7 April 1968

[AAReagles]

Hard to believe it's been 50 years ago. Perhaps more intriguing is that today is Saturday, and here in California at least, there has been a steady drizzle of rain sometime past midnight. Similar to the race conditions of that very day.

RIP Gentleman Jim

[D-Type]

If only . . .
. . . he'd opted for the Ford drive instead.

[RS8V]

From Alan Mann's biography, that wasn't in JC's gift it seems. Chapman made sure the Alan Mann drive was never realistically on once he became aware of it. Walter Hayes (Clark and Hill were paid by Ford) had used some weasel words (whether intentionally or not) to all concerned along the lines of "subject to no prior call on their services" which gave Chapman, not Mann, sufficient scope to call the shots.
Mann, having nominated Clark and Hill as drivers at Brands in good faith after talking with Hayes (and thereby attracting a fair number of extra spectators to the BOAC 500 no doubt), says Hill phoned him to warn that Chapman was going to find an alternative role for them that weekend.

[D-Type]

Thanks for the clarification. I'd forgotten the circumstances.