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The Motor 6 hours

Brands Hatch International Circuit, Kent, Great-Britain

Date: 6/7/1963
Track length: 4.265 m
Attendance: 15.000
Entries accepted: 39
Starters: 35
Finishers: 27

Pole position: Fastest: Gurney/Brabham in 1.57,6, Pole: Sprinzel/Lucia...
Fastest lap: Denny Hulme in 2.04,0 = 123,80 kmh

Distance: 6 hours
Average speed: 116,8 kmh
Weather: Heavy rain
Ruleset: Group 2/63
Car info: 1963 Cars

Pictures

Miserable weather at Brands, despite the race now held in July instead of October, like last year. A fine entry, but scrutineering meant troubles for those Galaxies which had disc brakes; Baillie could only start with the promise of photographic evidence of the brakes mounting - otherwise he would be disqualified. John Willment was not prepared of this and withdrew the car, swapping Sears/Ljungfeldt to the Cortina GT.
The start, with the slow car of Sprinzel/Lucia on pole because of the capacity-sorted grid, brought Salmon into second right after Baillie’s Galaxie, ahead of Gurney (Galaxie) and Coundley.
Gurney spun at South Bank, handicapped with the wrong tyres, but somehow the whole field missed him. After two laps, Baillie had to give way to both Salmon and Lindner, while Gurney spun again. On lap 4, the Willment Cortina of Haynes and Leston came in and retired with clutch problems. Gurney came in for a tyre change on the rear as well - before the start, he could only change the front tyres.
The classes were led by Salmon, Trana, Sears, Whitmore and Elizabeth Jones.
The terrible circumstances made for an interesting race; Lindner nearly lost the Jaguar, and he was not the only one. Powell hit a bank (but could continue after repairs), while Clare rolled his Mini.
After the pit stops, at half-distance, the leaders were: Salvadori, Salmon, Lindner (all Jaguar), Sears (Cortina), Blumer (Cortina), Trana (Volvo), Sargent (Mercedes), Baillie (Galaxie).
The quick pit stop of the Salmon Jaguar moved them up the leader board, its lead now over a lap. Salvadori/Hulme were second, Sears fourth and Lindner/Nöcker fifth.
With less than half an hour to go, Vernaeve spun off into the bank, throwing a good chance of a class victory away - he could continue, but at much reduced speed.
At 8:30 the chequered flag dropped, and Salmon/Sutcliffe won the race, with Salvadori/Hulme second, Lindner/Nöcker third, just ahead of Sears/Ljungfeldt with Trana/Skogh fifth.
But once again post-race scrutineering revealed problems for the winner: the Jaguar was disqualified for having oversize inlet valves.


