HIGHLIGHTS OF THE RACE.




Initials RM/V/PW/PC


SPORT: MOTOR RACING

Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: THE NEW ZEALAND DRIVER, BRUCE MCLAREN, WON THE BELGIAN GRAND PRIX AT FRANCORCHAMPS TODAY (SUNDAY) IN A MCLAREN-FORD AFTER MECHANICAL FAILURE HAD CLAIMED TWO-THIRDS OF THE 18-CAR FIELD. THE MEXICAN, PEDRO RODRIGUEZ, IN A B.R.M., AND THEN BELGIAN, JACK ICKX, IN A FERRARI, FINISHED SECOND AND THIRD RESPECTIVELY.

THE BRITISH DRIVER, JACKIE STEWART, DRIVING WITH HIS WRIST STRAPPED AFTER A FRACTURE TWO MONTHS AGO, EARLIER LOOKED CERTAIN TO WIN. BUT AFTER LEADING THE FIELD FROM THE 16TH LAP OF THE 28-LAP RACE, HE DROVE HIS FRENCH MATRA-FORD INTO THE PITS TO REFUEL ONLY ONE LAP BEFORE THE CHEQUERED FLAG. MECHANICS WORKED FRANTICALLY TO MEND THE FAULT, AND HE WAS OFF AGAIN MINUTES LATER - BUT TOO LATE TO CATCH THE LEADERS.

THE RACE WAS A SERIES OF SURPRISES FROM THE START AS JOHN SURTEES FROM BRITAIN, DRIVING IN A JAPANESE HONDA, BROKE AWAY FROM THE FERRARIS OF ICKX AND THE NEW ZEALANDER. CHRIS AMON WHO GRABBED THE LEAD AFTER THE FIRST LAP. HE BROKE THE OFFICIAL LAP RECORD, CLOCKING 149.836 MILES (241.140 KILOMETRES) AN HOUR, AND BEATING THE RECORD BY 1.4 SECONDS.

AT THE END OF THE SEVENTH LAP, SURTEES WAS FOLLOWED BY AMON, WHO LIMPED INTO THE PITS WITH OIL POURING FROM HIS ENGINE. HOWEVER SURTEES LEAD WAS SHORT LIVED. IN THE 10TH LAP HE CAME INTO THE PITS WITH SUSPENSION SAGGING. THE RACE THEN DEVELOPED INTO A DUEL BETWEEN STEWART AND DENNY HULME OF NEW ZEALAND. THEN IN THE 16TH LAP, HULME JOINED THE GROWING LIST OF STEAMING CARS IN THE PITS, CRUISING IN WITH A DAMAGED DRIVE-SHAFT.

STEWART FORCED FURTHER AHEAD UNTIL RUNNING OUT OF PETROL. MCLAREN'S WINNING TIME WAS ONE HOUR 40 MINUTES AND 2.1 SECONDS, AN AVERAGE SPEED OF 147.138 MILES (236.797 KILOMETRES) AN HOUR.