1971 Questor Grand Prix

Non-championship race in the 1971 Formula One season
Race details
Date|  March 28, 1971 (1971-03-28)
Official name|  Questor Grand Prix
Location|  Ontario Motor Speedway, California, United States
Course|  Permanent racing facility
Course length|  5.141 km (3.194 miles)
Distance|  64 laps, 329.02 km (204.42 miles)
Pole position
Driver|

* Jackie Stewart

|  Tyrrell-Cosworth
Time|  1:41.257
Fastest lap
Driver|  Pedro Rodriguez|  BRM
Time|  1:42.777
Podium
First|

* Mario Andretti

|  Ferrari
Second|

* Jackie Stewart

|  Tyrrell-Cosworth
Third|

* Denny Hulme

|  McLaren-Cosworth

Motor car race

The Questor Grand Prix was a non-championship race for Formula One and Formula 5000 cars held on 28 March 1971 to inaugurate a new racing facility in California, the Ontario Motor Speedway, built by the Questor conglomerate.

Because of the smaller fuel tanks of the F5000 cars, the race was run in two heats of 32 laps, and the final result decided by a points system. Jackie Stewart qualified on pole for Heat 1 and finished runner-up behind Mario Andretti. Chris Amon set fastest lap. Andretti and Stewart again finished first and second in Heat 2 and Pedro Rodriguez set fastest lap, quicker than Amon's time in Heat 1. Andretti was declared the winner; with Stewart in second place and Denny Hulme third. Mark Donohue was the best-placed F5000 finisher in Heat 1, and Ron Grable best in Heat 2. Grable was also the best-placed F5000 driver on aggregate.

During free practice on Wednesday, Andretti had heavily crashed his Ferrari. The team chief mechanic, Giulio Borsari, managed to rebuild the car overnight by using the one of Andretti's team mate Jacky Ickx as a reference point with the aid of a local welder. After Andretti won the race, Borsari was awarded the Mechanic of the Race trophy along with a $500 prize.[1]

Hopes for a regular fixture rapidly faded due to financial problems. The Questor Grand Prix remained a one-off event and the Ontario Motor Speedway was never again used to host a Formula One race.

## Qualifying

[edit]

Note: a blue background indicates a Formula 5000 entrant.

