Murph at the Races

Thoughts on the 1975 United States Grand Prix

Part One: An Overview of the 1975 Formula One Season

Part Two: Watkins Glen

Part Three: The 1975 USGP…….. the Numbers Game

Part Four: My Photographs

Part One: An Overview of the 1975 Season

I’m not even going to attempt to try to describe the 1975 season. Instead, I will quote from an article ( A look at the Grand Prix scene ) in the AUTOCOURSE 1975 ANNUAL. The author is Pete Lyons……

“At the end of one race we watched the winner, surprised by the checquered flag, crash nose first into the guardrail.

In the middle of another race, we watched the manager of the winning team assault the Clerk of the Course.

Before a race, we watched as the mechanics refused to allow more practice. A few weeks later, we watched the mechanics go out around the circuit to tighten loose guardrail bolts because the drivers refused to practice

. However, the World Champion still refused to participate and went home.

We watched the Entrants refuse to enter one race. Then, we watched the Organizers of that race put a legal stop on the prize monies of another race.

Twice, we watched races so short everyone was awarded half points only.

Near the end of the season, we watched as a new Formula 1 car was unveiled……and it had six wheels.

Oh, and in France we watched the Swiss Grand Prix

It was a peculiar year.”

Looking back at 1975, we see the beginnings of our “modern day” Formula 1. The governing body of F1 ( the CSI) is no longer in control of the sport when it allows the Spanish GP to be held at a circuit that does not meet the CSI’s requirements for a race to be held…….it makes rules that are permitted to be broken, The GPDA (Gran Prix Drivers Association) shows it is powerless when it states they will boycott the Spanish GP because of safety concerns and yet all its members except one do race…….. and the Formula 1 Association ( the Constructors led by one Bernie E.) becomes the real power in F1 by consolidating their financial demands from the circuit owners and breaking the GPDA by reminding their drivers that they are paid to drive and not be concerned about safety………

The 1975 season had 14 races in the Championship along with 3 non-championship races. Niki Lauda won 5 races for Ferrari and the WDC. Emerson Fittipaldi won 2 races for McLaren. James Hunt, Jochen Mass, Vittorio Brambilla, Carlos Reuteman, Jody Scheckter, Clay Regazzoni, and Carlos Pace all won 1 race each. Ferrari won the Constructors Championsh

Mark Donahue died after a crash in Austria. Graham Hill and his driver Tony Brise along with other members of the Hill Team died in a plane crash after the season.

Part Two: Watkins Glen

This was first Watkins Glen Grand Prix weekend I spent camping at the circuit with the wife and kids. It was very cold during the evenings, something my wife would wake me up every 15 minutes and remind me of…….. but daylight would come and then she would remind me of just how disgusting the women’s bathroom facilities were….. this was the last weekend spent camping with the family at Watkins Glen.

As for tickets…. We just bought GA tickets and moved around the track. We were members of the “Goodyear Club” and as members we got our own area to watch the race….. we were located on the inside of the track right across from the grid so this gave me a neat area to take pics on race day.

Part Three: The 1975 USGP………..the Numbers Game

1: The race was held on October 5, 1975

2: On Pole: Niki Lauda Ferrari 312T

3: The Winner is Niki Lauda………..flag to flag

4: The other points producing positions were…..

2^nd: Emerson Fittipaldi McLaren M23

3^rd: Jochen Mass McLaren M23

4^th: James Hunt Hesketh 308 C

5^th: Ronnie Peterson Lotus JPS 72/E

6^th: Jody Scheckter Tyrrell 007

Part Four: My Photographs

Clay Regazzoni pics…… first pic was taken down in the boot and the other 2 pics were taken during the race….. Clay was blocking Emerson during the race and the Ferrari team had him come in and retire.