24h Le Mans
Through August 31st, the Musée des 24 Heures du Mans is celebrating the anniversary of the 1967 French Grand Prix of Formula 1, the only one of its kind to have taken place at Le Mans, on the Bugatti track. Winners at the 24 Hours in 1966 and 1967 respectively, Bruce McLaren and Dan Gurney both took the start at the Grand Prix in 1967, subsequently reaching legendary status in motorsport both as drivers and constructors.
Bruce McLaren, a driver and a marque - 1966 was a pivotal year for New Zealander Bruce McLaren (1937-1970). Not only did he win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, along with Chris Amon, he also became a constructor in Formula 1: at the Grand Prix of Monaco, he took the start for the first time at the wheel of a car sporting his very own name. By a curious twist of fate, after winning at the 24 Hours of Le Mans one year apart for the same manufacturer (Ford), Dan Gurney and Bruce McLaren won their first victory as drivers and constructors at the same circuit (Spa-Francorchamps), also one year apart in 1967 and 1968, respectively. Though Bruce McLaren passed away in 1970 while testing one of his cars at the Goodwood circuit in the U.K., his marque carried on in legendary fashion with no less than 20 titles and 182 wins in Formula 1, and a victory at the 1995 24 Hours with the F1 GTR driven by J.J. Lehto, Yannick Dalmas and Masanori Sekiya (who became the first Japanese driver to win at Le Mans).
Dan Gurney, an American success story - Winner at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1967, Dan Gurney also achieved a remarkable career in Formula 1. In 1962 at the French Grand Prix, he won Porsche's sole victory as a complete constructor (chassis and engine), before running with his own cars, like Bruce McLaren, starting in 1966. In 1967, in the wake of his triumph at the 24 Hours, he won the Belgian Grand Prix at the wheel of his Eagle, a nod to the bald eagle symbol of the U.S. Thereafter, the Eagle won the Indianapolis 500 three times (1968, 1973 and 1975). In 2012, Dan Gurney's team, All American Racers (AAR), joined forces with the Nissan DeltaWing, the first tenant of Garage 56 at the 24 Hours of Le Mans for an innovative prototype outside the standings.
A third driver-constructor took the start at the 1967 French Grand Prix at the Bugatti circuit, and won. Jack Brabham was the progenitor of an outstanding dynasty of drivers to make their marks both on the 24 Hours of Le Mans and Formula 1. To be continued in the seventh and final installment of this series.
Click below for previous installments in this series:
1967: Le Mans 24 Hours and the F1 Grand Prix (1) - Six winners, six stories
1967: Le Mans 24 Hours and the F1 Grand Prix (2) - Five drivers who competed in both
1967: Le Mans 24 Hours and the F1 Grand Prix (3) - Five Ferrari drivers
1967: Le Mans 24 Hours and the F1 Grand Prix (4) - Five more Ferrari stories
1967: Le Mans 24 Hours and the F1 Grand Prix (5) - Outstanding drivers
PHOTO (Copyright - Archives/ACO): At the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the #1 Ford Mk IV won a legendary victory with the American duo Dan Gurney and A.J. Foyt at the wheel. Both drivers also won with their own chassis in 1967: Gurney at the Belgian Grand Prix with his Eagle, and Foyt at the Indianapolis 500 with his Coyote.
