The Roaring Season

Howden Ganley in the Iso Marlboro.

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Steve Holmes wrote:Here is the Ferrari again, now with no nose-cone at all.

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Just flicked through the report in the 1973/4 Autocourse. Merzario had an accident in Qualifying destroying the original nosecone for the car, also hitting his head on the steering wheel and knocking himself unconscious for several minutes, then again, on the second lap he went into the catch fencing destroying the second nosecone and Ferrari had not brought a third nosecone hence running the rest o the race without one and with very bad understeer.

Steve Holmes wrote:Really superb shot this one. I assume its not long after the start, possibly the first lap, as the track is still wet, and the cars appear to be running in order close to where they qualified. The leaders have already gone through, while Hulme leads this gaggle, after starting 7th. Next is Cevert, Wilson Fittipaldi, Jackie Oliver, Chris Amon in the Tyrrell, Mike Hailwood etc.

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The etc are George Follmer, James Hunt, Rolf Stommelen, Carlos Pace and either JP Beltoise or Peter Gethin. This would be the opening lap because Hulme ended lap one 13th and lap 2 24th. A sticking throttle and 2 punctures destroyed his race.

seaqnmac27 wrote:Just flicked through the report in the 1973/4 Autocourse. Merzario had an accident in Qualifying destroying the original nosecone for the car, also hitting his head on the steering wheel and knocking himself unconscious for several minutes, then again, on the second lap he went into the catch fencing destroying the second nosecone and Ferrari had not brought a third nosecone hence running the rest o the race without one and with very bad understeer.

Thats brilliant Sean, thanks heaps. So re the photos shown earlier of the car with what appears to be a flat board attached to the nose, do you know when this was? Was it after losing both nose cones?

That is a repair job after losing the second nosecone. This is from the actual report.

" Merzario had had another shunt, going off through catch fencing on only the second lap of the race and setroying the second and last nosepiece brought by the team; he had to carry on with bare chassis with giant understeer until a hasty addition of a metal plate gave him medium understeer."

Ahh, brilliant, thanks Sean. So essentially they brought him in during the race to try and provide some front downforce with that metal plank. I was trying to figure out the order in which things happened.

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Ferrari at rock bottom...a butt ugly car and Arturo Merzario as chaffeur

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Hulme leading Amon

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Hulme leading Jarier

[video=youtube;BbKkBvBJTU0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbKkBvBJTU0[/video]

Not Canada 73, but check out the car control, this is actually the full race, France 73, so its just over 2 hrs

Thanks heaps Sean, I'll watch that race on my tablet tonight.

Last two pics from this chapter. My thanks again to Walt Etten and Bryan Colechin for these great images.