The 24 Hours of Le Mans always mean the encounter with many of their legend, and one of them is the Briton Vic Elford, who without to have gained the victory in the classic one of the Sarthe survived the time sea bream of Sport the Prototypes.

Before arriving at Mulsanne, the long Hunadieres straight line shows a slight deviation towards the right: “Here we arrived at about 360 kilometers per hour and under rain … was a fabulous sensation”

Vic concentrate in its vehicle

Who speaks is Vic Elford. They have spent three decades and when happening through the referred place it has in its face and in its certain voice I leave of emotion. We were in the route that leads of Le Mans towards Tours, passage that takes little more than one hour fifteen minutes, routine that during the week of edition 69 of the 24 Hours has to be realized day and night before the impossibility to secure a nearer lodging. But the fatigue, the distance and the traffic happen to background unimaginable when we served as occasional copilot to one of the most versatile steering wheels of history, winner in all class of categories during the Sixties and beginnings of the seventy, experiences and anecdotes to the cold security of modern motoring.
And like it could not be of another way, the conversations with which coach of the Venezuelan runner Milka Duno has been in the last four years, made each one of the trips less heavy, stories which they happen from the rallismo, Formula One until Sport the Prototypes.

Podio little happy for Elford

Been born in England in 1935, Victor Elford, better well-known with the diminutive of Vic, it was on the verge of making debut in professional soccer after to mark to 42 goals in 22 parties in the divisions inferiors, but it preferred to leave the ball changing it by the speed in the dirt roads to the steering wheel of a small DKW. Their results gain in 1963 a contract with Triumph, mark to him that leaves the following year to be official pilot Ford, obtaining, among others figurations, a third place in the RAC of that year, next to whom would be his inseparable copilot, also the British David Stone.

- Makinen, Toivonen, Aaltonen, Carlsson, Waldegaard, it would seem that they pass the times but not the predominance Nordic They have changed to much the rallies of then to the ones of the present time?

Flying with a Ford of Rally

“Basically they conserve the same principle and spirit. Perhaps beyond the technological advances, obvious it exists greater investment of the constructors, is much more professional, there is more security, now the tests are shorter, but the relation between the pilot and his navigator continues being the key of the victory. Rauno Aaltonen, Pauli Toivonen was magnificent pilots, as well as the Italian Sandro Munari or the Pole Sowieslav Zasada, although my better friend was Makinen Thymus (the papa of Tomy). Him we enjoyed inside and outside the tracks, a brilliant type”.

- In the sixty, rallistas ones consecrated like Lucien Bianchi, Gérard Larrouse, Vic Elford, jumps to the closed circuits, how took place the change?

“By the end of 1965 I left Ford and I signed with Porsche for season 1966 and the following year I conquered the European Championship of Pilots of Rally (equivalent to the World-wide one of today), with victories in Germany, the Rally of the Tulips and the one of Geneva, although my better victory just arrived in 1968, when I prevailed with the 911 in Montecar it. It was the first time that Porsche won there, I I left from Warsaw and memory particularly the last night in the stage the Turini. Two weeks later I traveled to North America and I gained the 24 Hours of Daytona with 907 next to Jochen Neerspach. My relation with the house of Stuttgart had allowed me to make debut in the Sport class in 1967, with the 910, participating in the Targa Florio, the 1000 Kilometers of the Nürburgring and in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, with the 906, where I arrived seventh and first in my category next to the Dutch Horseradish tree Pon”.

- In the Sport World-wide Championship Ford, Porsche, Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, marks faced that put in track the best pilots in races long play to rate of great prize (in 1968 Jacky Ickx fought the World-wide one of F1 with Ferrari and it ran with Ford in Sport! , while in Nurburgring 1970 the Prototypes improved the times of the F1 of the previous year), there was a special preparation for a competition like Le Mans?

