The Roaring Season

Steve Holmes wrote:[ATTACH=CONFIG]24561[/ATTACH]

Inaugural Long Beach Grand Prix. Sunday Sept. 28th. 1975
Tony Brise turning from Pine Ave onto Ocean Blvd late in the race and well in the lead after Mario Andretti had just retired.
He is passing the pit road entrance and setting off on what was to be his last lap. A lap later at this exact spot the car came to a stop under the Coca Cola sign across the street with the second broken rear half shaft of the weekend !
This photo captures the familiar Tony Brise driving style with his head and helmet leaning slightly forward and also the crowd scene as the shadows start to stretch across the track.

(Ken Hyndman)

Steve Holmes wrote:[ATTACH=CONFIG]24561[/ATTACH]

Inaugural Long Beach Grand Prix. Sunday Sept. 28th. 1975
Tony Brise turning from Pine Ave onto Ocean Blvd late in the race and well in the lead after Mario Andretti had just retired.
He is passing the pit road entrance and setting off on what was to be his last lap. A lap later at this exact spot the car came to a
stop under the Coca Cola sign with the second broken rear half shaft of the weekend.
This photo captures the familiar Tony Brise driving style with his head and helmet leaning slightly forward and also the crowd
scene as the shadows start to stretch across the track.

(Ken Hyndman)

Steve Holmes wrote:[ATTACH=CONFIG]24583[/ATTACH]

Saturday morning during the first qualifying session Tony Brise's Lola T-332 came to a halt.
In this photo, Tony, his lovely wife, Janet, Graham Hill and Julian Randles, study the broken driveshaft and yoke.
This break, was due to the change of ride height to get more grip and the demanding new track at Long Beach.
Only the broken shaft was replaced. During the main race the next day, while leading, the other side drive shaft broke !
(If only we had replaced both drive shafts at the time ! )
Graham D. hard at work in the foreground.
Again note the work conditions !
p.s. That is a shadow on Tony's back ! (It is not from a whipping by Teddy or Sid !)

(Ken Hyndman)

Steve Holmes wrote:[ATTACH=CONFIG]24583[/ATTACH]

Saturday morning during the first qualifying session Tony Brise's Lola T-332 came to a halt.
In this photo, Tony, his lovely wife, Janet, Graham Hill and Julian Randles, study the broken driveshaft and yoke.
This break, was due to the change of ride height to get more grip and the demanding new track at Long Beach.
Only the broken shaft was replaced. During the main race the next day, while leading, the other side drive shaft
broke !
(If only we had replaced both drive shafts at the time ! )
Again note the work conditions !
p.s. That is a shadow on Tony's back.

(Ken Hyndman)

Steve Holmes wrote:[ATTACH=CONFIG]24615[/ATTACH]

Ken Hyndman cleaning the brake cooling scoop and talking to Tony Brise (sitting in car). Probably discussing the front nose assembly
which is lying on the ground in the background.
The woman reporter on the left, looks like she trying to get a sound recording of Tony.
Also in the background is the white Lola T-300 driven by Dr John Korn who was known as the "racing gynecologist."
This was his first F5000 race and it meant for a big speed difference when up against the"big boys" on race day !

(Ken Hyndman.)

Steve Holmes wrote:[ATTACH=CONFIG]24615[/ATTACH]

Ken Hyndman cleaning the front brake cooling scoop and talking to Tony Brise (sitting in car). Probably discussing the front nose assembly which is lying on the ground in the background.
The woman reporter on the left, looks like she is trying to get a sound recording of Tony.

Also in the background is the white Lola T-300 # 50 driven by Dr John Korn who was known as the "racing gynecologist."
This was his first F5000 race which also resulted in a big speed difference when up against the"big boys" on race day !

(Ken Hyndman.)

Last photo I have from this event.

