130

Grand Prix of the United States

04 Oct 1964Watkins Glen416.020 km (3782 m x 110 Laps)

 Pole Position: Jim Clark, Lotus 25-Climax, 1:12.65 (187.41 km/h) Fastest Lap: Jim Clark, Lotus 33-Climax, 1:12.7 (187.3 km/h lap 81) Race Results: Pos Car# Driver Car Time Speed 1 3 Graham Hill BRM P261 2:16:38.0 182.7 km/h 2 7 John Surtees Ferrari 158 2:17:08.5 182.0 km/h 3 22 Jo Siffert Brabham BT11-BRM -1 Lap 4 4 Richie Ginther BRM P261 -3 Laps 5 17 Walt Hansgen Lotus 33-Climax -3 Laps 6 12 Trevor Taylor BRP 2-BRM -4 Laps 7 2 Mike Spence/ 44 laps Jim Clark Lotus 33-Climax 102 Fuel pipe 58 laps 8 14 Mike Hailwood Lotus 25-BRM 101 Oil pipe Did Not Finish: 6 Dan Gurney Brabham BT7-Climax 69 Oil pressure/Engine 23 Hap Sharp Brabham BT11-BRM 65 Not classified 8 Lorenzo Bandini Ferrari 1512 58 Engine 1 Jim Clark/ 44 laps Mike Spence Lotus 25-Climax 54 Injection 10 laps 25 Ronnie Bucknum Honda RA271 50 Overheating 15 Chris Amon Lotus 25-BRM 47 Engine 16 Jo Bonnier Brabham BT7-Climax 37 Stub axle 9 Bruce McLaren Cooper T73-Climax 27 Engine 5 Jack Brabham Brabham BT11-Climax 14 Engine 10 Phil Hill Cooper T73-Climax 4 Ignition 11 Innes Ireland BRP 2-BRM 2 Gearbox Did Not Appear: 24 A.J. Foyt Jr. BRM P61 Lap Leaders: Car# Driver Car Laps Total 7 John Surtees Ferrari 158 1-12 13 1 Jim Clark Lotus 25-Climax 13-43 31 7 John Surtees Ferrari 158 44 3 Graham Hill BRM P261 45-110 66 Fastest Laps: Pos Car# Driver Car Time Speed Lap 1 2 Jim Clark Lotus 33-Climax 1:12.7 187.3 81 2 7 John Surtees Ferrari 158 1:13.3 185.7 17 3 3 Graham Hill BRM P261 1:13.4 185.5 25 4 6 Dan Gurney Brabham BT7-Climax 1:13.5 185.2 19 5 9 Bruce McLaren Cooper T73-Climax 1:13.8 184.5 10 6 2 Mike Spence Lotus 33-Climax 1:14.1 183.7 18 7 5 Jack Brabham Brabham BT11-Climax 1:14.1 183.7 13 8 22 Jo Siffert Brabham BT11-BRM 1:14.5 182.8 95 9 15 Chris Amon Lotus 25-BRM 1:14.5 182.8 27 10 14 Mike Hailwood Lotus 25-BRM 1:14.6 182.5 82 11 8 Lorenzo Bandini Ferrari 1512 1:14.8 182.0 32 12 16 Jo Bonnier Brabham BT7-Climax 1:15.0 181.5 15 13 17 Walt Hansgen Lotus 33-Climax 1:15.3 180.8 95 14 4 Richie Ginther BRM P261 1:15.4 180.6 52 15 25 Ronnie Bucknum Honda RA271 1:15.5 180.3 32 16 12 Trevor Taylor BRP 2-BRM 1:16.3 178.4 75 17 10 Phil Hill Cooper T73-Climax 1:17.9 174.8 3 18 11 Innes Ireland BRP 2-BRM 1:18.1 174.3 2 19 23 Hap Sharp Brabham BT11-BRM 1:18.7 173.0 51 Qualifying Times: Pos Car# Driver Car Time Speed Entrant 1 1 Jim Clark Lotus 25-Climax 1:12.65 187.41 Team Lotus 2 7 John Surtees Ferrari 158 1:12.78 187.07 North American Racing Team 3 6 Dan Gurney Brabham BT7-Climax 1:12.9 186.8 Brabham Racing Organisation 4 3 Graham Hill BRM P261 1:12.92 186.71 Owen Racing Organisation 5 9 Bruce McLaren Cooper T73-Climax 1:13.1 186.3 Cooper Car Co 6 2 Mike Spence Lotus 33-Climax 1:13.33 185.67 Team Lotus 7 5 Jack Brabham Brabham BT11-Climax 1:13.63 184.91 Brabham Racing Organisation 8 8 Lorenzo Bandini Ferrari 1512 1:13.83 184.41 North American Racing Team 9 16 Jo Bonnier Brabham BT7-Climax 1:14.07 183.82 R.R.C. Walker Racing Team 10 11 Innes Ireland BRP 2-BRM 1:14.35 183.12 British Racing Partnership 11 15 Chris Amon Lotus 25-BRM 1:14.43 182.93 Reg Parnell Racing 12 22 Jo Siffert Brabham BT11-BRM 1:14.65 182.39 R.R.C. Walker Racing Team 13 4 Richie Ginther BRM P261 1:14.67 182.34 Owen Racing Organisation 14 25 Ronnie Bucknum Honda RA271 1:14.9 181.8 Honda R&D Co 15 