The Lost Generation

[Saint Devote]

There is only one nation that has had the pleasure and surety of taking the production of formula one drivers in their stride, and that is the UK.

To all others it has been difficult and is still something of a novelty. Even big racing nations such as Germany and France have only ever produced ONE world champion to date.

So it is with tremendous nostalgia that I recommend a book by David Tremayne, titled, "The Lost Generation". It was published in 2002.

It is the stories of three British drivers lost within four years and had they lived, would have most likely been signed by the great teams of the day eventually without a doubt. It would have essentially been a grid dominated in number by excellent British and French drivers - instead of just the French.

They are Roger Williamson, Tom Pryce and Tony Brise. My own memories are with Tom Pryce and Tony Brise.

The book is based on what happened and the stories of these young drivers from those who knew them well and cared about them on a very personal level.

Even for people not around motor racing in those days, it will convey a unique time when fans like us had pit and paddock access and contact with teams and drivers only imagined in wildest dreams these days.

For example, I never realized that one day standing as an awed excited youth, next to a driver like Patrese and talking about a crashed F1 car [not his] after practice, would one day be impossible for ever more.

It was a very special time in F1 :D

[markabilly]

Even for people not around motor racing in those days, it will convey a unique time when fans like us had pit and paddock access and contact with teams and drivers only imagined in wildest dreams these days.

For example, I never realized that one day standing as an awed excited youth, next to a driver like Patrese and talking about a crashed F1 car [not his] after practice, would one day be impossible for ever more.

It was a very special time in F1 :D

or when I got to do the same with Jimmy Clark and the rest at waktins glen in 67 or at the Riverside can am race in 1967, all as a kid.

What bothers me is how many of my heroes would die so quickly afterwards, beginning with Clark....Mclaren, Revson and the rest...

[Saint Devote]

or when I got to do the same with Jimmy Clark and the rest at waktins glen in 67 or at the Riverside can am race in 1967, all as a kid.

What bothers me is how many of my heroes would die so quickly afterwards, beginning with Clark....Mclaren, Revson and the rest...

Jim Clark was Tom Pryce's boyhood hero and his mother relates how he Pryce cried when he heard the news.

Later on, it was a former teammate of Clark, Trevor Taylor that became Pryce's racing instructor at Brands Hatch.

Consider yourself so very fortunate to have met, a man who in my view, remains the greatest racing driver ever.

The very first driver I supported was Peter Revson. I have always thought that he should have been signed to drive the Yardley Mclaren in 1974. I always remember him on March 22nd.

And yes, so many great drivers were taken in those days. During the period besides Revvie, there was another American driver, Mark Donahue.

Such a great pity that single seater racing was destroyed in the US. There was a time in the 60's and 70's when an American driver in f1 was nothing unusual and remember the time when it was Gurney, Ginther and I think Hill or Gregory all on the same grid!

And then the wonderul CanAm days :D Names like George Follmer.

[D28]

Such a great pity that single seater racing was destroyed in the US. There was a time in the 60's and 70's when an American driver in f1 was nothing unusual and remember the time when it was Gurney, Ginther and I think Hill or Gregory all on the same grid!

Correct, that happened at various races in 1961-62. The most American participation seems to be Germany 1964, when 5 drivers lined up, P. Hill, Gurney, Ginther, Bucknum, and Revson.

In the 60s and 70s it was taken for granted that one had access to the garages to watch mechanics preparing the cars, at least in N. America. Even as late as 1984, I strolled through the paddock area in Montreal and glimpsed one or two drivers. Sadly the last time I was there the cars were locked in garages, with no easy access for spectators, one of the reasons I gave up going to F1 races.

[Mark in Oshawa]

F1 for a fan was in it's high water mark in the 70's and first few years of the 80's...then Bernie took over.....

I was too young to remember much, but my first race was the Canadian GP at Mosport when I was 6! I remember seeing Stewart win in the rain....and thinking how much I loved racing. I didn't see the death and destruction, but I do remember as a 10 and 11 year old going to Mosport when my uncle was a sale's rep for Valvoline, and meeting the Indy Car stars such as the Unsers. Now adays...I can still meet the top drivers in almost every form of racing still...but not f1.

Part of the reason my love for f1 waned for a long while, and still is on probation in many ways...

[ArrowsFA1]

So it is with tremendous nostalgia that I recommend a book by David Tremayne, titled, "The Lost Generation".
Indeed. A marvellous book :up:

[V12]

I've had the book for a couple of years now, read it cover to cover quite a few times in that time and I'd recommend it to any fan :up:

But yeah deaths and injuries aside it seemed like a really great time, just a shame I wasn't alive to see it :(

[GJD]

Correct, that happened at various races in 1961-62. The most American participation seems to be Germany 1964, when 5 drivers lined up, P. Hill, Gurney, Ginther, Bucknum, and Revson.

Not to lessen your good point, there is one other championship Grand Prix in which five US drivers competed. During 1959 Enzo would feed Dan Gurney the odd race, Carroll Shelby was an occasional participant and it all came together, of all places, in the 1959 Portugese Grand Prix when Masten Gregory, Phil Hill, Dan Gurney, Harry Schell and Carroll Shelby all took part.

Plus... there was a Grand Prix with seven American entrants, but only six actually started. The 1959 USGP at Sebring. In some ways this race doesn't really count because three of the guys were one offs, presumably thrilled that at last there was a Formula One Grand Prix in their country and all the cars they entered were tired, with one being a sports car, another an ancient Connaught and one a Midget car with a two speed gearbox and twin ratio back axle!

Still and all, the record shows... Harry Schell, Phil Hill, Bob Said, George Constantine, Henry Blanchard, Rodger Ward and Phil Cade (non-starter).

[V12]

Not to lessen your good point, there is one other championship Grand Prix in which five US drivers competed. During 1959 Enzo would feed Dan Gurney the odd race, Carroll Shelby was an occasional participant and it all came together, of all places, in the 1959 Portugese Grand Prix when Masten Gregory, Phil Hill, Dan Gurney, Harry Schell and Carroll Shelby all took part.

Plus... there was a Grand Prix with seven American entrants, but only six actually started. The 1959 USGP at Sebring. In some ways this race doesn't really count because three of the guys were one offs, presumably thrilled that at last there was a Formula One Grand Prix in their country and all the cars they entered were tired, with one being a sports car, another an ancient Connaught and one a Midget car with a two speed gearbox and twin ratio back axle!

Still and all, the record shows... Harry Schell, Phil Hill, Bob Said, George Constantine, Henry Blanchard, Rodger Ward and Phil Cade (non-starter).

I'm probably overdoing the pedantry massively here but there have been World Championship races with 33 American drivers in them :laugh:

[D28]

Plus... there was a Grand Prix with seven American entrants, but only six actually started. The 1959 USGP at Sebring. In some ways this race doesn't really count because three of the guys were one offs, presumably thrilled that at last there was a Formula One Grand Prix in their country and all the cars they entered were tired, with one being a sports car, another an ancient Connaught and one a Midget car with a two speed gearbox and twin ratio back axle!

Still and all, the record shows... Harry Schell, Phil Hill, Bob Said, George Constantine, Henry Blanchard, Rodger Ward and Phil Cade (non-starter).
Thnks for pointing that out, I am not really surprised that some US GP did have more Americans, I just never thought of Sebring. The difference of course, is that 4 of the 5 drivers in Germany actually won Grand prix, and one of them was World Champion. It is sad that a front running American in F1 seems as far away as ever, but historically it was common place.

V12, you are technically correct, Indy 500 was part of the WC untill 1960.