Class 4-9
Pos Pos in class # Team / Entrant
Car- Engine
Drivers, Nationality Engine
vol. (cc)
Engine
Type
Group Distance,
time
Qualifying position Qualifying time Fastest lap Reason out,
remarks
DSQ (1) 6 Atherstone Engineering
Jaguar Mk II 3.8
Mike Salmon, GB
Peter Sutcliffe, GB
3781 L6 class 9 166 5 2.00,0   DQ: inlet valve size
1 - 5 Tommy Atkins
Jaguar Mk II 3.8
Roy Salvadori, GB
Denny Hulme, NZ
3781 L6 class 9 165 2 1.58,6 2.04,0 Not eligible for ETCC points (not entered in the championship)
2 1 7  
Jaguar Mk II 3.8
Peter Lindner, D
Peter Nöcker, D
3781 L6 class 9 162 6 2.00,4    
3 1 23 John Willment Automobiles
Ford Cortina GT
Jack Sears, GB
Bo Ljungfeldt, S
1498 L4 class 6 162 4 1.59,2    
4 1 16 Volvo AB
Volvo 122 S
Tom Trana, S
Carl Magnus Skogh, S
1778 L4 class 7/8 161   2.04,2 2.06,8  
DSQ 2 14 REC Parkes
Mercedes 220 SE
Peter Sargent, GB
Peter Lumsden, GB
2195 L6 class 7/8 159   2.05,8   DQ: Non-homologated gear ratios
6 1 28  
BMC Mini Cooper S
John Whitmore, GB
Paddy Hopkirk, IRL
1071 L4 class 5 159 8 2.01,4    
7 2? 3  
Ford Galaxie
Gawaine Baillie, GB
Peter Jopp, GB
6997 V8 class 9 159 3 1.59,2    
8 2 29 Cooper Car Co.
Morris Mini Cooper S
John Rhodes, GB
Rob Slotemaker, NL
1071 L4 class 5 158        
9 4 1 Alan Brown
Ford Galaxie
Dan Gurney, USA
Jack Brabham, AUS
6997 V8 class 9 157 1 1.57,6    
10 2 24 Alan Andrews racing
Ford Cortina Super
Jimmy Blumer, GB
Henry Taylor, GB
1498 L4 class 6 157     2.07,6  
11 3 30 Don Moore
Morris Mini Cooper S
Christabel Carlisle, GB
Denise McCluggage, USA
1071 L4 class 5 157     2.09,0  
12 3 9 John Willment Automobiles
Ford Zodiac Mk 3
Edward Harrison, GB
John Manussis, GR
2555 L6 class 7/8 155        
13 3 20 HF Squadra Corse
Lancia Flavia coupé
Piero Frescobaldi, I
Leo Cella, I
1500 B4 class 6 155        
14 4 17 Alan Fraser Racing Team
Sunbeam Rapier Series IIIA
Peter Harper, GB
Chris Amon, NZ
1592 L4 class 6 155        
15 1 32 Cooper Car Co.
Austin Mini Cooper S
John Aley, GB
Rauno Aaltonen, SF
999 L4 class 4 154     2.13,2  
16 5 25 Squadra Tartaruga
Alfa Romeo Giulia TI
Ernst Furtmayr, D
Hans-Dieter Dechent, D
1570 L4 class 6 153        
17 6 21 HF Squadra Corse
Lancia Flavia coupé
Franco Patria, I
Romolo Rossi, I
1500 B4 class 6 153        
18 2 33 Alexander Engineering Co.
Austin Mini Cooper
Elizabeth Jones, GB
Timo Mäkinen, SF
997 L4 class 4 153        
19 7 (4th?!) 18 Lawrencetune Engines
Vauxhall VX 4/90
Bill Blydenstein, GB
Chris Lawrence, GB
1508 L4 class 6 153        
20 4 27 Dick Jacobs
MG 1100
Alan Foster, GB
Andrew Hedges, GB
1098 L4 class 5 153        
21 5 26 John Willment Automobiles
Ford Anglia Super
Anita Taylor, GB
Anne Hall, GB
1198 L4 class 5 151        
22 4 11 HF Squadra Corse
Lancia Flaminia 3B coupé
Luigi Cabella, I
Giorgio Pianta ("George von Baum"), I
2458 V6 class 7/8 146        
23/DQ 5 4 John Sprinzel Racing
Ford Galaxie
John Sprinzel, GB
Merton Lucia, USA
6997 V8 class 9 145       DQ: Loose bonnet
24/DNF 6 40 Zenith Films
Jaguar Mk II 3.8
Albert Powell, GB
Ken Baker, GB
3781 L6 class 9 143 7 2.01,2   Clutch
25 3 35 Westover Racing
Morris Mini Cooper
Edward Lewis, GB
Julien Vernaeve, B
997 L4 class 4 142   2.07,2    
26/DNF   8 Chris McLaren
Jaguar Mk II 3.8
Chris McLaren, GB
John Coundley, GB
3781 L6 class 9 140       Oil leak
27 4 34 Ecurie Lonertex
Austin Mini Cooper
Loek Nerden, NL
Alexander Roell, NL
997 L4 class 4 76       Clutch
DNF   12 HF Squadra Corse
Lancia Flaminia 3B coupé
Piero Frescobaldi, I
Carlo Facetti, I
2458 V6 class 7/8         Accident
DNF   10 Alan Andrews Racing
Ford Zodiac Mk 3
Roy Pierpoint, GB
Alan Mann, GB
2555 L6 class 7/8         Lost wheel
DNF   38 D.M. Racing
Jaguar Mk II 3.8
John Sparrow, GB
Neil Dangerfield, GB
3781 L6 class 9         Overheating
DNF   15 Squadra Tartaruga
Volvo 132 S
Jochen Neerpasch, D
Peter Scherrer, CH
1778 L4 class 7/8 59?       Accident
DNF   31 Alexander Engineering Co.
BMC Mini Cooper S
Mick Clare, GB
Tony Rutt, GB
1071 L4 class 5 34       Accident
DNF   36 Peter Clarke
Fiat Abarth 1000 Berlina Corsa
Peter Clarke, GB
John Anstead, GB
982 L4 class 4 4?       Misfire
DNF   22 John Willment Automobiles
Ford Cortina GT
Les Leston, GB
David Haynes, GB
(John Blunsden, GB)
1498 L4 class 6 3 9 2.02,2   Clutch
WDN     John Willment Automobiles
Ford Galaxie
Jack Sears, GB
Bo Ljungfeldt, S
6997 V8 class 9         Withdrawn after homologation dispute over disc brake fitting
DNA   19  
Riley 1.5
Alan Hutcheson, GB
Bob Anderson, GB
1489 L4 class 6         Rejected at scrutineering
DNA   23 John Willment Automobiles
Ford Cortina GT
Jeff Uren, GB
Peter Bolton, GB
(John Blunsden, GB)
1498 L4 class 6         Car taken over by Sears/Ljunfeldt
RES     HF Squadra Corse
Lancia Flavia coupé
Unknown
1500 B4 class 6         Reserve
RES     Alan Fraser Racing Team
Sunbeam Rapier Series IIIA
Alistair Crawford, GB
Ellis Cuff-Miller, GB
1592 L4 class 6         Reserve

Remarks: Grid positions were determined by engine capacity rather than practice times.