I picked up a copy of Daniel Picot's water colour on the same subject while at the ACO museum last April. It's more colourful than this scan, from his own website:

http://www.daniel-picot.de/img/auto/1969-5.jpg

http://www.daniel-picot.de/new/index2.php?bg=2&cn=1

Andrew,

Digby Martland continued to race after LM 69. I saw him driving John's T70 at Croft in July 1969. He also drove a B16 in the Springbok series at the end of the year. I reckon his last race was the first round of the RAC Sportscar championship at Snetterton on Good Friday 1970, but he may have driven a few more in 1970.

Thanks Jeremy - interesting!
I remember being at Snett for that Good Friday meeting and for the practice on the Thursday. Lots of lovely B16s.

Going back to the initial topic, suggest you read May's Motor Sport wherein David Hobbs, very interestingly reckons that the '69 Le Mans was 'The One That Got Away' - I'll let you read it to find out why. Also interesting is the view that there was some resentment of Ickx by the other JW drivers because David Yorke felt that he could do no wrong!

Just been reading it myself. The account of dodging the crashing Porsche 908 is more than a little unnerving.

Just had a read in my local paper shop, David Hobbs does not sound like the number one Ickx fan!!.
I spoke to Richard attwood at goodwood about LM 69 he also felt he had a dammed good chance of victory.
If any of you have access to MotorsTV on satalite they are showing a tribute to Matra on the Legands series, well worth catching as 1/2 the program is devoted to the sportscar program, including 69.

Originally posted by John Turner
Going back to the initial topic, suggest you read May's Motor Sport wherein David Hobbs, very interestingly reckons that the '69 Le Mans was 'The One That Got Away' - I'll let you read it to find out why
Are you saying May 2003? We just got the April issue this Friday over here (finally got to see the video - yowza!).