12 Trevor Taylor BRP 2-BRM 1:15.3 180.8 British Racing Partnership 16 14 Mike Hailwood Lotus 25-BRM 1:15.65 179.98 Reg Parnell Racing 17 17 Walt Hansgen Lotus 33-Climax 1:15.9 179.4 Team Lotus 18 23 Hap Sharp Brabham BT11-BRM 1:18.23 174.04 R.R.C. Walker Racing Team 19 10 Phil Hill Cooper T73-Climax 1:19.63 170.98 Cooper Car Co Not Present: 24 A.J. Foyt Jr. BRM P61 - - Owen Racing Organisation Friday Practice: Pos Car# Driver Car Time Speed 1 1 Jim Clark Lotus 25-Climax 1:13.23 185.92 2 7 John Surtees Ferrari 158 1:13.63 184.91 3 7T John Surtees Ferrari 158 1:13.8 184.5 4 3 Graham Hill BRM P261 1:14.1 183.7 5 8 Lorenzo Bandini Ferrari 1512 1:14.15 183.62 6 9 Bruce McLaren Cooper T73-Climax 1:14.2 183.5 7 5 Jack Brabham Brabham BT11-Climax 1:14.2 183.5 8 2 Mike Spence Lotus 33-Climax 1:14.3 183.3 9 6 Dan Gurney Brabham BT7-Climax 1:14.4 183.0 10 16 Jo Bonnier Brabham BT7-Climax 1:14.6 182.5 11 22 Jo Siffert Brabham BT11-BRM 1:14.65 182.39 12 3T Graham Hill BRM P261 1:14.75 182.14 13 25 Ronnie Bucknum Honda RA271 1:14.9 181.8 14 4 Richie Ginther BRM P261 1:15.0 181.5 15 11 Innes Ireland BRP 2-BRM 1:15.3 180.8 16 12 Trevor Taylor BRP 2-BRM 1:15.45 180.45 17 8T Lorenzo Bandini Ferrari 156 1:15.8 179.6 18 15 Chris Amon Lotus 25-BRM 1:16.4 178.2 19 17 Walt Hansgen Lotus 33-Climax 1:17.2 176.4 20 14 Mike Hailwood Lotus 25-BRM 1:17.7 175.2 21 23 Hap Sharp Brabham BT11-BRM 1:19.2 171.9 22 10 Phil Hill Cooper T73-Climax 1:20.1 170.0 Saturday Practice: Pos Car# Driver Car Time Speed 1 1 Jim Clark Lotus 25-Climax 1:12.65 187.41 2 7 John Surtees Ferrari 158 1:12.78 187.07 3 6 Dan Gurney Brabham BT7-Climax 1:12.9 186.8 4 3 Graham Hill BRM P261 1:12.92 186.71 5 2 Jim Clark Lotus 33-Climax 1:13.0 186.5 6 9 Bruce McLaren Cooper T73-Climax 1:13.1 186.3 7 8T John Surtees Ferrari 158 1:13.23 185.92 8 2 Mike Spence Lotus 33-Climax 1:13.33 185.67 9 5 Jack Brabham Brabham BT11-Climax 1:13.63 184.91 10 8 Lorenzo Bandini Ferrari 1512 1:13.83 184.41 11 8T Lorenzo Bandini Ferrari 156 1:13.83 184.41 12 16 Jo Bonnier Brabham BT7-Climax 1:14.07 183.82 13 11 Innes Ireland BRP 2-BRM 1:14.35 183.12 14 15 Chris Amon Lotus 25-BRM 1:14.43 182.93 15 5 Dan Gurney Brabham BT11-Climax 1:14.63 182.44 16 22 Jo Siffert Brabham BT11-BRM 1:14.65 182.39 17 4 Richie Ginther BRM P261 1:14.67 182.34 18 12 Trevor Taylor BRP 2-BRM 1:15.3 180.8 19 14 Mike Hailwood Lotus 25-BRM 1:15.65 179.98 20 17 Walt Hansgen Lotus 33-Climax 1:15.9 179.4 21 25 Ronnie Bucknum Honda RA271 1:16.1 178.9 22 23 Hap Sharp Brabham BT11-BRM 1:18.23 174.04 23 10 Phil Hill Cooper T73-Climax 1:19.63 170.98
Starting Grid:
1 Jim Clark
Lotus 25-Climax
1:12.65
7 John Surtees
Ferrari 158
1:12.78
6 Dan Gurney
Brabham BT7-Climax
1:12.9
3 Graham Hill
BRM P261
1:12.92
9 Bruce McLaren
Cooper T73-Climax
1:13.1
2 Mike Spence
Lotus 33-Climax
1:13.33
5 Jack Brabham
Brabham BT11-Climax
1:13.63
8 Lorenzo Bandini
Ferrari 1512
1:13.83
16 Jo Bonnier
Brabham BT7-Climax
1:14.07
11 Innes Ireland
BRP 2-BRM
1:14.35
15 Chris Amon
Lotus 25-BRM
1:14.43
22 Jo Siffert
Brabham BT11-BRM
1:14.65
4 Richie Ginther
BRM P261
1:14.67
25 Ronnie Bucknum
Honda RA271
1:14.9
12 Trevor Taylor
BRP 2-BRM
1:15.3
14 Mike Hailwood
Lotus 25-BRM
1:15.65
17 Walt Hansgen
Lotus 33-Climax
1:15.9
23 Hap Sharp
Brabham BT11-BRM
1:18.23
10 Phil Hill
Cooper T73-Climax
1:19.63
Notes:
  • Weather: Sunny, Mild, Dry.
    •
    Race Review:

