1960 WATKINS GLEN FORMULA LIBRE PROGRAM
Cars to the grid. Moss on the pole, Brabham outside, Bonnier in #11 and Gendebien in #12. The Yeoman Credit team was noted for its most unusual lime green and red livery.
Brabham sits on the grid as John Cooper (dark glasses) and a mechanic stay close.
The race has started. Moss made a terrible start and Brabham, Bonnier and Gendebien all went to the front. This photo has the backmarkers; Francis Bradley’s Porsche followed by Harry Entwistles green Lotus.
Sir Stirling in Rob Walkers Lotus 18. This race was the swan song for the 2.5 liter F1 era. In 1961 the FIA dropped engine size to 1.5 liters giving the advantage to Ferrari who had a small motor already running,.
The Lotus 18 in Rob Walker dark blue with white stripe. The 18 had carried Moss to victory at Monaco earlier in the year and repeated here at the Glen.
Moss, always relaxed and making it look effortless. This was always his strategy. Make things look as if he isn’t trying and it discourages the others who are busting themselves to stay near him.
Consummate Moss. Arms extended, head leaned back, concentrating far ahead. At this point in his career Moss was clearly the fastest driver on earth.
Moss is lapping a bunch of cars. Paul O’Shea in the D type, Sy Kabak in the red Lotus. Both UDT Coopers and Murdoch’s Connaught.
Brabham has the opposite style of Moss. Up on the wheel, always moving the wheel, head down. Make no mistake, Brabham was very fast winning the World Championship 3 times.
Brabham won the World Championship in 1959 and this year 1960. He would go on to form his own team and became the first and still the only person to win a world championship in a car of his design.
Black Jack Brabham in his typical head over, hand twisting the steering wheel as he laps Herb Swan’s Porsche 550RS.
Brabham passes the pits. John Cooper stands at the end looking up the hill to see how far ahead Sir Stirling was. This is lap 64 and Moss has taken the lead and would never look back.
Roy Salvadori in an Ecurie Ecosse (Scotland) Cooper Monaco. While no competition for the F1 cars, Salvadori was a complete pro and brought his Cooper to 3rd.
Roy Salvadori at speed in the Cooper Monaco. Salvadori won LeMans in 1959 with Carroll Shelby as co-driver.
This is Jo Bonnier who oddly would carry #11 at Watkins Glen in 1960-61 & 62. Bonnier won the Glen F Libre race in 1958. Bonnier took the lead early and held it for 25 laps.
A good shot of the odd Yeoman Credit livery where a young artist sits and sketch’s the two Yoeman Credit Finance Coopers. BRP - British Racing Partnership ran the cars, the finance company was the sponsor. Who was BRP? One of the principals was A
Jo Bonnier heads out for practice adjusting his goggles. Bonniers effort would get him 3rd on the grid.
Bonnier at the hairpin last turn. Bonnier still wore his favorite Suixtil short sleeved shirts in 1960. By this year most drivers were wearing custom drivers suits, usually provided by Dunlop.
With a typical Gallic shrug, Gendebien poses for the camera.
Our man Olivier Gendebien, nicknamed Jellybean, drove his Cooper well, even leading a few laps early. Gendebien won LeMans earlier in the year with fellow Belgian Paul Frere.
Gendebien in his UDT Cooper into the last turn. Note this car carried mag wheels on the front and wire wheels on the back. This was due to BRP using Colotti gearboxes with axles that were for wire wheels only.
Francis Bradley’s Porsche RS-60 fought with the F2 Cooper of Stutz Plaisted almost the entire race. Bradley pulled it out at the end.
Stutz Plaisted in his F II Cooper races with Francis Bradley’s Porsche RS-60. Bradley finished 5th, Plaisted 6th. They battled almost the entire race
American Paul O’Shea drove this Ecurie Ecosse D Type Jag. Could this have been one of the teams Le Mans winning D Types? The Scottish team won Le Mans in 1956 and 1957
Paul O’Shea in the Scottish blue D Type. O’Shea could do no better than 7th in a 5 year old race car.
Canadian Peter Ryan in a one off Sadler Formula Libre car. Sadler built the car in 3 weeks. It carried a 300 hp Chev V8 and no transmission. Direct drive. As you can see, the engine blew.
Color shot of Ryan in the Sadler Formula Libre car. Peter was a quick driver but the car never came right.
Bill Sadler in his own Sadler Mk IV. Sadler built some very fast specials in the late 50’s, but big money overtook him. Bill would not finish.
The last of the privateers. Rob Walker, heir to the Johnny Walker Scotch fortune, got the very best equipment for Moss and later Jo Siffert.
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