Elford with Porsche 917

“Porsche made simulations of 24 hours in its deprived track of Weissach and although they did not have the resources that have equipment like Audi now, nothing was left at random. For the short races or of thousand kilometers, we took them to the motors to 8800 RPM, while in the long tests the used regime did not surpass the 8600. My contract with the factory was of ten thousand German marks by season, more expenses and prizes of race and with that we were satisfied. In the 24 Hours of 1968, with prototype 908, they disqualified in the eighth hour when changing the alternator, but in 1969 it made debut the 917, the best car than it has lead although also most difficult, with a powerful motor 4,5 liters, 12 cylinders flat air cooled. That year the last one with the classic one was released type “Le Mans”, and memory that Jacky Ickx crossed the track walking, in protest reason why it considered like a dangerous procedure. Rolf Stommelen did pole with the other 917, but from the third hour I took the end in pair with Richard Attwood and we directed ourselves towards an overwhelming victory, we had like eight returns of advantage, but in hour 21 the problems with the clutch began and we had to leave two hours of the end. Clear that nobody remembers it but the arrival of Ickx with Ford and Hermann in the Porsche …”

- It celebrates to the great thing in classic like Daytona, Florio Targa, Nürburgring, Sebring, but in spite of two records of return in 1969 and 1970, Le Mans continued being aloof for Quick Vic (nickname that gave Swedish Eric him Carlsson) …

With the Porsche-Martini

“In 1970 also I did pole position but we did not have luck, although finally the Porsche of other equipment obtained the first place. That year the film of Steve McQueen was filmed and in my car they placed one of the cameras. At that time we obtained 360 kilometers per hour of speed of end with the 917 long tail, mark that remained until 1984; there was an occasion after a change of pilots, that used to take about 25 seconds, in which I was not well subject to the belts and in Hunadieres I abrí the door holding it with a hand, with the legs it took the steering wheel and with the other hand it fit the strap to me… In the one of the 70 our car was delayed at the outset, later, at night and in the wet floor I managed to discount up to two returns to the leaders, we came seconds, but the machine did not hold. The 71, in the Porsche-Martini next to Larrouse we fought the end but a problem in the motor left us without opportunity. The following season changed the regulations and Porsche left the category, and thus I ran with Alfa Romeo, while in 1973 I secured the sixth absolute place with a Ferrari Daytona GTB4 and the victory in my class, next to the French Claude Ballot-Firewood, another one rallymen. It would be my better figuration, soon I returned in 1984 in a Rondeau next to the French Anne Charlotte-Verney”.

- Playing a little with the fantasy, if at that time the world-wide title of conductors for machines had been assigned Sport (as it would be restored in 1982), Vic Elford would have secured the 1968 championship, Jo Siffert the one of the 69 and Pedro Rodriguez in 1970 and 1971 in pair with I read Kinnunen, Who were the best ones?

“Jackie Ickx, Pedro Rodriguez and Jo Siffert were true teachers in the art of the speed. With unique with who I shared the steering wheel he was with Siffert, obtaining the first position in the Thousand Kilometers of Nürburgring of 1968, first of the three that I had in the circuit that I liked more. The track captivated to me from my victory in the Marathon of the Route of 1967 (84 hours of race) with Porsche and soon I prevailed twice more in the 500 Kilometers for machines Sport of 2 liters in 1970 and 1971; altogether I prevailed in six occasions in mountains over the Eiffel, winning to me the Caracciola trophy and the title of “Teacher of Ring”. But my better victory, after the Rally of Montecar it I obtained, it in the Florio Targa of 1968 next to Umberto Maglioli. Their 72 kilometers were a challenge and without doubts my experience in rally helped me to remember details valuable to use in each curve. Of my coequiperos, I can say that never I had problems with no, having among others to Kurt Ahrens and Helmut Marko in team Porsche Austria”.

FORMULA ONE, PENDING ASIGANTURA

- We speak of the maximum category. To make debut with a fourth place and to conclude in front of the champion of the world are not something normal …

With the Cooper-BRM of 1968

“I had desire to try in F1 and a day of spring of 1968 John Cooper invited to me to Silverstone where they were the Cooper-BRM. When concluding the session was surprised so as satisfied and it offered to me to run in the Great Prize of France in the circuit of Rouen, although before it had never participated in a race of single-seaters. As it happened during all my race, I never had to put money and in that one occasion they offered 200 pounds to me (quinietos dollars of today). Although in classification I was not particularly shining, Sunday rained all the day and I loved rain. From position 18 I overcame and I concluded right quarter in front of Denny Hulme. It was the race where Jo Schlesser with the Honda was killed, that in the impact the car caught fire and nobody could extinguish the fire by the amount of magnesium that had the chassis”.

