1961 Natal Grand Prix

  1961 Natal Grand Prix

Race details
Non-Championship race in the 1961 Formula One season
Date	17 December 1961
Official name	I Natal Grand Prix
Location	Westmead Circuit, Durban
Course	Permanent racing facility
Course length	3.62 km (2.2496 mi)
Distance	89 laps, 322.213 km (200.214 mi)
Pole position
Driver	Jim Clark	Lotus-Climax
Time	1:26.1
Fastest lap
Driver	Stirling Moss	Lotus-Climax
Time	1:24.8
Podium
First	Jim Clark	Lotus-Climax
Second	Stirling Moss	Lotus-Climax
Third	Jo Bonnier	Porsche

The 1st Natal Grand Prix was a motor race, run to South African Formula One-style rules, held on 17 December 1961 at Westmead Circuit, South Africa. The race was run over 89 laps of the circuit, and was won by British driver Jim Clark, in his Lotus 21.

There were no great differences between the local rules to which this race was run and the international Formula One rules, but for example sports car bodies were permitted, such as the Porsche special driven by Jennings.

Clark led the race from start to finish, with only Stirling Moss, who had started from the back of the grid, able to stay on the same lap by the end. The local South African entrants were outclassed, with the first of them finishing three laps down on Clark.^[1]

Results

Pos	No.	Driver	Entrant	Constructor	Time/Retired	Grid
1	8	Jim Clark	Team Lotus	Lotus-Climax	2.13:58.4	1
2	7	Stirling Moss	UDT Laystall Racing Team	Lotus-Climax	+ 31.9 s	22
3	4	Jo Bonnier	Porsche System Engineering	Porsche	88 laps	2
4	5	Edgar Barth	Porsche System Engineering	Porsche	87 laps	8
5	1	Syd van der Vyver	Syd van der Vyver	Lotus-Alfa Romeo	86 laps	7
6	11	Doug Serrurier	Scuderia Lupini	Cooper-Maserati	86 laps	10
7	25	Adrian Pheiffer	Adrian Pheiffer	Cooper-Alfa Romeo	86 laps	9
8	26	Trevor Blokdyk	Trevor Blokdyk	Cooper-Ford		19
9	19	Bruce Jennings	Bill Jennings	Jennings-Porsche		18
10	20	John Guthrie	Ecurie Rhodes	Cooper-Alfa Romeo		13
Ret	2	Bruce Johnstone	Yeoman Credit Racing Team	Cooper-Climax	Accident	6
Ret	14	Don Philp	Don Philp	Quodra-Climax	Engine	12
Ret	16	Helmut Menzler	Ecurie Wolman	Lotus-Borgward		14
Ret	29	Neville Lederle	Neville Lederle	Lotus-Ford		15
Ret	27	Bob van Niekerk	Equipe Judette	Lotus-Ford		16
Ret	10	Ernie Pieterse	Scuderia Alfa	Heron-Alfa Romeo	Suspension	11
Ret	23	Fanie Viljoen	G.E. Mennie	LDS-Climax		17
Ret	15	Sam Tingle	Sam Tingle	LDS-Alfa Romeo		20
Ret	17	Dave Wright	Dave Wright	Cooper-Climax		21
Ret	3	Tony Maggs	Yeoman Credit Racing Team	Cooper-Climax	Overheating	5
Ret	9	Trevor Taylor	Team Lotus	Lotus-Climax	Accident	3
Ret	6	Masten Gregory	UDT Laystall Racing Team	Lotus-Climax	Cylinder head gasket	4
DNS	12	John Love	A.H. Pillman	LDS-Porsche	Practice accident	-
WD	18	Clive Trundell	Clive Trundell	Cooper-Climax	Car not ready	-
WD	21	Bill Dunlop	Bill Dunlop	Cooper-Alfa Romeo	Car not ready	-
WD	22	Gordon Henderson	Gordon Henderson	Cooper-Alfa Romeo	Car not ready	-
WD	24	Gene Bosman	Scuderia Alfa	Lotus-Alfa Romeo	Car not ready	-
WD	28	Bernard Podmore	Bernard Podmore	Lotus-Ford	Car damaged	-
WD	30	Jack Holme	Jack Holme	Lotus-Climax	Car damaged	-

References

• "The Grand Prix Who's Who", Steve Small, 1995.
• "The Formula One Record Book", John Thompson, 1974.
• Race results at www.silhouet.com