Pos. | No. | Driver | Entrant | Car | Lap | Gap

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1 | 8 |  Jackie Stewart | Elf Team Tyrrell | Tyrrell 001-Cosworth | 1:41.257 |
2 | 10 |  Chris Amon | Equipe Matra Sports | Matra MS120B | 1:41.275 | +0.018
3 | 4 |  Jacky Ickx | Scuderia Ferrari SpA SEFAC | Ferrari 312B | 1:41.531 | +0.256
4 | 6 |  Denis Hulme | Bruce McLaren Motor Racing | McLaren M19A-Cosworth | 1:42.458 | +0.927
5 | 12 |  Pedro Rodriguez | Yardley Team BRM | BRM P160 | 1:42.473 | +0.015
6 | 19 |  Graham Hill | Motor Racing Developments | Brabham BT34-Cosworth | 1:42.763 | +0.290
7 | 26 |  Mark Donohue | Sunoco Penske Racing | Lola T192-Chevrolet | 1:43.211 | +0.448
8 | 14 |  Jo Siffert | Yardley Team BRM | BRM P160 | 1:43.350 | +0.139
9 | 2 |  Emerson Fittipaldi | Gold Leaf Team Lotus | Lotus 72C-Cosworth | 1:43.358 | +0.008
10 | 27 |  George Follmer | Brian O'Neil Racing | Lotus 70B-Ford | 1:43.474 | +0.116
11 | 3 |  Reine Wisell | Gold Leaf Team Lotus | Lotus 72C-Cosworth | 1:43.535 | +0.061
12 | 5 |  Mario Andretti | Scuderia Ferrari | Ferrari 312B | 1:43.542 | +0.007
13 | 18 |  Henri Pescarolo | Motul/Frank Williams Racing Cars | March 711-Cosworth | 1:43.709 | +0.167
14 | 20 |  Tim Schenken | Motor Racing Developments | Brabham BT33-Cosworth | 1:43.772 | +0.063
15 | 30 |  Sam Posey | Champ Carr Inc | Surtees TS8-Chevrolet | 1:44.128 | +0.356
16 | 25 |  John Cannon | STP Corporation | March 701-Cosworth | 1:44.231 | +0.103
17 | 21 |  Ronnie Peterson | STP March Engineering | March 711-Cosworth | 1:44.360 | +0.129
18 | 15 |  Howden Ganley | Yardley Team BRM | BRM P153 | 1:44.379 | +0.019
19 | 17 |  Derek Bell | Motul/Frank Williams Racing Cars | March 701-Cosworth | 1:44.977 | +0.598
20 | 7 |  Peter Gethin | Bruce McLaren Motor Racing | McLaren M14A-Cosworth | 1:45.310 | +0.333
21 | 37 |  Lou Sell | Smothers Brothers Racing Team | Lola T192-Chevrolet | 1:45.397 | +0.087
22 | 29 |  Ron Grable | Charlie Hayes Racing | Lola T190/T192-Chevrolet | 1:45.402 | +0.005
23 | 35 |  Bob Bondurant | Competition Developments | Lola T192-Chevrolet | 1:45.528 | +0.126
24 | 31 |  Peter Revson | Milestone Racing Team | Surtees TS8-Chevrolet | 1:45.668 | +0.140
25 | 34 |  Tony Adamowicz | American Racing Associates | Lola T192-Chevrolet | 1:47.831 | +2.163
26 | 33 |  Al Unser | Kastner Brophy Racing | Lola T192-Chevrolet | 1:48.172 | +0.341
27 | 38 |  Bobby Unser | Charlie Hayes Racing | Lola T190/T192 | 1:48.512 | +0.340
28 | 36 |  Gus Hutchison | Aero Structures Developments | ASD American Mk 1-Chevrolet | 1:50.954 | +2.442
29 | 32 |  Swede Savage | Junior Tarozzi Racing/Keith Black Racing | Eagle Mk 5-Plymouth | 1:51.509 | +0.555
30 | 28 |  A. J. Foyt | Agapiou Brothers/Young American Racing | McLaren M10B-Chevrolet | 1:52.229 | +0.720
DNQ | 45 |  David Hobbs1 | Carl Hogan Racing | McLaren M10B-Chevrolet | 1:45.331 | \-
DNQ | 40 |  Pete Lovely1 | Pete Lovely VW Inc | Lotus 49B-Cosworth | 1:47.269 | \-
DNQ | 47 |  Dow 'Jack' Byers1 | Competition Developments | Lola T190-Chevrolet | 1:54.468 | \-
DNS | 28 |  Jackie Stewart2 | Agapiou Brothers/Young American Racing | McLaren M10B-Chevrolet |  |
DNA | 9 |  Francois Cevert | Elf Team Tyrrell | Tyrrell 002-Cosworth |  |
DNA | 11 |  Jean-Pierre Beltoise | Equipe Matra Sports | Matra MS120 |  |
DNA | 16 |  John Surtees | Brooke-Bond-Oxo/Rob Walker/Team Surtees | Surtees TS9-Cosworth |  |
DNA | 22 |  Andrea de Adamich | STP March Engineering | March 711-Alfa Romeo |  |

Sources:[2][3]

1 Hobbs, Lovely and Byers were late entries and relegated to reserve drivers.
2 Stewart briefly drove Foyt's car in qualifying.

## Classification

[edit]

Note: a blue background indicates a Formula 5000 entrant.