- With regard to this tragedy, aims of the sixty were a particularly hard stage, with the disappearance of many figures with Jim Clark at the top, How assumed the pilots the dangers that surrounded to them?

On board this Shadow stranger

Memory to an English boy, John Woolfe, whom it bought in 1969 one of first Porsche 917 to run in Le Mans. It was a pilot with little experience that a good one carried out released and was in the point squad, but before fulfilling the first return crashed in Arnage and the car was party in three pieces, accident in which also it was surrounded Chris Amon. During the training of that same year Lucien Bianchi it had been killed in an Alfa Romeo 33 and in 1972 the accident of Joakim Bonnier took place, that unfortunately committed a serious error that cost the life to him. I came to about one hundred meters behind the Lola, when she wanted to surpass to the Ferrari Daytona of Vetch Swiss, but this one did not see it because Jo tried the maneuver in an impossible place, with the result that both cars hit at high speed: the Sport one left flying and it crashed against trees, while Ferrari GT exploded and I paused immediately to try to help the pilot who, fortunately, and knew without it, he had been able to leave the car; near that place there was a television equipment that recorded all the scene, which soon was worth a decoration to me of the French government, the second highest one in its type, as well as a beautiful statuette of the Italian magazine Autosprint. Memory also the tragedy that cost the life to him to Ignazio Giunti, in Buenos Aires 1971. It was a fast curve before entering the main straight line, he surpassed with his Ferrari to a car that he had opposite and he could not see the Matra de Jean Pierre Beltoise, that imprudently was pushing it towards pits after to remain without fuel. I hardly passed seconds later … "

- How escaped Vic Elford to so many difficult situations?

Elford-Redman with this McLaren

“Fortunately I had few accidents and I could survive a as beautiful time as terrible. To the worse I had it moment in the GP of Germany de F1 in 1969 in my adored Nürburgring: in the first return of the race Mario Andretti integral traction left the track with the Lotus and in shock one of the wheels it followed. I came behind Beltoise and could avoid the obstacle, but I did not have opportunity and the McLaren that handled raised flight. When the car paused, it was upset and my first reaction was the one to activate the extinguisher since we took the full tanks, but my right shoulder had fractured I tried so it with the left arm, but did not reach the switch: I had much luck, because of to have made contact with enemy, the machine would have operated when taking place a short circuit … In the training of that race had killed Gerhard Mitter, member of the Porsche equipment in Sports, in a BMW of Formula Two. In this category I do not forget to me a Great Prize of the Lottery in Monza, where we came in the traditional trencito in the head of the squad, and in the middle of the Parabolic something broke in the Ferrari de Derek Bell, who came in front of me: it made an abrupt turn of 180 degrees and was impossible to avoid it because it was to centimeters of his aileron; there was a multiple collision in that they were involved like ten machines, one of them, the one of Jean Pierre Jassaud, left flying outside the track, the pilot left dismissed, but luckily a leg only fractured …”

- What it needed to Vic Elford to be a winning pilot in Formula One?

Disputing the GP of France '69

I believe that Nothing. Honestly I did not feel to taste in the single-seaters and I do not say it because in them it could not reach the victory, but because in addition never I had a competitive machine. I hardly participated in thirteen GP and three races of F2. For some reason that never I knew to explain, always I felt more to taste when it handled without seeing the wheels of my vehicle. In the Sport one he was different, it ran for an official house and I removed the maximum yield from each machine. Porsche 908 I enjoyed much, was a very agile machine, although in rain the careened prototypes were more comfortable. Memory particularly an edition of the 1000 kilometers of Brands Hatch, where it rained without stopping from Friday to Sunday. I had as companion to Denny Hulme and he simply hated rain and of the six hours of race I believe that he did not get to handle nor fifteen minutes and the rest I did. Pedro Rodriguez made pair with I read Kinnunen and also it lead almost all the race while I read remained in pits. I arrived second behind the Mexican.

- Many European also participated in the good remunerated races in the United States, it had the occasion to compete in the 500 Miles of Indianapolis?