Steve Holmes wrote:Last photo I have from this event.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]24675[/ATTACH]

This photo shows the great race car designer Jim Hall walking toward me on the right.
Behind him is the always friendly Brian Redman watching as his Lola T-332 is prepared.
Brian went on to win the Inaugural Long Beach Grand Prix the next day after Tony Brise retired.
He autographed this photo many years later as we were discussing the tragic loss of Tony, of who he greatly admired.

( Ken Hyndman )

khyndart in CA wrote:This photo shows the great race car designer Jim Hall walking toward me on the right.
Behind him is the always friendly Brian Redman watching as his Lola T-332 is prepared.
Brian went on to win the Inaugural Long Beach Grand Prix the next day after Tony Brise retired.
He autographed this photo many years later as we were discussing the tragic loss of Tony, of who he greatly admired.

( Ken Hyndman )

Ken thank you .. these are just fantastic piks ....... sort of brings that era alive ......I was a little 2 young to relate 2 the G Hill team but studied it more after reading & looking what you posted.....When I arrived in London Big O E that was when Graham hit the trees on approach , I even Googled Earthed his where abouts at Mill Hill North London where the family lived ...... I am not a fan of teams or drivers , but found Senna & Clark to have some thing special that most don't , results showed that , but paid for it ?

Great photos brought alive by the fantastic descriptions that give so much context, thanks a million Ken.

Well said Murray, I couldn't agree more.

Steve Holmes wrote:[ATTACH=CONFIG]24687[/ATTACH]

A month later after Long Beach we were at Riverside Raceway, East of LA. This is Saturday Oct 25. 1975. I remember it as the night the clocks were set back 1 hour for daylight saving which seemed like a Godsend after being up late in preparation.
The Theodore Lola T-332 was not quite as quick as we hoped on the long straights at Riverside. Tony qualified 4th as the Viceroy Lola T332s of Al Unser and Mario Andretti were the quickest by over a second. Mario Andretti seemed unbeatable this weekend.
This photo shows Tony and the "lads" doing some final preparation on practice day.
In the background are the two Shadow DN 6 Dodge V-8 cars for Jackie Oliver in the # 0 car and Jody Scheckter drove the # 00 car that had been driven by Tom Pryce at Long Beach.
I do not think these Shadows ever raced again after this weekend.

(Ken Hyndman)

what great photos..I am glad you have such a good collection as that bought back a lot of memories.I went to the 40th LBGP this year and I did the first.man time has flown by.thanks again

It is great to have Graham Donaldson join us at this site with all his past and present experience.
This is his latest quote to me.

" Thanks for the web site as I had no idea about it.
It has bought so many memories back
I think we had the best racing in those days
NO EGOS like today
Drivers spoke to mechanics and didn’t rush off to motor homes and hide with an engineer !

With Tony Brise another memory I will never forget was
A F1 & F5000 combo race at Brands Hatch in early 1974, Peter Revson was in the next pit
and spoke to us all just as a regular guy
Then 2 weeks later died ! " (While practicing for the South African GP at Kyalami )
Racing could be cruel back then.

(Ken Hyndman )

It is great to have Graham Donaldson join us at this site with all his past and present experience.
This is his latest quote to me.

" Thanks for the web site as I had no idea about it.
It has bought so many memories back
I think we had the best racing in those days
NO EGOS like today
Drivers spoke to mechanics and didn’t rush off to motor homes and hide with an engineer !

With Tony Brise another memory I will never forget was
A F1 & F5000 combo race at Brands Hatch in early 1974, Peter Revson was in the next pit
and spoke to us all just as a regular guy
Then 2 weeks later died ! " (While practicing for the South African GP at Kyalami )
Racing could be cruel back then.

(Ken Hyndman )

October 29 th 1975
Jackie Oliver exiting his Shadow DN 6 during practice for the 1975 F 5000 race at Riverside, California.
Note the smoggy air conditions which was common back then !
Jackie was a very good driver from Formula One to Le Mans and Can Am.