OFFICIAL 1970-1989 RACING PHOTO THREAD

Since the Monaco GP is this weekend, I'll post one of my favorite Monaco "race" photos. It was actually taken DURING the 1981 Monaco F1 race, albeit on our balcony in Monte Carlo. Keke's car failed to qualify and as our balcony overlooks one of the circuit's better turns Keke meandered over from his apartment on race day to watch the race with us. Another year, Keke's car suffered a mechanical failure in practice going into Mirabeau and because you can't get back to the pits from there he parked the car, climbed up the tree in the rear of this photo with the crowd cheering him on, then jumped over onto our balcony to watch the rest of the session. There were some great photos published in the print media of Keke both climbing up the tree and sitting on our balcony in his driver's suit, but I couldn't find them when I did a Net search.

The photo below from the 1981 race somehow got circulated and ended up in one of those coffee table books titled: History of the Monaco Grand Prix. Go figure. BTW, that's champagne in the glasses (guess we couldn't afford real champagne flutes back then). I didn't hear it, but I believe the toast offered by my wife went something like this:

Stephanie: Don't feel bad about not qualifying for this race Keke, I bet next year Frank Williams will offer you a ride in a real competitive F1 car, and you'll probably end up the year as World Champion.

Keke: I'll drink to that.

Stephanie: And the following year, you'll probably win this race, and instead of drinking el cheapo champagne out of cocktail glasses on our balcony, you'll drink straight out of a giant bottle of Moet et Chandon on the royal stand with Prince Rainier.

Keke: I'll drink to that.

Stephanie: And you'll probably marry that German girl you're dating and have a son who will follow in your footsteps and start his F1 career with Williams; then at age 26 he'll likely drive for Mercedes when they re-enter F1, win a race in China of all places, and a month later come very close to actually winning this Monaco GP.

Keke: I'll drink to that.

Stephanie: And a few years after that my husband will probably post this photo on the Internet where countless people around the world can see it.

Keke: What the hell is the Internet?
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I always thought Helen Stewart was quite a looker back in the day. Found this pic on the net as an example:
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Those headers quickly disappeared. A few years ago, I restored that car, among the piles of crap from Don were the upper panel seen in the picture.

 

Well Fred is enjoying it there! (Fred Opert, Keke's Atlantic team owner)

 

Same players a few years earlier at the Canadian GP (Keke had just signed with Wolf).
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Evel...I idolized him as a kid, had all the toys.

 

Ahhhh...."Il Piccolo Nuvolari!"

 

"Back to the correct time frame of this thread Phoenix International Indy car race, not sure of the year:"


That straight a little long for Phoenix. Ontario maybe? Love the 70s Indy cars....Thanks for posting them!

 

I think it's too long for Phoenix as well. My guess? Ontario (California, not Canada).

 

I think you are referring to the Questor Grand Prix, which was a one-time event at Ontario in 1971. This appears to be a later Indy car race, I would say after 76 or 77. Looks like Danny Ongais in the Interscope car.

 

And I believe Mears in the lead and Rutherford in third?