Pos. | No. | Driver | Constructor | Grid | Heat 1 | Heat 2 | Final Pos. | Points

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1 | 5 |  Mario Andretti | Ferrari | 12 | 1; 56:03.052, 176.07 km/h | 1; 55:45.358 | 1:51:48.410 | 80
2 | 8 |  Jackie Stewart | Tyrrell-Cosworth | 1 | 2; 56:06.052 | 2; 55:57.658 | 1:52:04.324 | 70
3 | 6 |  Denis Hulme | McLaren-Cosworth | 4 | 4/32 laps | 5/32 laps | 1:53:16.982 | 58
4 | 10 |  Chris Amon | Matra | 2 | 6/32 laps | 3; 55:57.939 | 1:53:29.684 | 58
5 | 20 |  Tim Schenken | Brabham-Cosworth | 14 | 7/31 laps | 6/32 laps | 63 laps | 50
6 | 14 |  Jo Siffert | BRM | 8 | 3; 56:48.381 | 13/28 laps | 60 laps | 50
7 | 29 |  Ron Grable | Lola-Chevrolet | 22 | 10/31 laps | 7/32 laps | 63 laps | 45
8 | 7 |  Peter Gethin | McLaren-Cosworth | 20 | 11/31 laps | 8/32 laps | 63 laps | 43
9 | 15 |  Howden Ganley | BRM | 18 | 8/31 laps | 11/30 laps | 61 laps | 43
10 | 12 |  Pedro Rodriguez | BRM | 5 | 20/21 laps | 4/32 laps | 53 laps | 43
11 | 4 |  Jacky Ickx | Ferrari | 3 | 5/32 laps | Ret/2 laps, puncture | 34 laps | 38
12 | 25 |  John Cannon | March-Cosworth | 16 | 15/30 laps, throttle | 9/31 laps | 61 laps | 38
13 | 37 |  Lou Sell | Lola-Chevrolet | 21 | 14/30 laps | 12/29 laps | 59 laps | 36
14 | 26 |  Mark Donohue | Lola-Chevrolet | 7 | 9/31 laps | Ret/5 laps, fuel pressure | 36 laps | 32
15 | 17 |  Derek Bell | March-Cosworth | 19 | 13/31 laps | Ret/15 laps, suspension | 36 laps | 32
16 | 38 |  Bobby Unser | Lola-Chevrolet | 27 | 12/31 laps | Ret/9 laps, engine | 40 laps | 30
17 | 21 |  Ronnie Peterson | March-Cosworth | 17 | 16/26 laps, suspension | 17 laps | 43 laps | 30
18 | 36 |  Gus Hutchison | ASD-Chevrolet | 28 | 19/25 laps | 14/27 laps | 52 laps | 29
19 | 34 |  Tony Adamowicz | Lola-Chevrolet | 25 | Ret/12 laps | 10/31 laps | 45 laps | 27
20 | 2 |  Emerson Fittipaldi | Lotus-Cosworth | 9 | 17/25 laps | Ret/10 laps, gear linkage | 35 laps | 26
21 | 30 |  Sam Posey | Surtees-Chevrolet | 15 | 18/25 laps, overheating | Ret/13 laps, engine | 38 laps | 26
22 | 18 |  Henri Pescarolo | March-Cosworth | 13 | Ret/16 laps, bodywork | Ret/24 laps, suspension | 40 laps | 25
23 | 3 |  Reine Wisell | Lotus-Cosworth | 11 | Ret/17 laps, ignition | DNS | 17 laps | 17
24 | 33 |  Al Unser | Lola-Chevrolet | 26 | Ret/16 laps, oil pressure | DNS | 16 laps | 14
25 | 35 |  Bob Bondurant | Lola-Chevrolet | 23 | Ret/15 laps, engine | DNS | 15 laps | 12
26 | 28 |  A. J. Foyt | McLaren-Chevrolet | 30 | Ret/6 laps, handling | Ret/2 laps, engine | 8 laps | 11
27 | 31 |  Peter Revson | Surtees-Chevrolet | 24 | Ret/11 laps, gearbox | DNS | 11 laps | 9
28 | 32 |  Swede Savage | Eagle-Plymouth | 29 | Ret/11 laps, accident | DNS | 11 laps | 7
29 | 19 |  Graham Hill | Brabham-Cosworth | 6 | Ret/8 laps, oil pipe | DNS | 8 laps | 5
30 | 27 |  George Follmer | Lotus-Ford | 10 | Ret/3 laps, rocker arm | DNS | 3 laps | 2

Sources:[3][4][5][6]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "F1 | Giulio Borsari: "Mechanic of the Race"". April 2014.
2. ^ "1971 Questor GP – Heat 1 Qualification". ChicaneF1. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
3. ^ a b "1971 – Questor Grand Prix". StatsF1. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
4. ^ "1971 Questor GP – Heat 1 Classification". ChicaneF1. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
5. ^ "1971 Questor GP – Heat 2 Classification". ChicaneF1. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
6. ^ "1971 Questor GP – Aggregate Timings". ChicaneF1. Retrieved February 28, 2024.

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1971 Race of Champions | Formula One non-championship races
1971 season | Next race:
1971 Spring Trophy

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