    With John Surtees having won the German and Italian GPs and Lorenzo Bandini having won in Austria, Surtees was suddenly in with a chance of winning the World Championship for Ferrari. Graham Hill was leading the championship with 32 points (despite having won only one round) while Jim Clark was second with 30 points (including three wins). Surtees had 28 points.

    Enzo Ferrari was in dispute with the Italian national automobile club over the homologation of the 250LM sportscar and so the Ferrari team appeared at Watkins Glen in the blue and white colors of the United States rather than Italian red, the entry having been made by Luigi Chinetti's North American Racing Team. The field was much as normal with the addition of a number of local drivers including Hap Sharp in a Rob Walker Brabham and Walt Hansgen in a third factory Lotus. AJ Foyt was entered in a third BRM but decided not to take part.

    Clark was fastest in practice and shared the front row of the grid with Surtees while Dan Gurney's Brabham was just ahead of Hill's BRM. The third row consisted of Bruce McLaren in his Cooper and Mike Spence in the second Lotus.

    At the start Surtees went into the lead while Spence made a great start from the third row to take second place with Clark third and Graham Hill fourth. On the fifth lap Hill managed to pass Clark for third and then took Spence as well. Clark took advantage of this to pass his team mate on the next lap and Hill soon afterwards. Clark then went after Surtees and on lap 13 he took the lead, leaving Surtees to battle with Hill and Gurney, who had moved past Spence.

    Clark was in dominant form until lap 40 when the Lotus began to misfire with fuel injection problems. He dropped quickly back through the field. Team Lotus decided to call in Spence and the two drivers switched cars. Clark could not score points but hoped that he could take them away from his rivals. After Clark disappeared Hill moved clear of the battle he had been having with Surtees and Gurney while Clark (in Spence's car) closed in. Gurney retired with oil pressure problems on lap 70. Clark's efforts to catch and pass his title rivals were ruined by fuel pump trouble which dropped him right back int he closing stages of the race and so third place was inherited by Jo Siffert.

    The result meant that Clark's hopes of winning the World title were slim while Surtees moved to within five points of Hill and had the advantage that whatever he scored in Mexico would count for the title. Hill would have to drop three points if he finished in the top three as drivers could only count six scores in the title race.