“They offered it to Me, was good money, but I did never it, simply because it did not please the idea to me to run before many pilots with minimum experience originating of the races Midget type, that looked for fortune in Indy 500. I had the occasion that yes to make on two ocassions the 500 Miles of Daytona of the Nascar category and in first I arrived eleventh and the following one came quarter and I remained without fuel lacking two returns … In 1969 I made guest by Bill France, and competed with my antifire special suit, which caused laughter of all the Americans especially, of Buddy Baker said who me that if thought to go to the space. The following year, I see one of the local pilots with a suit similar to mine: it was Buddy Baker. It confessed to me that in a race it had an accident and had undergone burns and since then always it thought about me. With the Dog a.m. I ran once with Porsche 917, I did also it with a McLaren-Chevrolet and I obtained a third place in Road Atlanta, and with Trans-A.m. I gained in Watkins Glen in a Camaro-Chevrolet de Jim Hall with a motor not so powerful but with wonderful brakes, and clear, rain also gave a hand me. We defeat to the Javelin official of Roger Penske lead by Mark Donahue and Peter Revson.

MONTOYA WILL BE CHAMPION OF THE WORLD

- From his retirement of the competition in 1974, it has had the possibility close by of seeing the evolution of sport motoring, from the increase of the security in tracks and cars, to the arrival of the telemetry that reveals in detail the handling of each runner Which are the most important changes in the last decades?

Participating in the CanAm Glass

“When it competed you paid it to an error with your life. Today that respect and fear have practically disappeared. The measures adopted in cars and tracks diminish the danger, the pilots risk more, and, some, until of unconscious way surpass their own limit but without true talent. We can say that always the good pilots are going to emphasize, exists a good level but nothing extraordinary, with the exception of men like Michael Schumacher who continue making the difference, and now Montoya. Juan I knew it to Pablo in the first opportunity that made the school Skip Barber in California, in 1992, was then 17 years old. It hardly gave a few returns and I said to him to its father who that boy was going to be Champion of the World. Two years later, in his debut in the Barber Saab Pro Series in the streets of Miami, it started off in first row and one went ahead to his position, reason why the sent exit had to repeat itself; in the second occasion it started of perfect way and it gain the victory under rain. When it arrived at pits and I asked to him why there was broken the formation responded to me: it wanted to put nervous to the others… It has a personality and an absolute superiority of means outside the common thing. Another pilot who has an enormous future is the Brazilian Antonio Pizzonia”.

- In the last three years he has worked next to Venezuelan pilot Milka Duno, who of the fan races in his country happened to compete in Le Mans, satisfied with the progress with its student?

Its student: Milka Duno

“When I knew Milka did not have notion about the races of cars, I noticed its potential and its interest in learning, we began to work together and the results are evident: its fast ascent does not surprise to me at all, since I taught to him… Before it had never been to mánager of some pilot and my intention is to turn it into the best pilot of the world, is a challenge, even that surpasses to great ladies of the steering wheel like Lella Lombardi or the fascinating Marie Claude Beaumont. The pilots are few who in so just a short time have been able to dominate a prototype of 550 horses since Milka in Le Mans did, pity that did not have luck and rain ruined everything, but she continues working to improve and now she confronts a challenge superior with the Panoz-Mugen of class LMP900 as with the F.Nissan. Milka is very stubborn, like I - it needs -, and has a very competitive spirit”.

Vic Elford next to Jacky Ickx

Vic Elford resides in Florida and whenever it goes to a track in the United States or Europe it must take care of hundreds of admirers who recognize the great champion, and, as we verified by the close ways of the French countryside, to his 66 years just fulfilled the talent to the steering wheel he stays inalterable (speeds top stay privily). Its versatility is confirmed to the being the unique one of the great champions of rally in prevailing in the speed (Walter tried it to Rohl although without as much success), while the British had to wait until the arrival of McRae clan or the Burns to have a specialist in the elite of rallysmo international. Equipped with a prodigious memory to remember details and events, “professor Vic” also is outstanding as writer and are classic his books about sport conduction, especially directed to the Porsche clients, he marks with whom maintained a narrow bond like image and instructor.
At the moment, septuagésima edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans is on the verge of beginning and, like every year, Vic Elford will be present like one of the luxury personalities that forged the history of the more important competition long play of the world. The unique thing that we wished is that it does not return to rain the past like year, because nobody, with the exception of Mr. Elford in its times, enjoys the rain handling to 300 km/h.