LETTERS
Regarding my drive at the 1971 Race of Champions [letters, may], here are the facts. Firstly, Emerson and myself were down to drive Lotus 72s but mine was not ready in time for most of practice so I started from the back of the grid with Ronnie Peterson, who also had problems. I asked Colin Chapman for advice regarding the start and he simply put his arm round me and said, “You’re driving it, boy, not me...”
I made one of the best starts ever from the inside of the rear row and while everyone else moved to the left for the approach to Paddock Bend, I stayed right and by the time I got to Druids I was in fifth place ahead of a lot of the big names. As I opened the throttle out of Druids the engine cut dead and I had to wave through all those I had passed. I quickly turned back on the electric fuel pump and fired up the engine but it would only rev to 6000, so I pitted. I tried a lap or two more but it would only run with the electric pump and again would only rev to 6000 so I retired. Afterwards the mechanic said that the drive belt for the mechanical fuel pump had broken and that the engine had to be removed to get at it.
So that was my short and bittersweet story of that race, and of course Emerson went on to win [the following year] in a similar car. Grrrrrrr…